Jimmy Butler led the way for the Heat with 35 points and 11 assists and Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 9 rebounds. Four Heat starters had double figures, but Tyler Herro broke his hand and is expected to be sidelined for the next month, at minimum.Â
The fourth and final play-in game was a thriller, with the 10-seed Oklahoma City Thunder becoming the second such seed (the first two in history) to win in the Play-In.
The Thunder have been off and on down the stretch but are one of the more exciting teams in the NBA. Furthermore, the Thunder have made the playoffs with one of the youngest rosters and without No. 2 pick Chet Holmgen for the entire season.Â
The Timberwolves season ended with a ton of drama. Minnesota beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, but Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson got into it during a huddle, with Gobert throwing a punch at his teammate.Â
Matt Wadleigh is here to recap the NCAA Men’s National Title game between the UConn Huskies and San Diego State Aztecs.
Butler drove to the other end of the floor, got cut off heading towards the rim, moved to his left, and rose for the biggest shot of his life. It went through the nets at the buzzer, and pure elation filled the San Diego State bench, sideline, cheer section, NRG Stadium, and Viejas Arena back in San Diego, where thousands of fans were watching the game.Â
Frankly, it will be an ugly first half of basketball. A 70,000-seat football stadium will be jam-packed with fans, media, and celebrities, and the jitters will be at an all-time high for both programs. The Aztecs have gotten off to slow starts a couple of times this tournament, although Brian Dutcher has done a great job of settling them down and finding a way to lock in.Â
The NCAA memories of the past had haunted SDSU and their fans, and all they wanted was a win in March Madness. This year, they got more than that, and they have now found their way to the first Final Four berth in program history.Â
The Aztecs defense has been playing at a magnificent level, and their swarming, relentless play on the defensive end has been tiresome for both Charleston and Furman. Also, neither Charleston nor Furman was able to score more than 60 points.Â