Mississippi State Women End UConn's Win Streak
We knew the streak wouldn't last forever, yet we never saw when it was coming to an end. And all UConn women's head coach Geno Auriemma could do was smile. Morgan William nailed a jumper at the buzzer, helping Mississippi State advance to the National Title game with a 66-64 overtime win over the Huskies. The win snaps UConn's 111-game win streak, a streak that dates back to November of 2014 when they lost in overtime to Stanford. The streak lasted 865 days, as the dominant UConn squad was denied their fifth consecutive national championship. The last time these two teams met was in last year's Sweet 16, which UConn won by 60 points. MSU led by as many as 16 points on Friday, which was the largest deficit for UConn during the second-longest NCAA streak. The Bulldogs will go up against South Carolina on Sunday night for all the marbles.
Warriors Take Down Rockets Again For 10th Straight Win
For the second time this week the Golden State Warriors took out James Harden and the Houston Rockets, this time on their home floor. Golden State outscored the Rockets, 24-13, in the fourth quarter, en route to a 107-98 victory, their 10th in a row. Steph Curry had 24 points, while Klay Thompson added 20 to help hold off the third-seeded Rockets. Andre Iguodala finished the night with 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Ian Clark nailed the go-ahead basket with 5:58 remaining. JaVale McGee provided much-needed punch off the bench with 13 points and a season-high five blocks. Meanwhile, Draymond Green stated his case as the Defensive Player of the Year by becoming the first Warriors player with 150 steals and 100 blocks in a season, and the first in the league to do so since Dwayne Wade in 2008-09. James Harden struggled once again against the Warriors, as he was held to 17 points on 4-of-18 shooting.
Spurs Rally to Take Down Thunder
Earlier in the week, the San Antonio Spurs gave up a big lead in a loss to Golden State, while the Thunder came back from a large deficit in a win over Orlando. On Friday, both teams flipped the rolls, as the Spurs came back from a 21-point deficit in the third quarter for a thrilling 100-95 road victory over OKC. Kawhi Leonard fueled the comeback with 28 points, as LaMarcus Aldridge had the go-ahead dunk with 20.7 seconds left. The Thunder led by a score of 69-48 with 5:56 left in the third before the collapse began. Russell Westbrook was coming off a 57-point triple-double in Orlando, and recorded his 39th triple-double in the loss, now just two away from Oscar Robertson's single-season record. Westbrook had 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists, but shot just 3-of-12 in the second half, including 2-of-7 in the fourth quarter. He dominated the first half with 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists at the break. The win improved San Antonio to 29-9 on the road, as OKC fell to 27-11 on their home floor.
We knew the streak wouldn't last forever, yet we never saw when it was coming to an end. And all UConn women's head coach Geno Auriemma could do was smile. Morgan William nailed a jumper at the buzzer, helping Mississippi State advance to the National Title game with a 66-64 overtime win over the Huskies. The win snaps UConn's 111-game win streak, a streak that dates back to November of 2014 when they lost in overtime to Stanford. The streak lasted 865 days, as the dominant UConn squad was denied their fifth consecutive national championship. The last time these two teams met was in last year's Sweet 16, which UConn won by 60 points. MSU led by as many as 16 points on Friday, which was the largest deficit for UConn during the second-longest NCAA streak. The Bulldogs will go up against South Carolina on Sunday night for all the marbles.
Warriors Take Down Rockets Again For 10th Straight Win
For the second time this week the Golden State Warriors took out James Harden and the Houston Rockets, this time on their home floor. Golden State outscored the Rockets, 24-13, in the fourth quarter, en route to a 107-98 victory, their 10th in a row. Steph Curry had 24 points, while Klay Thompson added 20 to help hold off the third-seeded Rockets. Andre Iguodala finished the night with 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Ian Clark nailed the go-ahead basket with 5:58 remaining. JaVale McGee provided much-needed punch off the bench with 13 points and a season-high five blocks. Meanwhile, Draymond Green stated his case as the Defensive Player of the Year by becoming the first Warriors player with 150 steals and 100 blocks in a season, and the first in the league to do so since Dwayne Wade in 2008-09. James Harden struggled once again against the Warriors, as he was held to 17 points on 4-of-18 shooting.
Spurs Rally to Take Down Thunder
Earlier in the week, the San Antonio Spurs gave up a big lead in a loss to Golden State, while the Thunder came back from a large deficit in a win over Orlando. On Friday, both teams flipped the rolls, as the Spurs came back from a 21-point deficit in the third quarter for a thrilling 100-95 road victory over OKC. Kawhi Leonard fueled the comeback with 28 points, as LaMarcus Aldridge had the go-ahead dunk with 20.7 seconds left. The Thunder led by a score of 69-48 with 5:56 left in the third before the collapse began. Russell Westbrook was coming off a 57-point triple-double in Orlando, and recorded his 39th triple-double in the loss, now just two away from Oscar Robertson's single-season record. Westbrook had 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists, but shot just 3-of-12 in the second half, including 2-of-7 in the fourth quarter. He dominated the first half with 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists at the break. The win improved San Antonio to 29-9 on the road, as OKC fell to 27-11 on their home floor.
