As we continue to wait for a resolution to the 2019-20 NBA season, NBA TV continues its rewind of some of the best performances and most exciting games in league history.
This week’s schedule features new Pop Up Editions of big performances from the top three picks in last year’s Draft, as well as some of the best Game 7s in postseason history. NBA TV’s “This Day in History” continues every weekday at 6 p.m. ET.
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Monday: Game 7s and ‘The Last Dance’ capper
On Monday, the daytime schedule includes a pair of Game 7s from the Eastern Conference finals: Sixers-Celtics in 1981 and Bucks-Sixers in 2001. Allen Iverson scored 44 points in the latter of those, and there will be a special Iverson edition of High Tops airing at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. ET. Sabrina Ionescu, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 WNBA draft by the New York Liberty, will join TNT’s Ernie Johnson for an episode of #NBATogether at 9 p.m. ET.
6 p.m. ET: Cavs vs. Celtics, Game 7 (May 18, 2008)
The second of two Game 7s that the Celtics played on their way to the 2008 championship was both a nail-biter and one of the best one-on-one duels in recent postseason memory. LeBron James scored 45 points, but the Celtics got 41 from Paul Pierce, who came up with a huge jump ball in the final minute to help the Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
11 p.m. ET: Bulls vs. Jazz, Game 6, June 14, 1998 (Pop Up Editon)
One night after the last episode of “The Last Dance”, enjoy a Pop Up Edition of the final game of Michael Jordan’s career with the Bulls. He went out with 45 points (taking 35 shots in 44 minutes) and the iconic jumper that capped Chicago’s second three-peat.
Tuesday: Happy Birthday to the ‘Big Ticket’!
Tuesday is a 44th birthday celebration for 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Garnett. The daytime schedule includes some of KG’s best playoff performances, as well as a double-overtime thriller between the Pistons and Wolves from 1998 (10 a.m. ET).
6 p.m. ET: Kings vs. Wolves, Game 7 (May 19, 2004)
In their 31-year history, the Minnesota Timberwolves have won two playoff series, both in 2004. Garnett registered 32 points, 21 rebounds, four steals and five blocks in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinals series with the Kings, which went down to the wire.
9 p.m. ET: Lakers vs. Celtics, Game 6, June 17, 2008 (Pop Up Edition)
“Anything is possible!” Garnett’s first season in Boston produced his only NBA championship. The clinching Game 6 didn’t come with much drama, but it came with 26 point, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals from the Big Ticket.
Wednesday: Elie’s ‘Kiss of Death’ and Zion’s debut
The Wednesday schedule includes some Pop Up Edition re-airs, including Klay Thompson’s big Game 6 in Oklahoma City at 1 p.m. ET. Clippers coach Doc Rivers will join TNT’s Ernie Johnson for an episode of #NBATogether at 8:30 p.m. ET.
6 p.m. ET: Rockets vs. Suns, Game 7 (May 20, 1995)
Never underestimate the heart of a champion. The Houston Rockets faced a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference semifinals, with Games 5 and 7 on the road. Charles Barkley and the Suns led Game 7 by 10 at the half, but the Rockets turned things around with a huge third quarter and the game went down to the wire. Mario Elie hit the game-winning, “Kiss of Death” 3 with 7.1 seconds left and the Rockets survived a game in which Kevin Johnson registered 46 points and 10 assists.
9 p.m. ET: Spurs vs. Pelicans, Jan. 22, 2020 (Pop Up Edition)
Flash back four months to the debut of Zion Williamson with extra tidbits of information Pop-Up Edition-style. After missing the first three months of the season, Williamson did not disappoint, scoring 22 points in just 18 minutes, with a flurry of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
Thursday: Shaq and Kobe, Sampson’s shot, and Ja
Thursday’s schedule includes two of the biggest wins of the Lakers’ Shaq-and-Kobe three-peat. At 10:30 a.m. ET, it will be Game 7 of 2000 Western Conference finals in which the Lakers came back from a 15-point deficit early in the first quarter. And at 1 p.m. ET, it’s Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference finals, capped by Robert Horry’s buzzer-beating 3. There will be an #NBATogether Virtual Roundtable at 8:30 p.m. ET.
6 p.m. ET: Rockets vs. Lakers, Game 5 (May 21, 1986)
The Houston Rockets booked a trip to The Finals and eliminated the defending champion Lakers in a wild Game 5 at The Forum. There was a fourth-quarter fight that got Hakeem Olajuwon and Mitch Kupchak ejected, and the Lakers seemed prime to send the series back to Houston when Robert Reid missed a game-tying 3-pointer with 30 seconds to go. But Rodney McCray knocked the rebound out of the hands of James Worthy and Reid connected on his second try for the tie. After Byron Scott missed a jumper for the Lakers, Ralph Sampson hit one of the wildest game-winning buzzer-beaters in postseason history.
9 p.m. ET: Grizzlies vs. Wizards, Feb. 9, 2020 (Pop Up Edition)
Kia Rookie of the Year favorite Ja Morant recorded his first career triple-double (27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists) in Washington as the Grizzlies came back from a fourth-quarter deficit to pick up a road win, part of a 15-4 stretch leading into the All-Star break.
Friday: Bird vs. Nique and a big game from Barrett
6 p.m. ET: Hawks at Celtics, Game 7 (May 22, 1988)
On the road in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Dominique Wilkins scored 47 points. But it wasn’t enough as Larry Bird scored 20 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and the Celtics escaped with a two-point win to reach the conference finals for a fifth straight year.
9 p.m. ET: Rockets vs. Knicks, March 2, 2020 (Pop Up Edition)
A third straight night of rookie highlights puts the spotlight on the No. 3 pick. One of the Knicks’ biggest wins of the seasons came with a breakout from RJ Barrett, whose 27-point performance was capped by a huge bucket against P.J. Tucker.
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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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