(16) Fairleigh Dickinson shocks (1) Purdue

 

On Friday, March 17, the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights stunned the Purdue Boilermakers 63-58. This was the 2nd time in history that a #16 seed defeated a #1 seed in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Division I tournament. Entering Friday, #16 seeds were 1-150 in the first round. The only team to win was the Retrievers of Maryland-Baltimore County (better known as UMBC). FDU had the shortest roster in the country, with an average height of 6-foot-1, and Purdue had monster 7'4 center Zach Edey. Edey put up 21 points and 15 rebounds, but the Knights swarmed him throughout the game. 

Coach Tobin Anderson said to his team following their First Four win on March 15, "Let's shock the world." Following the upset, he told reporters, "I wanted our guys to believe. We [couldn't] just be happy to be here." He also noted he didn't realize his speech would be featured on national TV. But his team backed his words up. 

I thought Purdue would win the whole thing, so this came as a huge shock to me. I barely knew who Fairleigh Dickinson was prior to the First Four. The most embarassing thing about this for Purdue is that FDU didn't even win their conference tournament. They lost in the NEC final to Merrimack, but Merrimack couldn't participate in March Madness due to them just transferring from Division II to Division I. But in all seriousness, congratulations to the Knights. They didn't quit, even when the odds were stacked heavily against them.

76ers end Bucks' 16-game streak, 133-130

 

On Saturday, March 4, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on the road, 133-130. This is significant because the Sixers ended the Bucks' 16-game winning streak, which was the 3rd-longest streak in team history. Milwaukee was up by 18 in the third quarter but Philly scored 48 points in the 4th quarter to put the game away. James Harden scored 38 points and had 10 assists, while Joel Embiid scored 31 points and 10 assists. Embiid and Harden are the first teammates with 30 points and 10 assists in the same game since 1979. "Give ourselves a chance. That was the whole 4th quarter," Harden said following the game. "I feel like they had us that entire game, and then, that fourth quarter, we came out with some pop."

As a Sixers fan, I am ecstatic about this win, as this was a huge game for us against possibly the best team in the NBA. The first three quarters were frustrating, and then the 4th quarter changed the momentum of the game. Harden and Embiid came in huge for us, with big shots down the stretch. Overall, this game was a turning point in our season, I think. 

The 76ers go to Indiana on Monday night to take on the Pacers, while the Bucks head to Washington, DC to play the Wizards. 

Milwaukee Bucks win 16 games in a row

The Milwaukee Bucks have won 16 consecutive games, which is tied for their 3rd-longest streak in team history. In NBA history, 34 teams have won 16 games in a row, but only 24 have won 17, and 17 teams have won 18. Only 10 have won 19, and SIX have won 20. And the longest win streak in NBA history belongs to the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who won a whopping 33 games in a row. Let's take a look at some of the upcoming games for the Bucks.  

On March 4, the Bucks are at home against the Philadelphia 76ers. I think that will be a tough game, but the Bucks can win that one. Following that are two road games against the Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic. I think that those are two winnable games, as Washington and Orlando are two teams who aren't necessarily amazing, and then they come back home to face Brooklyn. In terms of records, this will be tough, but the Nets traded their two top players in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant at the trade deadline, so the Bucks can take that one too. 

Following that is a trip out west for Milwaukee against three of the best teams in the West. Golden State, Sacramento, and Phoenix. I think the Bucks will lose all three of those games, but let's say they win all three, and if they do, the road gets easier. 

The Bucks will have a three-game homestand against Indiana, Toronto, and San Antonio, followed by a trip to Utah to play the Utah Jazz. Those are four games I think the Bucks will have no problem winning.  

Later the Bucks will try for win 28 in Denver against the Nuggets, and if they hit 30, they get two straight home games against Boston and Philadelphia. Then they can tie the NBA record in the nation's capital against the Wizards, and should they unseat the '71-72 Lakers, it'd be at home against the Chicago Bulls on April 5. 

Will they break the record? Probably not. But more importantly, I'd say if they win most of these games, they can still get home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference, which could be huge and a big first step in getting their 2nd NBA Championship in 3 years.