How Curry's OT dramatics rank against the best in college hoops
While most of the country slept Monday night, Steph Curry returned from a sprained knee and lost his damn mind in an overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The now-two-time NBA MVP scored a league-record 17 points in overtime to give his Golden State Warriors a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
An impressive performance indeed, but how does it stack up against these epic overtimes in college basketball?
UConn 104 - Cincinnati 97 (4 OTs), 2016 AAC Tournament
This game featured perhaps the greatest shot in the history of college basketball. UConn entered the American Conference tournament as a bubble team for the NCAA tournament selection. Facing a Cincinnati team that was also fighting for its postseason lives, the quarterfinal matchup was a must-win for the Huskies. The hopes of UConn going to the big dance looked dead after Kevin Johnson banged home a 3-pointer with just 0.8 seconds left in the third overtime, but Jalen Adams had other ideas. The freshman guard banked home a ridiculous 80-footer to force a fourth overtime period, in which the Huskies prevailed. Bearcats coach Mick Cronin played the role of angry opposing coach to perfection, telling ESPN after the game, "You can't catch it, turn, bring it below your waist, and then shoot it with enough force to shoot it 80 feet in 0.8 seconds. The clock didn't start nearly on time." Or you could just guard the only player who could possibly get a shot off in time, right coach?
Syracuse 127 - UConn 117 (6 OTs), 2009 Big East Tournament
One of the longest games in college basketball history almost didn't come even close. With Syracuse and UConn tied with 1.1 seconds left in the first overtime, Eric Devendorf grabbed a loose ball and canned a buzzer-beating three, sending the Orange faithful into mass hysteria. Only problem? Upon further review the shot came after the buzzer, so the teams played on. The Huskies looked to have the win in the third overtime, but Andy Rautins would make a late triple to send the game to a fourth extra frame. The Orange would eventually pull away in the sixth period, giving them an epic victory in one of the sport's longest contests.
Kansas State 101 - Xavier 96 (2 OTs), 2010 NCAA tournament
Perhaps Gus Johnson's finest performance as a broadcaster, the Kansas State-Xavier double overtime epic from the 2010 NCAA tournament was one of the most entertaining games of all time. From Jordan Crawford's deep triple at the end of the first extra period (complete with Johnson's dramatic gasp), to Jacob Pullen's 3-point barrage in the last frame, this one was memorable on many levels.
Duke 104 - Kentucky 103 (OT), 1992 NCAA tournament
"The Shot" stood so large in the world of college sports that ESPN devoted an entire documentary on Kentucky's hatred for the man who hit it. Duke's Christian Laettner took the full-court pass from Grant Hill and nailed the turnaround jumper to crush the Wildcats dreams. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day for the Blue Devils star, as he failed to miss a shot, going 10-10 from the field and 10-10 from the foul line.