John Havlicek’s winning steal squares off against Tom Brady’s record-breaking touchdown pass in the first round of Boston’s Greatest Sports Moment tournament.
John Havlicek made one of the most memorable plays in NBA history. With five seconds remaining in Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference finals, and his Celtics clinging to a 110-109 lead over the 76ers, Havlicek anticipated Hal Greer’s inbounds pass, leaped in front of Chet Walker and tipped the ball to Celtics teammate Sam Jones, who dribbled out the remaining seconds until the Boston Garden crowd rushed the floor in celebration. Hondo’s steal was immortalized by legendary radio voice Johnny Most, who exclaimed, “Havlicek stole the ball! It’s all over!” Referee Earl Strom, standing on the baseline as the play unfolded, regarded Havlicek’s deflection as one of the best defensive plays he ever saw in his 32 years in the league. The steal proved significant, as the C’s advanced to the NBA Finals and won their seventh consecutive NBA title by defeating the Lakers in five games.
Tom Brady and Randy Moss were an amazing quarterback-wide receiver duo. Although Moss ended his Patriot days on a down note in 2010, the wide receiver could do no wrong in Foxboro three seasons earlier, as Brady led an unprecedented offensive attack. The two players etched their names in the history books on Dec. 29, 2007, against the New York Giants when Brady connected with Moss on a 65-yard touchdown. The touchdown was Brady’s 50th touchdown pass of the season and Moss’ 23rd TD catch, both breaking NFL records on the same play. The 2007 Patriots team, hailed by many as one of the greatest teams in NFL history, finished the regular season with a perfect 16-0 record. Unfortunately for New England fans, the Patriots fell to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, erasing the chance for the first-ever 19-0 season.
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