Tonight, the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs play for all of the marbles in game seven of the NBA Finals. No two words in the sports dictionary carry as much emotion and expectations than "game seven." (Although "LeBron James" comes close.)
While game sevens have served as the back drop for some of the most dramatic moments in sports -- 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Yankees and 1988 Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detriot Pistons to name a few -- there have been more than their fair share of bad eggs laid in this situation. Whether it's the pressure of the moment or just the mental and physical fatigue of a long season catching up with the athlete, from time to time, game sevens can look like a spring training game rather than the peak of a team's performance. Here's a look at five of the worst game sevens in baseball and basketball championship history.
1945 Detroit Tigers 9, Chicago Cubs 3
The infamous "Curse of the Billy Goat" series. Had this series ended after game six, it might be one of the best World Series of all time. But it didn't and now it's known more for curses than baseball.
The Tigers jumped on the Cubs early in game seven with five runs in the top of the first and never looked back while the Cubs have yet to look at another World Series since... which is why I added this to my list.
1974 Boston Celtics 102, Milwaukee Bucks 87
You'd think a team that had Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would at least show up on their home court in a game seven. That was not the case as the Celtics invaded Milwaukee and came out with the title.
The Celtics road victory is one of only two times where the visiting squad came away with the NBA title in the last 29 years and no road team has won a game seven in the NBA Finals since 1978. Good luck, San Antonio.
1985 Kansas City Royals 11,
St. Louis Cardinals 0
The St. Louis Cardinal franchise has appeared in 11 World Series game sevens. This was the one they'd like to forget the most.
The series was basically lost the night before after the infamous Don Denkinger call in game six that some say cost the Cardinals the game and ultimately the series. St. Louis threw in the towel early and destroyed the visiting locker room later. Two years later, the Cardinals would suffer another game seven loss to the Minnesota Twins.
2010 Los Angeles Lakers 83, Boston Celtics 79
It's hard to imagine a Lakers/Celtics game seven not living up to expectations but the oder of this game still lingers in the bowels of the Staples Center.
The games marquee names, Los Angeles' Kobe Bryant and Boston's Paul Pierce, shot a combined 11-39 from the field with Bryant going 6-24 and Pierce shooting 5-15. You would think with two of the leagues premier scorers the final score would be at least in the 90's. Both teams looked tight and almost inexperienced but, in the end, someone had to win the game and the Lakers won by default.
1994 Houston Rockets 90, New York Knicks 84
This series was known more for the infamous white Ford Bronco that interrupted game five than for anything these two teams did to resemble good basketball.
It was an ugly series with both teams looking like they'd never been there, and they hadn't, that culminated in an ugly game seven. The only stat people seem to remember from that game seven is 0-10. That was the fourth period shooting line for Knicks guard, John Starks, who shot 2-18 when he's team needed him the most. Here's hoping the Heat and Spurs can lay a golden egg and not a Dodo.