YEAR: 2019
SIGNIFICANCE: Lamar Jackson set multiple NFL records AND a full NBA slate gave way to a wild, historic night
Just a year ago today, sports fans were treated to a dramatic Monday NBA slate and a dominant MNF performance from Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Baltimore came into a matchup with the reigning NFC Champions at 8-2 with a grip on the top seed in the AFC, due in large part to the play of second-year QB Lamar Jackson. In the 45-6 shellacking of the Rams, Jackson not only threw five TD passes while completing 75% of his 20 attempts (only 169 yards), but also made NFL history in the process.
Reaching 3,000 PASS YDS and 1,500 RUSH YDS already in his short career during this game, Jackson became the very first player in NFL history to reach such marks within his first two seasons. Only his 18th career start in the regular season, Lamar reached the unprecedented milestone in just over a full season as starter and would continue setting dual-threat QB records en route to a 14-2 record and a historic MVP Award.
A flurry of edge-of-the-seat antics filled this day a year ago in the NBA as Spencer Dinwiddie capped off a 23-point outing with a game-winning fadeaway jump shot on Cleveland (108-106) to extend Brooklyn’s win streak to four as he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Furthermore, the steady handed-sniper Buddy Hield was firing on all cylinders as he set a new Kings 3-point franchise record with 11 made 3s, despite a crushing loss to Boston, following Sacramento’s missed game-winner in a tightly contested battle.
Meanwhile, the soon to be back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo erupted for one of his two 50-point games that season in the Bucks’ eighth straight win as enforcer Brook Lopez swatted away Donovan Mitchell’s game-tying shot attempt in Utah’s final possession. To solidify this evening as one of the most wild nights of the year, the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from down 10 points with three minutes to go against the Warriors by shutting them out on an irreversible 13-0 run to close out the contest, led by their MVP Chris Paul, who shined in the final quarter of play.