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What Happened in Sports: January 4, 2021
What happened in sports on January 4, 2021 ft. Pacers' W over NOLA in OT, Giannis & Luka at MVP-level, interesting NFL facts, and more!
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
January 4th, 2021 was highlighted by some interesting facts coming out about the 2020 NFL season with it officially over, the Pacers edging out the Pelicans in OT, Giannis and Luka getting back to their MVP ways, and Steph Curry providing a solid encore to his Sunday Night 62-point performance. Check out everything that happened in sports on January 4th last year and the Best in Sports from exactly a year ago, headlined by Derrick Henry having an incredible birthday performance to dethrone the Patriots in the Wild Card Round.
This daily sports article includes real headlines only (no clickbait rumors), all of the best highlights, interesting facts from around the NFL, NBA, & MLB, the main games to watch, top performances of the day, significant birthdays, and a quick recap of notable events on this day in sports history. More content will be uploaded throughout the day.
👀 the TOP PLAYS down the stretch as the @Pacers outlasted New Orleans in an OT thriller! pic.twitter.com/dCJNWgkNEJ
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2021
Luka posts triple-double in W! ✨@luka7doncic tallies 33 PTS, 16 REB, 11 AST for the @dallasmavs vs. Houston! #MFFL pic.twitter.com/VSIlJJ9SJx
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2021
BAM SLAM! 😧 pic.twitter.com/adRyK7SBND
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 5, 2021
Giannis goes for season-high! 🦌@Giannis_An34‘s 43 PTS on 17-24 shooting propels the @Bucks! #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/1Rxq5iz28M
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2021
Steph Curry stuffs the stat sheet in 3 quarters as the @warriors go to 4-3! #DubNation
30 PTS | 9 REB | 8 AST pic.twitter.com/NUmUJIl3Qn
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2021
Steph with the behind-the-back dime through traffic!
30 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST for Curry as we go to the 4th on League Pass. pic.twitter.com/aFukHrapV4
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2021
Steph STEPBACK! 😳 pic.twitter.com/POpgylM38o
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2021
𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 ‘𝙚𝙢, 𝙆𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚@MarkelleF → @NikolaVucevic pic.twitter.com/TnbVVuJwp7
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) January 5, 2021
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 5, 2021
84 yards to the house!
Isaiah McKenzie’s 3rd touchdown of the day is a beauty. #BillsMafia
📺: #MIAvsBUF on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/EMdqIO97si pic.twitter.com/yaMXpsNQID
— NFL (@NFL) January 3, 2021
Now that’s a nice pass. @BenSimmons25 ⤻ @JoelEmbiid pic.twitter.com/ak8BTmBHt5
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 5, 2021
Tatum to beat the shot clock for 40! pic.twitter.com/rQNyEeKwEX
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2021
☘️ @jaytatum0 pours in 40 PTS to guide the @celtics W! #BleedGreen pic.twitter.com/8OKZXS0V5T
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2021
Tom Brady’s 2nd TD pass of the day goes to Antonio Brown.
📺: #ATLvsTB on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/EMdqIO97si pic.twitter.com/IXaiAMPL5U
— NFL (@NFL) January 3, 2021
The BEST PLAY from all 30 teams in 2020! pic.twitter.com/yX7pGbpMqj
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2021
Julius Randle & RJ Barrett fill up the box score to lead the @nyknicks! #NewYorkForever @J30_RANDLE: 28 PTS, 17 REB, 9 AST@RjBarrett6: 26 PTS, 11 REB, 5 AST pic.twitter.com/wi4OdKxexJ
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2021
Things to look forward to in 2021: more filth like this. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/1B8tgyZegm
— MLB (@MLB) January 5, 2021
.@KingHenry_2 needed 223 rush yards in Week 17 to get 2000 on the year.
He got 250. 👑@Titans | #Titans pic.twitter.com/LBde23igkl
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2021
With four touchdowns in Week 17, @AaronRodgers12 finishes the season with 48 TD passes to just 5 INTs 🔥 #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/GXb9adDdMJ
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2021
👀 the TOP 10 PLAYS from Week 2’s action! #BestOfNBA pic.twitter.com/918DXLntEE
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2021
Most receiving yards by a rookie ever. The future is bright for @JJettas2. #SKOL pic.twitter.com/wEeOCAPOHN
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2021
The biggest plays that led the @RamsNFL to #SuperWildCard Weekend! #RamsHouse
📺: #LARvsSEA — Saturday 4:40pm ET on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app pic.twitter.com/toFv2NkpnJ
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2021
💥 The TOP 10 DUNKS from Week 2’s action! #BestOfNBA pic.twitter.com/ZdB4pD4K7k
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2021
Monday after break hitting us like … pic.twitter.com/ZsuXPPG3CV
— MLB (@MLB) January 4, 2021
Who else is excited to see these two in San Diego? pic.twitter.com/3Zhxl9cN6l
— MLB (@MLB) January 4, 2021
The @BuffaloBills TOP plays that earned them an AFC East title and a spot in #SuperWildCard Weekend! #NFLPlayoffs | #BillsMafia
📺: #INDvsBUF — Saturday 1:05pm ET on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app pic.twitter.com/BaXJ3muLA1
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2021
A.J. Brown continues to be a game changer. 😤
And he’s heading to #SuperWildCard Weekend! (by @Fidelity)@Brown1arthur | @Titans | #Titans pic.twitter.com/zFbKeFSQka
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2021
😈 210 total yards + 3 TDs
😈 Become 1st QB in history with back-to-back 1K rushing yard seasons
😈 Clinch a spot in #SuperWildCard Weekend
Week 17 was a good one for @Lj_era8. #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/IjfRmzOz2M
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2021
399 passing yards + 4 TDs for @TomBrady in Week 17.
Now, onto #SuperWildCard Weekend. @Buccaneers | #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/vsuFiPiHx2
— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2021
👀 EVERY BUCKET from @StephenCurry30‘s career night!
🔥 Career-high 62 points on 18-31 FGM
🔥 Career-high 18 free throws made pic.twitter.com/xjqs1HCGUo
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2021
25 PPG & 7.5 APG in his first two games.. @JohnWall has brought the energy for the @HoustonRockets!
Wall and the Rockets take on the Mavericks tonight at 8:00pm/et on NBA TV. pic.twitter.com/z7McKpiGQz
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2021
Leading the @warriors to a 2-1 record in Week 2, @StephenCurry30 was named Western Conference Player of the Week! #BestOfNBA
39.7 PPG | 6.0 RPG | 5.0 APG pic.twitter.com/l3ywQPbco6
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2021
Leading the @sixers to a 3-0 record in Week 2, Tobias Harris (@tobias31) was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week! #BestOfNBA
23.3 PPG | 9.7 RPG | 4.0 APG pic.twitter.com/6daa0MsNLv
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2021
Setting picks in #NBABreakdown with screen assist league leader Domantas Sabonis!
Pacers x Pelicans – 8pm/et on NBA League Pass pic.twitter.com/PUPpmZRgH7
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) January 5, 2021
A playoff-record 248 rush yards! :clap:@EricDickerson quite literally could not be stopped.
Watch the @RamsNFL’s dominating 1985 NFC divisional round victory on https://t.co/TAuzHi7hnf: https://t.co/BNlA8kuEbB pic.twitter.com/65RHcZtxz1
— NFL (@NFL) April 19, 2020
“GOOD! HE GOT IT! JAMES HARDEN A FLAMETHROWER!”
For our first installment of Rockets Reboot, analyzing the 135-134 OT thriller over the Warriors.
On James Harden and the shot that broke Oracle Arena’s back. https://t.co/cYt6rZkeic pic.twitter.com/jjOObUPhFY
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) March 23, 2020
January 4, 2014: Andrew Luck and the Colts come back from a 38-10 third quarter deficit to beat the Chiefs 45-44 in the Wild Card round. pic.twitter.com/nPGW7FqvF9
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) January 4, 2021
Can you guess how many Derrick Henry carries have gone for 15+ yards over the last two seasons?
𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗬.
𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼.
No other RB comes close to the King. 👑 (via @PFF) @kinghenry_2 pic.twitter.com/N3tpOEo4ha
— NFL (@NFL) June 6, 2021
The rushing king. 👑@KingHenry_2's BEST play from every game! pic.twitter.com/DSLxJKIj43
— NFL (@NFL) May 27, 2020
January 4, 2002: Michael Jordan takes a Ron Mercer shot right out of the air. pic.twitter.com/lptLIy0DcD
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) January 5, 2021
[SEE MORE]
7:30 PM: New York Knicks (3-3) vs. Atlanta Hawks (4-2)
7:30 PM: Boston Celtics (4-3) vs. Toronto Raptors (1-4)
8:00 PM: Dallas Mavericks (2-3) vs. Houston Rockets (2-2)
8:00 PM: Indiana Pacers (4-2) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (4-2)
10:00 PM: Sacramento Kings (3-3) vs. Golden State Warriors (2-3)
[Highlights] G Luka Doncic, DAL (@HOU): 33 PTS (12-25 FG | 3-10 3PT), 11 AST, 16 REB, 8 TO [Player of the Day]
[Highlights] F Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (v.DET): 43 PTS (17-24 FG | 2-6 3PT), 4 AST, 9 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO
[Highlights] F Jayson Tatum, BOS (@TOR): 40 PTS (11-19 FG | 5-8 3PT), 2 AST, 6 REB, 2 BLK, 1 TO
[Highlights] PF Julius Randle, NYK (@ATL): 28 PTS (11-19 FG), 9 AST, 17 REB, 1 STL, 7 TO
[Highlights] PG Steph Curry, GS (v.SAC): 30 PTS (9-18 FG | 5-12 3PT), 8 AST, 9 REB, 2 TO
NBA: PG Collin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers (turns 22)
NFL: P Michael Dickson, Seattle Seahawks (25)
MLB: SP Reynaldo Lopez, Chicago White Sox (27)
NFL: RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans (27)
MLB: 3B Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs (29)
MLB: RP/OF Michael Lorenzen, Cincinnati Reds (29)
MLB: RP Raisel Iglesias, Los Angeles Angels (31)
MLB: OF Kevin Pillar, Free Agent (32)
NFL: S Eric Weddle, Retired after 2019 (36)
NFL: HC Don Shula, Hall of Fame (91)
2020: New England Patriots QB Tom Brady played the last game of his Patriots career after a Wild Card loss to the Tennessee Titans with the last throw of his career coming on a pick-6 to former Patriot Logan Ryan in a game where All-Pro RB Derrick Henry celebrated his 26th birthday by totaling a franchise playoff record 204 YScm to lead the Titans upset victory in Foxborough
2019: Despite a blatant missed call leading to Steph Curry’s go-ahead FG, Houston Rockets SG James Harden’s 4th straight GP with 40+ PTS was capped off with an incredible GW-3PM to lead Houston over the defending 2x champion Warriors in OT without Chris Paul
2003: Atlanta Falcons defeated the Green Bay Packers 27-7 at Lambeau Field in the Wild Card Round, GB’s 1st home playoff loss in franchise history
2001: Washington Wizards SG Michael Jordan became just the 4th player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points (Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone)
2000: Mark Cuban officially purchased a majority stake of the Dallas Mavericks from Ross Perot
2000: One day after accepting the New York Jets’ HC position, Bill Belichick resigned and instead left for the New England Patriots
1986: Los Angeles Rams RB Eric Dickerson rushed for a playoff-record 248 yards in a 20-0 victory over the Dallas Cowboys
1984: Utah Jazz SF Adrian Dantley tied Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA-record with 28 FTM (out of 29 FTAs) in a victory over the Houston Rockets
1976: Dallas Cowboys became the very 1st Wild Card team in NFL history to make it to the Super Bowl, defeating the Los Angeles Rams 37-7 in the NFC Championship
1975: New Orleans Jazz set a shot clock era-record by scoring just 20 points in the 1st half against the Seattle SuperSonics
1970: Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders 17-7 in the AFL’s final championship game and the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Cleveland Browns 27-7 in the final NFL Championship Game
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