What Happened in Sports: May 8, 2022

2019: Boston Red Sox OF Jackie Bradley Jr. made one of the most incredible catches of all-time when he robbed what would’ve been Trey Mancini’s walk-off HR that was over a foot above the wall

2015: Chicago Bulls PG Derrick Rose banked in a GW-3PM to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers at the buzzer in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to take a 2-1 lead during LeBron James‘ 1st year back in Cleveland 

2006: Detroit Pistons C Ben Wallace joined Dikembe Mutumbo as the only 2 players to ever win 4 Defensive Player of the Year awards in NBA history, and the 1st to do so over a 5-year span

2001: Arizona Diamondbacks SP Randy Johnson became the 1st (and only) left-hander to strike out 20 batters over 9 innings, tying the MLB single-game record, but the game was not finished in regulation (11 innings)

1988: Chicago Bulls SG Michael Jordan scored 226 total points in their 1st round series victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, breaking Bernard King‘s record of 213. MJ’s 45.2 PPG is the 2nd most in any playoff series in NBA history, behind only Jerry West’s 46.3 PPG in the 1965 WCF

1988: Utah Jazz scored just 8 points in the 1st quarter of their Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, setting an NBA Playoff record-low

1973: Chicago Cubs legend Ernie Banks, an assistant coach after his retirement, technically became the 1st African-American manager in MLB history by filling in after Whitey Lockman‘s ejection

1970: New York Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 to win their very 1st NBA Championship (1st of 2), handing the Jerry West/Wilt Chamberlain Lakers their 3rd straight Finals loss

1968: Oakland Athletics SP Jim “Catfish” Hunter became the youngest (22) player to pitch a Perfect Game in MLB history during a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins where Hunter drove in 3 of Oakland’s 4 runs at the plate during the last season the AL didn’t have a DH