Today in sports history: April 20
In 1986, Michael Jordan sets an NBA single-game playoff scoring record with 63 points in a 135-131 double overtime loss to the Boston Celtics. See more sports moments from this date:
1986: Michael Jordan sets NBA playoff scoring record with 63 points
1986 — Chicago’s Michael Jordan sets an NBA single-game playoff scoring record with 63 points in a 135-131 double overtime loss to the Boston Celtics, in Game 2 of the first round in the Eastern Conference.
2007: Roger Federer wins 500th career match
2007 — Roger Federer wins his 500th career match, defeating David Ferrer 6-4, 6-0 in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters.
2008: Lorena Ochoa becomes first LPGA Tour player in 45 years to win 4 straight tournaments
2008 — Lorena Ochoa becomes the first LPGA Tour player in 45 years to win four tournaments in consecutive weeks. Ochoa shoots a 3-under 69 in the final round of the Ginn Open and beats rookie Yani Tseng by three strokes for her fifth victory in six starts. Mickey Wright did it in 1963.
2008: Danica Patrick becomes first female winner in IndyCar history
2008 — Danica Patrick becomes the first female winner in IndyCar history, capturing the Indy Japan 300 in her 50th career start. Patrick takes the lead from pole-sitter Helio Castroneves on the 198th lap in the 200-lap race and finishes 5.8594 seconds ahead of Castroneves.
2014: Bernard Hopkins, 49, becomes oldest to win unification light heavyweight bout
2014 — Bernard Hopkins, 49, becomes the oldest to win a unification light heavyweight bout as he captures a split 12-round decision over 30-year-old Beibut Shumenov of Kazakhstan. Hopkins, who improves to 55-6-2, retains his IBF title and wins the WBA and IBA belts.
2015: Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia wins 119th Boston Marathon
2015 — Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia wins the 119th Boston Marathon, his second victory here. Desisa, who finishes in 2:09:17, also won the 2013 race just hours before a pair of bombs exploded at the finish line. Caroline Rotich of Kenya wins the women’s race.
2017: LeBron James, Cavs erase 25-point deficit to beat Pacers in playoffs
2017 — LeBron James finishes with 41 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Cleveland Cavaliers set an NBA postseason record by erasing a 25-point halftime deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 119-114 and take a 3-0 lead. Cleveland trailed by 26 in the first half and was still down 74-49 at halftime. The largest halftime deficit overcome to win a playoff game had been 21 points by Baltimore against Philadelphia in 1948.
2017: Nashville Predators sweep top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks
2017 — Roman Josi scores twice, Pekka Rinne has 30 saves and the Nashville Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 to complete a surprising sweep of the Western Conference’s top seed. It’s the first time a No. 1 seed is swept in the first round since the NHL adopted its current playoff format in 1994.
