On April 24th in sports history, one significant event took place in 1994 during the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Denver Nuggets, who were the 8th seed in the Western Conference, pulled off a stunning upset against the top-seeded Seattle SuperSonics.
The Nuggets had lost the first two games of the best-of-five series in Seattle, but they managed to win the next two games in Denver to force a decisive Game 5 back in Seattle. In that game, the Nuggets were trailing by two points with just 5.7 seconds left on the clock.
Denver's Robert Pack inbounded the ball to Dikembe Mutombo, who was near the top of the key. Mutombo then handed the ball off to LaPhonso Ellis, who drove to the basket and put up a shot that missed. However, Mutombo was there for the offensive rebound and put-back, tying the game at 94-94 with just 0.5 seconds remaining.
In overtime, the Nuggets outscored the SuperSonics 14-6 to win the game 98-94 and complete one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoff history. It was the first time an 8th seed had ever defeated a 1st seed in the NBA playoffs.
Mutombo, who was in his third season with the Nuggets, finished the game with 31 points, 19 rebounds, and 6 blocks, while Ellis added 27 points and 17 rebounds. The Nuggets went on to lose to the Utah Jazz in the second round of the playoffs, but their first-round upset of the SuperSonics remains one of the most memorable moments in franchise history.
