This day in sports: Virginia Commonwealth scores big upset over Kansas in NCAA tournament
It will be hard to say goodbye to the Forum when it is replaced by the Clippers’ new arena. Its massive white columns, colonnade and suspended roof were architectural works of art by builder Charles Luckman when it opened in 1967.
The Forum was Jack Kent Cooke’s sports Taj Mahal, a fabulous place where hockey and basketball fans saw Wayne Gretzky with the puck, Magic Johnson on the fast break, the Triple Crown Line and the Miracle on Manchester.
Games that were scheduled for today but postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic include the Clippers' visit to Detroit against the Pistons, and the Kings' road game versus the St. Louis Blues.
The Clippers beat the Pistons 126-112 on Jan. 2 at Staples Center, and the Kings were two-time losers to the Blues in 2019 — 4-1 on Dec. 23 at home and 5-2 on Oct. 24 in St. Louis.
In baseball, the Angels would have played the second of four games in Houston, while the Dodgers would have entertained San Francisco in the second game of four at Dodger Stadium.
Here is a look at memorable games and outstanding sports performances on this date:
1983 — Larry Holmes wins a one-sided decision over Lucien Rodriguez to retain the world heavyweight title at the Watres Armory in his hometown of Scranton, Pa. It is Holmes’ 14th defense which is televised on NBC.
1991 — Kenny Ammann scores 22 points, making five three-pointers, to help Stanford win its first NIT title with a 78-72 victory over Oklahoma.
2003 — Russia's Evgeni Plushenko wins his second world figure skating title, edging American Tim Goebel.
2005 — Annika Sorenstam shoots a final-round 68 to finish at 15-under par to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship by eight shots over Rosie Jones. It's Sorenstam's fifth win in a row over two seasons, tying a record by Nancy Lopez. It’s also the 59th of the Swedish star's LPGA career — and her eighth major.
2005 — The Lakers lose their eighth consecutive game, committing a season-high 27 turnovers in a 98-89 defeat to Philadelphia, despite a poor shooting performance by the 76ers’ Allen Iverson, who makes just five of 28 shots.
2010 — Long shot Al Shemali, with Royston Ffrench in the saddle, wins the $5-million Dubai Duty Free, drawing away from a crowded field for a surprisingly easy win in the Dubai World Cup. Al Shemali, at 40-1, starts slow then battles Bankable before taking the lead for good.
2010 — Joe Mazzulla scores a career-high 17 points and West Virginia beats Kentucky 73-66 to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 1959. Butler, behind Gordon Hayward’s 22 points, defeats Kansas State 63-56 in the West Regional final to advance to the Final Four.
2011 — Jamie Skeen scores 26 points as Virginia Commonwealth delivers the biggest upset of the NCAA tournament, a 71-61 win over No. 1-seeded Kansas in the Southwest Regional final. The Rams are the third 11th-seeded team to make the Final Four. Brandon Knight scores 22 points and fourth-seeded Kentucky restores some order with a 76-69 win over second-seeded North Carolina in the East Regional final.
2014 — The Detroit Tigers agree to pay Miguel Cabrera a record $292 million over the next 10 years.
2014 — The Philadelphia 76ers tie the NBA record for futility with their 26th loss in a row, falling 120-98 to the Houston Rockets. Philadelphia matches the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers for the league’s worst skid.
SOURCES: The Times, Associated Press
