NBA

The Sports World’s Most Memorable Halloween Moments

Photo of Interns InternsOctober 31, 2023
(Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)

Tonight, nearly all professional sports leagues will be hosting Halloween games in light of the festive day. The NBA, MLB, and NHL will all host games, and if we look back at sports history, there is a chance something spooky can happen. Perhaps the most anticipated game of the night will be Game 4 of the World Series as the Texas Rangers will be playing the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. With numerous games being played tonight, let’s take a look back at some of the most iconic sports moments that have occurred on Halloween. 

October 31, 2018- Derrick Rose Scores Career-High of 50 Points

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Derrick Rose scored a career-high 50 points on Halloween night in his game against the Utah Jazz. This comes seven years after the point guard was named the 2010-2011 NBA MVP award winner. 

Following Rose’s MVP season, the acclaimed player missed all of the 2012-13 NBA season after suffering from an ACL injury in the first round of the 2012 NBA playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. The point guard needed to undergo surgery, causing him to sit out the entirety of the following season. The 2012-13 NBA season caused fans to worry if Rose would be able to fully recover from his injury.

Six years later on Halloween night in 2018, the 2011 MVP showcased his impeccable talent by scoring his career-high of 50 points over the Utah Jazz. Rose exhibited his talent and showed the world that he had fully recovered from his injury and retained the talent he had in 2011. Rose’s career-high of 50 points led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 128-125 victory over the Utah Jazz. 

October 31, 2015- Steph Curry Scores One of His Career-Highs of 53 Points

In the third game of the 2015-16 NBA season, Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry managed to drop 53 points over the New Orleans Pelicans, haunting power forward Anthony Davis. This became the point guard’s second-highest-scoring game following his 54-point game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks in 2013. 

Curry now holds the NBA’s single-game Halloween scoring record following his 53 points against the Pelicans. Not only did the point guard score 53 points, but he also had 4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals that game. After Steph led his team to a 134-120 win against the New Orleans Pelicans, Curry became the first player since Dwayne Wade in 2009 to drop more than 50 points and 9 assists in a game. 

The most impressive factor was how Steph performed in the third quarter. As a whole, the Pelicans scored 26 points in the third quarter while Curry single-handedly scored 28 points for the Warriors. 

October 31, 2006- Miami Heat Suffers Worst Loss for a Defending Champion

On the opening night of the 2006-07 NBA season, the Miami Heat had the worst loss in NBA history for a defending champion on the opening night of the season. In the season prior, the Heat found themselves in the NBA finals and clinched their very first NBA championship title after defeating the Dallas Mavericks (4-2). Dwayne Wade scored 36 points in Game 6, helping the Miami team beat the Mavericks for the championship title. 

The Heat entered the 2006-07 NBA season with high hopes after receiving their first championship title, only to find themselves losing to the Chicago Bulls in their season-opening game. The final score of the game was 108-66, which has gone down in NBA history as the worst loss for a defending NBA champion on opening night. 

October 31, 2004- Roethlisberger Ended Patriots 21-Game Winning Streak

To date, the Patriots hold the NFL record for consecutive wins in the regular season and postseason combined with 21 wins. This record was established in 2004 when the New England Patriots had a 21-game winning streak that was snapped by the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Ben Roethlisberger was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He became the third quarterback for the Steelers and had his NFL debut as a starting quarterback on September 26, 2004, against the Miami Dolphins after his team’s quarterback and backup quarterback were injured. Roethlisberger led his team to four straight wins and was then faced with the task of beating the undefeated Patriots on Halloween night. 

In the first half of the game, the Steelers led the Patriots 24-3 and the team managed to continue this momentum through the end of the fourth quarter. The rookie quarterback eventually ended the Patriots winning streak with a 34-20 win over the New England team. 

October 31, 2001- Derek Jeter Hits Game-Winning Home Run to Tie the World Series

The Arizona Diamondbacks ended up getting spooked in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series after New York Yankees player Derek Jeter hit a home run with two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning. This home run brought the Yankees score to 4-3 over the Diamondbacks in the bottom of the tenth.

Prior to Jeter’s home run hit, Yankees player Tino Martinez hit a home run in the ninth inning, tying the game 3-3, allowing Jeter to lead the team to a win at Yankee Stadium. This game-winning home run by Jeter helped tie the Yankees in the World Series, by tying it at two wins for each team. While Derek’s game-winning hit helped the Yankees win Game 4, the Diamondbacks managed to clinch the 2001 World Series title in Game 7. As a result of his home run hit at the Halloween game, Jeter earned the name “Mr. November” as he entered Game 5 of the World Series on November 1, 2001.

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Photo of Interns InternsOctober 31, 2023

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