One of the greatest college basketball games of all time took place on Saturday evening. After Baylor punched its ticket to the Final Four with a throttling of Houston, the assumption was that top-seeded Gonzaga would respond in kind by running 11th-seeded UCLA out of the gym. That didn’t happen — while the Bulldogs won, 93-90, it took overtime and a halfcourt buzzer-beater by Jalen Suggs to get the job done.
JALEN SUGGS. UNBELIEVABLE! 🤯🚨@ZagMBB #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/QeEAjENYmG
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 4, 2021
It was a game no one will ever forget, as the Bruins threw the kitchen sink at the Bulldogs and tried their best to upend their quest to end the season with the perfect record. UCLA’s gameplan, which was apparently “hit so many long twos that it seemed like it was designed to infuriate people who hate that shot,” almost worked to perfection, and it took a presumed top-3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft doing something phenomenal to keep them from victory.
Unsurprisingly, the NBA universe was as enthralled with how the game played out as anyone. And when Suggs’ prayer was answered, players took to Twitter to celebrate a Final Four tilt that none of us will forget any time soon.
Tough way to lose, gut punch, but so proud of Mick Cronin and the @UCLAMBB.. Things to build upon..
— Reggie Miller (@ReggieMillerTNT) April 4, 2021
What a shot!!!! Omg Gonzaga
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) April 4, 2021
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 4, 2021
Baaaaaaaanggggg (Mike Breen voice)
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) April 4, 2021
Best college basketball game in a long time.
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) April 4, 2021
Wow. Bruins I love you.
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) April 4, 2021
😱😱😱
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) April 4, 2021
That hurts.. damn
— Zach LaVine (@ZachLaVine) April 4, 2021
WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW.
— Jared Sullinger Sr. (@Jared_Sully0) April 4, 2021
What a game!!
— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) April 4, 2021
I said SUGGS about to hit this as soon as he crossed half court. GAME!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 4, 2021
One of the best games I’ve seen in a very long time!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 4, 2021
Can’t imagine what that locker room must be like for those guys after the loss but UCLA and their entire program should be incredibly proud.
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) April 4, 2021
Zags Baby!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/myXDm9EpgL
— Robert Sacre (@Bobby_Sacre) April 4, 2021
EPIC game! Even tho the Zags won it I just wanna shoutout Johnny Juzang. Thanks for reppin, you have a bright future 💪🏼💪🏼
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) April 4, 2021
https://twitter.com/DeMarreCarroll1/status/1378549708013113345
That was crazy !! Hellevu Game👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) April 4, 2021
O.M.G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Rui “Louis” Hachimura 八村 塁 (@rui_8mura) April 4, 2021
Wooooow. I called GAME!!!
— Dorell Wright 🏁 (@DWRIGHTWAY1) April 4, 2021
I saw that coming
— Evan Turner (@thekidet) April 4, 2021
Oh. My. God.
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) April 4, 2021
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 4, 2021
WOW SUGGGGGGGS!!!!!!
— Kelly Olynyk (@KellyOlynyk) April 4, 2021
https://twitter.com/Johnhenson31/status/1378540174620168193
Gonzaga will try to captivate the basketball-watching world when it squares off with Baylor on Monday. The bar is awfully high, but perhaps those two teams will figure out a way to one-up the Bulldogs and the Bruins.
