Presented by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
April 20 has delivered everything from Opening Day power displays to playoff wins. Today we look back at key moments the Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers.
Put Me in Coach
The Phillies opened the 1920 season with series in Brooklyn then the Polo Grounds against the Giants. On April 20 they were looking to take the rubber match. After 7 scoreless innings the Phillies mounted a rally with runners on first and second with 2 outs. Player/Manager Gavvy Cravath called his own number and rewarded himself with a 3-run homer to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead en route to a 3-0 win. For Cravath it was his 119th and final Major League home run. He retired as the modern-day Homerun King, until Babe Ruth broke his record the following season.
One Win Away
On this day in 1967 the Sixers beat the Warriors 122-108 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals to take a commanding 3 games to 1 lead. Hal Greer had 38 points and Wilt Chamberlain messed around and had an unofficial triple-double – 10 points, 27 rebounds and 10 blocks. Blocks wouldn’t become an official NBA start until the 1973-74 season. Wilt added 8 assists to his stat line. Rick Barry continued his monster Finals scoring a game high 43. He’d average 40.8 for the series which the Sixers would win in 6 games.
Flyers on a Roll
The Flyers won their fifth straight playoff game on this day in 1974, opening the Stanley Cup Semi-Finals with a 4-0 over the Rangers. Rick MacLeish had 2 goals and an assist, Gary Dornhoefer had 3 assists, while Bill Barber and Ross Lonsberry added their own goals. Bernie Parent blocked all 19 shots he faced for his first career playoff shutout.
Trivia – Bernie had 6 career playoff shutouts. Who holds the NHL record for career postseason shutouts? Answer below.
AI Torches the Hornets
The Sixers opened their first-round playoff series against the Hornets with a 98-90 win at the First Union Center. Allen Iverson scored a playoff career-high 55 points on 21-32 shooting including 3-5 from 3-point range. He added 10 from the free throw line. AI added 8 assists and 2 steals. The Sixers would win that series 4 games to 2 before bowing out to the Pistons 4-1 in the next round.
Stanley Cup Run Loading
After being down 1-0 after the first period the Flyers scored 4 straight goals including 2 on the Power Play by Jeff Carter. Danny Briere and Dan Carcillo scored as they beat the Devils 4-1 in Game 4 of their Quarterfinal series. Carter added an assist, Briere and Chris Pronger added two as the Flyers took a commanding 3-1 lead over New Jersey.
Trivia Answer – Martin Brodeur had 24 career shutouts in the Stanley Cup Playoffs besting Patrick Roy by one for the all-time lead.
Check back tomorrow for another look at This Day in Philly Sports History
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