April 15

From Hoopedia

• 1911 - In an unbelievable offensive display, the McKeesport Tubers (Pennsylvania), champions of the Central League, crush Philadelphia's DeNeri, champions of the Eastern League, 57-20, to sweep all four games and win the World Series of Basketball.

• 1916- The Wilkes-Barre Barons (Pennsylvania State League champions) defeat the Paterson Crescents (Interstate League champions), 22-17, to claim the championship of the World Series of Basketball. Paterson advanced after Philadelphia's Greystock Greys (Eastern League champions) declined to play the third and deciding game in their series.

• 1956 - Michael Cooper, who played on five NBA championship Los Angeles Lakers teams and coached the Los Angeles Sparks to two WNBA championships, is born in Los Angeles, California.

• 1965 - "The Steal" comes with five seconds left and the Boston Celtics clinging to a precarious 110-109 lead over the 76ers in Game 7 of the 1965 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. As Philadelphia’s Hal Greer gets set to inbound the ball from the baseline under his own basket, Boston's John Havlicek peeks over his shoulder. Anticipating a lob pass, Havlicek tips the ball to teammate Sam Jones, who dribbles out the clock as the fans at Boston Garden — and Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most — go into a frenzy. “Havlicek stole the ball! It’s all over! It’s all over!” bellows Most as the Celtics win en route to their seventh of eight consecutive NBA titles. Havlicek’s steal might be the single most famous play in NBA history.

• 1984 - John Lucas of San Antonio hands out 14 assists in the second quarter, an NBA record for one period, as the Spurs defeat Denver, 157-154. Lucas finishes with 24 assists for the game.

• 2005 - The documentary film Year of the Yao, starring Yao Ming, opens.

• 2007 - During a game versus the Dallas Mavericks, referee Joey Crawford, throws San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan out of the game with little provocation. Crawford would be suspended from the league only a few days later for improper conduct.

• 2008 - The Boston Celtics breeze past New Jersey, 105-94, to complete their regular season with a 66-16 record. Boston thus wins 42 more games than the previous season, surpassing the old NBA record for improvement, held by San Antonio. The Spurs won 56 games in 1997-98, 36 more than the previous season.