Best Games of 2012

Best Games of 2012

Rangers at Flyers

The rivals staged a classic battle at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park with the Rangers climbing out of a 2-0 hole. Brad Richards' goal at 5:21 of the third period put New York up and set the stage for a cliffhanger finish. After Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh was whistled for covering the puck with his hand in New York's crease, goalie Henrik Lundqvist stoned Philly's Danny Briere on a penalty shot with 19.6 seconds left in regulation to preserve the win. Afterward, Rangers coach John Tortorella earned a $30,000 fine for roasting the refs: "They called a penalty shot which I still don't understand. I'm not sure if NBC got together with the refs to turn this into an overtime game. I thought the game was reffed horrible." (<italics>What game would you add to the gallery? Send comments to siwriters@simail.com</italics>.)

Stanford at Oregon State

Stanford and Oregon State staged an epic battle in the Beavers' Gill Coliseum on Jan. 7. The Cardinal pulled ahead in the fourth overtime to win 103-101.

Steelers at Broncos

It may only have been a wild-card game, but this contest was one of the most memorable in years thanks to Tebowmania. The Broncos quarterback, who had already thrown for a touchdown and run for another, eliminated the Steelers by completing an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime.

Saints at 49ers

On the heels of Drew Brees completing a 66-yard TD pass to Jimmy Graham with 1:37 left that gave the Saints a 32-29 lead, Alex Smith answered with a 14-yard scoring pass to Vernon Davis with nine seconds left for a 49ers victory in the divisional playoff game.

Giants at 49ers

The 49ers were on the verge of making their first Super Bowl appearance since 1995, but the Giants stopped them in what was a classic defensive showdown in the NFC Championship Game. New York won in overtime thanks to a fumbled punt by Kyle Williams -- his second turnover of the game. Lawrence Tynes (pictured) kicked the game-winning field goal.

Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal

Men's singles finals in Grand Slam events are often grueling, but never before had a finals match gone on quite this long. In what was heralded as one of the greatest Grand Slam finals in history, Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal after five hours, 53 minutes on the court.

Patriots vs. Giants

In another Super Bowl matchup between the Giants and Patriots, New York quarterback Eli Manning once again emerged victorious with another Super Bowl classic. Manning led his team to a fourth-quarter comeback -- highlighted by a 38-yard completion to Mario Manningham -- as the Giants won their second Super Bowl in five years.

Duke at North Carolina

Duke and UNC have played many games over the decades, but February's clash ranks right up there with the best of them. Freshman guard Austin Rivers nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer, giving Duke the win and breaking the Tar Heels' 31-game home winning streak.

Knicks at Raptors

February 14 looked like it was going to be the day that 'Linsanity' was going to die down. Instead, Jeremy Lin took the phenomenon to a new level, scoring 27 points and nailing the game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds to give the Knicks their sixth consecutive win.

Predators at Red Wings

With Joey McDonald starting in net for the injured Jimmy Howard, the Red Wings tied Boston's record of 22 consecutive home victories (from the 1929-30 season into 1930-31). After Johan Franzen opened the scoring and Nashville tied the game in the second period with a goal by Nick Spaling, Predators goalie Pekka Rinne held off the Wings until Pavel Datsyuk beat two defenders and scored with less than six seconds left in regulation. (Detroit broke the Bruins' mark two nights later by beating San Jose 3-2.)

Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate

Women's MMA star Ronda Rousey added to her legend with a vicious armbar against Miesha Tate in the first round of their March bout. The victory gave Rousey the Strikeforce 135-pound title.

Norfolk State vs. Missouri

In one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, Norfolk State hurt just about everybody's bracket when the 15th-seed Spartans upset second-seed Missouri. Entering the game having gone 0-14 in Tournament history, Norfolk State defeated Missouri, 86-84, after Missouri's last-second three-point shot missed.

Timberwolves at Thunder

Kevin Love delivered a career-high 51 points on March 23, but it still was not enough to defeat the Thunder. Oklahoma City won in double overtime, with Russell Westbrook's own career-best 45 points leading the way for the Thunder.

Jazz at Hawks

It had been 15 years since NBA fans last saw a four-overtime game, but that drought ended on March 25. Led by Joe Johnson's 37 points, the Hawks outlasted the Jazz 139-133 in a game that lasted three hours and 16 minutes.

Capitals at Bruins

This tense, hard-fought series was the first in NHL history to produce seven one-goal and four overtime games. In Game 7, the Capitals led 1-0 when Tyler Seguin tied the score at 14:27 of the second period. The defensive battle, and Boston's reign as Stanley Cup champions, ended 2 minutes 57 seconds into OT when Caps fourth-liner Mike Knuble drove to the net, shot, and collided with Bruins goalie Tim Thomas as Joel Ward backhanded the rebound into the net for his first goal since January 7.

Devils at Panthers

After New Jersey survived Game 6 in overtime, rookie center Adam Henrique continued his surprising Calder Trophy nominee season by scoring twice, including the winner at 3:47 of double OT to send the upstart Devils to the second round en route to the Stanley Cup Final. Veteran goalie Martin Brodeur, 40, summoned memories of his past glory by making 43 saves, holding off the Panthers with 17 of them in the third period and 12 in the first OT.

Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich

By all accounts, Bayern Munich should have won the Champions League. It was playing in its home arena. It was leading 1-0 after 87 minutes. It was awarded a penalty in extra time. It was winning the penalty shootout. But none of those things went Bayern's way, thanks to Didier Drogba. Drogba scored the game-tying goal in the 88th minute and then won the match with his decisive penalty kick.

Celtics at Heat

Ahead by 15 points, it looked like the Celtics were about to head to Boston with the Eastern Conference Finals tied 1-1. But despite Rajon Rondo's monster 44-8-10 totals, LeBron James and the Heat emerged with the 115-111 victory, keeping Miami in control of the series.

Roger Federer vs. Andy Murray

It was one of the best Grand Slam performances of Andy Murray's career, but it still was not enough to defeat Roger Federer in the Wimbledon Finals. The first British man to reach the finals since 1938, Murray lost in four sets, giving Federer his record-tying seventh win at Wimbledon.

United States vs. Japan

The U.S. women's soccer team avenged their memorable loss to Japan buy defeating the Japanese in the Olympic finals, 2-1, in what was an exciting game that showcased the talents of both sides. Carli Lloyd's two goals gave the Americans the gold.

Rays at Mariners

Somehow there were three perfect games during the 2012 season, but the best game of those three came on August 15. Felix Hernandez, who was always one pitch away from surrendering a game-tying home run, threw a perfect game as the Mariners won a hard-fought 1-0 game.

Serena Williams vs. Victoria Azarenka

At one point, Victoria Azarenka was one ace away from winning the U.S. Open. But Serena Williams refused to give up, coming back to win the third set, 7-5, and earn her 15th Grand Slam singles crown.

Baylor at West Virginia

Baylor and West Virginia combined for 70 points and 711 yards of total offense -- and that was all in just he first half. At the end of the day, the score resembled a college basketball score -- the Mountaineers won, 70-63 -- more than a college football one.

Packers at Colts

Trailing 21-3 and with their head coach in the hospital, Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts engineered a 30-27 comeback victory in Week 5, setting the course for what has been a memorable season for the Colts.

Orioles at Yankees

After being two outs away from going down 1-2 in the ALDS, New York took the decisive Game Three against the Orioles, thanks to Raul Ibanez's two home runs: one that tied the game in the ninth and the other that won the game for the Yankees in the twelfth.

Cardinals at Nationals

What made for heartbreak in the nation's capital caused elation in St. Louis. Down 7-5 in the ninth inning and on the brink of elimination, the Cardinals staged a four-run rally to advance to the NLCS and leave the D.C. shocked at what they had just witnessed.

Stanford at Notre Dame

This was the game the nation found out that the Notre Dame defense was not to be reckoned with. Trailing 20-13 in overtime with second-and-goal on the 1, the Cardinal needed a touchdown. But try as he might, running back Stepfan Taylor just could not break through the Irish defense. Three plays later, the goal-line stand was complete and the victory was Notre Dame's.

Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado

Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado had an epic super lightweight showdown in October. Rios won the non-stop fight, one of the best bouts in years.

Texas A&amp;M at Alabama

In early November, few thought that undefeated SEC powerhouse Alabama could be stopped. But then the Crimson Tide met Johnny Manziel. The Aggies freshman quarterback threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, en route to a 29-24 upset win.

Georgia at Alabama

It was a game that will actually be talked about for ages. With a national title berth awaiting the winner, Alabama and Georgia played an uncharacteristically high-scoring SEC Championship, which made it all the more memorable. Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper made one highlight reel catch, and eventually the game-clinching 45-yard touchdown reception with 3:15 remaining. Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray charged the Bulldogs 77 yards down the field in just over a minute, but his decision to not spike the ball proved costly in the end as wide receiver Chris Conley ended up with the ball in bounds as time expired. Alabama's 32-28 win guaranteed it a spot to play Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship.

Miguel Cotto vs. Austin Trout

In what was a stunning bout, Austin Trout shocked Miguel Cotto's New York fans in Madison Square Garden with a unanimous 12-round victory.

49ers at Patriots

Down 31-3 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter, the Sunday night matchup between the 49ers and Patriots was a blowout until New England staged an amazing 28-point comeback to tie the game in the fourth quarter. But it was all for naught, as San Francisco once again pulled ahead and won, 41-34.