The Best Games/Series of the 2000's

As the decade draws to a close, The Wizard of Sports compiled a list of the best games or series of the past decade in sports. It would be difficult to definitively rank the top 30 on this list against each other, thus the top 30 games/series that follow are listed in no particular order:

1. NBA – Lakers defeat Kings, 4 games to 3, 2002 Western Conference Finals




2. College Football – USC 34, Notre Dame 31, October 15, 2005





3. MLB – Yankees defeat Red Sox, 4 games to 3, 2003 ALCS

4. Tennis – Andre Agassi defeats Marcos Baghdatis, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5, 2006 US Open 2nd Round: While there wasn’t a championship on the line, this match had as much drama as any match during the 2000’s. This was Agassi’s final tournament and the crowd did all that they could do to will Agassi to victory in what would be the final win of his distinguished career. With the electric atmosphere of a night match at the US Open and a formidable opponent in Baghdatis, this match became an instant classic. At 4 -4in the 5th set, the players contested a wild game with 8 deuces.



5. College Basketball – Illinois 90, Arizona 89 (OT), 2005 NCAA Tournament Regional Final



6. College Basketball – Arizona 96, Gonzaga 95 (2OT), 2003 NCAA Tournament 2nd Round

7. MLB –Rockies 9, Padres 8 (13 innings), 2007 NL Wild Card Tiebreaker

8. NFL – Patriots 32, Panthers 29, Super Bowl XXXVIII, February 1, 2004

9. Tennis – Rafael Nadal defeats Fernando Verdasco, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 2009 Australian Open Semifinals

10. NHL –Maple Leafs defeat Islanders, 4 games to 3, 2002 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals : While this first round NHL playoff series may not be remembered by a lot of people, I can tell you that this series was an easy choice to make this list. The Islanders were playing in their first playoff series in 8 years and their fans packed Nassau Coliseum to create one of the loudest and intense environments I had ever witnessed. The Maple Leafs had one of the dirtiest teams ever assembled with Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi, and Shayne Corson issuing cheap shots and picking fights throughout the series and that helped make this a classic series. These 2 clips give you a great idea of what this series was all about:





11. College Basketball – West Virginia 111, Wake Forest 105 (2OT), 2005 NCAA Tournament 2nd Round

12. MLB – Diamondbacks defeat Yankees, 4 games to 3, 2001 World Series

13. Tennis – Todd Martin defeats Carlos Moya, 6-7, 6-7, 6-1, 7-6, 6-2, 2000 US Open 4th Round

14. College Football – Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42 (OT), 2007 Fiesta Bowl

15. Golf – 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines, Champion: Tiger Woods, Runner-Up: Rocco Mediate

16. Soccer – United States 3, Portugal 2, 2002 World Cup 1st Round

17. College Basketball – Syracuse 127, Connecticut 117 (6OT), 2009 Big East Tournament Quarterfinals

18. Tennis – Rafael Nadal defeats Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7, 2008 Wimbledon Championship

19. College Football – Arkansas 50, LSU 48 (3OT), November 23, 2007

20. NBA – Lakers defeat Pacers, 4 games to 2, 2000 NBA Finals

21. College Football – Ohio State 31, Miami 24 (2OT), 2003 Fiesta Bowl

22. Soccer – Italy 1, France 1, (Italy wins shootout 5-3), 2006 World Cup Final

23. Golf – 2004 Masters: Fan-favorite Phil Mickelson finally wins his first major championship after years of near-misses, draining an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole to edge out Ernie Els by one stroke. The back nine of the final round was filled with high drama and high quality golf.

24. NFL – Patriots 16, Raiders 13 (OT), AFC Divisional Playoffs, January 19, 2002: This game would not have been nearly as memorable as it turned out to be if it hadn't been played in a blizzard. The snow, the drama, and the Tuck Rule controversy all combined to make this one of the iconic games in NFL history.

25. MLB – Red Sox defeat Yankees, 4 games to 3, 2004 ALCS

26. MLB – Rays defeat Red Sox, 4 games to 3, 2008 ALCS

27. NBA – Warriors defeat Mavericks, 4 games to 2, 2007 Western Conference 1st Round

28. NHL – Penguins defeat Capitals, 4 games to 3, 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals

29. NFL – Steelers 21, Colts 18, AFC Divisional Playoffs, January 15, 2006

30. College Basketball - Gonzaga 109, Michigan State 106 (3OT), 2005 Maui Invitational : The average sports fan might scoff at a regular season college basketball game being on this list, but this game was so fantastic and well played that it definitely merits a place on this list. Adam Morrison was the star of the show with 43 points in a game that had countless lead changes and a dramatic buzzer-beating 3 pointer from Michigan State at the end of regulation to force overtime.