Clutch Play in Prime Time

Sports by the Numbers Stat of the Week

14 The Boston Celtics have won (14) in a row at home after taking care of the Cleveland Cavaliers 97-92 on Sunday during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals. The home team won all seven games in the series – and the Celtics carry home court advantage into their next round match-up against the Detroit Pistons, which is a good thing, because the Celtics are 0-6 on the road this post-season.

Honorable Mentions

6 The Pittsburgh Penguins routed the Philadelphia Flyers (6)-0 on Sunday to earn a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Ryan Malone scored two goals and picked up an assist as the Penguins are now just four wins away from winning the biggest prize in hockey. It is the first time the Penguins have been back to the finals since 1992, but just two years ago they were one of the worst teams in the NHL. On getting a chance to play for the Stanley Cup, Malone said after the game, “Never would have thought it.”

41 Paul Pierce scored a team high (41) points as the Celtics star won an epic battle against Cavaliers star LeBron James during Sunday’s Game 7. James scored a game high 45 points – but it was Pierce who sealed the win with a pair of free throws with 7.9 seconds left on the clock. Pierce said after the game, “It is a great feeling – we knew this was going to be a tough, tough series.”

191 Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano began play on May 10 with a (.191) average – but then he went 4 for 5 and began a stretch of nine games where he picked up 20 hits, including seven homeruns, and his average was up to .296 when play ended on May 18. Cubs fans are apparently cheering him now, instead of booing him like they were less than ten days ago.

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273 Japanese pro golfer Ryuji Imada closed with a final round 5-under par 67 at the AT&T Classic at the TPC Sugarloaf on Sunday to post a 15-under par (273) for the tournament – a score that got him into a sudden-death playoff with nine-time tour winner Kenny Perry. Imada lost a playoff to Zack Johnson in this same tournament last year when he hit his second shot on the first extra hole into the water – but this year it was Kenny Perry, on the very same hole, who hit his second shot into the water and opened the door for Imada to pick up his very first PGA Tour victory.

455 The New York Yankees are 20-24 for a (.455) winning percentage that has them dead last in their division – and the only teams in the league with worse records are the Detroit Tigers and the Seattle Mariners. Think Yankee fans miss Joe Torre yet?