Editorials

10 Things You Didn’t Know (or May Have Forgotten) About the Miracle of Richfield

Published by
Ken Hornack

8. The Cavs picked the right guy to foul toward the end of Game 5.

Bullets forward Elvin Hayes averaged at least 19.7 points in each of his first seven NBA seasons and was named one of the top 50 players in league history in 1997. But while hardly the Wilt Chamberlain or Shaquille O’Neal of his era, he was only a 62.8-percent shooter from the free-throw line that season. With the Cavs down 91-90 in the closing seconds, Hayes gave them life by clanging a pair of attempts. Smith hoisted up an airball, but Cleamons grabbed the offensive rebound and laid the ball in just before the buzzer to give the Cavs a 3-2 series lead.

After losing Game 6 in overtime, the Cavs came back home and eked out an 87-85 victory on Snyder’s running bank shot with four seconds to go.

Next: Game 7 marked the end of K.C. Jones’ time as coach of the Bullets.


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Ken Hornack

Ken Hornack is a longtime NBA sports journalist. Before covering the Orlando Magic for the Daytona Beach News-Journal and FoxSportsFlorida.com, the native of the Cleveland area got his foot in the door with the Cavaliers during the Tom Nissalke coaching era and will forever associate his senior year of high school with the Miracle of Richfield. You can follow him @Ken_Hornack.

Published by
Ken Hornack

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