What is great about the game? Is it its historical or social impact? Its cultural relevance? It’s the performance that takes place on the field, diamond, court or ice?
These are all questions we asked ourselves when faced with the daunting task of ranking the 25 greatest games in Arizona sports history.
Each reporter submitted a list of the 10 best games in their sport, which were then added to a spreadsheet and discussed by our staff. The result was a list of the best games in Arizona sports history for the Diamondbacks, Suns, Cardinals, Coyotes, Sun Devils, Wildcats and Mercury, ranked from 25th through 1st.
We know the word “best” is open to interpretation, and while there were plenty of great games that didn’t make the cut, we’re confident in the list we put together. Read on to find out why each game made the cut. If you don’t agree, be sure to join us on X and Instagram as we roll out the list five at a time before revealing the best games in Arizona sports on July 19.
25. First game in Coyotes history
America West Arena was built for basketball, but the environment wasn’t perfect. There were 4,500 seats at the north end that had obstructed views. The first balcony hung off the edge of the glass, blocking out views of the goal below. And there was no netting over the glass to protect fans, something that first-time visitors didn’t realize when they brought out baseball mitts and proclaimed, “I’m going to catch the puck.”
It didn’t matter. NHL hockey had come to the desert. The venue was sold out, and the Coyotes were loaded with in-demand stars like Jeremy Roenick, Keith Tkachuk, Shane Doan and Nikolai Khabibulin. The Desert Dogs didn’t disappoint, beating the San Jose Sharks 4-1 behind goals from Chris King, Mike Gartner, Doan and Craig Janney and 24 saves from Khabibulin. The future looked bright.
24. Barkley 0.5 buzzer beater
Charles Barkley’s arrival in the Valley for the 1992-93 NBA season was, at the time, the most significant move in the city’s limited professional sports history: He energized Arizona with his electric personality and MVP-caliber season, averaging 25.6 points (5th in the NBA) and 12.2 rebounds (6th) while leading the Suns to a then-franchise-record 62 wins.
In the 80th game of the regular season, Barkley gave fans a preview of his playoff performance, hitting one of the most ridiculous shots we’ve ever seen. It happened right after Cliff Robinson gave the Trail Blazers the lead with a long-range shot. With 0.5 seconds left, Oliver Miller’s inbounds pass hit the backboard but no one touched it, so the clock didn’t start. Barkley scooped the ball off the rebound and hit a bank shot for the win. The Blazers and their fans were in disbelief. The win secured home-court advantage throughout the postseason.
23. First Whiteout
When the first whiteout arrived in Phoenix on April 20, the fifth-seeded Coyotes were already trailing the Mighty Ducks, 2-0, but Phoenix won the next three games, two of them at home, to head into a potential series-deciding game at America West Arena.
We won’t get into how that game went or how it ended tragically, keeping the Coyotes out of the first round of the playoffs for the next few years. Instead, let’s focus on the 4-1 win in the AWA that gave the Coyotes a chance. The Phoenix fans embraced the whiteout with gusto, and the energy in the venue seemed to spark the team. Darin Shannon produced the only multiple-goal playoff game of his career, Nikolai Khabibulin made 30 saves, and Keith Tkachuk and Mike Gartner also scored on a raucous night that included a penalty and two brawls in the 90 minutes.
22. 2006 Suns/Nets 2-overtime thriller
Before the game, the Nets decided to take on the Suns’ “seven seconds or less” attack, resulting in two overtimes, 318 points, 34 lead changes, 21 ties and an epic battle featuring two of the best point guards in the league, New Jersey’s Jason Kidd and Phoenix’s Steve Nash.
Nash scored 42 points and Shawn Marion added 33 points, the sixth-highest scoring game in NBA history. The Suns won 161-157. With the game tied at 157-157 with 33.6 seconds left, Boris Diaw beat Kidd in the post for a flip shot, and Nash made two free throws with four seconds left to seal the win. “That was the greatest game I’ve ever seen,” Suns coach Mike D’Antoni said after the game.
21. 1994 Fiesta Bowl Cats Winners
Although not the Miami Hurricanes that won three national championships in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Arizona was still a powerhouse team ranked in the top 10 nationally. Led by Tedy Bruschi, Arizona’s Desert Swarm defense was strong, ranking first in the nation in rush defense and second in overall defense. Arizona won the Pac-10, but two consecutive losses to UCLA and Cal late in the season cost them any chance of further success.
They gave the Hurricanes their all, earning the only shutout victory in Fiesta Bowl history. Arizona held Miami to 34 rushing yards and 182 yards, with Dan White throwing two touchdown passes to Troy Dickey and Chuck Levy scoring on a 68-yard touchdown run in a 29–0 landslide victory. The shutout loss was Miami’s first loss in 168 games and more than 14 years.
Check back later today for No. 20 through No. 16.
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