
Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
Thanks to an epic Gonzaga vs. UCLA game, this year’s men’s Final Four will go down in history as one of the most dramatic March Madness semifinals of all time. The No. 11 seed UCLA Bruins played a near-perfect first half leaving the undefeated No. 1 seed Bulldogs’ perfect season in peril. But the Gonzaga men seemed to come alive in the second half, with Corey Kispert and Drew Timme dominating the game.
UCLA’s Tyger Campbell, Johnny Juzang, and Jaime Jaquez fought back, giving the Bruins the lead again. The game ended in a tie and went straight into overtime. The Bulldogs were locked in and dominant, but Campbell helped the Bruins take the lead again.
With 3 seconds left on the clock, Juzang tied up the game. Despite the three seconds remaining on the clock, Gonzaga’s star guard Jalen Suggs took possession of the ball and unleashed an epic 3-point buzzer-beater that sealed the Bruins’ fate.
Gonzaga’s coach Mark Few said of Sugg’s shot, “I knew when he shot it it was going in.” Few, who has coached Gonzaga’s MBB since 1999 but has never won an NCAA championship with the Bulldogs, also noted the Suggs “makes shots like that all the time in practice”.
Now Jalen Suggs and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have everyone from the Kansas City Chiefs’ Pat Mahomes to the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James talking. Turns out, we’re not the only ones who couldn’t believe that game-winning shot.
GONZAGA VS. UCLA LEAVES LEBRON SPEECHLESS
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 4, 2021
JALEN SUGGS HAS A FAN IN PAT MAHOMES
Suggs 💪🏽💪🏽
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) April 4, 2021
FORMER UCLA BRUINS STAR KEVIN LOVE SHOWS HIS SUPPORT
Wow. Bruins I love you.
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) April 4, 2021
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES JA MORANT IS NOW A JALEN SUGGS FAN
suggs for da bread 😱😱
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) April 4, 2021
THE ATLANTA HAWKS’ TRAE YOUNG CAN’T BELIEVE THAT GAME
That was crazy !! Hellevu Game👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) April 4, 2021
DREW BREES COMES OUT OF RETIREMENT TO COMMENT
I see you Suggs! #Zags #finalfour2021 What a game! https://t.co/fIYtsaJLyR
— Drew Brees (@drewbrees) April 4, 2021
FORMER COWBOYS QB TROY AIKMAN IS DIPLOMATIC
What a game. So proud of both teams tonight. One of those games when there’s not a loser – only a winner. This was college athletics at its finest. Congratulations Coach Cronin and UCLA on one great season! Hats off to Gonzaga.
— Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) April 4, 2021
THE NUGGETS’ JAMAL MURRAY IS IN DISBELIEF
Sheeeeeesh
— Jamal Murray (@BeMore27) April 4, 2021
THE KNICKS’ THEO PINSON RELATES TO UCLA’S LOSS
I know how UCLA feel…😂😂
— Theo pinson (@tpinsonn) April 4, 2021
THE LAKERS’ ALEX CARUSO IS SURPRISED BY SUGGS
OMG… he hit that #FinalFour
— Alex Caruso (@ACFresh21) April 4, 2021
THE BULLS’ ZACH LAVINE FEELS UCLA’S PAIN
That hurts.. damn
— Zach LaVine (@ZachLaVine) April 4, 2021
CLARK KELLOGG BREAKS IT DOWN
Gonzaga won the game but CBS’ lead basketball commentator former Pacers star Clark Kellogg broke down the game best when he said, “Nobody lost the game. UCLA ran out of time.”
Gonzaga vs. UCLA will be remembered as one of the most hard-fought wins of the NCAA tournament. Either team could have come out the winner.
"Nobody lost this game. UCLA ran out of time." @ClarkKelloggCBS gives both Gonzaga and UCLA a standing ovation. pic.twitter.com/SkJy9bmBhl
— March Madness TV (@MarchMadnessTV) April 4, 2021
JALEN SUGGS JUST WANTED TO BE LIKE HIS HEROES
Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs shot a 3-point buzzer-beater that will go down in history as one of the greatest Final Four moments of all time. For Suggs the victory was made sweeter by getting to celebrate like his idols Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.
Jalen Suggs “I always wanted to run up on the table like Kobe or D-Wade” pic.twitter.com/Ou5GpPJ2Ie
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 4, 2021
GONZAGA CELEBRATES SUGGS
Gonzaga’s win was a big team effort, but it was Sugg’s three-pointer that won the Bulldogs the game. That meant an epic Gatorade bath for the team’s star.
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) April 4, 2021