|
(Continued from page 23)
• ___
Iditarod: 5 things to know standout finishes in history of Alaska's famous sled dog race
• ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- In the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, there's always a heart-pounding thrill at the finish line in Nome, a rollicking frontier city on Alaska's western coast.
• The city's siren blares as the winning team trots along Front Street at the edge of the Bering Sea. Spectators are heavily bundled against the bone-chilling cold as they cheer and chant the victor's name. In the winner's circle, the dogs are calm, standing nobly, like crossing almost 1,000 miles of punishing terrain was no great feat.
• But some finishes have stood out among all others in the annual race that began in 1973. Here are five things to know about some of the Iditarod's most memorable finishes.
• WINNING BY THE BLINK OF AN EYE
• Only one second separated the winner from the runner-up in 1978, the closest race ever. The frantic dash down Front Street left Dick Mackey as the winner over Rick Swenson, who went on to become the Iditarod's only five-time champion.
• ___
• Noah scores 20, grabs 12 rebounds, Augustin adds 22 points as Bulls beat Heat 95-88 in OT
• CHICAGO (AP) -- Joakim Noah and Jimmy Butler understand it.
• The real victory for the Chicago Bulls will come when they're knocking the Miami Heat out of the playoffs, not during the regular season -- no matter how charged the atmosphere is.
• Even so, they'll take this.
• Noah had 20 points and 12 rebounds, D.J. Augustin scored 22 and the Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat 95-88 in overtime Sunday after Butler blocked LeBron James at the end of regulation.
• "I want what they have -- a championship," Noah said. "One day, we're going to have to get through those guys."
•
•
(Continued on page 25)
|
|
