Mother’s Day is usually a busy time in the sports calendar. The MLB season is in full swing and the NBA and NHL playoffs are starting to heat up. That is obviously not the case this year sadly, but the empty sports calendar does give us some time to look back at memorable Mother’s Day moments.
We’ve picked out five memorable ones from recent history. Now, not all of these moments are directly related to mothers — some are just great moments that happened to take place on the holiday — but the moments that did got a boost in the rankings.
5. Red Sox erase five-run deficit in the ninth inning, 2007
Down to their final two outs in the ninth inning, the Red Sox led a furious comeback to beat the Orioles in what’s now known as the Mother’s Day Miracle. Julio Lugo’s bouncing ground ball forced a throwing error that brought in the game-winning run and capped off the miraculous comeback.
4. Jamal Mashburn scores 31 with mom sitting court-side, 2001
With the Hornets trailing the Bucks 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Mashburn poured in 31 points in a series-tying, 85-78 win. What made the performance so special? Mashburn’s mother Helen, who had been battling colon cancer all season, was in attendance. The Hornets would go on to lose the series, but a year later Helen learned she was cancer free.
3. Kawhi Leonard hits Game 7 buzzer-beater vs. 76ers, 2019
Leonard gave all of Toronto a Mother’s Day present to remember when he propelled the Raptors to their second Eastern Conference Finals appearance with a ridiculous buzzer-beater in Game 7 of their series against the 76ers. The Raptors would go on to win the NBA Finals in six games.
2. Martin St. Louis scores goal in Rangers playoff win, 2014
#MothersDay 2014: Just three days after losing his mother, Martin St. Louis scored the most emotional goal of his career. ❤️@NYRangers | #PlayLikeANewYorker pic.twitter.com/HH4MXH3LKE
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) May 10, 2020
Just days after his mother had passed away, St. Louis scored the opening goal in a pivotal playoff matchup with the Penguins. The Rangers would go on to win the game and the series before falling in the Stanley Cup Finals.
1. Dallas Braden pitches perfect game, 2010
Braden, whose mother had died after a bout with cancer while he was in high school, had invited his grandmother to watch him pitch on Mother’s Day. He’d go on to pitch the 19th perfect game in MLB history before sharing a touching moment with his grandmother.