The Winnipeg Jets’ shocking double-overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night in Game 7 of their first-round NHL playoff series — in which the Jets were down two goals with less than two minutes left in regulation and tied it up when Cole Perfetti scored with 1.6 seconds remaining — served as a reminder for one of the guiding axioms in sports: It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.
Here are some other memorable, out-of-your-mind endings that encapsulate how something that seemed to be lost was suddenly, and almost inexplicably, won. (If there are other memorable examples that spring to mind, please leave them in the comments.)
Duke vs. Houston, 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four
Exactly one month ago, Houston overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to defeat Duke in the Final Four in San Antonio. Although the Cougars went on to lose to Florida in the title game, the Blue Devils’ late collapse is the finish most will remember from this year’s tournament.
Duke not only coughed up a double-digit lead — including a six-point advantage with less than a minute remaining — but struggled to score in the final three minutes as everything fell apart. The Cougars ended the game on a 9-0 run. “Somehow we ended up winning,” Houston guard L.J. Cryer said afterward.
Atlanta Falcons vs. New England Patriots, Super Bowl LI
Atlanta seemed like it was cruising to the first Super Bowl title in franchise history. Instead, the Falcons found themselves on the wrong side of the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. Matt Ryan led Atlanta to a 28-3 lead in the third quarter before the Tom Brady-led Patriots scored 25 unanswered, including 19 in the fourth quarter, to force overtime. A short touchdown run by James White gave New England its fifth Super Bowl victory.
Dave Wottle, 800 meters, 1972 Olympics
In the final of the men’s 800-meter race at the 1972 Munich Olympics, David Wottle looked every bit the underdog. Wearing a tan cap and dead last in the field on the first lap, Wottle seemed more like a fan who’d made his way onto the track rather than a medal contender. Then he began to make his move.
Wottle passed one competitor after another on the second lap and kicked hard as he came to the final 100 meters. He caught and passed Evgeni Arzhanov of the Soviet Union right at the finish line, finishing off a thrilling run for the gold medal.
New York Mets vs. Boston Red Sox, Game 6, 1986 World Series
On the brink of their first title in 68 years, the Boston Red Sox instead found disaster. Having already squandered a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Red Sox were up 5-3 in the bottom of the 10th with no one on base and two outs. But Gary Carter, Kevin Mitchell and Ray Knight all singled, making the score 5-4 and putting the tying run at third base. A wild pitch by Bob Stanley scored Mitchell, tying the game at 5-5. Then came a moment that immediately etched itself into baseball lore. Mookie Wilson hit a slow-rolling groundball that went through the legs of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner. Knight scored from second and Shea Stadium erupted into pandemonium. The Mets went on to win Game 7 for the second World Series title in franchise history.
Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs, Dec. 9, 2004: Tracy McGrady scores 13 points in 35 seconds
Even the broadcasters counted the Houston Rockets out. But with the San Antonio Spurs leading by eight points with 35 seconds left in a 2004 regular-season game, the game’s outcome seemed inevitable. But someone forgot to tell Tracy McGrady. Smothered by defenders, McGrady hit consecutive 3-pointers, getting fouled on the second for a four-point play. On Houston’s next possession, he took an inbound and swished another 3. Then he grabbed a loose ball, dribbled the length of the floor and swished a pull-up, game-winning 3-pointer to help the Rockets edge the Spurs.
Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 2021 AFC divisional playoff game
In the 2021 AFC Divisional round, the Buffalo Bills were feeling good when a 19-yard touchdown pass by Josh Allen gave them a 36-33 lead with just 13 seconds remaining. But for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, that was enough time.
Two quick completions got Kansas City into field goal range and a 48-yard field goal by Harrison Butker sent the game into overtime. The Chiefs got the ball first in overtime, Mahomes drove them right down the field, tossing an eight-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce to clinch the victory and shock Allen and the Bills.
U.S. men win the 4×100-meter freestyle swimming gold at 2008 Olympics
In what is considered one of the greatest Olympic swimming relay races of all time, the United States needed a stunning anchor leg by Jason Lezak to win gold at the Beijing Olympics. After Michael Phelps and Garrett Weber-Gale had given the U.S. men the lead halfway through the race, France’s Frédérick Bousquet overtook Cullen Jones on the third leg and gave the French team an advantage heading into the final leg. Lezak initially lost ground but then swam the fastest split in the event’s history (46.06 seconds) and out-touched France’s Alain Bernard at the wall to give the U.S. gold in a record time of 3:08.24.
Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman, 1974
In what is now known as the Rumble in the Jungle, Muhammad Ali utilized the rope-a-dope strategy against George Foreman to wear him down and win the heavyweight title. Coming into the match, Ali had lost two matches to opponents whom Foreman had easily defeated, and many felt he was past his prime, especially against such a fearsome fighter.
The early rounds seemed to confirm that. Foreman went on the attack, with Ali leaning against the ropes and absorbing his punches. But as the fight went on, Foreman began to tire. By the eighth round, he was punched out and Ali was still fresh. He came off the ropes and knocked Foreman out, an iconic moment in Ali’s singular career.
(Top photo: Frank Becerra Jr. / USA Today Network via Imagine Images)
