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Description:
NBA Upsets and Underdogs is 53 minutes of pure fun and nostalgia as Bill Walton hosts an overview of unlikely triumphs over adversity and obstacles in the National Basketball Association. The anecdotal material goes back only to the late 1970s, but that's early enough to cover such inspirational chapters in sports history as the 1977 championship series between Walton's Portland Trail Blazers and the expected winners, the Philadelphia 76ers. The latter, strong on flashy individual talent, claimed the first two games in the series. But in the end it was the harmonious teamwork of the Blazers--and the inspiring passions of their "Blazermania" fans--that won the day. The 1994 Denver Nuggets were similarly underestimated going into their playoff round with the superior Supersonics, as were the 1999 New York Knicks all through their fabulous postseason. But miles of film clips in this program prove just how dramatically the tide turned for both teams once they hit their stride. It's not only teams in the spotlight. Tim Duncan, Scottie Pippen, and Mario Elie share their moving stories of working hard and overcoming bad luck, though it's the section on Timberwolves superstar Kevin Garnett (who went straight from high school to the pros, proving himself a natural leader along the way) that is most affecting. --Tom Keogh
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