TODAY IN SPORTS

April 23

1903 – The New York Highlanders, later renamed Yankees, win their first game as a major league team, 7-2 over the Washington Senators.

1950 – The Minneapolis Lakers become the first team to win backto-back NBA championships by defeating the Syracuse Nationals 110-95 in Game 6 of the finals. George Mikan leads the Lakers with 40 points in a game marred by three fights.

1954 – The NBA adopts the 24second shot clock.

1969 – Jerry West scores 53 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers over Boston 120-118 in the opening game of the NBA finals.

1989 – Alex English of the Denver Nuggets finished the 198889 season with 2,175 points, giving him 2,000 or more points for a then record eight consecutive seasons. Karl Malone later posted 11 consecutive 2,000-point seasons.

1989 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in the final game of his NBArecord 1,560-game career, as the Lakers downed Seattle 121-117. Abdul-Jabbar finished his career with an NBA record 38,387 points.

1993 – The Dallas Mavericks avoid matching the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers as the worst team in NBA history, beating Minnesota 103-100 for their 10th triumph of the season.

1995 – After handing out eight assists in Utah’s 103-97 road win at Houston, John Stockton captured his eighth straight NBA assist title – tying Bob Cousy’s NBA record – after dishing off for 1,011 assists in 82 games for a 12.3 apg average. Stockton broke the tie by leading the NBA in assists for a record ninth straight season in 1995-96.

1995 – Steve Kerr of Chicago set the record for the highest 3-point field goal percentage in a season at .524.

1999 – Fernando Tatis hits two grand slams in one inning to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 12-5 win over Los Angeles. Tatis becomes the first player in major league history to hit two grand slams in one inning and set the record with eight RBIs in an inning.

2007 – Alex Rodriguez is the first player in major league history to hit 14 homers in the first 18 games of a season. He also ties the record for April homers, connecting in the second and ninth innings of the New York Yankees’ 10-8 loss to Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

2008 – The Chicago Cubs win their 10,000th game, joining the Giants as the only franchise to reach that mark with a 7-6 victory in 10 innings at Colorado.