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#dcRising: Washington’s top 10 pro basketball playoff games

By WTOP Staff

The Washington Wizards return to Verizon Center Friday night for the first NBA playoff action seen on F Street since 2008. They have a surprisingly commanding 2-0 lead over the Chicago Bulls and are turning heads throughout pro hoops — a pretty amazing turn of events for a team that won 29 games a year ago.

My family moved to Greater Washington in 1978 and my earliest D.C. pro sports memory is of the Bullets beating Seattle in the NBA Finals.  Bullets Fever! The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings! What great memories.

With the Wizards  the talk of basketball I decided to extend my stroll down memory lane and rank the top 10 Bullets and Wizards playoff games played in Landover and D.C (you’ll recall the team played for years in Prince George’s County at the Capital Centre/US Airways Arena). This is of course purely subjective, so let me know what I missed, or what you’d re-rank. We’ll see if a home game from 2014 cracks this list.

And head on over to Bullets Forever for a comprehensive and fun rundown from the fine folks at SB Nation. 

OK, time for tipoff:

10. 1975: In Game 6 of the conference finals, the Bullets beat the Boston Celtics 98-92 to advance to the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Since I’m first and foremost a Celtics fan, the less said about this game the better. (The Bullets would go on to be swept by Rick Barry and the Warriors.)

9. 2008: In Game 3, the Wizards blow out Cleveland 108-72. At one point, Wizards fans serenade LeBron James with chants of “Overrated!” as he shoots a free throw. Also, Colin Powell attends the game in a white T-shirt pulled over his dress shirt, part of a “White Out” crowd stunt. 

8. 1988: The Bullets notch two home wins in the first round against the Detroit Pistons to force a Game 5, which they lose by 21. Detroit would advance to the Finals and bow to the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 3, for L.A.’s second title in a row. As a Boston Celtics fan, the less said about this the better.

7. 2006: Gilbert Arenas changes his his jersey, shorts, shoes and tights in the locker room during halftime of Game 4 and leads the Wizards from behind to beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, 105-96.

6. 1978: Washington takes Game 6 over the Philadelphia 76ers, 101-99, to advance to the NBA Finals against the Seattle Supersonics.

5. 1979: Up 3-1 in the conference semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, Washington gets pushed to a Game 7 and wins 100-94 to move on the conference finals against  George “The Iceman” Gervin(not to mention  Billy “The Whopper” Paultz) and the San Antonio Spurs.

4. 2005: Now playing at the Verizon Center, the Wizards win their first playoff game since 1988, taking game 3 of the first round series against the Chicago Bulls.

3. 1997: The Bullets lose Game 3 96-95 and are swept — by a total of 18 points — by the Chicago Bulls, the eventual champ. G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan anoints Washington — led by Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Rod Strickland and Gheorghe Muresan —  a team to be reckoned with after the series.

2. 1979: The Bullets beat San Antonio and The Iceman 107-105 in Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals for the second straight season.  Bob Dandridge hits the series-winning shot with 8 seconds remaining, and Washington becomes the third team to win a series after trailing 3-1.

1. 1978: The Bullets defeat the Seattle Supersonics 117-82 in Game 6 at the Capital Centre and go on to take Game 7 in Seattle (105-99) and claim the NBA Championship. In Game 6, Coach Dick Motta moves Dandridge to guard and the Bullets score 70 points in the second half. This year’s Bulls struggle to score that in an entire game.

Fun fact: That Game 7 in Seattle marked the last time a road team defeated the home team in the last game of the Finals. This song could be heard for weeks afterward (HT: Nils Lofgren):

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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