What were the best NBA games of the past 10 seasons?

With a new NBA decade beginning this fall, ESPN's panel of experts is breaking down the very best moments of the 2010s. On Monday, Kirk Goldsberry ranked the 10 best shooters. Now, it's time for our list of the greatest games.

For this ranking, our panel gave their top three picks for the best games from the 2009-2010 season through 2018-19. The list features career-defining playoff moments and a couple of the most entertaining regular season games of all time.

Let's dive in.

8. Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics | 2012 Eastern Conference finals, Game 6

Score: Heat 98, Celtics 79

Date: June 7, 2012

Full highlights

Miami's 19-point margin of victory underrates why this was such a good game. This one was all about LeBron James' dominant 45-point, 15-rebound performance in a must-win matchup, helping the Heat force a Game 7 at home.

Remember, this was the same Heat team that lost in the NBA Finals the previous year and was one loss away from having nothing to show for its splashy Big 3. James' legacy was on the line, and he delivered.

The dominoes from this game also are intriguing. Ray Allen left for Miami that summer, then Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013, breaking up Boston's own Big 3. James won his first championship against the Thunder in 2012, and Miami repeated the following season. And OKC? Months after losing to LeBron in the Finals, the Thunder traded James Harden to the Rockets.

Would that trade have happened if OKC faced a less formidable Boston team in the Finals? We will never know. - Bobby Marks

7. Dallas Mavericks vs. Portland Trail Blazers | 2011 playoffs Round 1, Game 4

Score: Trail Blazers 84, Mavericks 82

Date: April 23, 2011

Full highlights

Brandon Roy knows they weren't all good shots, but he took them anyway. He had nothing to lose.

The three-time Blazers All-Star had been demoted to a bench role in the middle of the season after returning from double knee surgery. His career was on the brink. Just a few days before this iconic Game 4 performance, he had to keep himself from crying after logging sparse minutes in Game 2.

Portland was down 21 points before Roy sank a 3 at the end of the third quarter, trying to keep the 2-1 series from slipping away entirely.

"I just went into that game like, 'Who cares?'" Roy told J.A. Adande in 2013. "I was loose. I just played."

Then Roy scored or assisted on 12 of the Blazers' 15 field goals as they erased the Mavs' impossible lead in the fourth quarter. The last two were the very best.

He drilled a bold, and-one 3-pointer over Shawn Marion before swan-diving to the floor, injecting Andre Miller with maybe the NBA's most endearing high step. Roy's free throw tied the game. On the next possession, Roy came down and did what he always had done best: Create just enough space. His pull-up banked in over Marion and Portland held on for the win.

The Blazers lost that series a few nights later, but who cares? - Austin Tedesco

6. Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | 2016 regular season

Score: Warriors 121, Thunder 118

Date: Feb. 27, 2016

For a game on a sleepy, cold Saturday night in late February, the stakes were cranked to unusual levels. The Warriors were the burgeoning juggernaut, winners of 52 of their first 57 games. The Thunder were maybe their greatest threat to immortality, a springy, rangy, athletic team with top-shelf talent. In front of a juiced crowd producing decibels normally reserved for mid-May, the ample amount of starpower was on full display.

With 14.5 seconds to go, Kevin Durant hit a wing 3 to put the Thunder up four, and it appeared -- appeared! -- Oklahoma City was about to notch a signature win. Klay Thompson answered with a quick layup, and then 47 minutes and 49 seconds of exceptional basketball was undone for OKC. Russell Westbrook inbounded to Durant, who was trapped in the corner. Like a quarterback in duress, he flung up a pass off his back foot, hoping for an answered prayer. After a scramble, Andre Iguodala drew a foul and made both free throws to force overtime.

But the game hadn't even really gotten good yet.

The extra five minutes were back-and-forth; the dueling brilliance of Durant and Westbrook versus the Splash Brothers -- the pure, archetypical version of it. Westbrook missed a jumper with nine seconds left in a tie game, Iguodala rebounded and sent an outlet pass to Stephen Curry. The way Curry took his time coming up the court was disconcerting to some, but in reality, he was just timing his steps to launch one of the most iconic shots in NBA history. Never expecting a 40-footer with time on the clock, Andre Roberson briefly turned his back, giving Curry the cue. Thunder assistant coach Darko Rajakovic was the only man in the building who could see what was coming, screaming for Roberson to get a hand up the moment Curry crossed the half-court line. But with an arena roaring at full throat, Rajakovic's pleading went unheard.

"Bang! Baaaaaang! Oh, what a shot from Curry!" announcer Mike Breen howled.

The roar went dull; the Thunder slumped in complete shock. Curry strutted, screamed and shimmied. It was his 12th 3-pointer of the game, tying an NBA record. It was the kind of shot that felt more fable than real, the magnum opus moment in a relentlessly mesmerizing season of 73-win dominance. - Royce Young

5. Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 2016 regular season

Score: Lakers 101, Jazz 96

Date: April 13, 2016

Mamba Out (Kobe Bryant, 2016)

What were the details behind Kevin Garnett's final game? Tim Duncan's? Ray Allen's? When stars retire sans injury, the game itself often is a blank canvas of messy moments and nostalgia that the mind fills -- a picture with a clear outline from afar but a lack of detail or form when investigated up close.

Kobe Bryant's final game, though, is indelibly clear at any distance.

The Lakers trailing by 10 points with 3:04 to play? Bryant scoring 17 of the final 19 to seal a win? The contest was brimming with a variety of hallmarks that brand it as a "Kobe game" (50 shot attempts?). And that doesn't even delve into the edges of the night -- how Shaquille O'Neal sat courtside and challenged the retiring Laker to score 50; how the Lakers issued 336 credentials for media from 40 countries; how a finale between two teams eliminated from contention drew as much attention as a historic Golden State squad seeking its 73rd win of the regular season. (The Warriors issued approximately 350 credentials that night.)

Retirement parties in the NBA, in the best of circumstances, are Monets. Yet in the case of Bryant, the send-off wasn't simply a final image, but a tour through the exhibit of Kobe, capturing an entire oeuvre in a single night. - Andrew Han

4. Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat | 2011 NBA Finals, Game 2

Score: Mavericks 95, Heat 93

Date: June 2, 2011

Full highlights

This seesaw Finals battle ranks among the greats, not only because of the starpower -- LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion -- but also the impact it had on the legacy of an all-time great.

After splashing a corner 3 with 7:14 left in the fourth quarter to put the Heat up 15, Wade held his follow-through in front of the Mavs bench, with James joining him in celebration shortly after. In the first season of the Big 3 era, Miami's master plan was working to perfection. The Heat looked far too dynamic for the aging Mavericks and appeared well on their way to a 2-0 Finals lead.

But behind Jason Terry, Kidd, Marion and Nowitzki, the Mavs went on a 20-2 run to take a 3-point lead with 26 seconds remaining. The Heat's Mario Chalmers drilled an open corner 3 shortly after with 24.5 on the clock. Then Nowitzki scored his ninth consecutive point with Bosh checking him, spinning past the agile big man for a left-handed finish, even more impressive given the torn ligament in his left middle finger. Wade's buzzer heave misfired, and the Mavericks stayed alive, ultimately going on to knock off the Heat in 6 games.

If the Mavs didn't go on that run -- holding the Heat to just one field goal after that Wade 3 -- would Nowitzki be seen as one of the greatest of all time never to win a ring? - Mike Schmitz

3. Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | 2016 Western Conference finals, Game 6

Score: Warriors 108, Thunder 101

Date: May 28, 2016

As Klay Thompson took the court for the fourth quarter of Game 6, Stephen Curry had a message for him.

"This is your time," Curry said. "Put on a show out there, and have some fun."

Everything was lining up for the Thunder until this moment. After years of heartbreak, OKC had unleashed length and athleticism around Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in overwhelming fashion. They had an eight-point lead and were only 12 minutes away from making it back to the Finals for the first time since the James Harden trade.

Then Thompson erupted for 19 fourth-quarter points, leading Golden State to a stunning 108-101 victory. At one point in his shooting spree, Thompson let one go from a few steps in front of the half-court line, barely squaring up and Westbrook in his face. It was just one of the many times he looked automatic and unstoppable.

For the Thunder, the joyful mood throughout the arena became their most devastating moment of all. This ended up being Durant's last game in OKC as a member of the Thunder. The loss, combined with the Warriors falling in the Finals, helped pave the way for KD's move to Golden State, shifting the entire balance of power in the NBA.

At the time, it felt as if Thompson had saved the Warriors' season, putting them back on the path to finish off their 73-win campaign as champions and the greatest team of all time. Even though that didn't wind up happening, it remains one of the most important (and fun) games in NBA history. The ramifications still are reverberating today. - Tim Bontemps

2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors | 2016 NBA Finals, Game 7

Score: Cavaliers 93, Warriors 89

Date: June 19, 2016

The 2016 Finals, pitting LeBron James against a Warriors team that had won a record 73 games during the regular season, was a great series without a great game -- until Game 7.

Klay Thompson's layup with 4:39 left tied the score at 89, and with defensive intensity at its highest, neither team scored for more than 3½ minutes -- a stretch highlighted by James' iconic chase-down block of an Andre Iguodala fast-break layup attempt. Kyrie Irving broke the deadlock in the final minute with a pull-up 3, followed by Stephen Curry missing a tying attempt isolated against Kevin Love. After a hard fall on a dunk attempt, James sealed the victory on the final possession by making his second free throw attempt.

The win gave Cleveland its first major professional sports championship since 1964, with Akron, Ohio, native James winning Finals MVP to cap his return to the Cavaliers. The outcome of Game 7 also shook the league's foundation. Shortly after the loss, Warriors forward Draymond Green famously called Kevin Durant from the Oracle Arena parking lot, and barely two weeks later, Durant would sign with Golden State as a free agent. - Kevin Pelton

1. San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat | 2013 NBA Finals, Game 6

Score: Heat 103, Spurs 100

Date: June 18, 2013

We'll let the 2013 oral history of this game take it from here:

Spurs 95, Heat 92 | 9.0 seconds

Chris Bosh, not blocked out, is perfectly positioned to grab LeBron James' miss and wrests the rebound away from the shorter Manu Ginobili. As he does, his body twists toward the right corner of the court, and his line of sight lands directly on Ray Allen, the most prolific 3-point shooter in the history of the NBA.

Allen: When I saw Bosh get the ball, I just backpedaled right to the 3-point line. I was hoping I was where I needed to be. Whether CB threw me the ball or not, I had to get myself in a position where I was ready. We needed a 3. Two points wasn't going to cut it. My mental checklist was to have my legs ready and underneath me so when the ball came, if it came, I was ready to go in the air.

Erik Spoelstra: In practice, Ray does this routine. He lies on his back in the middle of the paint with a coach at the top of the key. He pops up and backpedals without looking down at the 3-point line or the out-of-bounds line. And hits the 3. And does it over and over and over again. Just instinctually does it.

Shane Battier: The devil is in the details, and it's in his routine. If you know Ray, he lives very military-like, discipline-like. Everything has a purpose, and everything is succinct. Anyone who's had success in the corners understands the footwork, understands the spacing of the box that is the corner 3 shot. Ray's maybe the best corner 3-point shooter of all time.

Allen: I try to put my body in precarious situations coming from different parts of the floor, different angles to try to get my momentum going moving forward. I honestly can say I gave myself a great opportunity, a great chance to make that shot. And it wasn't unfamiliar to me, positionally.

James: I've been on the other end of seeing him get them feet down, putting them stupid two fingers up after he makes the shot.

Bosh: You can't put it into words. He's the best 3-point shooter of all time. And the fact that he was open is just unbelievable. In my head, I told myself to wait for Ray to get back, but I know it still happened pretty fast.

Allen: Once I got my legs there, I just let the ball go.

James: I saw it in the air, and I was like, "It's going in. It's got a chance."

Dwyane Wade: When he shot it, I was looking at the ball and I said, "Oh, my god ... that's going in." It was kind of like I couldn't believe it in a sense. But also, "Oh, my god ... it's going in."

Spoelstra: Ray did what he's done for so many years.

Ginobili: Bad, very bad.

Tony Parker: We all have scars in our careers. That one is pretty deep.

Tim Duncan: It was painful.

Gregg Popovich: I've thought about it every day. I'm anxious for it to go away. It hasn't happened yet.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Lucas Giolito's breakout season is over.

The All-Star right-hander will miss the rest of the season with a mild lat strain. He was slated to pitch for the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday at Minnesota, but the team announced the injury after its 5-3 loss to the Twins in the series opener.

"If we were in the playoff hunt at this point, I'd be arguing as much as I could to go out there and pitch and compete,'' Giolito said Monday. "I feel like with how I felt yesterday, I probably would have been able to get through it, but just understanding the situation, it's probably for the best to shut it down.''

The 25-year-old Giolito went 14-9 with a 3.41 ERA in 29 starts this year. He also recorded the first three complete games of his career.

Even with Giolito's performance, the White Sox are a distant third in the AL Central, with a 65-85 record.

"Certainly an incredible season for Lucas, even though it's a couple starts short of a full season,'' White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "Still one that, in my opinion, certainly merits Cy Young consideration, and I suspect he'll receive some votes here once the votes are ultimately tabulated and something that he can obviously go into the offseason feeling proud about.''

Hahn said Giolito felt something Sunday when he went to throw a side session. An MRI on Monday revealed the lat strain, which Hahn said would typically require several weeks of recovery.

Ross Detwiler will start Tuesday in Giolito's place.

Giolito was acquired in the December 2016 trade that sent Adam Eaton to Washington. He was selected by the Nationals in the first round of the 2012 draft.

"He's doing ace-type stuff, and we'll let time tell us as we continue to throw him out there and compete, what you guys will ultimately want to label him,'' manager Rick Renteria said. "I see him as an ace-type guy.''

MILWAUKEE -- Christian Yelich said he had a "pity party" for himself after fracturing his right kneecap.

Hurt when he fouled off a pitch last week, the reigning NL MVP will miss the rest of the season as the Milwaukee Brewers try to make the playoffs. The projected recovery time for the two-time All-Star outfielder is eight to 10 weeks, and doctors say surgery is not necessary.

"I think the hardest part of the whole thing was the unknown for about 24 hours," Yelich said Monday in his first public comments since the injury. "It was a broad spectrum of outcomes and recovery times, depending on what the MRI showed. We got the good news of no surgery. Once I knew that, it was just about getting better and trying to make a full recovery."

Yelich said it will be difficult to miss playing in the postseason.

"It's the first time I've broken anything in my life or had a real injury,'' Yelich said. "It seems to be one of those things that's not fair at the moment. Trust me, I had my pity party that night at the stadium and I felt terrible. ... Trust me, I wish I could have an impact on this race, or if we make the playoffs, participate in that. But it's not going to happen. So there's no point in dwelling on it or letting it get you down.''

Yelich hit .329 with 44 homers, 97 RBIs and 30 stolen bases for the Brewers, who reached Game 7 of last year's National League Championship Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"For whatever reason, we seem to pull it together in September, and when everything is on the line, we find a way to win," he said.

It's time for my annual column looking ahead to potential World Series showdowns. We've been blessed in recent years not just with some great matchups in the Fall Classic, but some classic World Series, as well: the small-market Royals winning in 2015; the Cubs ending their curse in 2016 with a dramatic Game 7 win; the Astros winning their first title in 2017 in a colossal showdown against the Dodgers; and the Red Sox impressively steamrollering through the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers to take the title last year.

We still have a few playoff spots to decide, but let's break things down:

The powerhouse showdowns

With apologies to the Braves, we have three great teams in 2019:

Astros: 98-53, plus-255 run differential

Yankees: 98-53, plus-188 run differential

Dodgers: 97-54, plus-240 run differential

The Braves have been spectacular in the second half, but their run differential for the season is still just plus-106. They are a very good team, certainly capable of winning it all and maybe peaking at the right time, but they haven't dominated on the same level all season as these three teams. So ...

Yankees versus Dodgers: I know many fans would throw up at this World Series of two teams with pockets deeper than the Mariana Trench. I get that, but come on, this would be a classic matchup for two historic franchises that have met 11 times in the World Series, although not since 1981. Plus, there would be so much on the line that would ramp up the intensity in this one. The Yankees haven't been to the World Series since 2009, a relative eternity for this franchise. The Dodgers are still seeking their first World Series title since 1988, having lost the past two, and will enter the postseason on the heels of their seventh straight division title.

Plus, who doesn't want to see flashbacks of Reggie Jackson's three home runs in Game 6 in 1977:

Astros versus Dodgers: A rematch of the great seven-game duel in 2017. The Astros, of course, have that recent championship, but a second title would affirm their run as one of the greatest of all time. This will be their third consecutive 100-win season, and all three have come with huge run differentials:

2017: 101-61, plus-196
2018: 103-59, plus-263
2019: 105-57, plus-273 (on pace)

That's a remarkable run. In the 162-game era (since 1961), the only franchises to win 100 games three years in a row are the 2002-2004 Yankees, 1997-1999 Braves and 1969-1971 Orioles. Those three teams won just one World Series in the years in question (the 1970 Orioles). Winning a championship is hard even if you're a great team! The Astros have the opportunity to cement their legacy, and given the one-two punch of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, plus third wheel Zack Greinke, this might be their best team yet.

The Dodgers have won those seven division titles in a row, but I would argue they've had a truly great team in just two of those seasons: 2017, when they won 104 games; and this season, when they will again soar past 100 wins. In some years, they took advantage of a weak division. Last year, they needed a tiebreaker game over the Rockies to win the division. As with the Astros, this is L.A.'s best team in this run, with a deep rotation and a powerful lineup. The scary thing is this string of dominance isn't about to end, not with future stars such as Gavin Lux and Will Smith just getting their feet wet in the majors.

If we get this matchup, it could very well come down to Kenley Jansen, who ran into some trouble the last time these teams met in October:

The rematch of the best World Series ever

Twins versus Braves: Back in 1991, the Twins and Braves both went from last place to first place and won their league championship series, then met in the most exciting World Series ever played. Yes, I'm going to recap this because you need to know what happened in 1991 and look up the games on YouTube:

Game 1: Twins 5, Braves 2. Jack Morris goes seven-plus innings for the win.

Game 2: Twins 3, Braves 2. Scott Leius homers off Tom Glavine in the bottom of the eighth to give the Twins the win.

Game 3: Braves 5, Twins 4 (12 innings). The Twins tie it on Chili Davis' two-run homer in the eighth, but the Braves finally win on Mark Lemke's walk-off single.

Game 4: Braves 3, Twins 2. Lemke triples in the bottom of the ninth and scores the walk-off run on a sacrifice fly.

Game 5: Braves 14, Twins 5. The one blowout as David Justice drives in five runs.

Game 6: Twins 4, Braves 3 (11 innings). The Kirby Puckett Game. He goes 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs, makes a leaping catch against the fence and belts the walk-off home run off Charlie Leibrandt:

Game 7: Twins 1, Braves 0 (10 innings). Morris goes the distance, and Gene Larkin finally knocks in Dan Gladden with the winning run.

Five one-run games, all won in the final at-bat; four walk-off wins; three extra-inning games; and two classic contests in Games 6 and 7. Best World Series ever.

The 2019 rematch wouldn't feature teams that have gone from worst to first, but they are two exciting teams, with the Twins bashing all those home runs and the Braves featuring three potential 40-homer guys of their own in Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson. The Braves haven't been to a World Series in 20 years; this will be their 11th playoff appearance since then. The Twins haven't reached the World Series since that 1991 title, with seven empty playoff runs since.

Midwest mayhem

These are the matchups that Fox executives don't want, but there are some fun storylines here:

Twins versus Brewers: Upper Midwest mayhem! The old American League matchup would be a fun showdown, as the Brewers seek their first World Series title. Plus, we would get the governors of the two states betting soybeans and cheese.

Indians versus Brewers: Combined seasons without a World Series title: 109. Who would you root for?

Indians versus Cubs: The Cubs beat Cleveland in 2016 to end their curse. It would be sweet revenge for the Indians to beat Chicago and win their first title since 1948. Or maybe sweet revenge for the Cubs to silence all their critics who have pounced on them throughout 2019.

Twins versus Cardinals: Jack Flaherty facing that Twins lineup? Thank you very much. This could be one of those classic Cardinals World Series seasons. They won at least 100 games in 2004, 2005 and 2015 and won 97 in 2013 (tied for most in the majors) and didn't win the World Series any of those years. They had 90 wins in 2011 and 83 in 2006 and won it both of those seasons.

Indians versus Cardinals: Frankly, I love any matchup between two of the original 16 franchises. It would be a miracle for the Tribe to get here: They have to get to the wild-card game, then they have to win that, then they would have to beat the Astros or Yankees in the division series, then probably the Astros or Yankees in the American League Championship Series, then they'd have to beat the Cardinals in the World Series. That would be some story.

Six other intriguing showdowns

Yankees versus Cubs: There's no denying the TV ratings would be good for this one. In fact, which matchups would draw the highest ratings? Two things help drive up the ratings: big markets and a longer series (more people watch as the series goes six and seven games). The 2016 World Series between the Cubs and Indians averaged 22.8 million viewers, the most since 2004 (Red Sox-Cardinals). Both of those series, of course, had extenuating circumstances, with the Cubs and Red Sox trying to end long World Series droughts. The six highest-rated World Series since 2000:

2004: Red Sox-Cardinals (25.4 million)
2001: Diamondbacks-Yankees (24.5 million)
2016: Cubs-Indians (22.8 million)
2003: Marlins-Yankees (20.1 million)
2009: Yankees-Phillies (19.3 million)
2017: Astros-Dodgers (18.9 million)

We don't have a Cubs/Red Sox storyline this year (not to dismiss the droughts of the Indians or Brewers), but we do have the potential of the Yankees facing the Dodgers or Cubs. I think those two would easily draw the highest ratings, given the national appeal of the Yankees and the market sizes of Los Angeles and Chicago. I think the Braves, with a large regional following and making their first World Series appearance in 20 years, would also rank high. You could argue that the Yankees against any National League team would draw the top ratings, although Houston is a large market with some of the biggest names in baseball, and the 2017 World Series drew excellent ratings. I would guess the highest ratings would be:

1. Yankees-Cubs
2. Yankees-Dodgers
3. Yankees-Braves
4. Yankees-Cardinals
5. Astros-Cubs
6. Astros-Dodgers
7. Yankees-Nationals

I'm assuming the Mets and Phillies won't make it, although I don't think any World Series with either of those two would crack the top seven. The Yankees-Mets in 2000 had lower ratings than the Yankees-Braves in 1999, for example. It's also worth noting that good series in the earlier rounds also can help the ratings -- excitement helps build momentum. So, a Twins-Braves World Series could earn good ratings if the previous rounds had a lot of drama.

By the way, we have ratings back to 1984. The 1986 World Series between the Mets and Red Sox has the highest average rating with 36.4 million viewers (a different time in television). Game 7 in 1986 drew an estimated 55 million to 60 million viewers; but Game 7 in 2016 did draw an estimated 40 million views -- an unbelievable number in today's saturated TV market.

Yankees versus Cardinals: This is either the "Love Them" or the "You're Sick of Them" series. On the positive side, we have two tradition-rich franchises with passionate fan bases, classic uniforms and likable teams. That's right, the Yankees are likable in 2019. I mean, just look at the surprising production from players such as Gio Urshela and DJ LeMahieu. And did I mention that Brett Gardner has career highs in home runs and slugging percentage, and New York is going to hit 300 home runs even though Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge have combined for just 24 and some guy named Mike Ford has 11 home runs in 129 at-bats and ... *&%@)($! Yankees.

Rays versus Dodgers: Could you imagine the Dodgers getting to a third straight World Series and then losing to the Rays? The franchise Andrew Friedman dumped in order to take over baseball operations for the Dodgers? I'm not saying I'm rooting for this to happen. OK, I am. And I like the Dodgers! It would suck to see Clayton Kershaw lose another World Series. But hope and faith are good things, and a small-market franchise beating the big, bad Dodgers would give us some of that.

A's versus Dodgers: Actually, losing to the A's might be even more painful for Dodgers fans. Plus, we would get plenty of Kirk Gibson replays from 1988. Surprise! I'm not going to show that highlight. Here's Joe Ferguson with a laser throw from the 1974 World Series between the A's and Dodgers:

Astros versus Nationals: It has been the Year of the Home Run, but this series would be a nice reminder that there's still some really good starting pitching out there, with Verlander, Cole and Greinke facing off against Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin.

Yankees versus Mets: Maybe next year, Mets fans.

The five best matchups

This is personal preference only. My favorite team (the Mariners) has never even reached the World Series, so this doesn't mean I don't like your team. Really, all I root for is seven games, dramatic moments and heroic home runs. I like the best teams to make it or I like the teams with the longest droughts to make it. So here are my top five, with the rule that I could pick a team in only one matchup:

1. Astros versus Dodgers. In my mind, the two best teams in baseball, the two teams I've most enjoyed watching in 2019 and a series full of great storylines, from the Astros trying for a second title in three seasons to Kershaw trying to finally get a ring.

2. Twins versus Braves. Two very good teams with high-powered offenses that haven't been to the World Series in a long time.

3. Yankees versus Cubs. I'm a sucker for old-school matchups, and it would be fun to see the Yankees' pitching staff maneuver through that Cubs lineup.

4. Indians versus Brewers. This one's an extreme long shot, but the two clubs with the longest droughts squaring off means at least one fan base gets to finally celebrate.

5. A's versus Nationals. Can Billy Beane finally win a World Series? Can the Expos/Nationals finally get to one?

Shoot, I left out the Rays. I love the Rays. How about Rays-Cardinals in the Tommy Pham Bowl?

World and European indoor gold medallist is keen to share his “experience and enthusiasm” with the squad at the IAAF World Championships

Sprinter Richard Kilty has been voted captain of the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team for the IAAF World Championships taking place in Doha from September 27.

Kilty, who won the world indoor 60m title and European indoor gold medals in 2015 and 2017, received the most votes after every member of the 73-strong British team was given the chance to nominate their choice of captain.

“It feels incredible,” said Kilty, who also recently captained Team Europe at The Match in Minsk. “It’s always a huge honour to represent the British team but to be selected as captain feels amazing. It will definitely go down as a special moment in my athletics career.

“The squad is so talented with many star athletes. A lot of the athletes in the squad have leadership skills and would do an amazing job at being captain so to think that they have voted me in is a huge honour and I’m over the moon with being captain.”

A European gold medallist in the men’s 4x100m relay from 2014 and reigning Commonwealth champion in the event, Kilty won the 200m at the European Team Championships last month and this season has also come within 0.05 of his 20.34 PB set in 2013.

Selected for his fourth successive world championships as part of the world champion men’s 4x100m relay squad, Kilty is the sixth British athlete to have been voted as captain by his fellow athletes and, as part of his role, will deliver the pre-championships captain’s speech at the British team meeting.

“It makes it extra special that my fellow athletes have selected me as their captain,” Kilty added. “I have lots of experience and enthusiasm, which I be sharing with the squad.

“I will bring energy and confidence to everyone around me from the athletes to the team staff. I’ve got a great story to tell and I will try my best to inspire the team every moment from my team speech and on a daily basis over the course of the championships.”

Team leader Neil Black said: “I am extremely happy for Richard that he has been voted as captain of the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team for the IAAF World Championships. Richard is having a brilliant season, running as fast as he ever has, battling to victory at the European Team Championships and, as always, forming an integral part of the men’s 4x100m relay team, which was typified by his performance at the Müller Anniversary Games in July.

“Richard is an inspiration to his team-mates on the track and to so many off it as well, in particular through his work with young people, especially at his home in Teesside. It is no surprise that his peers have voted him as captain of the British team for Doha and I’m looking forward to seeing Richard embrace the roles and responsibilities of being captain from now right through to the end of the championships.”

Find the full GB team for Doha listed here.

Johanna Konta will not play any tournaments in Asia this autumn and so will not be able to qualify for the season-ending WTA Championships.

The British number one has withdrawn from the China Open in Beijing because of "slight knee pain" and did not enter next week's lucrative tournament in Wuhan in China.

She is next expected to play in Moscow in the middle of October.

Konta, 28, is currently 11th in the annual WTA singles race.

The top eight players qualify for the WTA Championships in Shenzhen in China, but the next 11 - plus a wildcard - are eligible to compete in the Elite Trophy.

Konta is still likely to qualify for this event, which is staged in the Chinese city of Zhuhai at the end of October.

George Horne's capacity to cut holes in defences is clear, but it's only when you put his statistics in context that you get an angle on how ruthless the scrum-half can be.

Horne might be Scotland's third-choice scrum-half in Japan, but in other categories he's out on his own.

The younger Horne has scored 22 tries in 42 games for Glasgow, which means he's scored in 52% of the matches he has played in for the Warriors - plenty of them off the bench.

It's a figure that looks impressive at first glance, but it only gets better when you place it alongside the best finishers the club has had in recent times.

Horne is ahead of all others. DTH van der Merwe is the nearest with a try in 48% of his Glasgow games, Tommy Seymour and Niko Matawalu are on 34%, while Stuart Hogg finished his time on 25%.

The scrum-half might only be the size of the leg of a chair (he is 5ft 9ins and 79kg) but he has the kind of stamina and gas that could prove influential in the stifling humidity of the World Cup.

"I try to get the team playing at a high tempo and, to be honest, a lot of those tries don't come from me doing anything special," he says.

"It's the guys making breaks and me just getting on the end of them. I think that ability to track the ball and just get on the inside has counted for 75%-80% of those tries.

"A lot of the credit goes to the guys making the breaks. But, yeah, if there's a gap there I will try and take it."

A debut that left him 'distraught'

His eye for space and his pace off the mark might not be enough to get him ahead of the game management and big-game nous offered by Greig Laidlaw or the frenetic excellence of Ali Price, but Horne is the coming man, no question.

At 24, he has seven international caps and three international tries - two against Argentina last summer and one against Georgia earlier this month.

Again the strike rate is impressive; not quite as prolific as Darcy Graham, Sam Johnson or Blair Kinghorn, but better than everybody else in terms of tries to caps won.

Different players bring different things but his three in seven compares favourably to Laidlaw's four in 73 and Price's four in 27.

This road to Japan began in earnest on the summer tour in 2018, a test of resolve if ever there was one. His debut came against the United States in Houston - and it was a nightmare as Scotland lost.

"The game itself was weird," Horne says. "We got off to a great start then our own mistakes just started killing us.

"I was just distraught. I got my cap presented to me but I was just raging. I was fizzing. I couldn't comprehend what had happened.

"It was always my dream to play for Scotland and to follow in the footsteps of my brother [Peter, who has 43 caps], but it was a pretty bleak couple of days."

'Pete has been a massive influence'

The following week Scotland went to Resistencia in Argentina. Las Vegas, it was not. Scotland were cooped up in a hotel in the sticks. Horror of horrors, the WiFi was patchy.

There was a heavy air about the place that week and for a young guy who had just suffered through his debut it was a challenge.

Gregor Townsend put Horne, and Adam Hastings, straight back into the team for the Test with the Pumas. Within a minute the pair got hold of the match and dominated it.

Horne's talent was not in question but you never find out about a player's mentality until it's tested in weeks like that - and Horne stood up.

"That Argentina game was the best feeling I've ever had in rugby," he says. "I'm hoping to have some better ones in Japan, but that will take a bit of beating.

"Pete has been a massive influence on me. If you ask anyone they'll tell you he's the ultimate professional, so having him to learn from has definitely helped me get to where I am.

"He's had upsets in in his career and he's come through them. He's had injuries, he's had disappointments in games. He's shrugged it all off and bounced back.

"Everything I might go through in the game he's already been through, so it's brilliant to be in the squad with him."

'I don't sulk. I try to make a difference'

The scrum-half has had to battle. Once upon a time he was a 10, but not a highly regarded 10 by those in power.

"The coaches didn't really see me as a stand-off," he recalls. "I think there was this perception that I tried to play for myself, and they just didn't think 10 was for me. I didn't manage the game as well as others."

He always wanted to be a professional player but around the time that his brother was playing - and scoring - for Scotland against Australia in the World Cup quarter-final four years ago, Horne was in an uncertain place, unwanted by the national academy and unsure about where his future lay in the game.

Talent wouldn't have been enough to get him through the traffic at nine - he's had to play his way past Henry Pyrgos and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne. He's needed perseverance, too. Plenty of it.

"I want to start more games. Every player will tell you that," he says.

"I know how it is, though. Greig runs the game exceptionally well and that's something I need to work on. Ali's basic skills of passing and kicking are unbelievable so I need to match the boys in those areas.

"I have a lot to learn but I think I can make an impact. I don't sulk. I come on the field and try to make a difference."

And he does. His scoring rate is extraordinary and it's that cutting edge that gives him a chance of upsetting the natural order in Japan.