Buffalo Bandits make NLL history with MacKay's MVP nod and Smith's explosive offense
The
Buffalo Bandits
have done it again, making history with a thrilling 15-13 victory over the Albany
FireWolves
to claim their third straight
National Lacrosse League
(
NLL
) title. In front of a roaring home crowd of over 18,000 at KeyBank Center, the Bandits delivered a performance worthy of a dynasty.
This win marks the seventh championship in franchise history. The Bandits are now only the second team ever to pull off a
three-peat
in the NLL, matching the legendary run of the Toronto Rock in the early 2000s.
The FireWolves, appearing in their first
NLL Finals
, started strong and kept Buffalo under pressure in the first half. Albany led 8-7 at halftime, forcing the Bandits to dig deep. Buffalo responded in the third quarter with a six-goal surge that changed the game.
Play Video
Play
Skip Backward
Skip Forward
Mute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
0:00
Loaded
:
0%
Stream Type
LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
1x
Playback Rate
Chapters
Chapters
Descriptions
descriptions off
, selected
Captions
captions and subtitles off
, selected
Audio Track
Picture-in-Picture
Fullscreen
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text
Color
White
Black
Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan
Opacity
Opaque
Semi-Transparent
Text Background
Color
Black
White
Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan
Opacity
Opaque
Semi-Transparent
Transparent
Caption Area Background
Color
Black
White
Red
Green
Blue
Yellow
Magenta
Cyan
Opacity
Transparent
Semi-Transparent
Opaque
Font Size
50%
75%
100%
125%
150%
175%
200%
300%
400%
Text Edge Style
None
Raised
Depressed
Uniform
Drop shadow
Font Family
Proportional Sans-Serif
Monospace Sans-Serif
Proportional Serif
Monospace Serif
Casual
Script
Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values
Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Dukung Orang Terkasih Menghadapi Limfoma: Mulai Di Sini
Limfoma
Klik Di Sini
Undo
Though Albany rallied late in the fourth quarter, the Bandits held their ground with strong defense and clutch goaltending. The final whistle sealed their place in NLL history.
Ian MacKay was named
Finals MVP
for his outstanding performance throughout the series, anchoring Buffalo's defense and keeping the FireWolves at bay.
Live Events
Dhane Smith
was a key player for the Bandits, scoring five goals and adding four assists in the final game. His leadership and offense powered Buffalo throughout the playoffs.
Josh Byrne and Chris Cloutier also played key roles, scoring important goals that helped shift momentum during tight moments.
Head coach John Tavares, an NLL legend himself, praised his team's composure. 'They stayed calm under pressure and trusted each other,' he said after the game. 'This group earned every bit of this championship.'
Albany's loss should not overshadow their remarkable season. In just their third year since rebranding, the FireWolves reached the league's biggest stage and pushed one of the best teams ever to the limit.
The Bandits now stand on the brink of being considered an NLL dynasty. With a championship core and elite coaching, Buffalo's lacrosse reign might not be over just yet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
NBA Finals Game 1 highlights: Pacers shock Thunder with epic comeback, led by Haliburton's clutch shot
Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 111-110 victory in a thrilling Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals on Thursday. The game came down to the wire, with Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton hitting a game-winning shot with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock. Trailing by 15 points entering the fourth quarter, Indiana staged a massive comeback, marking the third 15-point fourth-quarter rally in NBA Finals history since 1971. Haliburton was the standout for the Pacers, contributing 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. His performance has sparked early Finals MVP buzz. For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with an impressive 32 points. 'That's a really good team," Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. "Credit them for not only tonight but their run. They've had so many games like that that have seemed improbable. And they just play with a great spirit and they keep coming. They keep playing.' Also Read: Indiana Pacers' TJ McConnell turns up for NBA Finals game wearing sister Megan's new WNBA jersey
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
Nine rare moments in NBA history when the finals ended without a fight
NBA Finals sweeps are rare events. Only nine teams have achieved this feat. The Boston Celtics first swept the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959. Later, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Bucks, Rick Barry's Warriors, and Moses Malone's 76ers also swept their rivals. The Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant's Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Kevin Durant's Warriors completed the list. A clean sweep in the NBA Finals doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it sticks in fans' minds for years. Just nine times in the league's history has a team won the championship without dropping a single game in the series. With big names like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Rick Barry, and Kevin Durant at the center, every one of those moments tells a tale of power, unity, and full control on the sport's biggest platform. It's rare, yet powerful. These moments show top-level skill, but they also make people wonder, was the other side weak? Let's go back and see who made a sweep, and how! Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Rick Barry made it look easy Only nine times in NBA history has a team won in the Finals in four games. This is known as a "sweep." It has happened in just 11.6% of the 77 total NBA Finals. Led by Bill Russell, the Boston Celtics defeated the Minneapolis Lakers 4-0 in April 1959, in the first sweep. Russell pulled an average of 29.5 rebounds per game. Boston's eight-year championship started with this win. In April 1971, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson helped the Milwaukee Bucks sweep the Baltimore Bullets. It was quick and powerful. But things changed after that. For a very long period, the Bucks would not sample another championship. Not until 2021. Led by Rick Barry, the Golden State Warriors stunned everyone in May 1975 by sweeping the Washington Bullets. The Bullets' season record was significantly better. Still, the Warriors won two of the games by just one point. With Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, and Andrew Toney, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers four straight in June 1983. Predicting sweeps in every round, Malone had said before the playoffs, "Fo', Fo', Fo'," Almost right he was; they lost only one game during the whole playoffs. The tables turned in June 1989, as the Detroit Pistons won every game in the previous rounds, crushing the Los Angeles Lakers. In Game 2, however, Magic Johnson damaged his hamstring, further complicating the Los Angeles Lakers' circumstances. Nine rare moments in NBA history when the finals ended without a fight (Image Source : Getty Images) Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant , and Kevin Durant finished it fast In June 1995, the Houston Rockets vanquished the Orlando Magic. Hakeem Olajuwon scored more than 30 points in every game. Certainly. Playing in his first NBA Finals with the Orlando Magic, Shaquille O'Neal was given the Finals MVP honors. Shaq returned in 2002 along with Kobe Bryant. Together, they steered the Los Angeles Lakers to sweep over the New Jersey Nets. That triumph provided the Lakers with their third straight championship. In 2007, LeBron James carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Finals. Still, the Spurs were just too strong. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili kept them from breathing. San Antonio triumphed in every four games. LeBron saw a sweep one last time here. Led by Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors closed down the Cavaliers once again in 2018. Before he headed to Los Angeles, LeBron played Cleveland for the last time. Moses Malone stood in L.A. in 1983 following a commanding Finals and remarked, "We were too strong." The squad had swept the series just now. "We played by heart," he remarked, "We knew we could take all four." Also Read: Ernakulam schools hold sessions on life skills, wellness sessions
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Check the list of NBA Finals winners from the past 10 years
The NBA Finals can always be quite dramatic. From buzzer-beaters to dynasties and underdog stories, the last decade has had all of it. Whether you're a hardcore fan or someone who only tunes in for the Finals, here is a brief recap of who won the title over the last ten seasons. 2024 - Boston Celtics After years of nearly making it, they finally did it. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown lead Boston to a championship, and they beat the Dallas Mavericks in a long series. They brought home banner No. 18, breaking the tie with the Lakers for the most championships in NBA history. 2023 - Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokić proved once and for all that he is one of the game's greats. He put the NBA on notice during the Finals, leading the Nuggets to their first championship by beating the Miami Heat in five games. Denver fans waited a long time to enjoy that moment, and they absolutely did. Also Read: Who's most likely to win 2025 NBA Finals MVP? Here are key predictions 2022 - Golden State Warriors The Warriors let everyone know they were not done just yet. Steph Curry finally got his first Finals MVP performance as Golden State beat the Celtics in six games. This was their fourth title in the last eight years. 2021 - Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo had one of the best Finals performances in NBA history. He scored 50 points in Game 6 to clinch the title for Milwaukee, giving them their first title since 1971. "The Greek Freak" became an absolute legend that night. 2020 - Los Angeles Lakers During a pandemic in the bubble down in Orlando, LeBron James led the Lakers to another championship over the Miami Heat. It was an emotional moment for many reasons, not to mention the death of Kobe Bryant earlier that year. LeBron nabbed his fourth ring and third Finals MVP, with a different team this time. 2019 - Toronto Raptors The Raptors made history by winning their first-ever NBA title. Kawhi Leonard was a beast throughout the playoffs and literally carried Toronto past a banged-up Warriors team. Canada came out in a huge way for their team. 2018 - Golden State Warriors Golden State was still full-blown dynasty mode. They absolutely swept LeBron and Head Coach Ty Lue's Cavs, and Kevin Durant nabbed his second straight Finals MVP. At that point, they were pretty much unbeatable. 2017 - Golden State Warriors This was Kevin Durant's first title for the warriors. They rolled through the playoffs, losing one game total. They beat the Cavs 4-1 and boy did Durant make his presence felt. 2016 - Cleveland Cavaliers You already know. LeBron James led the Cavs to a 3–1 comeback to beat the Warriors. It was Cleveland's first championship ever, and that Game 7—Kyrie's shot, LeBron's block—will be remembered forever. 2015 - Golden State Warriors This is where it all started. Steph Curry led the Warriors to their first title in 40 years, and Andre Iguodala took home the Finals MVP for his defense on LeBron. This was the beginning of a new era.
