1. 1979 National Championship game
MSU 75 Indiana State 64
The Spartans' first national championship remains the most watched college basketball game in TV history.
It featured two of the best college basketball players ever in Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird. Former Spartan basketball head coach Jud Heathcote said the one-on-one matchup stole the show in the 75-64 Spartans' win.
"We still rehash that game," Heathcote said of himself and players. "The matchup between Magic and Larry Bird captivated the whole country."
Indiana State entered the game as the nation's only undefeated team at 33-0, but the 26-6 Spartans dominated most of the game. MSU took a 37-28 lead into halftime and increased the lead to 16 points just four minutes into the second frame.
Soon after, All-American forward Greg Kelser picked up his fourth foul and took a lengthy seat on the bench. During that time, Bird brought Indiana State to within six points.
But once Kelser came off the bench, the Spartans hit cruise-control and picked up the 11-point win.
Johnson's 24 points were a game-high and MSU held Bird to 19 points on 7-for-21 shooting.
2. 2000 National Championship game
MSU 89 Florida 76
It took 21 years and the leadership of Mateen Cleaves, but the Spartans finally claimed the top spot in college basketball again.
The Spartans knocked off the fifth-seeded Gators 89-76 in front of 43,116 fans at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
"You always have dreams about that game and the championship," said senior forward Aloysius Anagonye, who played a small role in the tournament run. "Mateen carried all of us and his goal was to win a national championship and he wasn't leaving without one."
The Spartans jumped out to a quick advantage and took a 43-32 lead into the locker room. Early in the second half, Cleaves got tangled up with Florida's Teddy Dupay, injuring Cleaves' ankle.
Cleaves came back in the game with 4:30 left but the Spartans had already extended their lead. With their leader controlling the offense, the Spartans ran away with a 13-point win and their second national championship.
Morris Peterson led the Spartans with 21 points and Cleaves added 18. Florida's Udonis Haslem led all scorers with 27 points.
3. 1986 Sweet 16 game
Kansas 96 MSU 86 (overtime)
The top-seeded Jayhawks' win could get an assist on the stat sheet from the clock keeper.
Played in Kansas City, Mo., disputes about the game clock and shot clock plagued the entire game, but none more significant than with less than three minutes left in regulation.
The Spartans had rallied from a nine-point half-time deficit, surging ahead to a six-point lead midway through the second frame. Then with 2:20 showing on the game clock, the clock froze for several seconds as play continued.
Officials finally recognized the flaw, but after a discussion, the decision was to just resume play with 2:20 on the clock.
Kansas eventually pulled within two points and scored the last basket on a tip-in with nine seconds to play.
"If the clock has been operated like it should have, we would have moved on. We just had nothing left in overtime," Heathcote said.
MSU ran out of gas in the overtime, as Kansas triumphed.
MSU had five players in double-figures, led by 20 from Scott Skiles. Calvin Thompson had a game-high 26 points for Kansas, while soon-to-be No. 1 draft pick Danny Manning had 17.
Other notables:
MSU's first-ever NCAA tournament run was a thriller. MSU picked up an 85-83 win, its first ever over Notre Dame in 1957. The Spartans, who led by double-digits held off a second half Irish rally for the historic victory.
Following the Spartan victory over the Irish, MSU went on to play in arguably one of the best Final Four games of all time.
In the semifinal game, MSU matched up with North Carolina, the top team in the nation. After fighting the Tar Heels for three overtimes, the Spartans couldn't stave off a final Tar Heel push, losing 74-70.
In 1990, the Spartans came out on top in overtime. As a No. 1 seed, the Spartans nearly became the first team to lose to a No. 16 team in tournament history. The Spartans led 33-31 at halftime. Murray State's Popeye Jones' 37 points helped take the game into overtime. MSU eventually won 75-71.
Two games later, the Spartans lost a heartbreaker to fourth-seeded Georgia Tech in another overtime contest. A disputed shot by the Yellow Jackets' Kenny Anderson sent the game into overtime.
It was uncertain whether the shot was a 3-pointer or 2-pointer. Heathcote said the real discussion should have been whether the ball was still in Anderson's hand when the clock expired. MSU lost in overtime 81-80.
In 1991, the fifth-seeded Spartans lost another overtime battle, this time a 85-84 double-overtime nail-biter. The Spartans led by four at halftime, but the Utah Utes kept the contest close for the entire second half and in the first overtime.
MSU's Sweet 16 game against thirteenth-seeded Oklahoma in 1999 was no cake-walk. The Spartans survived despite an injury scare to Cleaves to pick up the 54-46 win. The game began the current MSU-Oklahoma rivalry.
The Spartans attempted to continue their magical season two game's later against Duke in the Final Four - MSU's first in 20 years.
But the Spartans were outmatched from tipoff. Duke took a 12-point halftime lead and survived a MSU comeback for the 68-62 victory. However, the game may arguably be more memorable for the riots that consumed East Lansing directly after the loss.
