Michigan State's Crushing Defeat and Magic Johnson's Triumph

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This podcast episode will discuss the Michigan State Spartans'
shocking loss to the Northwestern Wildcats in 1979. The Spartans,
a strong team led by Magic Johnson, were expected to easily
defeat the struggling Wildcats. However, the Spartans played
poorly, shooting a season-low 32.8 percent from the field. They
were unable to overcome Northwestern's zone defense and reliance
on jump shots. The Wildcats, energized by the home crowd,
dominated the second half, leading by as many as 15 points.


This upset victory left the Spartans questioning themselves and
their ability to compete. Magic Johnson, despite scoring 26
points, was left feeling sick to his stomach, expressing his
disbelief at the team's repeated losses. The team's struggles
highlighted their over-reliance on Magic Johnson to generate
offense and revealed internal problems stemming from their recent
string of losses. The episode will explore the factors that
contributed to this unexpected outcome and its impact on the
Spartans' season.


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