Celtics Move to 23-7
It must be hard for Cedric Maxwell these days. The Clippers lose the way Max' Celtics used to win. Kurt Nimphius now stands where Robert Parish used to stand. Empty seats gather dust where sellouts used to shout. Front office fools rush in where wise men used to tread.
Last night's Celtics -Clippers contest was promoted as "Cambridge Bill Meets Mad Max," but the principals in the big-name trade had little impact on the debacle at the LA Sports Arena.
The Clippers played defense as if they'd been schooled by Lon Chaney instead of Don Chaney, and Boston dealt the LA franchise a savage, well- deserved beating. The final score was 125-103 and it's hard to remember when the Celts were invited to score with such ease.
The Celts headed for Blowout City immediately, bolting to a 14-2 lead in the first three minutes. It was 34-23 after one, 69-47 at the half and 99-71 at the end of three. The Clippers were statues on defense for the full 48 minutes and the hungry Celts were happy to take advantage.
Max was all smiles when he came out for the center jump, and didn't seem too surprised with the way things developed. He guarded Kevin McHale at the start, and McHale (22 points, 18 rebounds) went over him for a follow-up basket in the first minute. It was one of 15 rebounds McHale snatched in the first two periods.
McHale's follow was the start of an 11-0 run.
Norm Nixon broke Boston's big run with a basket off a drive, but the Celts continued to score with remarkable ease. Larry Bird (21) feathered three straight jumpers and why not? There was no Clipper within five feet of Bird on any of the shots.
After a Dennis Johnson jumper put Boston ahead, 24-10, Maxwell scored on a layup and a follow to cut the Celtic margin to 10, forcing K.C. Jones to call time.
Marques Johnson went to work on offense, but the Clips still didn't have anyone playing defense. When Walton replaced Parish with 1:55 left in the first, Boston led, 32-21.
The Celts outrebounded the Clips, 17-8, and led by 11 at the end of one. Bill Walton hit a hook and Boston's lead swelled to 21 after a pair of jumpers by Scott Wedman and a follow by McHale early in the second.
Jones showed confidence in his much-maligned second unit and it paid off. A hook by Walton and a jumper by Jerry Sichting gave the Celts an unthinkable 51-28 lead.
12.31.2007
1986 Bench Starting to Come Around
Celtics Bench Responding to Earlier Criticism
January 1, 1986
Bill Walton scored 6 points, but had a whopping 13 rebounds in just 17 minutes, as the Celtics won the game 125-103. "I love playing in LA," said Walton. "It's a great city and I've played a lot of my life here."
After losing four straight road games, the Celtics have now won two straight on the road and play in Indiana tomorrow night. They return home Friday to play the second-place New Jersey Nets.
"We've been struggling a little bit, but hopefully these two victories will get us over the hump," said Bird, who shot 18 for 33 in Utah and LA, and appears to be recovering from the back stiffness which had hindered his long- range shooting.
Coach K.C. Jones also appears to be loosening up. He employed his bench early and often against the Jazz and Clippers. Scott Wedman snapped out of a shooting slump, and Sam Vincent played 12, then 19 minutes. Vincent shot poorly (3-14), but had seven assists against the Clippers. Greg Kite had five rebounds and hit three of four shots in 13 minutes of mop-up duty against LA.
"We'd been using the Green Team (second unit) in the beginning, but I went back to getting the starters a lot of time," admitted Jones. "Now I'm going to the bench. They have to start clicking and they'll do the job . . . The idea is to hustle and execute. That's why I won't pull the starters. But we need production from the bench."
January 1, 1986
Bill Walton scored 6 points, but had a whopping 13 rebounds in just 17 minutes, as the Celtics won the game 125-103. "I love playing in LA," said Walton. "It's a great city and I've played a lot of my life here."
After losing four straight road games, the Celtics have now won two straight on the road and play in Indiana tomorrow night. They return home Friday to play the second-place New Jersey Nets.
"We've been struggling a little bit, but hopefully these two victories will get us over the hump," said Bird, who shot 18 for 33 in Utah and LA, and appears to be recovering from the back stiffness which had hindered his long- range shooting.
Coach K.C. Jones also appears to be loosening up. He employed his bench early and often against the Jazz and Clippers. Scott Wedman snapped out of a shooting slump, and Sam Vincent played 12, then 19 minutes. Vincent shot poorly (3-14), but had seven assists against the Clippers. Greg Kite had five rebounds and hit three of four shots in 13 minutes of mop-up duty against LA.
"We'd been using the Green Team (second unit) in the beginning, but I went back to getting the starters a lot of time," admitted Jones. "Now I'm going to the bench. They have to start clicking and they'll do the job . . . The idea is to hustle and execute. That's why I won't pull the starters. But we need production from the bench."
1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers Game Log
1966-67 Regular Seasn
10/15/1966 PHI New Yrk Knicks 128 - 112 1 - 0
10/21/1966 PHI St. Luis Hawks 119 - 110 2 - 0
10/22/1966 PHI at Baltimre Bullets 141 - 112 3 - 0
10/25/1966 PHI Baltimre Bullets 130 - 110 4 - 0
10/29/1966 PHI Bstn Celtics 138 - 96 5 - 0
11/3/1966 PHI St. Luis Hawks 120 - 108 6 - 0 at Pittsburgh, PA
11/4/1966 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 134 - 129 7 - 0
11/5/1966 PHI at Bstn Celtics 87 - 105 7 - 1
11/8/1966 PHI Detrit Pistns 118 - 100 8 - 1 at New Yrk City, NY
11/11/1966 PHI Chicag Bulls 126 - 113 9 - 1
11/12/1966 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 112 - 98 10 - 1
11/13/1966 PHI at Chicag Bulls 132 - 126 11 - 1
11/15/1966 PHI at New Yrk Knicks 113 - 109 12 - 1
11/16/1966 PHI New Yrk Knicks 117 - 108 13 - 1
11/18/1966 PHI Chicag Bulls 145 - 120 14 - 1 at Bstn, MA
11/19/1966 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 134 - 110 15 - 1
11/23/1966 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 106 - 111 15 - 2
11/24/1966 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 140 - 123 16 - 2
11/25/1966 PHI at Baltimre Bullets 129 - 115 17 - 2
11/26/1966 PHI Detrit Pistns 131 - 123 18 - 2
11/29/1966 PHI St. Luis Hawks 137 - 116 19 - 2
11/30/1966 PHI at Detrit Pistns 128 - 119 20 - 2
12/2/1966 PHI Ls Angeles Lakers 138 - 130 21 - 2
12/3/1966 PHI at Baltimre Bullets 137 - 120 22 - 2
12/6/1966 PHI Chicag Bulls 129 - 119 23 - 2
12/7/1966 PHI at Chicag Bulls 117 - 103 24 - 2
12/9/1966 PHI New Yrk Knicks 112 - 107 25 - 2
12/10/1966 PHI at St. Luis Hawks 133 - 123 26 - 2
12/11/1966 PHI at Bstn Celtics 103 - 117 26 - 3
12/13/1966 PHI at New Yrk Knicks 127 - 112 27 - 3
12/16/1966 PHI St. Luis Hawks 124 - 113 28 - 3
12/17/1966 PHI Detrit Pistns 120 - 105 29 - 3 at Syracuse, NY
12/21/1966 PHI at Ls Angeles Lakers 129 - 123 30 - 3
12/22/1966 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 116 - 114 31 - 3
12/23/1966 PHI at Ls Angeles Lakers 118 - 107 32 - 3
12/26/1966 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 134 - 118 33 - 3
12/28/1966 PHI Bstn Celtics 113 - 108 34 - 3
12/30/1966 PHI Detrit Pistns 137 - 113 35 - 3 at Ft Wayne, IN
1/3/1967 PHI at New Yrk Knicks 148 - 142 36 - 3
1/4/1967 PHI Chicag Bulls 136 - 115 37 - 3
1/5/1967 PHI New Yrk Knicks 104 - 112 37 - 4 at Pittsburgh, PA
1/6/1967 PHI Baltimre Bullets 121 - 115 38 - 4
1/8/1967 PHI at Chicag Bulls 117 - 108 39 - 4
1/13/1967 PHI St. Luis Hawks 125 - 107 40 - 4
1/15/1967 PHI at Bstn Celtics 110 - 95 41 - 4
1/17/1967 PHI New Yrk Knicks 119 - 111 42 - 4
1/18/1967 PHI at Detrit Pistns 113 - 105 43 - 4
1/19/1967 PHI Chicag Bulls 127 - 102 44 - 4 at Pittsburgh, PA
1/20/1967 PHI Ls Angeles Lakers 119 - 108 45 - 4
1/23/1967 PHI St. Luis Hawks 112 - 105 46 - 4 at Memphis, TN
1/24/1967 PHI Bstn Celtics 106 - 118 46 - 5
1/27/1967 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 110 - 107 47 - 5
1/29/1967 PHI at St. Luis Hawks 108 - 114 47 - 6
2/1/1967 PHI at Ls Angeles Lakers 133 - 143 47 - 7
2/2/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 120 - 137 47 - 8 at akland, CA
2/4/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 140 - 127 48 - 8 at akland, CA
2/5/1967 PHI at Ls Angeles Lakers 130 - 123 49 - 8
2/7/1967 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 126 - 123 50 - 8 at Pittsburgh, PA
2/8/1967 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 118 - 106 51 - 8
2/10/1967 PHI Ls Angeles Lakers 148 - 131 52 - 8
2/11/1967 PHI at Baltimre Bullets 133 - 139 52 - 9
2/12/1967 PHI at Bstn Celtics 112 - 113 52 - 10
2/13/1967 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 131 - 123 53 - 10
2/15/1967 PHI at Detrit Pistns 127 - 121 54 - 10
2/17/1967 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 127 - 118 55 - 10 at Cleveland, H
2/19/1967 PHI at St. Luis Hawks 123 - 122 56 - 10
2/24/1967 PHI Baltimre Bullets 149 - 118 57 - 10 at Pittsburgh, PA
2/28/1967 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 127 - 107 58 - 10 at Syracuse, NY
3/1/1967 PHI at Chicag Bulls 122 - 129 58 - 11 at Evansville, IN
3/2/1967 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 136 - 128 59 - 11
3/3/1967 PHI Detrit Pistns 129 - 103 60 - 11 at Bstn, MA
3/5/1967 PHI Detrit Pistns 131 - 106 61 - 11
3/6/1967 PHI Ls Angeles Lakers 119 - 117 62 - 11 at Pittsburgh, PA
3/8/1967 PHI at Bstn Celtics 115 - 113 63 - 11
3/11/1967 PHI Bstn Celtics 114 - 116 63 - 12
3/12/1967 PHI at New Yrk Knicks 131 - 120 64 - 12
3/14/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 139 - 110 65 - 12
3/15/1967 PHI at Ls Angeles Lakers 138 - 123 66 - 12
3/16/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 131 - 145 66 - 13
3/18/1967 PHI Baltimre Bullets 135 - 119 67 - 13
3/19/1967 PHI at Baltimre Bullets 132 - 129 68 - 13
1967 Playffs
Date Team ppnent Scre W-L Lcatin
Eastern Semifinals
3/21/1967 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 116 - 120 0 - 1
3/22/1967 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 123 - 102 1 - 1
3/24/1967 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 121 - 106 2 - 1
3/25/1967 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 112 - 94 3 - 1
Eastern Finals
3/31/1967 PHI Bstn Celtics 127 - 113 1 - 0
4/2/1967 PHI at Bstn Celtics 107 - 102 2 - 0
4/5/1967 PHI Bstn Celtics 115 - 104 3 - 0
4/9/1967 PHI at Bstn Celtics 117 - 121 3 - 1
4/11/1967 PHI Bstn Celtics 140 - 116 4 - 1
NBA Finals
4/14/1967 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 141 - 135 1 - 0
4/16/1967 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 126 - 95 2 - 0
4/18/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 124 - 130 2 - 1
4/20/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 122 - 108 3 - 1
4/23/1967 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 109 - 117 3 - 2
4/24/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 125 - 122 4 - 2
10/15/1966 PHI New Yrk Knicks 128 - 112 1 - 0
10/21/1966 PHI St. Luis Hawks 119 - 110 2 - 0
10/22/1966 PHI at Baltimre Bullets 141 - 112 3 - 0
10/25/1966 PHI Baltimre Bullets 130 - 110 4 - 0
10/29/1966 PHI Bstn Celtics 138 - 96 5 - 0
11/3/1966 PHI St. Luis Hawks 120 - 108 6 - 0 at Pittsburgh, PA
11/4/1966 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 134 - 129 7 - 0
11/5/1966 PHI at Bstn Celtics 87 - 105 7 - 1
11/8/1966 PHI Detrit Pistns 118 - 100 8 - 1 at New Yrk City, NY
11/11/1966 PHI Chicag Bulls 126 - 113 9 - 1
11/12/1966 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 112 - 98 10 - 1
11/13/1966 PHI at Chicag Bulls 132 - 126 11 - 1
11/15/1966 PHI at New Yrk Knicks 113 - 109 12 - 1
11/16/1966 PHI New Yrk Knicks 117 - 108 13 - 1
11/18/1966 PHI Chicag Bulls 145 - 120 14 - 1 at Bstn, MA
11/19/1966 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 134 - 110 15 - 1
11/23/1966 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 106 - 111 15 - 2
11/24/1966 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 140 - 123 16 - 2
11/25/1966 PHI at Baltimre Bullets 129 - 115 17 - 2
11/26/1966 PHI Detrit Pistns 131 - 123 18 - 2
11/29/1966 PHI St. Luis Hawks 137 - 116 19 - 2
11/30/1966 PHI at Detrit Pistns 128 - 119 20 - 2
12/2/1966 PHI Ls Angeles Lakers 138 - 130 21 - 2
12/3/1966 PHI at Baltimre Bullets 137 - 120 22 - 2
12/6/1966 PHI Chicag Bulls 129 - 119 23 - 2
12/7/1966 PHI at Chicag Bulls 117 - 103 24 - 2
12/9/1966 PHI New Yrk Knicks 112 - 107 25 - 2
12/10/1966 PHI at St. Luis Hawks 133 - 123 26 - 2
12/11/1966 PHI at Bstn Celtics 103 - 117 26 - 3
12/13/1966 PHI at New Yrk Knicks 127 - 112 27 - 3
12/16/1966 PHI St. Luis Hawks 124 - 113 28 - 3
12/17/1966 PHI Detrit Pistns 120 - 105 29 - 3 at Syracuse, NY
12/21/1966 PHI at Ls Angeles Lakers 129 - 123 30 - 3
12/22/1966 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 116 - 114 31 - 3
12/23/1966 PHI at Ls Angeles Lakers 118 - 107 32 - 3
12/26/1966 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 134 - 118 33 - 3
12/28/1966 PHI Bstn Celtics 113 - 108 34 - 3
12/30/1966 PHI Detrit Pistns 137 - 113 35 - 3 at Ft Wayne, IN
1/3/1967 PHI at New Yrk Knicks 148 - 142 36 - 3
1/4/1967 PHI Chicag Bulls 136 - 115 37 - 3
1/5/1967 PHI New Yrk Knicks 104 - 112 37 - 4 at Pittsburgh, PA
1/6/1967 PHI Baltimre Bullets 121 - 115 38 - 4
1/8/1967 PHI at Chicag Bulls 117 - 108 39 - 4
1/13/1967 PHI St. Luis Hawks 125 - 107 40 - 4
1/15/1967 PHI at Bstn Celtics 110 - 95 41 - 4
1/17/1967 PHI New Yrk Knicks 119 - 111 42 - 4
1/18/1967 PHI at Detrit Pistns 113 - 105 43 - 4
1/19/1967 PHI Chicag Bulls 127 - 102 44 - 4 at Pittsburgh, PA
1/20/1967 PHI Ls Angeles Lakers 119 - 108 45 - 4
1/23/1967 PHI St. Luis Hawks 112 - 105 46 - 4 at Memphis, TN
1/24/1967 PHI Bstn Celtics 106 - 118 46 - 5
1/27/1967 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 110 - 107 47 - 5
1/29/1967 PHI at St. Luis Hawks 108 - 114 47 - 6
2/1/1967 PHI at Ls Angeles Lakers 133 - 143 47 - 7
2/2/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 120 - 137 47 - 8 at akland, CA
2/4/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 140 - 127 48 - 8 at akland, CA
2/5/1967 PHI at Ls Angeles Lakers 130 - 123 49 - 8
2/7/1967 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 126 - 123 50 - 8 at Pittsburgh, PA
2/8/1967 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 118 - 106 51 - 8
2/10/1967 PHI Ls Angeles Lakers 148 - 131 52 - 8
2/11/1967 PHI at Baltimre Bullets 133 - 139 52 - 9
2/12/1967 PHI at Bstn Celtics 112 - 113 52 - 10
2/13/1967 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 131 - 123 53 - 10
2/15/1967 PHI at Detrit Pistns 127 - 121 54 - 10
2/17/1967 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 127 - 118 55 - 10 at Cleveland, H
2/19/1967 PHI at St. Luis Hawks 123 - 122 56 - 10
2/24/1967 PHI Baltimre Bullets 149 - 118 57 - 10 at Pittsburgh, PA
2/28/1967 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 127 - 107 58 - 10 at Syracuse, NY
3/1/1967 PHI at Chicag Bulls 122 - 129 58 - 11 at Evansville, IN
3/2/1967 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 136 - 128 59 - 11
3/3/1967 PHI Detrit Pistns 129 - 103 60 - 11 at Bstn, MA
3/5/1967 PHI Detrit Pistns 131 - 106 61 - 11
3/6/1967 PHI Ls Angeles Lakers 119 - 117 62 - 11 at Pittsburgh, PA
3/8/1967 PHI at Bstn Celtics 115 - 113 63 - 11
3/11/1967 PHI Bstn Celtics 114 - 116 63 - 12
3/12/1967 PHI at New Yrk Knicks 131 - 120 64 - 12
3/14/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 139 - 110 65 - 12
3/15/1967 PHI at Ls Angeles Lakers 138 - 123 66 - 12
3/16/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 131 - 145 66 - 13
3/18/1967 PHI Baltimre Bullets 135 - 119 67 - 13
3/19/1967 PHI at Baltimre Bullets 132 - 129 68 - 13
1967 Playffs
Date Team ppnent Scre W-L Lcatin
Eastern Semifinals
3/21/1967 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 116 - 120 0 - 1
3/22/1967 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 123 - 102 1 - 1
3/24/1967 PHI Cincinnati Ryals 121 - 106 2 - 1
3/25/1967 PHI at Cincinnati Ryals 112 - 94 3 - 1
Eastern Finals
3/31/1967 PHI Bstn Celtics 127 - 113 1 - 0
4/2/1967 PHI at Bstn Celtics 107 - 102 2 - 0
4/5/1967 PHI Bstn Celtics 115 - 104 3 - 0
4/9/1967 PHI at Bstn Celtics 117 - 121 3 - 1
4/11/1967 PHI Bstn Celtics 140 - 116 4 - 1
NBA Finals
4/14/1967 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 141 - 135 1 - 0
4/16/1967 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 126 - 95 2 - 0
4/18/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 124 - 130 2 - 1
4/20/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 122 - 108 3 - 1
4/23/1967 PHI San Francisc Warrirs 109 - 117 3 - 2
4/24/1967 PHI at San Francisc Warrirs 125 - 122 4 - 2
A Triumph of Substance Over Style
This article hits the nail on the head.
Here's an excerpt:
In a triumph of substance over style, the Celtics eschewed the old-school duds, trotted out their trio of new-school superstars and gave the Lakers a beating reminiscent of Reagan vs. Mondale, circa 1984.
Back when we used to kick the Lakers from here to Haiti in the 80s, the sound bite was similar--Blue Collar Hard Hats Defeat Glitz and Glamor of Showtime.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
Here's an excerpt:
In a triumph of substance over style, the Celtics eschewed the old-school duds, trotted out their trio of new-school superstars and gave the Lakers a beating reminiscent of Reagan vs. Mondale, circa 1984.
Back when we used to kick the Lakers from here to Haiti in the 80s, the sound bite was similar--Blue Collar Hard Hats Defeat Glitz and Glamor of Showtime.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
Shuttlesworth: "Doc Rivers is an All-Star Coach"
Ray Allen is the latest Celtic to praise head coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers.
I love Doc Rivers.
I'm ready to head into 2008 with Doc in command.
I love Doc Rivers.
I'm ready to head into 2008 with Doc in command.
Lakers Fans Quit Even Earlier than Players
According the the Globe, the Lakers fans began exiting the arena in droves at the 9:25 marker of the fourth quarter. , or two minutes before Phil, Kobe, and company threw in the towel.
Pathetic.
Pathetic.
Lakers Cry No Mas
I've been a Boston Celtics fan since 1974. I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable NBA guy, and a very knowledgeable Celtics guy.
One concept that has eluded me until the Tim Duncan Era is the notion of "imposing your will" on an opponent. He has popularized this concept by repeatedly stating the single deciding factor in games played between his Spurs and Shaq's Lakers was the team that was better able to impose their will on the other.
At it's root, the idea seems pretty simple.
"Will" is a Machiavellian concept derived from power. But since pro basketball is not professional boxing, I never fully grasped the nuances of the concept...until tonight.
The Boston Celtics absolutely owned the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at the Forum (forgive me for not calling it the Staples Center, I'm Old Skool). With seven minutes to go, the Celtics were up 18, and Kobe Bryant wasn't on the floor. The Celtics responded by taking out Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
The game was over.
Phil Jackson and the Lakers never even made another run. Never even attempted another run.
Surely Roberto Duran's ghost had found a seat somewhere on the Lakers bench.
The Celtics had so humiliated the Lakers that with seven minutes to go in the game, the Lakers were throwing in the towel. Either they couldn't be bothered with mustering up the energy for making a final run or they realized the futility of any such exercise.
What an outstanding acheivement for Doc Rivers and his troops.
I plan to give our boys ample print over the next week to celebrate this victory.
For now, however, it's time to unleash some venom on a team that doesn't deserve to wear the Lakers' colors.
The Boston Celtics similarly dominated the Los Angeles Lakers twice during the 1985-86 season. Neither game was close, and by "close" I mean there was never any doubt from the opening tip who would win. But when you look at the two scores, the games appear to have been competitive.
The Celtics beat the Lakers in the Forum by only six points, after earlier beating the Lakers by 15 in the Gah-den. In both games, Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, and company spent the second half making one attempt after another to orchestrate runs that would cut into large Celtic leads.
In both games, the Lakers successfully reduced the deficit to less than 10 points. Even if they hadn't cut the lead below 10, the point is they never gave up. They kept trying until the bitter end.
Not this Lakers team.
They quit playing with seven minutes to go. Every one I watched the game with came to the same conclusion simultaneously: the purple are just going through the motions and not even trying to compete anymore.
I never liked the 1980s Lakers. In fact, I thoroughly disliked them. But after tonight's game I have a new found respect for Pat Riley and his teams.
And to think Phil Jackson is considered a great motivator and a great coach, someone who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with the all-time greats, like Pat Riley and Red Auerbach.
This purple team should be ashamed of itself, and every Laker great should be ashamed of it, too. I saw Jerry West was in attendance. I hope he says something. I hope Magic Johnson says something. I am embarrassed for the purple, and that is coming from a Celtics fan who derives ultimate pleasure any time the green crush the purple.
Phil Jackson?
He couldn't even get his team to make a run for the last seven minutes of a game he himself called a "statement" game. Seven minutes, no runs, no effort.
He couldn't even get his players to try.
I certainly don't see any greatness here.
One concept that has eluded me until the Tim Duncan Era is the notion of "imposing your will" on an opponent. He has popularized this concept by repeatedly stating the single deciding factor in games played between his Spurs and Shaq's Lakers was the team that was better able to impose their will on the other.
At it's root, the idea seems pretty simple.
"Will" is a Machiavellian concept derived from power. But since pro basketball is not professional boxing, I never fully grasped the nuances of the concept...until tonight.
The Boston Celtics absolutely owned the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at the Forum (forgive me for not calling it the Staples Center, I'm Old Skool). With seven minutes to go, the Celtics were up 18, and Kobe Bryant wasn't on the floor. The Celtics responded by taking out Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
The game was over.
Phil Jackson and the Lakers never even made another run. Never even attempted another run.
Surely Roberto Duran's ghost had found a seat somewhere on the Lakers bench.
The Celtics had so humiliated the Lakers that with seven minutes to go in the game, the Lakers were throwing in the towel. Either they couldn't be bothered with mustering up the energy for making a final run or they realized the futility of any such exercise.
What an outstanding acheivement for Doc Rivers and his troops.
I plan to give our boys ample print over the next week to celebrate this victory.
For now, however, it's time to unleash some venom on a team that doesn't deserve to wear the Lakers' colors.
The Boston Celtics similarly dominated the Los Angeles Lakers twice during the 1985-86 season. Neither game was close, and by "close" I mean there was never any doubt from the opening tip who would win. But when you look at the two scores, the games appear to have been competitive.
The Celtics beat the Lakers in the Forum by only six points, after earlier beating the Lakers by 15 in the Gah-den. In both games, Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, and company spent the second half making one attempt after another to orchestrate runs that would cut into large Celtic leads.
In both games, the Lakers successfully reduced the deficit to less than 10 points. Even if they hadn't cut the lead below 10, the point is they never gave up. They kept trying until the bitter end.
Not this Lakers team.
They quit playing with seven minutes to go. Every one I watched the game with came to the same conclusion simultaneously: the purple are just going through the motions and not even trying to compete anymore.
I never liked the 1980s Lakers. In fact, I thoroughly disliked them. But after tonight's game I have a new found respect for Pat Riley and his teams.
And to think Phil Jackson is considered a great motivator and a great coach, someone who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with the all-time greats, like Pat Riley and Red Auerbach.
This purple team should be ashamed of itself, and every Laker great should be ashamed of it, too. I saw Jerry West was in attendance. I hope he says something. I hope Magic Johnson says something. I am embarrassed for the purple, and that is coming from a Celtics fan who derives ultimate pleasure any time the green crush the purple.
Phil Jackson?
He couldn't even get his team to make a run for the last seven minutes of a game he himself called a "statement" game. Seven minutes, no runs, no effort.
He couldn't even get his players to try.
I certainly don't see any greatness here.
Most Satisfying Regular Season Win Since 2/16/86
On February 16, 1986, the Boston Celtics completed a season sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers by defeating them 105-99 in the Forum. The game was never as close as the score.
Tonight's victory was every bit as satisfying as that win, and here's why.
1. The Celtics won with Tony Allen playing the majority of the minutes at point, while Rajon Rondo sat out the contest with a sore right hamstring (the 1986 Celtics beat the Lakers without Kevin McHale).
2. The Celtics swept the Lakers in convincing fashion, humiliating them to such a degree on their home floor that the Lakers quit playing with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
3. Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant both admitted this was a statement game, and both looked totally demoralized by game's end.
4. KG responded to every bad call or non-call the Celtics got on offense by taking it out on the Lakers with his own brand of smothering, nasty defense. He let his actions do the talking, and played his first game of Russellesque proportions.
5. Pundits had downplayed the Celtics 22-3 start because they hadn't played anyone, and they hadn't traveled out West. Now they are 26-3, having swept four West Coast teams in 5 nights. The Lakers, who had entered the game winning 9 of their last 11, looked completely outclassed and bewildered. "Not even in the same league" is a phrase that comes to mind.
6. The Associated Press had the temerity to call out the Lakers as "Fakers" this morning, long before the game even started. And you know what? They were right.
7. This article dovetailed nicely with my historical piece in which ML Carr called the Lakers "Fakers" in 1985.
8. Ray Allen was money when it counted, proving again that when rested, Ray Allen is everything we need him to be, which is to say absolutely lethal.
9. Paul Pierce gave the impression that he was just toying with the purple.
10. Doc Rivers announced before the game that he didn't want the Lakers to win sh*t on his watch, and, sure enough, his boys dominated the game from the git-go.
11. Phil Jackson as motivator has been exposed as a fraud.
Tonight's victory was every bit as satisfying as that win, and here's why.
1. The Celtics won with Tony Allen playing the majority of the minutes at point, while Rajon Rondo sat out the contest with a sore right hamstring (the 1986 Celtics beat the Lakers without Kevin McHale).
2. The Celtics swept the Lakers in convincing fashion, humiliating them to such a degree on their home floor that the Lakers quit playing with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
3. Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant both admitted this was a statement game, and both looked totally demoralized by game's end.
4. KG responded to every bad call or non-call the Celtics got on offense by taking it out on the Lakers with his own brand of smothering, nasty defense. He let his actions do the talking, and played his first game of Russellesque proportions.
5. Pundits had downplayed the Celtics 22-3 start because they hadn't played anyone, and they hadn't traveled out West. Now they are 26-3, having swept four West Coast teams in 5 nights. The Lakers, who had entered the game winning 9 of their last 11, looked completely outclassed and bewildered. "Not even in the same league" is a phrase that comes to mind.
6. The Associated Press had the temerity to call out the Lakers as "Fakers" this morning, long before the game even started. And you know what? They were right.
7. This article dovetailed nicely with my historical piece in which ML Carr called the Lakers "Fakers" in 1985.
8. Ray Allen was money when it counted, proving again that when rested, Ray Allen is everything we need him to be, which is to say absolutely lethal.
9. Paul Pierce gave the impression that he was just toying with the purple.
10. Doc Rivers announced before the game that he didn't want the Lakers to win sh*t on his watch, and, sure enough, his boys dominated the game from the git-go.
11. Phil Jackson as motivator has been exposed as a fraud.
West Coast Sweep, Baby!!! (26-3)
One game from .900 (again!!)
When was the last time any team reached .900 this late in the season (answer the 72-win Bulls)?
Four wins in five nights two time-zones away from home
Lakers dominated in the Gah-den
Lakers humiliated at home
Only Texas, Phoenix, and Detroit remain
box score
When was the last time any team reached .900 this late in the season (answer the 72-win Bulls)?
Four wins in five nights two time-zones away from home
Lakers dominated in the Gah-den
Lakers humiliated at home
Only Texas, Phoenix, and Detroit remain
box score
12.28.2007
1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers Game Log
1971-72 Regular Seasn
10/15/1971 LAL at Detrit Pistns 132 - 103 1 - 0
10/16/1971 LAL at New Yrk Knicks 119 - 104 2 - 0
10/19/1971 LAL at Buffal Braves 123 - 106 3 - 0
10/20/1971 LAL at Atlanta Hawks 126 - 104 4 - 0
10/22/1971 LAL Chicag Bulls 106 - 113 4 - 1
10/24/1971 LAL at Hustn Rckets 113 - 103 5 - 1
10/29/1971 LAL Cincinnati Ryals 119 - 107 6 - 1
10/30/1971 LAL at Seattle Supersnics 106 - 115 6 - 2
10/31/1971 LAL Glden State Warrirs 105 - 109 6 - 3
11/5/1971 LAL Baltimre Bullets 110 - 106 7 - 3
11/6/1971 LAL at Glden State Warrirs 105 - 89 8 - 3 at akland, CA
11/7/1971 LAL New Yrk Knicks 103 - 96 9 - 3
11/9/1971 LAL at Chicag Bulls 122 - 109 10 - 3
11/10/1971 LAL at Philadelphia 76ers 143 - 103 11 - 3
11/12/1971 LAL Seattle Supersnics 115 - 107 12 - 3
11/13/1971 LAL at Prtland Trailblazers 130 - 108 13 - 3
11/14/1971 LAL Bstn Celtics 128 - 115 14 - 3
11/16/1971 LAL Cleveland Cavaliers 108 - 90 15 - 3
11/19/1971 LAL Hustn Rckets 106 - 99 16 - 3
11/21/1971 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 112 - 105 17 - 3
11/25/1971 LAL at Seattle Supersnics 139 - 115 18 - 3
11/26/1971 LAL Detrit Pistns 132 - 113 19 - 3
11/28/1971 LAL Seattle Supersnics 138 - 121 20 - 3
12/1/1971 LAL at Bstn Celtics 124 - 111 21 - 3
12/3/1971 LAL at Philadelphia 76ers 131 - 116 22 - 3
12/5/1971 LAL Prtland Trailblazers 123 - 107 23 - 3
12/8/1971 LAL at Hustn Rckets 125 - 120 24 - 3
12/9/1971 LAL Glden State Warrirs 124 - 111 25 - 3 at akland, CA
12/10/1971 LAL Phenix Suns 126 - 117 26 - 3
12/12/1971 LAL Atlanta Hawks 104 - 95 27 - 3
12/14/1971 LAL at Prtland Trailblazers 129 - 114 28 - 3
12/17/1971 LAL Glden State Warrirs 129 - 99 29 - 3
12/18/1971 LAL at Phenix Suns 132 - 106 30 - 3
12/19/1971 LAL Philadelphia 76ers 154 - 132 31 - 3
12/21/1971 LAL at Buffal Braves 117 - 103 32 - 3
12/22/1971 LAL at Baltimre Bullets 127 - 120 33 - 3
12/26/1971 LAL Hustn Rckets 137 - 115 34 - 3
12/28/1971 LAL Buffal Braves 105 - 87 35 - 3
12/30/1971 LAL at Seattle Supersnics 122 - 106 36 - 3
1/2/1972 LAL Bstn Celtics 122 - 113 37 - 3
1/5/1972 LAL at Cleveland Cavaliers 113 - 103 38 - 3
1/7/1972 LAL at Atlanta Hawks 134 - 90 39 - 3
1/9/1972 LAL at Milwaukee Bucks 104 - 120 39 - 4
1/11/1972 LAL at Detrit Pistns 123 - 103 40 - 4
1/12/1972 LAL at Cincinnati Ryals 107 - 108 40 - 5
1/14/1972 LAL at Philadelphia 76ers 135 - 121 41 - 5
1/21/1972 LAL New Yrk Knicks 101 - 104 41 - 6
1/22/1972 LAL at Phenix Suns 102 - 116 41 - 7
1/25/1972 LAL Phenix Suns 129 - 119 42 - 7
1/28/1972 LAL Hustn Rckets 118 - 105 43 - 7
1/30/1972 LAL Prtland Trailblazers 153 - 131 44 - 7
2/4/1972 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 118 - 105 45 - 7
2/5/1972 LAL at Glden State Warrirs 108 - 96 46 - 7 at akland, CA
2/6/1972 LAL Baltimre Bullets 151 - 127 47 - 7
2/8/1972 LAL at New Yrk Knicks 107 - 102 48 - 7
2/9/1972 LAL at Atlanta Hawks 117 - 113 49 - 7
2/11/1972 LAL at Bstn Celtics 108 - 121 49 - 8
2/13/1972 LAL at Baltimre Bullets 121 - 110 50 - 8 at Cllege Park, MD
2/15/1972 LAL Cincinnati Ryals 125 - 118 51 - 8
2/16/1972 LAL at Phenix Suns 109 - 110 51 - 9
2/18/1972 LAL Prtland Trailblazers 125 - 114 52 - 9
2/19/1972 LAL at Prtland Trailblazers 115 - 94 53 - 9
2/20/1972 LAL Bstn Celtics 132 - 113 54 - 9
2/22/1972 LAL Detrit Pistns 134 - 135 54 - 10
2/23/1972 LAL at Hustn Rckets 110 - 115 54 - 11 at Wac, TX
2/25/1972 LAL Cincinnati Ryals 109 - 88 55 - 11
2/27/1972 LAL Chicag Bulls 123 - 118 56 - 11
2/29/1972 LAL at New Yrk Knicks 114 - 111 57 - 11
3/1/1972 LAL at Milwaukee Bucks 109 - 108 58 - 11 at Madisn, WI
3/3/1972 LAL Atlanta Hawks 114 - 104 59 - 11
3/5/1972 LAL Baltimre Bullets 94 - 108 59 - 12
3/7/1972 LAL Philadelphia 76ers 114 - 97 60 - 12
3/10/1972 LAL Cleveland Cavaliers 132 - 98 61 - 12
3/12/1972 LAL Buffal Braves 141 - 102 62 - 12
3/14/1972 LAL at Detrit Pistns 129 - 116 63 - 12
3/15/1972 LAL at Cincinnati Ryals 121 - 116 64 - 12
3/17/1972 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 123 - 107 65 - 12
3/19/1972 LAL Glden State Warrirs 162 - 99 66 - 12
3/21/1972 LAL at Chicag Bulls 109 - 104 67 - 12
3/22/1972 LAL at Cleveland Cavaliers 120 - 124 67 - 13
3/24/1972 LAL Phenix Suns 112 - 110 68 - 13
3/26/1972 LAL Seattle Supersnics 124 - 98 69 - 13
1972 Playffs
Date Team ppnent Scre W-L Lcatin
Western Semifinals
3/28/1972 LAL Chicag Bulls 95 - 80 1 - 0
3/30/1972 LAL Chicag Bulls 131 - 124 2 - 0
4/2/1972 LAL at Chicag Bulls 108 - 101 3 - 0
4/4/1972 LAL at Chicag Bulls 108 - 97 4 - 0
Western Finals
4/9/1972 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 72 - 93 0 - 1
4/12/1972 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 135 - 134 1 - 1
4/14/1972 LAL at Milwaukee Bucks 108 - 105 2 - 1
4/16/1972 LAL at Milwaukee Bucks 88 - 114 2 - 2
4/18/1972 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 115 - 90 3 - 2
4/22/1972 LAL at Milwaukee Bucks 104 - 100 4 - 2
NBA Finals
4/26/1972 LAL New Yrk Knicks 92 - 114 0 - 1
4/30/1972 LAL New Yrk Knicks 106 - 92 1 - 1
5/3/1972 LAL at New Yrk Knicks 107 - 96 2 - 1
5/5/1972 LAL at New Yrk Knicks 116 - 111 3 - 1
5/7/1972 LAL New Yrk Knicks 114 - 100 4 - 1
10/15/1971 LAL at Detrit Pistns 132 - 103 1 - 0
10/16/1971 LAL at New Yrk Knicks 119 - 104 2 - 0
10/19/1971 LAL at Buffal Braves 123 - 106 3 - 0
10/20/1971 LAL at Atlanta Hawks 126 - 104 4 - 0
10/22/1971 LAL Chicag Bulls 106 - 113 4 - 1
10/24/1971 LAL at Hustn Rckets 113 - 103 5 - 1
10/29/1971 LAL Cincinnati Ryals 119 - 107 6 - 1
10/30/1971 LAL at Seattle Supersnics 106 - 115 6 - 2
10/31/1971 LAL Glden State Warrirs 105 - 109 6 - 3
11/5/1971 LAL Baltimre Bullets 110 - 106 7 - 3
11/6/1971 LAL at Glden State Warrirs 105 - 89 8 - 3 at akland, CA
11/7/1971 LAL New Yrk Knicks 103 - 96 9 - 3
11/9/1971 LAL at Chicag Bulls 122 - 109 10 - 3
11/10/1971 LAL at Philadelphia 76ers 143 - 103 11 - 3
11/12/1971 LAL Seattle Supersnics 115 - 107 12 - 3
11/13/1971 LAL at Prtland Trailblazers 130 - 108 13 - 3
11/14/1971 LAL Bstn Celtics 128 - 115 14 - 3
11/16/1971 LAL Cleveland Cavaliers 108 - 90 15 - 3
11/19/1971 LAL Hustn Rckets 106 - 99 16 - 3
11/21/1971 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 112 - 105 17 - 3
11/25/1971 LAL at Seattle Supersnics 139 - 115 18 - 3
11/26/1971 LAL Detrit Pistns 132 - 113 19 - 3
11/28/1971 LAL Seattle Supersnics 138 - 121 20 - 3
12/1/1971 LAL at Bstn Celtics 124 - 111 21 - 3
12/3/1971 LAL at Philadelphia 76ers 131 - 116 22 - 3
12/5/1971 LAL Prtland Trailblazers 123 - 107 23 - 3
12/8/1971 LAL at Hustn Rckets 125 - 120 24 - 3
12/9/1971 LAL Glden State Warrirs 124 - 111 25 - 3 at akland, CA
12/10/1971 LAL Phenix Suns 126 - 117 26 - 3
12/12/1971 LAL Atlanta Hawks 104 - 95 27 - 3
12/14/1971 LAL at Prtland Trailblazers 129 - 114 28 - 3
12/17/1971 LAL Glden State Warrirs 129 - 99 29 - 3
12/18/1971 LAL at Phenix Suns 132 - 106 30 - 3
12/19/1971 LAL Philadelphia 76ers 154 - 132 31 - 3
12/21/1971 LAL at Buffal Braves 117 - 103 32 - 3
12/22/1971 LAL at Baltimre Bullets 127 - 120 33 - 3
12/26/1971 LAL Hustn Rckets 137 - 115 34 - 3
12/28/1971 LAL Buffal Braves 105 - 87 35 - 3
12/30/1971 LAL at Seattle Supersnics 122 - 106 36 - 3
1/2/1972 LAL Bstn Celtics 122 - 113 37 - 3
1/5/1972 LAL at Cleveland Cavaliers 113 - 103 38 - 3
1/7/1972 LAL at Atlanta Hawks 134 - 90 39 - 3
1/9/1972 LAL at Milwaukee Bucks 104 - 120 39 - 4
1/11/1972 LAL at Detrit Pistns 123 - 103 40 - 4
1/12/1972 LAL at Cincinnati Ryals 107 - 108 40 - 5
1/14/1972 LAL at Philadelphia 76ers 135 - 121 41 - 5
1/21/1972 LAL New Yrk Knicks 101 - 104 41 - 6
1/22/1972 LAL at Phenix Suns 102 - 116 41 - 7
1/25/1972 LAL Phenix Suns 129 - 119 42 - 7
1/28/1972 LAL Hustn Rckets 118 - 105 43 - 7
1/30/1972 LAL Prtland Trailblazers 153 - 131 44 - 7
2/4/1972 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 118 - 105 45 - 7
2/5/1972 LAL at Glden State Warrirs 108 - 96 46 - 7 at akland, CA
2/6/1972 LAL Baltimre Bullets 151 - 127 47 - 7
2/8/1972 LAL at New Yrk Knicks 107 - 102 48 - 7
2/9/1972 LAL at Atlanta Hawks 117 - 113 49 - 7
2/11/1972 LAL at Bstn Celtics 108 - 121 49 - 8
2/13/1972 LAL at Baltimre Bullets 121 - 110 50 - 8 at Cllege Park, MD
2/15/1972 LAL Cincinnati Ryals 125 - 118 51 - 8
2/16/1972 LAL at Phenix Suns 109 - 110 51 - 9
2/18/1972 LAL Prtland Trailblazers 125 - 114 52 - 9
2/19/1972 LAL at Prtland Trailblazers 115 - 94 53 - 9
2/20/1972 LAL Bstn Celtics 132 - 113 54 - 9
2/22/1972 LAL Detrit Pistns 134 - 135 54 - 10
2/23/1972 LAL at Hustn Rckets 110 - 115 54 - 11 at Wac, TX
2/25/1972 LAL Cincinnati Ryals 109 - 88 55 - 11
2/27/1972 LAL Chicag Bulls 123 - 118 56 - 11
2/29/1972 LAL at New Yrk Knicks 114 - 111 57 - 11
3/1/1972 LAL at Milwaukee Bucks 109 - 108 58 - 11 at Madisn, WI
3/3/1972 LAL Atlanta Hawks 114 - 104 59 - 11
3/5/1972 LAL Baltimre Bullets 94 - 108 59 - 12
3/7/1972 LAL Philadelphia 76ers 114 - 97 60 - 12
3/10/1972 LAL Cleveland Cavaliers 132 - 98 61 - 12
3/12/1972 LAL Buffal Braves 141 - 102 62 - 12
3/14/1972 LAL at Detrit Pistns 129 - 116 63 - 12
3/15/1972 LAL at Cincinnati Ryals 121 - 116 64 - 12
3/17/1972 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 123 - 107 65 - 12
3/19/1972 LAL Glden State Warrirs 162 - 99 66 - 12
3/21/1972 LAL at Chicag Bulls 109 - 104 67 - 12
3/22/1972 LAL at Cleveland Cavaliers 120 - 124 67 - 13
3/24/1972 LAL Phenix Suns 112 - 110 68 - 13
3/26/1972 LAL Seattle Supersnics 124 - 98 69 - 13
1972 Playffs
Date Team ppnent Scre W-L Lcatin
Western Semifinals
3/28/1972 LAL Chicag Bulls 95 - 80 1 - 0
3/30/1972 LAL Chicag Bulls 131 - 124 2 - 0
4/2/1972 LAL at Chicag Bulls 108 - 101 3 - 0
4/4/1972 LAL at Chicag Bulls 108 - 97 4 - 0
Western Finals
4/9/1972 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 72 - 93 0 - 1
4/12/1972 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 135 - 134 1 - 1
4/14/1972 LAL at Milwaukee Bucks 108 - 105 2 - 1
4/16/1972 LAL at Milwaukee Bucks 88 - 114 2 - 2
4/18/1972 LAL Milwaukee Bucks 115 - 90 3 - 2
4/22/1972 LAL at Milwaukee Bucks 104 - 100 4 - 2
NBA Finals
4/26/1972 LAL New Yrk Knicks 92 - 114 0 - 1
4/30/1972 LAL New Yrk Knicks 106 - 92 1 - 1
5/3/1972 LAL at New Yrk Knicks 107 - 96 2 - 1
5/5/1972 LAL at New Yrk Knicks 116 - 111 3 - 1
5/7/1972 LAL New Yrk Knicks 114 - 100 4 - 1
In Memory of the "Laker Killer"
The Boston Celtics acquired Dennis Johnson with Philadelphia 76er guard Andrew Toney in mind. Toney, known as the "Boston Strangler" for the number of times his offensive performances sealed the coffin on another Celtics defeat, was, at times, more difficult for Boston to defend than Doc Erving, Moses Malone, or anyone else on the 76er teams of the early and mid-1980s.
Very quickly, DJ reduced Toney's thunder to a dull roar.
But what I remember most about DJ is how helped turn the 1984 championship series around, effectively neutralizing Magic Johnson.
I liked to call him the "Laker Killer."
Bob Ryan described DJ as "Lawrence Taylor in gym shorts."
This video bears out both descriptions.
The look on Pat Riley's face after the DJ game-ending shot in the Finals is priceless.
Very quickly, DJ reduced Toney's thunder to a dull roar.
But what I remember most about DJ is how helped turn the 1984 championship series around, effectively neutralizing Magic Johnson.
I liked to call him the "Laker Killer."
Bob Ryan described DJ as "Lawrence Taylor in gym shorts."
This video bears out both descriptions.
The look on Pat Riley's face after the DJ game-ending shot in the Finals is priceless.
1995-96 Chicago Bulls Rotational Players
Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen
Dennis Rodman
Luc Longley
Steve Kerr
Toni Kukoc
Ron Harper
Bill Wennington
Scottie Pippen
Dennis Rodman
Luc Longley
Steve Kerr
Toni Kukoc
Ron Harper
Bill Wennington
1989-1990 Detroit Pistons Rotational Players
Championship #1
Isiah Thomas
Joe Dumars
James Edwards
Mark Aguirre
Bill Laimbeer
Vinnie Johnson
Dennis Rodman
John Salley
Adrian Dantley
Rick Mahorn
Championship #2
Isiah Thomas
Joe Dumars
James Edwards
Mark Aguirre
Bill Laimbeer
Vinnie Johnson
Dennis Rodman
John Salley
Isiah Thomas
Joe Dumars
James Edwards
Mark Aguirre
Bill Laimbeer
Vinnie Johnson
Dennis Rodman
John Salley
Adrian Dantley
Rick Mahorn
Championship #2
Isiah Thomas
Joe Dumars
James Edwards
Mark Aguirre
Bill Laimbeer
Vinnie Johnson
Dennis Rodman
John Salley
Cs (22-7) Rebound from Humiliating Christmas-Day Defeat
CELTICS AVOID 5TH CONSECUTIVE ROAD LOSS
Rookie Karl (The Mailman) Malone almost always delivers . . . but you know what they say about the Christmas mail.
Local antagonist Danny Ainge made two big shots down the stretch, and Larry Bird rebounded a Malone one-handed miss with two seconds left last night as the Celtics hung on for a 110-108 victory over the Utah Jazz.
OK, maybe it's not time to start talking Super Bowl again, but the way things have been going for the Celtics, any win is a relief.
This was a night in which K.C. Jones tried the Pine Brothers for awhile, but couldn't find anyone in green who could stop Adrian Dantley. Jones used Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, even Bill Walton, but Dantley still scored 39 points.
Unfortunately for Jazz coach Frank Layden, Utah didn't have any other offensive threats. The Jazz were tough from the line, however. Utah made 30 of 30 free throws (the NBA record is 39 of 39 set by the Jazz).
Meanwhile, the Celtics were getting the usual 24 points from both McHale and Bird, and Ainge was shutting up the boo-birds with 8-for-13 shooting. He silenced the 12,702 twice late in the fourth quarter.
Boston led almost all the way. It was 33-27 at the end of one, 60-53 at halftime, and 88-81 at the end of three. Boston's biggest lead was 13 points (66-53) early in the third.
With 2:01 left, Mark Eaton hit two free throws that gave the Jazz their first lead (106-105) since 10-9. Boston called time. It was in-your-face time for Ainge.
After the pause, the ex-Brigham Young baby-faced assasin buried a three- pointer from out top as the shot clock wound down. Boston led, 108-106. Then Bird rebounded an Eaton hook and the Celtics looked safe. Wrong. John Stockton rebounded a Parish miss and was fouled by Ainge. Stockton made both to tie it with 59 seconds left.
Ainge wasn't through. He came off a pick and swished another 18-footer from out top to give the Celts a 110-108 lead with 0:44 showing. Layden called time.
Stockton forced a pass into the lane, and the ball rattled loose. Utah recovered with 25 seconds left (there was considerable discussion about the clock reading) and got five seconds left on the shot clock.
After Utah inbounded, Stockton missed off the drive, and Eaton knocked it out of bounds. DJ was fouled with 18 seconds left and missed both (shades of opening night in the Meadowlands). Eaton (five blocks) rebounded the second miss, and Utah called time with 17 seconds left.
The Jazz inbounded, worked it down the floor and settled for a Malone down- the-lane one-hander. The shot came off the rim and into Bird's hands. Two seconds later, the final buzzer sounded.
"We had something else in mind (Dantley perhaps?)," admitted Frank Layden. "Still, we got a decent shot. You don't win the game on one shot."
Utah's late-game futility took some of the sting off Ainge's late-game Jazzbusters. Still, Ainge is the man these Jazz fans love to boo. There aren't a lot of BYU fans in this part of the state, and despite his wholesome ads for the Utah Dairy Association, Ainge is no more popular in Salt Lake City then he is in the rest of NBA America. "I heard a few cheers," said Ainge. "But I get booed in every city in the league."
Ainge was modest abou his late-game jumpers. "On the three-pointer the shot clock was running down and DJ dished it off and I pretty much had to shoot it. On the next one, I was the second option. We were looking to hit Larry in the low post."
It was a significant victory for the Celtics because it averted a fifth straight road loss and the fourth three-game losing streak of the seven-year Bird era. It also featured a return to a running game and the emancipation of the Pine Brothers.
Sam Vincent, Scott Wedman, Jerry Sichting and Walton all played 10 or more minutes. Wedman hit four of six shots and Walton had six rebounds in 18 minutes. Meanwhile, the Big Five got some rest and had something left for the finish.
"Our bench hasn't been producing like it should," admitted Jones. "The combinations aren't working real well, so we are trying to mix them up a little . . . We're going to keep trying combinations until something works for us."
Rookie Karl (The Mailman) Malone almost always delivers . . . but you know what they say about the Christmas mail.
Local antagonist Danny Ainge made two big shots down the stretch, and Larry Bird rebounded a Malone one-handed miss with two seconds left last night as the Celtics hung on for a 110-108 victory over the Utah Jazz.
OK, maybe it's not time to start talking Super Bowl again, but the way things have been going for the Celtics, any win is a relief.
This was a night in which K.C. Jones tried the Pine Brothers for awhile, but couldn't find anyone in green who could stop Adrian Dantley. Jones used Kevin McHale, Larry Bird, even Bill Walton, but Dantley still scored 39 points.
Unfortunately for Jazz coach Frank Layden, Utah didn't have any other offensive threats. The Jazz were tough from the line, however. Utah made 30 of 30 free throws (the NBA record is 39 of 39 set by the Jazz).
Meanwhile, the Celtics were getting the usual 24 points from both McHale and Bird, and Ainge was shutting up the boo-birds with 8-for-13 shooting. He silenced the 12,702 twice late in the fourth quarter.
Boston led almost all the way. It was 33-27 at the end of one, 60-53 at halftime, and 88-81 at the end of three. Boston's biggest lead was 13 points (66-53) early in the third.
With 2:01 left, Mark Eaton hit two free throws that gave the Jazz their first lead (106-105) since 10-9. Boston called time. It was in-your-face time for Ainge.
After the pause, the ex-Brigham Young baby-faced assasin buried a three- pointer from out top as the shot clock wound down. Boston led, 108-106. Then Bird rebounded an Eaton hook and the Celtics looked safe. Wrong. John Stockton rebounded a Parish miss and was fouled by Ainge. Stockton made both to tie it with 59 seconds left.
Ainge wasn't through. He came off a pick and swished another 18-footer from out top to give the Celts a 110-108 lead with 0:44 showing. Layden called time.
Stockton forced a pass into the lane, and the ball rattled loose. Utah recovered with 25 seconds left (there was considerable discussion about the clock reading) and got five seconds left on the shot clock.
After Utah inbounded, Stockton missed off the drive, and Eaton knocked it out of bounds. DJ was fouled with 18 seconds left and missed both (shades of opening night in the Meadowlands). Eaton (five blocks) rebounded the second miss, and Utah called time with 17 seconds left.
The Jazz inbounded, worked it down the floor and settled for a Malone down- the-lane one-hander. The shot came off the rim and into Bird's hands. Two seconds later, the final buzzer sounded.
"We had something else in mind (Dantley perhaps?)," admitted Frank Layden. "Still, we got a decent shot. You don't win the game on one shot."
Utah's late-game futility took some of the sting off Ainge's late-game Jazzbusters. Still, Ainge is the man these Jazz fans love to boo. There aren't a lot of BYU fans in this part of the state, and despite his wholesome ads for the Utah Dairy Association, Ainge is no more popular in Salt Lake City then he is in the rest of NBA America. "I heard a few cheers," said Ainge. "But I get booed in every city in the league."
Ainge was modest abou his late-game jumpers. "On the three-pointer the shot clock was running down and DJ dished it off and I pretty much had to shoot it. On the next one, I was the second option. We were looking to hit Larry in the low post."
It was a significant victory for the Celtics because it averted a fifth straight road loss and the fourth three-game losing streak of the seven-year Bird era. It also featured a return to a running game and the emancipation of the Pine Brothers.
Sam Vincent, Scott Wedman, Jerry Sichting and Walton all played 10 or more minutes. Wedman hit four of six shots and Walton had six rebounds in 18 minutes. Meanwhile, the Big Five got some rest and had something left for the finish.
"Our bench hasn't been producing like it should," admitted Jones. "The combinations aren't working real well, so we are trying to mix them up a little . . . We're going to keep trying combinations until something works for us."
Celtics (21-7) Lose to Knicks on Christmas Day
Before the game, the Celtics must have thought that a jolly old man and eight reindeer had a better chance of beating them than the New York Knicks. After a wild fourth quarter and two overtimes, though, it was the Knicks who defeated the Celtics , 113-104, before a crowd of 17,480 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have now won three in a row, while the Celtics lost their fourth straight on the road.
"I know half of America turned us off at the half," said Knick coach Hubie Brown of the nationally televised game, "but those who hung in there saw a staggering comeback." Make that stunning, startling and the stuff of Christmas miracles. The Knicks shot 14 for 40 in the first half and scored only 14 points in the opening quarter, fewer than they scored in the second overtime.
"We kept saying, 'But the Celtics aren't shooting that well, either,' " said Brown. "They've got only 46 points." It was that ugly, a 46-32 halftime score. Midway through the third quarter, the Celtics led by even more, 58-33, when the Knicks missed 10 straight field goals. "They hustled and got the offensive boards, then (Patrick) Ewing took it to us," said Celtics coach K.C. Jones.
First, though, a little bird took over the Garden floor. Guard Rory Sparrow (22 points, 8 assists) ignited a third-quarter rally by pushing the ball up the floor and finding the open man. His basket through the lane on a break pulled the Knicks to within 13 (60-47), and the drive continued. With Bernard King, the ghost of Christmas past, clapping wildly on the bench, the Knicks closed to 10 (63-53) at the end of the quarter.
While Ewing was on the bench with only eight points and five rebounds, the Knicks' second unit played an almost perfect pressing defense, while the Celtics' second unit didn't stretch the lead. Ewing returned at 9:28 of the fourth quarter and took control as if he were playing Seton Hall. His 16 points in the next eight minutes, plus assorted foolishness from the Celtics, put the score at 86-84, Boston.
A Dennis Johnson foul put Sparrow at the line and the game was tied, 86-86, with 34 seconds left. Pat Cummings (11 rebounds) and Johnson (8 points on 2- for-9 shooting) each had chances to win the game, but both shots missed. In the first overtime, New York took its first lead of the day on Sparrow's jumper from the top of the key. Then Ewing went down limping with a jammed right knee. The Knicks ran one play and put the rookie center back in. He finished with a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds, and made it, as Brown said, "look easy."
"We proved we have some heart," said Ewing, "and I finally showed up." The Celtics led, 97-92, with 1:09 left, but Ewing's drive pulled it to 97-94 and the play was called for Trent Tucker, who'd taken 36 of the 60 three-point plays attempted by the Knicks. Ewing saved a bobbled inbound pass and swung it over to Tucker in the right corner. "Patrick saw the look in my eyes," said Tucker. "He knew I wanted it."
Tucker came off a screen and hit the shot with 11 seconds left. Danny Ainge (4 points on 1-for-7 shooting) shot and missed, and Kevin McHale (29 points) was blocked by Ernie Grunfeld as the buzzer sounded. "We were missing shots and turning it over," said Larry Bird, who missed four straight jumpers in the two overtimes and finished with 23 points on 8- for-27 shooting from the field. "It was a real lousy exhibition."
In the second overtime, New York jumped to a four-point lead as Gerald Wilkins (14 points from the two-guard position, where he belongs) slid a running one-hander through the net. By the time Jones put Rick Carlisle and Greg Kite in the game, Boston trailed by 11 (111-100). "I was really surprised they came back by so much," said Robert Parish, who turned in a sound 24-point performance. "Ewing played a hell of a game."
The Celtics shot 34 percent for the day (33 of 96) and scored only 104 points in 58 minutes, while the Knicks got points and performances from such unlikely sources as Ken Bannister (14 rebounds) and James Bailey (a key three-pointer). "This was a great game because we beat the Boston Celtics and because it was Christmas Day," said Bailey, a native of Boston. "That's right," added Grunfeld. "We should make playing like this our New Year's resolution."
"I know half of America turned us off at the half," said Knick coach Hubie Brown of the nationally televised game, "but those who hung in there saw a staggering comeback." Make that stunning, startling and the stuff of Christmas miracles. The Knicks shot 14 for 40 in the first half and scored only 14 points in the opening quarter, fewer than they scored in the second overtime.
"We kept saying, 'But the Celtics aren't shooting that well, either,' " said Brown. "They've got only 46 points." It was that ugly, a 46-32 halftime score. Midway through the third quarter, the Celtics led by even more, 58-33, when the Knicks missed 10 straight field goals. "They hustled and got the offensive boards, then (Patrick) Ewing took it to us," said Celtics coach K.C. Jones.
First, though, a little bird took over the Garden floor. Guard Rory Sparrow (22 points, 8 assists) ignited a third-quarter rally by pushing the ball up the floor and finding the open man. His basket through the lane on a break pulled the Knicks to within 13 (60-47), and the drive continued. With Bernard King, the ghost of Christmas past, clapping wildly on the bench, the Knicks closed to 10 (63-53) at the end of the quarter.
While Ewing was on the bench with only eight points and five rebounds, the Knicks' second unit played an almost perfect pressing defense, while the Celtics' second unit didn't stretch the lead. Ewing returned at 9:28 of the fourth quarter and took control as if he were playing Seton Hall. His 16 points in the next eight minutes, plus assorted foolishness from the Celtics, put the score at 86-84, Boston.
A Dennis Johnson foul put Sparrow at the line and the game was tied, 86-86, with 34 seconds left. Pat Cummings (11 rebounds) and Johnson (8 points on 2- for-9 shooting) each had chances to win the game, but both shots missed. In the first overtime, New York took its first lead of the day on Sparrow's jumper from the top of the key. Then Ewing went down limping with a jammed right knee. The Knicks ran one play and put the rookie center back in. He finished with a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds, and made it, as Brown said, "look easy."
"We proved we have some heart," said Ewing, "and I finally showed up." The Celtics led, 97-92, with 1:09 left, but Ewing's drive pulled it to 97-94 and the play was called for Trent Tucker, who'd taken 36 of the 60 three-point plays attempted by the Knicks. Ewing saved a bobbled inbound pass and swung it over to Tucker in the right corner. "Patrick saw the look in my eyes," said Tucker. "He knew I wanted it."
Tucker came off a screen and hit the shot with 11 seconds left. Danny Ainge (4 points on 1-for-7 shooting) shot and missed, and Kevin McHale (29 points) was blocked by Ernie Grunfeld as the buzzer sounded. "We were missing shots and turning it over," said Larry Bird, who missed four straight jumpers in the two overtimes and finished with 23 points on 8- for-27 shooting from the field. "It was a real lousy exhibition."
In the second overtime, New York jumped to a four-point lead as Gerald Wilkins (14 points from the two-guard position, where he belongs) slid a running one-hander through the net. By the time Jones put Rick Carlisle and Greg Kite in the game, Boston trailed by 11 (111-100). "I was really surprised they came back by so much," said Robert Parish, who turned in a sound 24-point performance. "Ewing played a hell of a game."
The Celtics shot 34 percent for the day (33 of 96) and scored only 104 points in 58 minutes, while the Knicks got points and performances from such unlikely sources as Ken Bannister (14 rebounds) and James Bailey (a key three-pointer). "This was a great game because we beat the Boston Celtics and because it was Christmas Day," said Bailey, a native of Boston. "That's right," added Grunfeld. "We should make playing like this our New Year's resolution."
Calendars Still Being Circled in the Land of Green and Purple
On the day NBA schedules were published by the league in the 1980s, Larry Bird would scan schedule, find the two Celtics-Lakers games, and circle them. Magic Johnson did the same thing. In fact, it was a practice shared by every member of the green or purple, whether they suited up in the front office, roamed the sidelines, or put on a uniform and played the game.
To some degree, it sounds like the tradition is still being carried on today.
Asked three weeks ago for his thoughts about the team's first West Coast trip of the year, Danny Ainge said “I’m concerned.” Why? “The Lakers' game will be our fourth game in five nights and the Lakers have the night off before we play them."
First West Coast trip. Four games in five nights. Huge test for the team. All Danny Ainge cares about is the dreaded Ls.
Derek Fisher was equally focused on the return match-up. When asked for his thoughts on the drubbing the Lakers took in the Gah-den, Fisher said he wasn’t too worried because the purple would get the opportunity to return the favor when the green came to LA in a couple of weeks.
Kobe and KG have both publicly played down the historical ramifications of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry on today’s match-ups. But I don’t buy it. Three of Kobe’s top-five rated players of all-time are Lakers, and KG’s already close relationship with Bill Russell has only gotten closer since the Ticket started wearing a Celtics uniform. He's on board with Celtics history and tradition.
So Celtics-Lakers still matter.
Ray Allen's willing to fess up:
"This is going to be interesting, because just as people in Boston remember the Lakers as a team to hate, people in LA have pure hatred for the Celtics."
To some degree, it sounds like the tradition is still being carried on today.
Asked three weeks ago for his thoughts about the team's first West Coast trip of the year, Danny Ainge said “I’m concerned.” Why? “The Lakers' game will be our fourth game in five nights and the Lakers have the night off before we play them."
First West Coast trip. Four games in five nights. Huge test for the team. All Danny Ainge cares about is the dreaded Ls.
Derek Fisher was equally focused on the return match-up. When asked for his thoughts on the drubbing the Lakers took in the Gah-den, Fisher said he wasn’t too worried because the purple would get the opportunity to return the favor when the green came to LA in a couple of weeks.
Kobe and KG have both publicly played down the historical ramifications of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry on today’s match-ups. But I don’t buy it. Three of Kobe’s top-five rated players of all-time are Lakers, and KG’s already close relationship with Bill Russell has only gotten closer since the Ticket started wearing a Celtics uniform. He's on board with Celtics history and tradition.
So Celtics-Lakers still matter.
Ray Allen's willing to fess up:
"This is going to be interesting, because just as people in Boston remember the Lakers as a team to hate, people in LA have pure hatred for the Celtics."
Dreaded Purple Only Thing Standing Between Celtics and Perfect West Coast Trip
Tonight's game between the Celtics and Lakers should be an interesting one. Like I said earlier, I don't buy into the public statements made by both teams that these contests are just another game on the schedule.
The Celtics manhandled the Ls in Boston, rising to the expectations of Celtics fans and former Celtics greats.
The Lakers are looking for pay-back tonight.
We shall see if the green has any gas left in the tank.
Fourth game in five nights.
All road games.
Two time-zones away from home.
Tough game against Utah last night that went down to the wire, with Jesus and the Truth logging significant minutes.
We also play in Detroit next Saturday on the second-night of back to backs.
Two very tough tests in the course of one week, with Houston at home in the middle.
The long, hard slog continues...
The Celtics manhandled the Ls in Boston, rising to the expectations of Celtics fans and former Celtics greats.
The Lakers are looking for pay-back tonight.
We shall see if the green has any gas left in the tank.
Fourth game in five nights.
All road games.
Two time-zones away from home.
Tough game against Utah last night that went down to the wire, with Jesus and the Truth logging significant minutes.
We also play in Detroit next Saturday on the second-night of back to backs.
Two very tough tests in the course of one week, with Houston at home in the middle.
The long, hard slog continues...
Cs (21-6) LOSE THIRD GAME IN FIVE TRIES
December Swoon Continues, as Cs Fall to 21-6
On a night when Dennis Johnson got the heave-ho in the second quarter and Robert Parish handled every pass like a live grenade, the Celtics couldn't keep up with the much-malgined Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers blew open a tight ball game with eight straight points at the start of the fourth quarter and hung on for a 108-102 victory over the Celtics in the sold-out Spectrum last night.
DJ picked up two technicals from referee Bill Saar in the second quarter and Parish was riding the stationary bike most of the night, but give the Sixers some credit for Boston's fourth loss in eight tries. Maurice Cheeks was a demon for the full 48 minutes, and the still-dangerous Philadelphians deserved to win.
Boardwalk bards and parquet poets are mindful that the Sixers miss Andrew Toney (stress fracture), and it's obvious that Philadelphia will still be a formidable play-off foe.
There were 27 lead changes in the first three quarters, and Boston led, 84-83, after three.
K.C. Jones had two players who hadn't played all night - Rick Carlisle and Scott Wedman - on the floor early in the fourth. Smelling blood, the Sixers started swatting shots and erupted with eight straight points. Meanwhile, Boston missed nine straight shots and went more than four minutes without a point.
A jumper by Leon Wood gave the Sixers an eight-point lead with five minutes left. When Bird cut it to 98-94 with 4:16 left, the Sixers called time.
The Celts cut it to three with three minutes left, but Wood buried a jumper, Parish committed another turnover and Cheeks scored off the drive to make it 105-98 with 1:39 left.
When McHale came back with four straight points to cut it to 105-102 with 1:03 left, Philly called time.
The Sixers missed their first six shots of the game, including two blanks by Julius Erving, who was starting (for the fifth straight game) in the backcourt with Cheeks.
The Celtics tried to exploit the Charles Barkley-on-Parish mismatch, but Parish appeared to be playing underwater. Bill Walton replaced the stationary Chief with 7:28 left in the first quarter.
Kevin McHale (13 in the first) scored 11 points in eight minutes and Boston took a 23-18 lead on a jumper by Danny Ainge. The Sixers weren't running any plays and made only seven of their first 18 shots.
Cheeks and Erving paced and 8-2 Philly run, and the Sixers led briefly, but Walton and McHale powered the Celts to a 31-30 lead at the end of one. Bird, DJ and Parish each scored two points in the first 12 minutes.
Then came the Skylab incident. There was a short delay before the start of the second quarter because one of the Spectrum's overhead lights was hanging loose. A section of high-priced seats had to be evacuated while maintenance men rescued the dangling lantern.
Parish was back on the floor when play resumed. Play was sluggish at both ends, but it was close.
The first sparks flew with 3:57 left in the half when Johnson was tagged with an offensive foul, then picked up two technicals and an early shower from Saar. It was one of the fastest ejections on record, and the Celts weren't particularly happy about Saar's quick heave. It was DJ's second ejection of the season. He was tossed for fighting with Detroit's Bill Laimbeer in November. Sam Vincent replaced Johnson.
Bird found the range from the corners (10 in the second quarter), but neither team could build a lead. Two free throws by Erving gave the Sixers a 55-54 halftime edge. There were 20 lead changes in the second quarter.
Jerry Sichting started the second half in place of DJ and did a nice job. Bird and McHale continued to keep the C's afloat, but Parish was still standing around and a dunk by Moses Malone gave the Sixers a four-point lead and forced K.C. Jones to call time.
The Celts came alive after the pause. McHale blocked a couple of shots, Ainge hit a couple of jumpers, and a follow-up by Parish completed a 12-4 run that gave Boston a 73-69 lead. McHale shot the C's to a five-point lead, but the visitors settled for a 84-83 lead at the end of three.
On a night when Dennis Johnson got the heave-ho in the second quarter and Robert Parish handled every pass like a live grenade, the Celtics couldn't keep up with the much-malgined Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers blew open a tight ball game with eight straight points at the start of the fourth quarter and hung on for a 108-102 victory over the Celtics in the sold-out Spectrum last night.
DJ picked up two technicals from referee Bill Saar in the second quarter and Parish was riding the stationary bike most of the night, but give the Sixers some credit for Boston's fourth loss in eight tries. Maurice Cheeks was a demon for the full 48 minutes, and the still-dangerous Philadelphians deserved to win.
Boardwalk bards and parquet poets are mindful that the Sixers miss Andrew Toney (stress fracture), and it's obvious that Philadelphia will still be a formidable play-off foe.
There were 27 lead changes in the first three quarters, and Boston led, 84-83, after three.
K.C. Jones had two players who hadn't played all night - Rick Carlisle and Scott Wedman - on the floor early in the fourth. Smelling blood, the Sixers started swatting shots and erupted with eight straight points. Meanwhile, Boston missed nine straight shots and went more than four minutes without a point.
A jumper by Leon Wood gave the Sixers an eight-point lead with five minutes left. When Bird cut it to 98-94 with 4:16 left, the Sixers called time.
The Celts cut it to three with three minutes left, but Wood buried a jumper, Parish committed another turnover and Cheeks scored off the drive to make it 105-98 with 1:39 left.
When McHale came back with four straight points to cut it to 105-102 with 1:03 left, Philly called time.
The Sixers missed their first six shots of the game, including two blanks by Julius Erving, who was starting (for the fifth straight game) in the backcourt with Cheeks.
The Celtics tried to exploit the Charles Barkley-on-Parish mismatch, but Parish appeared to be playing underwater. Bill Walton replaced the stationary Chief with 7:28 left in the first quarter.
Kevin McHale (13 in the first) scored 11 points in eight minutes and Boston took a 23-18 lead on a jumper by Danny Ainge. The Sixers weren't running any plays and made only seven of their first 18 shots.
Cheeks and Erving paced and 8-2 Philly run, and the Sixers led briefly, but Walton and McHale powered the Celts to a 31-30 lead at the end of one. Bird, DJ and Parish each scored two points in the first 12 minutes.
Then came the Skylab incident. There was a short delay before the start of the second quarter because one of the Spectrum's overhead lights was hanging loose. A section of high-priced seats had to be evacuated while maintenance men rescued the dangling lantern.
Parish was back on the floor when play resumed. Play was sluggish at both ends, but it was close.
The first sparks flew with 3:57 left in the half when Johnson was tagged with an offensive foul, then picked up two technicals and an early shower from Saar. It was one of the fastest ejections on record, and the Celts weren't particularly happy about Saar's quick heave. It was DJ's second ejection of the season. He was tossed for fighting with Detroit's Bill Laimbeer in November. Sam Vincent replaced Johnson.
Bird found the range from the corners (10 in the second quarter), but neither team could build a lead. Two free throws by Erving gave the Sixers a 55-54 halftime edge. There were 20 lead changes in the second quarter.
Jerry Sichting started the second half in place of DJ and did a nice job. Bird and McHale continued to keep the C's afloat, but Parish was still standing around and a dunk by Moses Malone gave the Sixers a four-point lead and forced K.C. Jones to call time.
The Celts came alive after the pause. McHale blocked a couple of shots, Ainge hit a couple of jumpers, and a follow-up by Parish completed a 12-4 run that gave Boston a 73-69 lead. McHale shot the C's to a five-point lead, but the visitors settled for a 84-83 lead at the end of three.
ML Carr Taunts the "Fakers"
February 17, 1985
"Any word from the Fakers yet?," M.L. Carr asked early yesterday. "What are the Fakers saying about us?"
The "Fakers" are the Los Angeles Lakers, and Carr's insult is just one more Celtic tactic on this West Coast tour.
"We kick your butt and we tell you about it," said Carr.
"The Lakers will tell you they are better than us. The Lakers will tell you they should have won the [title last June]. Well, all that talk doesn't amount to a hill of beans. You still have to lace them up and perform. So far they haven't been able to back it up. Maybe they should spend less time talking and more time playing."
"Any word from the Fakers yet?," M.L. Carr asked early yesterday. "What are the Fakers saying about us?"
The "Fakers" are the Los Angeles Lakers, and Carr's insult is just one more Celtic tactic on this West Coast tour.
"We kick your butt and we tell you about it," said Carr.
"The Lakers will tell you they are better than us. The Lakers will tell you they should have won the [title last June]. Well, all that talk doesn't amount to a hill of beans. You still have to lace them up and perform. So far they haven't been able to back it up. Maybe they should spend less time talking and more time playing."
Phil v. Red
Tonight's game will also have one additional plot twist.
The Lakers' Phil Jackson tied Red Auerbach for seventh on the all-time NBA coaching victories list at 938 with the Lakers' 123-109 win Friday night over Utah. Jackson could pass the Celtics legend with a victory over Boston at the Staples Center tonight.
“I don’t want the Lakers to win crap, period,” Doc Rivers said.
The Lakers' Phil Jackson tied Red Auerbach for seventh on the all-time NBA coaching victories list at 938 with the Lakers' 123-109 win Friday night over Utah. Jackson could pass the Celtics legend with a victory over Boston at the Staples Center tonight.
“I don’t want the Lakers to win crap, period,” Doc Rivers said.
Cs Still Spook Lakers in February 1985
February 17, 1985
The Lakers have a point to prove today. They think they are better than the Celtics , but everywhere they go people talk about LA's Massachusetts Meltdown last spring.
The Lakers swept the Celtics in the 1983-84 regular-season series and felt they should have swept Boston in the championship round, too. They also felt they should have beaten Boston in the Garden last month.
Something happens when the Lakers face the Celtics. Pat Riley's greyhounds dominate the game for 46 minutes, then let it slip away. Magic Johnson misses free throws, James Worthy makes bad passes, etc.
The Lakers led the Celtics by three and had the basketball with 50 seconds left in the Garden last month. Then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had his pass stolen by Danny Ainge, Magic missed a couple of easy taps, and Kevin McHale (shooting 3 for 12 at the time) won it with a basket at the buzzer. It was a painful flashback of the championship series.
There's more. The Lakers are 3-6 against upper-echelon Eastern Conference teams this season, and folks are saying that LA's finesse can't compete with Eastern brawn.
NBA America will be watching the Lakers very closely this afternoon (3:45, Channel 7). Boston is fighting for a share of first place in the Atlantic (which really means something this year), but he Lakers need this one to have any hopes of getting the Celtic monkey off their back in Kareem's lifetime.
The Lakers have a point to prove today. They think they are better than the Celtics , but everywhere they go people talk about LA's Massachusetts Meltdown last spring.
The Lakers swept the Celtics in the 1983-84 regular-season series and felt they should have swept Boston in the championship round, too. They also felt they should have beaten Boston in the Garden last month.
Something happens when the Lakers face the Celtics. Pat Riley's greyhounds dominate the game for 46 minutes, then let it slip away. Magic Johnson misses free throws, James Worthy makes bad passes, etc.
The Lakers led the Celtics by three and had the basketball with 50 seconds left in the Garden last month. Then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had his pass stolen by Danny Ainge, Magic missed a couple of easy taps, and Kevin McHale (shooting 3 for 12 at the time) won it with a basket at the buzzer. It was a painful flashback of the championship series.
There's more. The Lakers are 3-6 against upper-echelon Eastern Conference teams this season, and folks are saying that LA's finesse can't compete with Eastern brawn.
NBA America will be watching the Lakers very closely this afternoon (3:45, Channel 7). Boston is fighting for a share of first place in the Atlantic (which really means something this year), but he Lakers need this one to have any hopes of getting the Celtic monkey off their back in Kareem's lifetime.
1986 Cs HIT PANIC BUTTON
There are problems, folks, in Celtic Land. Given the level of competition in today's NBA, there is no excuse for these Celtics to play sub-.500 ball for three weeks.
Red Flags should be going up all over the place.
- Warning 1 - K.C. Jones is coaching scared. He's afraid of his second string and again there's a threat that the starters will be pooped by June. He's got to decide on a rotation and stick with it. It's not doing Sam Vincent or Rick Carlisle any good to play a single five-minute burst, then sit down for the night. And why have Bill Walton's minutes dwindled?
- Warning 2 - The Celtics don't have a legitimate backup forward (Walton is a backup center). Scott Wedman, who can't do anything except shoot, is hitting only 40 percent and looks to be just about through. David Thirdkill is a defensive specialist who doesn't get any minutes. It's here that they miss Max. Heck, they even miss Sly Williams.
- Warning 3 - Larry Bird's long-range shooting touch is, at the very least, temporarily misplaced. Bird's shooting less than 45 percent, the lowest of his career. Take away his inside game, and his percentage drops to about 33 percent. Wednesday's 8-for-27 was not his worst of the year. Maybe it's his back, maybe it's his head, but Bird's stat line is littered with 6-for-21 nights and he's got to stop taking a lot of bombs until he proves he can make them again.
Red Flags should be going up all over the place.
- Warning 1 - K.C. Jones is coaching scared. He's afraid of his second string and again there's a threat that the starters will be pooped by June. He's got to decide on a rotation and stick with it. It's not doing Sam Vincent or Rick Carlisle any good to play a single five-minute burst, then sit down for the night. And why have Bill Walton's minutes dwindled?
- Warning 2 - The Celtics don't have a legitimate backup forward (Walton is a backup center). Scott Wedman, who can't do anything except shoot, is hitting only 40 percent and looks to be just about through. David Thirdkill is a defensive specialist who doesn't get any minutes. It's here that they miss Max. Heck, they even miss Sly Williams.
- Warning 3 - Larry Bird's long-range shooting touch is, at the very least, temporarily misplaced. Bird's shooting less than 45 percent, the lowest of his career. Take away his inside game, and his percentage drops to about 33 percent. Wednesday's 8-for-27 was not his worst of the year. Maybe it's his back, maybe it's his head, but Bird's stat line is littered with 6-for-21 nights and he's got to stop taking a lot of bombs until he proves he can make them again.
Gerald Henderson Bitter after Trade to Sonics
SEATTLE Gerald Henderson couldn't hold back a wide smile. He was standing at his locker getting ready for last night's game against the Celtics when someone asked him what he thought about Boston's efforts to sign free agent guard Ray Williams.
"Well," said Henderson. "They really need somebody now, don't they?"
Boston's search for a guard is sweet vindication for Henderson, who was dealt to Seattle a few days after ending a long contract dispute last October. The Celtics sent him to the Pacific Northwest and said they had enough backcourt depth. The deal made sense when the Celtics got off to a great start, but Boston's bench has turned into petrified wood, and now there is a search for a reserve guard who can score some points.
Henderson is somewhat tickled by all of this.
"After it's all said and done, I wish them the best," he said, still smiling. "But when you see them using the same two people game after game after game . . . well . . .
"When the trade was made I guess they didn't feel they needed anybody. They hoped that Carlos Clark or somebody would take care of things, but I guess that didn't happen. Now they need somebody."
Williams is not the type of player normally associated with the Celtics, but Boston appears somewhat desperate. Henderson has noticed.
"It surprises me that the Celtics would go after sombody like Ray Williams, but he is a veteran. All I know is that now they got to live with my end of the deal.
"Hey, you can't expect a guy like Carlos Clark to come in and play 15 minutes and expect him to perform. It's very hard. You can't get any rhythm because you're not playing enough. I think you have to play at least 20-23 minutes to be effective coming off the bench."
Henderson still isn't sure why he was traded. He's heard the theory that the Celtics wanted to unload his $350,000 salary. He's heard that they were upset with him for not coming to terms sooner. He's heard that it was a punitive move. He's heard all the theories.
"Maybe it was because they thought I'd be unhappy making less than the other guards on the team," he said.
The move to Seattle hasn't hurt Henderson's game. He went into last night's game averaging 13.1 points and 6.8 assists in 34 minutes per game. He was shooting 47 percent from the floor, and 79 percent. He had a career-high 31 points with 10 assists and 3 steals in 40 minutes against Kansas City on Jan. 13. When the Sonics beat the Celtics in the Garden last month, Henderson had 16 assists and 15 steals, then spiked the ball at the conclusion of the game.
He is still somewhat bitter toward the Celtic organization, and it shows. He was one of the hardest-working Celtics during his five years in Boston and became a fan favorite. He will always be remembered for his steal and score in the final minute of Game 2 of the championship series against the Lakers. That play enabled the Celtics to win in overtime. Without the steal, Boston would have been down, 3-0, going into Game 4 in the Forum.
"Well," said Henderson. "They really need somebody now, don't they?"
Boston's search for a guard is sweet vindication for Henderson, who was dealt to Seattle a few days after ending a long contract dispute last October. The Celtics sent him to the Pacific Northwest and said they had enough backcourt depth. The deal made sense when the Celtics got off to a great start, but Boston's bench has turned into petrified wood, and now there is a search for a reserve guard who can score some points.
Henderson is somewhat tickled by all of this.
"After it's all said and done, I wish them the best," he said, still smiling. "But when you see them using the same two people game after game after game . . . well . . .
"When the trade was made I guess they didn't feel they needed anybody. They hoped that Carlos Clark or somebody would take care of things, but I guess that didn't happen. Now they need somebody."
Williams is not the type of player normally associated with the Celtics, but Boston appears somewhat desperate. Henderson has noticed.
"It surprises me that the Celtics would go after sombody like Ray Williams, but he is a veteran. All I know is that now they got to live with my end of the deal.
"Hey, you can't expect a guy like Carlos Clark to come in and play 15 minutes and expect him to perform. It's very hard. You can't get any rhythm because you're not playing enough. I think you have to play at least 20-23 minutes to be effective coming off the bench."
Henderson still isn't sure why he was traded. He's heard the theory that the Celtics wanted to unload his $350,000 salary. He's heard that they were upset with him for not coming to terms sooner. He's heard that it was a punitive move. He's heard all the theories.
"Maybe it was because they thought I'd be unhappy making less than the other guards on the team," he said.
The move to Seattle hasn't hurt Henderson's game. He went into last night's game averaging 13.1 points and 6.8 assists in 34 minutes per game. He was shooting 47 percent from the floor, and 79 percent. He had a career-high 31 points with 10 assists and 3 steals in 40 minutes against Kansas City on Jan. 13. When the Sonics beat the Celtics in the Garden last month, Henderson had 16 assists and 15 steals, then spiked the ball at the conclusion of the game.
He is still somewhat bitter toward the Celtic organization, and it shows. He was one of the hardest-working Celtics during his five years in Boston and became a fan favorite. He will always be remembered for his steal and score in the final minute of Game 2 of the championship series against the Lakers. That play enabled the Celtics to win in overtime. Without the steal, Boston would have been down, 3-0, going into Game 4 in the Forum.
1969-70 New York Knicks Game Logs
1969-70 Regular Seasn
10/14/1969 NYK Seattle Supersnics 126 - 101 1 - 0
10/15/1969 NYK at Cincinnati Ryals 94 - 89 2 - 0
10/17/1969 NYK at Chicag Bulls 116 - 87 3 - 0
10/18/1969 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 99 - 96 4 - 0
10/21/1969 NYK Phenix Suns 140 - 116 5 - 0
10/23/1969 NYK San Francisc Warrirs 109 - 112 5 - 1
10/24/1969 NYK at Detrit Pistns 116 - 92 6 - 1
10/25/1969 NYK Baltimre Bullets 128 - 99 7 - 1
10/28/1969 NYK Atlanta Hawks 128 - 104 8 - 1
10/30/1969 NYK San Dieg Rckets 123 - 110 9 - 1
11/1/1969 NYK Milwaukee Bucks 112 - 108 10 - 1
11/3/1969 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 109 - 93 11 - 1
11/4/1969 NYK at Phenix Suns 116 - 99 12 - 1
11/7/1969 NYK at San Dieg Rckets 129 - 111 13 - 1
11/9/1969 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 112 - 102 14 - 1
11/11/1969 NYK at San Francisc Warrirs 116 - 103 15 - 1
11/13/1969 NYK Chicag Bulls 114 - 99 16 - 1
11/15/1969 NYK Bstn Celtics 113 - 98 17 - 1
11/18/1969 NYK Cincinnati Ryals 112 - 94 18 - 1
11/21/1969 NYK at Philadelphia 76ers 98 - 94 19 - 1
11/22/1969 NYK Phenix Suns 128 - 114 20 - 1
11/25/1969 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 103 - 96 21 - 1
11/26/1969 NYK at Atlanta Hawks 138 - 108 22 - 1
11/28/1969 NYK at Cincinnati Ryals 106 - 105 23 - 1 at Cleveland, H
11/29/1969 NYK Detrit Pistns 98 - 110 23 - 2
12/2/1969 NYK Seattle Supersnics 129 - 109 24 - 2
12/5/1969 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 116 - 107 25 - 2
12/6/1969 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 124 - 99 26 - 2
12/9/1969 NYK Cincinnati Ryals 101 - 103 26 - 3
12/10/1969 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 96 - 95 27 - 3
12/11/1969 NYK at Seattle Supersnics 105 - 112 27 - 4
12/13/1969 NYK Philadelphia 76ers 93 - 100 27 - 5
12/16/1969 NYK Atlanta Hawks 124 - 125 27 - 6
12/19/1969 NYK at Chicag Bulls 108 - 99 28 - 6
12/20/1969 NYK Baltimre Bullets 128 - 91 29 - 6
12/25/1969 NYK Detrit Pistns 112 - 111 30 - 6
12/26/1969 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 106 - 114 30 - 7
12/27/1969 NYK Seattle Supersnics 119 - 117 31 - 7 at Vancuver, BC
12/28/1969 NYK at Phenix Suns 135 - 116 32 - 7
12/30/1969 NYK Chicag Bulls 116 - 96 33 - 7
1/2/1970 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 105 - 118 33 - 8
1/3/1970 NYK Bstn Celtics 104 - 111 33 - 9
1/6/1970 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 129 - 99 34 - 9
1/7/1970 NYK at San Francisc Warrirs 99 - 94 35 - 9
1/9/1970 NYK at San Francisc Warrirs 123 - 93 36 - 9
1/10/1970 NYK at San Dieg Rckets 115 - 123 36 - 10
1/12/1970 NYK Phenix Suns 130 - 114 37 - 10 at Salt Lake City, UT
1/16/1970 NYK at Detrit Pistns 104 - 102 38 - 10
1/18/1970 NYK at Bstn Celtics 102 - 109 38 - 11
1/23/1970 NYK at Chicag Bulls 120 - 117 39 - 11
1/24/1970 NYK San Dieg Rckets 127 - 114 40 - 11
1/25/1970 NYK at Bstn Celtics 102 - 96 41 - 11
1/27/1970 NYK Bstn Celtics 133 - 100 42 - 11
1/29/1970 NYK Detrit Pistns 127 - 106 43 - 11
1/30/1970 NYK at Philadelphia 76ers 104 - 100 44 - 11
1/31/1970 NYK Chicag Bulls 123 - 104 45 - 11
2/1/1970 NYK at Detrit Pistns 117 - 111 46 - 11
2/3/1970 NYK San Francisc Warrirs 118 - 98 47 - 11
2/4/1970 NYK at Atlanta Hawks 96 - 111 47 - 12
2/6/1970 NYK at Cincinnati Ryals 135 - 92 48 - 12
2/7/1970 NYK Cincinnati Ryals 121 - 114 49 - 12
2/11/1970 NYK Bstn Celtics 118 - 125 49 - 13
2/13/1970 NYK at Philadelphia 76ers 151 - 106 50 - 13
2/14/1970 NYK at Philadelphia 76ers 116 - 114 51 - 13
2/17/1970 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 114 - 93 52 - 13
2/21/1970 NYK Atlanta Hawks 106 - 122 52 - 14
2/22/1970 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 104 - 110 52 - 15
2/24/1970 NYK Phenix Suns 121 - 105 53 - 15
2/28/1970 NYK Baltimre Bullets 115 - 101 54 - 15
3/3/1970 NYK San Francisc Warrirs 115 - 100 55 - 15
3/6/1970 NYK San Dieg Rckets 107 - 103 56 - 15
3/7/1970 NYK at Philadelphia 76ers 111 - 104 57 - 15
3/8/1970 NYK Philadelphia 76ers 116 - 133 57 - 16
3/10/1970 NYK Seattle Supersnics 117 - 99 58 - 16
3/13/1970 NYK at Seattle Supersnics 103 - 115 58 - 17 at Prtland, R
3/14/1970 NYK at San Dieg Rckets 119 - 103 59 - 17
3/15/1970 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 101 - 106 59 - 18
3/17/1970 NYK at Detrit Pistns 122 - 106 60 - 18
3/18/1970 NYK Milwaukee Bucks 108 - 116 60 - 19
3/20/1970 NYK at Atlanta Hawks 102 - 110 60 - 20
3/21/1970 NYK Cincinnati Ryals 120 - 136 60 - 21
3/22/1970 NYK at Bstn Celtics 112 - 115 60 - 22
1970 Playffs
Date Team ppnent Scre W-L Lcatin
Eastern Semifinals
3/26/1970 NYK Baltimre Bullets 120 - 117 1 - 0
3/27/1970 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 106 - 99 2 - 0
3/29/1970 NYK Baltimre Bullets 113 - 127 2 - 1
3/31/1970 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 92 - 102 2 - 2
4/2/1970 NYK Baltimre Bullets 101 - 80 3 - 2
4/5/1970 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 87 - 96 3 - 3
4/6/1970 NYK Baltimre Bullets 127 - 114 4 - 3
Eastern Finals
4/11/1970 NYK Milwaukee Bucks 110 - 102 1 - 0
4/13/1970 NYK Milwaukee Bucks 112 - 111 2 - 0
4/17/1970 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 96 - 101 2 - 1
4/19/1970 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 117 - 105 3 - 1
4/20/1970 NYK Milwaukee Bucks 132 - 96 4 - 1
NBA Finals
4/24/1970 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 124 - 112 1 - 0
4/27/1970 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 103 - 105 1 - 1
4/29/1970 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 111 - 108 2 - 1
5/1/1970 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 115 - 121 2 - 2
5/4/1970 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 107 - 100 3 - 2
5/6/1970 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 113 - 135 3 - 3
5/8/1970 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 113 - 99 4 - 3
10/14/1969 NYK Seattle Supersnics 126 - 101 1 - 0
10/15/1969 NYK at Cincinnati Ryals 94 - 89 2 - 0
10/17/1969 NYK at Chicag Bulls 116 - 87 3 - 0
10/18/1969 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 99 - 96 4 - 0
10/21/1969 NYK Phenix Suns 140 - 116 5 - 0
10/23/1969 NYK San Francisc Warrirs 109 - 112 5 - 1
10/24/1969 NYK at Detrit Pistns 116 - 92 6 - 1
10/25/1969 NYK Baltimre Bullets 128 - 99 7 - 1
10/28/1969 NYK Atlanta Hawks 128 - 104 8 - 1
10/30/1969 NYK San Dieg Rckets 123 - 110 9 - 1
11/1/1969 NYK Milwaukee Bucks 112 - 108 10 - 1
11/3/1969 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 109 - 93 11 - 1
11/4/1969 NYK at Phenix Suns 116 - 99 12 - 1
11/7/1969 NYK at San Dieg Rckets 129 - 111 13 - 1
11/9/1969 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 112 - 102 14 - 1
11/11/1969 NYK at San Francisc Warrirs 116 - 103 15 - 1
11/13/1969 NYK Chicag Bulls 114 - 99 16 - 1
11/15/1969 NYK Bstn Celtics 113 - 98 17 - 1
11/18/1969 NYK Cincinnati Ryals 112 - 94 18 - 1
11/21/1969 NYK at Philadelphia 76ers 98 - 94 19 - 1
11/22/1969 NYK Phenix Suns 128 - 114 20 - 1
11/25/1969 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 103 - 96 21 - 1
11/26/1969 NYK at Atlanta Hawks 138 - 108 22 - 1
11/28/1969 NYK at Cincinnati Ryals 106 - 105 23 - 1 at Cleveland, H
11/29/1969 NYK Detrit Pistns 98 - 110 23 - 2
12/2/1969 NYK Seattle Supersnics 129 - 109 24 - 2
12/5/1969 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 116 - 107 25 - 2
12/6/1969 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 124 - 99 26 - 2
12/9/1969 NYK Cincinnati Ryals 101 - 103 26 - 3
12/10/1969 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 96 - 95 27 - 3
12/11/1969 NYK at Seattle Supersnics 105 - 112 27 - 4
12/13/1969 NYK Philadelphia 76ers 93 - 100 27 - 5
12/16/1969 NYK Atlanta Hawks 124 - 125 27 - 6
12/19/1969 NYK at Chicag Bulls 108 - 99 28 - 6
12/20/1969 NYK Baltimre Bullets 128 - 91 29 - 6
12/25/1969 NYK Detrit Pistns 112 - 111 30 - 6
12/26/1969 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 106 - 114 30 - 7
12/27/1969 NYK Seattle Supersnics 119 - 117 31 - 7 at Vancuver, BC
12/28/1969 NYK at Phenix Suns 135 - 116 32 - 7
12/30/1969 NYK Chicag Bulls 116 - 96 33 - 7
1/2/1970 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 105 - 118 33 - 8
1/3/1970 NYK Bstn Celtics 104 - 111 33 - 9
1/6/1970 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 129 - 99 34 - 9
1/7/1970 NYK at San Francisc Warrirs 99 - 94 35 - 9
1/9/1970 NYK at San Francisc Warrirs 123 - 93 36 - 9
1/10/1970 NYK at San Dieg Rckets 115 - 123 36 - 10
1/12/1970 NYK Phenix Suns 130 - 114 37 - 10 at Salt Lake City, UT
1/16/1970 NYK at Detrit Pistns 104 - 102 38 - 10
1/18/1970 NYK at Bstn Celtics 102 - 109 38 - 11
1/23/1970 NYK at Chicag Bulls 120 - 117 39 - 11
1/24/1970 NYK San Dieg Rckets 127 - 114 40 - 11
1/25/1970 NYK at Bstn Celtics 102 - 96 41 - 11
1/27/1970 NYK Bstn Celtics 133 - 100 42 - 11
1/29/1970 NYK Detrit Pistns 127 - 106 43 - 11
1/30/1970 NYK at Philadelphia 76ers 104 - 100 44 - 11
1/31/1970 NYK Chicag Bulls 123 - 104 45 - 11
2/1/1970 NYK at Detrit Pistns 117 - 111 46 - 11
2/3/1970 NYK San Francisc Warrirs 118 - 98 47 - 11
2/4/1970 NYK at Atlanta Hawks 96 - 111 47 - 12
2/6/1970 NYK at Cincinnati Ryals 135 - 92 48 - 12
2/7/1970 NYK Cincinnati Ryals 121 - 114 49 - 12
2/11/1970 NYK Bstn Celtics 118 - 125 49 - 13
2/13/1970 NYK at Philadelphia 76ers 151 - 106 50 - 13
2/14/1970 NYK at Philadelphia 76ers 116 - 114 51 - 13
2/17/1970 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 114 - 93 52 - 13
2/21/1970 NYK Atlanta Hawks 106 - 122 52 - 14
2/22/1970 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 104 - 110 52 - 15
2/24/1970 NYK Phenix Suns 121 - 105 53 - 15
2/28/1970 NYK Baltimre Bullets 115 - 101 54 - 15
3/3/1970 NYK San Francisc Warrirs 115 - 100 55 - 15
3/6/1970 NYK San Dieg Rckets 107 - 103 56 - 15
3/7/1970 NYK at Philadelphia 76ers 111 - 104 57 - 15
3/8/1970 NYK Philadelphia 76ers 116 - 133 57 - 16
3/10/1970 NYK Seattle Supersnics 117 - 99 58 - 16
3/13/1970 NYK at Seattle Supersnics 103 - 115 58 - 17 at Prtland, R
3/14/1970 NYK at San Dieg Rckets 119 - 103 59 - 17
3/15/1970 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 101 - 106 59 - 18
3/17/1970 NYK at Detrit Pistns 122 - 106 60 - 18
3/18/1970 NYK Milwaukee Bucks 108 - 116 60 - 19
3/20/1970 NYK at Atlanta Hawks 102 - 110 60 - 20
3/21/1970 NYK Cincinnati Ryals 120 - 136 60 - 21
3/22/1970 NYK at Bstn Celtics 112 - 115 60 - 22
1970 Playffs
Date Team ppnent Scre W-L Lcatin
Eastern Semifinals
3/26/1970 NYK Baltimre Bullets 120 - 117 1 - 0
3/27/1970 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 106 - 99 2 - 0
3/29/1970 NYK Baltimre Bullets 113 - 127 2 - 1
3/31/1970 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 92 - 102 2 - 2
4/2/1970 NYK Baltimre Bullets 101 - 80 3 - 2
4/5/1970 NYK at Baltimre Bullets 87 - 96 3 - 3
4/6/1970 NYK Baltimre Bullets 127 - 114 4 - 3
Eastern Finals
4/11/1970 NYK Milwaukee Bucks 110 - 102 1 - 0
4/13/1970 NYK Milwaukee Bucks 112 - 111 2 - 0
4/17/1970 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 96 - 101 2 - 1
4/19/1970 NYK at Milwaukee Bucks 117 - 105 3 - 1
4/20/1970 NYK Milwaukee Bucks 132 - 96 4 - 1
NBA Finals
4/24/1970 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 124 - 112 1 - 0
4/27/1970 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 103 - 105 1 - 1
4/29/1970 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 111 - 108 2 - 1
5/1/1970 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 115 - 121 2 - 2
5/4/1970 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 107 - 100 3 - 2
5/6/1970 NYK at Ls Angeles Lakers 113 - 135 3 - 3
5/8/1970 NYK Ls Angeles Lakers 113 - 99 4 - 3
1986 Cs BEAT DALLAS, MOVE TO 21-5
They always have an answer. Whenever a Celtic team loses a game, look for the kind of response they gave to a sellout crowd and the Dallas Mavericks at Boston Garden last night.
As if to squelch any notion that Boston was slipping, coach K.C. Jones turned the Celtics loose for a 137-117 devastation of the Texans.
Never mind that Dallas has yet to beat the Celtics in its five-year history. With Larry Bird pouring in 35 points and Kevin McHale adding 28, the youthful Mavericks couldn't have had much of a chance even if they'd recruited both Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell to play center, the slot which is supposed to be all that keeps them from being a contender.
The Celtics bolted from a 93-82 lead after three quarters and finished with a 44-point flourish that was capped by rookie Sam Vincent's slam jam with three seconds left.
Bird hit 14 of 27 shots and took over the game in the final period with 17 points. Yet he was almost overshadowed by Danny Ainge, who finished with 20 points.
Ainge was a force of another dimension with his long-range missiles, finishing 9 for 13. Two were of the three-point variety that thwarted Dallas comebacks in the third quarter.
Ainge also had 13 assists, two short of his career high. As a team, Boston shot 57 percent (59 for 104).
The Mavericks came prepared for Boston's strong inside game. But when the Celtics went up top from the opening tap, it was only a matter of time before the young visitors became just another group of Not Ready for Prime Time Players.
"We just weren't going to win this game tonight," said coach Dick Motta. "Halfway through the fourth quarter, you knew it. That's when (Bird) just took it over. And Ainge was hitting his outside shots. If Ainge hits his outside shot like that, they can beat the Lakers."
In the last couple of games, the Celtics have been sluggish, losing two of three. But last night they roared to a 37-24 lead in the first period.
The Mavericks are no slouches. With James Donaldson at center, they figure to contend in the NBA's Midwest Division with Houston and Denver. But raw talent cannot make up for experience. The Celtics answered every challenge with one of their own.
Credit Bird for most of that. He was 5 for 17 in the Celtics' 116-108 loss at Chicago Tuesday and All World last night.
"They didn't name him MVP last year because he's pretty," said Motta.
Bird displayed a nice touch, both from long range and around the basket. He played with anger and put on his fourth-quarter display despite picking up a fifth foul very early in the period.
"Tonight was very good for him," said Jones. "His inside game was good. But I think it was a matter of hesitation on his outside shot. That's not Larry Bird. As a team, we were walking in Chicago. Tonight we came out running."
And run they did, especially in the fourth quarter. With Boston ahead, 93-82, Bird opened it with a scoop layup after driving the baseline. Then he finished off a fast break. Next Bird sank a three-point shot and had nine of the first 11 points to give the Celtics a 104-93 lead. He had four more layups for baskets as the Celtics broke the game wide open, and finally left with Boston leading, 128-106.
The Mavericks must have read the wrong scouting report, said Robert Parish (5 for 6, 12 points).
"Sure, Larry has had some problems," he said. "But you can never take for granted that a man of his talent will stay in a slump. They made some mistakes on defense against him, and those layups just took the starch out of them.
"I'm a little surprised that we had a blowout because Dallas has always been a tough team for us. But that's the way we're capable of playing every game all year. We just haven't been doing it consistently."
The Mavericks, who got 20 points from rookie Detlef Schrempf, had no excuses for losing this one. None were necessary.
"You hate to lose," said Jay Vincent, who finally got to play against his brother Sam. "But we're growing up. We're not youngsters anymore. We're all in our fourth and fifth years. We'll win our share."
As if to squelch any notion that Boston was slipping, coach K.C. Jones turned the Celtics loose for a 137-117 devastation of the Texans.
Never mind that Dallas has yet to beat the Celtics in its five-year history. With Larry Bird pouring in 35 points and Kevin McHale adding 28, the youthful Mavericks couldn't have had much of a chance even if they'd recruited both Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell to play center, the slot which is supposed to be all that keeps them from being a contender.
The Celtics bolted from a 93-82 lead after three quarters and finished with a 44-point flourish that was capped by rookie Sam Vincent's slam jam with three seconds left.
Bird hit 14 of 27 shots and took over the game in the final period with 17 points. Yet he was almost overshadowed by Danny Ainge, who finished with 20 points.
Ainge was a force of another dimension with his long-range missiles, finishing 9 for 13. Two were of the three-point variety that thwarted Dallas comebacks in the third quarter.
Ainge also had 13 assists, two short of his career high. As a team, Boston shot 57 percent (59 for 104).
The Mavericks came prepared for Boston's strong inside game. But when the Celtics went up top from the opening tap, it was only a matter of time before the young visitors became just another group of Not Ready for Prime Time Players.
"We just weren't going to win this game tonight," said coach Dick Motta. "Halfway through the fourth quarter, you knew it. That's when (Bird) just took it over. And Ainge was hitting his outside shots. If Ainge hits his outside shot like that, they can beat the Lakers."
In the last couple of games, the Celtics have been sluggish, losing two of three. But last night they roared to a 37-24 lead in the first period.
The Mavericks are no slouches. With James Donaldson at center, they figure to contend in the NBA's Midwest Division with Houston and Denver. But raw talent cannot make up for experience. The Celtics answered every challenge with one of their own.
Credit Bird for most of that. He was 5 for 17 in the Celtics' 116-108 loss at Chicago Tuesday and All World last night.
"They didn't name him MVP last year because he's pretty," said Motta.
Bird displayed a nice touch, both from long range and around the basket. He played with anger and put on his fourth-quarter display despite picking up a fifth foul very early in the period.
"Tonight was very good for him," said Jones. "His inside game was good. But I think it was a matter of hesitation on his outside shot. That's not Larry Bird. As a team, we were walking in Chicago. Tonight we came out running."
And run they did, especially in the fourth quarter. With Boston ahead, 93-82, Bird opened it with a scoop layup after driving the baseline. Then he finished off a fast break. Next Bird sank a three-point shot and had nine of the first 11 points to give the Celtics a 104-93 lead. He had four more layups for baskets as the Celtics broke the game wide open, and finally left with Boston leading, 128-106.
The Mavericks must have read the wrong scouting report, said Robert Parish (5 for 6, 12 points).
"Sure, Larry has had some problems," he said. "But you can never take for granted that a man of his talent will stay in a slump. They made some mistakes on defense against him, and those layups just took the starch out of them.
"I'm a little surprised that we had a blowout because Dallas has always been a tough team for us. But that's the way we're capable of playing every game all year. We just haven't been doing it consistently."
The Mavericks, who got 20 points from rookie Detlef Schrempf, had no excuses for losing this one. None were necessary.
"You hate to lose," said Jay Vincent, who finally got to play against his brother Sam. "But we're growing up. We're not youngsters anymore. We're all in our fourth and fifth years. We'll win our share."
12.27.2007
Lakers Still Can't Crack Top Five
Best
Boston ...............23-3
Detroit ..............21-7
Spurs ................20-7
Phoenix ............19-9
Dallas ...............19-10
Rest
New Orleans .....18-10
Lakers ..............18-10
Magic ...............19-11
Boston ...............23-3
Detroit ..............21-7
Spurs ................20-7
Phoenix ............19-9
Dallas ...............19-10
Rest
New Orleans .....18-10
Lakers ..............18-10
Magic ...............19-11
Jazz, Lakers Await Cs on West Coast Trip
The Celtics victory over the Seattle Supersonics last night improved their record to 2-0 on their first West Coast trip of the season. Seattle had 19 points and 8 assists from Delonte West, and 14 points from Wally Szczerbiak, including 2-4 from international waters.
But the hosts could not contain Paul Pierce, who had 37 points, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. I was expecting former West Coast Conference All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to light it up on this trip. But so far it has been Pierce, a California native, who has benefitted from the warmer weather. Two nights ago, Pierce scored 16 points, making 75% of his three-pointers in the win over Sacramento.
Saturday night the Celtics visit Utah, who is 10-2 at home, but are only 3-7 over their last 10 games, and play the Lakers tonight. The Cs then close out the West Coast trip on Sunday, against the dreaded Purple, who have won 8 of their last 10 games, and are threating to crack this Blogger's Top Five.
But the hosts could not contain Paul Pierce, who had 37 points, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. I was expecting former West Coast Conference All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to light it up on this trip. But so far it has been Pierce, a California native, who has benefitted from the warmer weather. Two nights ago, Pierce scored 16 points, making 75% of his three-pointers in the win over Sacramento.
Saturday night the Celtics visit Utah, who is 10-2 at home, but are only 3-7 over their last 10 games, and play the Lakers tonight. The Cs then close out the West Coast trip on Sunday, against the dreaded Purple, who have won 8 of their last 10 games, and are threating to crack this Blogger's Top Five.
1986 Lose Second Straight Game, Fall to 20-5
December Doldrums Continue
They are the Pitiful Bulls against the rest of NBA America and the Raging Bulls against the Celtics . One wonders how they lose so many games (10-19) and what they'll be like when Michael Jordan returns.
On a night when the inside of Chicago Stadium was too cold for the Refrigerator (Bears idol William Perry couldn't make it), the Bulls put a big chill on the Celtics and came away with a hard-earned 116-108 victory.
Orlando Woolridge abused Larry Bird for 37 points, Jawaan Oldham had 12 rebounds and blocked five shots, Sid Green flew through the air, and Stan Albeck helped the cause by finally letting Woolridge play a fourth quarter.
Bird was stone cold in Chicago's Ice Water Mansion. He made only 5 of 17 shots and scored 12 points. "Larry just wasn't there tonight," said coach K.C. Jones. "He is not going to have too many nights like tonight."
It was a well-played game (15 total turnovers) and close all the way. The Celts trailed by seven early in the fourth but hoped for another big finish. Three days ago, Boston trailed Chicago by nine with five minutes left, then outscored Chicago, 15-1, down the stretch.
"We felt we should have won in Boston, but we didn't finish that game," said Woolridge, who tied his career scoring high. "That sour taste forced us to work as hard as we possibly could."
It had the makings of another fourth-quarter Boston comeback when the Celtics cut Chicago's lead to one on a jumper by Danny Ainge (17) with 1:48 left. Then Ainge was called for fouling Green, and El Sid hit two to make it 106-103 with 1:32 left.
The Celts were carried by Robert Parish (22 points, 15 rebounds), Kevin McHale (24 points) and Dennis Johnson (25), but again showed an alarming lack of depth. Every Boston starter went at least 37 minutes, and the vaunted bench scored only three baskets as Boston lost for the third time in six tries.
The Celts called time. After the pause, Bird missed and Parish stumbled out of bounds as he gathered the rebound. Woolridge came back and stuck a jumper. Then DJ missed and Boston had to foul Green. Two more free throws made it 110-103 with 33 seconds left and sent Chicago fans out of the icebox and into the deep freeze of the windy city.
Bird was disgusted with the Celts' failure to stop Woolridge. "I don't know what it was tonight; we just didn't have it. It was just like him against me all night. The other night, we played good team defense, but tonight we didn't."
The Bulls were presumably buoyed by the presence of Jordan, who sat on the bench with his cast ("Air cast?") wrapped in a designer sock. There's been some controversy involving Jordan's no-shows since he sustained his injury, but The Franchise was on hand for moral support last night.
It was clear from the start that Bird would have trouble guarding Woolridge. Chicago's Big O tap-danced to the tune of 14 points in the first quarter.
"They always ended up with two or three guys on me, and I found myself guarding my man on the other end one-on-one," moaned Bird.
Albeck saw it another way: "Orlando had the better of the duel with Bird."
Parish scored 10 in the first 12 minutes, but Woolridge paced the Bulls to a 29-28 lead.
Boston went ahead by three in the second, but Quintin Dailey exploded for 10 second-quarter points. Rookie Bull (and we mean BULL) Charles Oakley had seven rebounds in the period, and Chicago led, 57-56, at intermission.
The first three minutes of the second half provided some great hoop entertainment. The two teams made nine consecutive shots. Chicago came out ahead in this in-your-face exchange because the Bulls kept hitting when the Celtics started missing. When George Gervin (a quiet 19) converted a drive for Chicago to make it seven in a row, the Bulls led, 71-64, and the Celts called time.
The Celts outscored the Bulls, 18-8, over the next six minutes and led, 82-79, when DJ hit with 2:08 left in the third. Then Oldham started swatting shots and the Bulls got some confidence. Chicago led, 85-82, at the end of three and never trailed again.
"We gave them a lot of confidence (Sunday)," said Parish. "But tonight was different. They delivered down the stretch."
And how do the Bulls lose all those games?
"If they played us every night," said the Chief, "that might change."
They are the Pitiful Bulls against the rest of NBA America and the Raging Bulls against the Celtics . One wonders how they lose so many games (10-19) and what they'll be like when Michael Jordan returns.
On a night when the inside of Chicago Stadium was too cold for the Refrigerator (Bears idol William Perry couldn't make it), the Bulls put a big chill on the Celtics and came away with a hard-earned 116-108 victory.
Orlando Woolridge abused Larry Bird for 37 points, Jawaan Oldham had 12 rebounds and blocked five shots, Sid Green flew through the air, and Stan Albeck helped the cause by finally letting Woolridge play a fourth quarter.
Bird was stone cold in Chicago's Ice Water Mansion. He made only 5 of 17 shots and scored 12 points. "Larry just wasn't there tonight," said coach K.C. Jones. "He is not going to have too many nights like tonight."
It was a well-played game (15 total turnovers) and close all the way. The Celts trailed by seven early in the fourth but hoped for another big finish. Three days ago, Boston trailed Chicago by nine with five minutes left, then outscored Chicago, 15-1, down the stretch.
"We felt we should have won in Boston, but we didn't finish that game," said Woolridge, who tied his career scoring high. "That sour taste forced us to work as hard as we possibly could."
It had the makings of another fourth-quarter Boston comeback when the Celtics cut Chicago's lead to one on a jumper by Danny Ainge (17) with 1:48 left. Then Ainge was called for fouling Green, and El Sid hit two to make it 106-103 with 1:32 left.
The Celts were carried by Robert Parish (22 points, 15 rebounds), Kevin McHale (24 points) and Dennis Johnson (25), but again showed an alarming lack of depth. Every Boston starter went at least 37 minutes, and the vaunted bench scored only three baskets as Boston lost for the third time in six tries.
The Celts called time. After the pause, Bird missed and Parish stumbled out of bounds as he gathered the rebound. Woolridge came back and stuck a jumper. Then DJ missed and Boston had to foul Green. Two more free throws made it 110-103 with 33 seconds left and sent Chicago fans out of the icebox and into the deep freeze of the windy city.
Bird was disgusted with the Celts' failure to stop Woolridge. "I don't know what it was tonight; we just didn't have it. It was just like him against me all night. The other night, we played good team defense, but tonight we didn't."
The Bulls were presumably buoyed by the presence of Jordan, who sat on the bench with his cast ("Air cast?") wrapped in a designer sock. There's been some controversy involving Jordan's no-shows since he sustained his injury, but The Franchise was on hand for moral support last night.
It was clear from the start that Bird would have trouble guarding Woolridge. Chicago's Big O tap-danced to the tune of 14 points in the first quarter.
"They always ended up with two or three guys on me, and I found myself guarding my man on the other end one-on-one," moaned Bird.
Albeck saw it another way: "Orlando had the better of the duel with Bird."
Parish scored 10 in the first 12 minutes, but Woolridge paced the Bulls to a 29-28 lead.
Boston went ahead by three in the second, but Quintin Dailey exploded for 10 second-quarter points. Rookie Bull (and we mean BULL) Charles Oakley had seven rebounds in the period, and Chicago led, 57-56, at intermission.
The first three minutes of the second half provided some great hoop entertainment. The two teams made nine consecutive shots. Chicago came out ahead in this in-your-face exchange because the Bulls kept hitting when the Celtics started missing. When George Gervin (a quiet 19) converted a drive for Chicago to make it seven in a row, the Bulls led, 71-64, and the Celts called time.
The Celts outscored the Bulls, 18-8, over the next six minutes and led, 82-79, when DJ hit with 2:08 left in the third. Then Oldham started swatting shots and the Bulls got some confidence. Chicago led, 85-82, at the end of three and never trailed again.
"We gave them a lot of confidence (Sunday)," said Parish. "But tonight was different. They delivered down the stretch."
And how do the Bulls lose all those games?
"If they played us every night," said the Chief, "that might change."
A Memorable Bird West Coast Outing
February 19, 1985
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
Unveiling all of his gifts, Bird painted a mosaic masterpiece in the Salt Palace. He came within one steal of registering the second quadruple-double in NBA history (Nate Thurmond has the only one), but dismissed it as a trivial pursuit.
In 33 minutes covering three quarters, Bird scored 30 points with 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 9 steals. Almost anyone else would have gone for the glory, but the job was done. During the fourth quarter, Bird was informed (by Jones) of his chance to etch his name into the books. But he said, "No."
He didn't need the plaque. The Celtics led, 90-68, at the end of three and his job was done. Padding the stat line would have only tarnished the achievement.
Bird's first quarter alone qualified for canonization. He shot 71 percent, scored 12 points, snatched 9 rebounds, dished off 5 assists and stole the ball 4 times.
"I already did enough damage," said Bird. "Why go for it, when we're up by 30? If it mattered, I'd have been out there trying to get it, but it wasn't no big deal. We came in here wanting to win the ballgame and we did. Now it's time to go on to the next game."
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
Unveiling all of his gifts, Bird painted a mosaic masterpiece in the Salt Palace. He came within one steal of registering the second quadruple-double in NBA history (Nate Thurmond has the only one), but dismissed it as a trivial pursuit.
In 33 minutes covering three quarters, Bird scored 30 points with 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 9 steals. Almost anyone else would have gone for the glory, but the job was done. During the fourth quarter, Bird was informed (by Jones) of his chance to etch his name into the books. But he said, "No."
He didn't need the plaque. The Celtics led, 90-68, at the end of three and his job was done. Padding the stat line would have only tarnished the achievement.
Bird's first quarter alone qualified for canonization. He shot 71 percent, scored 12 points, snatched 9 rebounds, dished off 5 assists and stole the ball 4 times.
"I already did enough damage," said Bird. "Why go for it, when we're up by 30? If it mattered, I'd have been out there trying to get it, but it wasn't no big deal. We came in here wanting to win the ballgame and we did. Now it's time to go on to the next game."
1990-91 Portland Trailblazers Game Log
1990-91 Regular Seasn
11/2/1990 PR Hustn Rckets 90 - 89 1 - 0
11/3/1990 PR at Sacrament Kings 95 - 93 2 - 0
11/6/1990 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 125 - 123 3 - 0
11/9/1990 PR Detrit Pistns 113 - 101 4 - 0
11/11/1990 PR Ls Angeles Clippers 138 - 107 5 - 0
11/13/1990 PR Denver Nuggets 155 - 129 6 - 0
11/15/1990 PR New Yrk Knicks 141 - 125 7 - 0
11/17/1990 PR at Denver Nuggets 143 - 112 8 - 0
11/18/1990 PR Chicag Bulls 125 - 112 9 - 0
11/23/1990 PR Glden State Warrirs 143 - 119 10 - 0
11/25/1990 PR San Antni Spurs 117 - 103 11 - 0
11/27/1990 PR Phenix Suns 109 - 123 11 - 1
11/29/1990 PR Minnesta Timberwlves 107 - 92 12 - 1
12/1/1990 PR at Seattle Supersnics 130 - 124 13 - 1
12/2/1990 PR Utah Jazz 101 - 97 14 - 1
12/4/1990 PR at Miami Heat 98 - 95 15 - 1
12/5/1990 PR at rland Magic 119 - 110 16 - 1
12/7/1990 PR at Indiana Pacers 127 - 105 17 - 1
12/8/1990 PR at Chicag Bulls 109 - 101 18 - 1
12/11/1990 PR Indiana Pacers 122 - 96 19 - 1
12/13/1990 PR at Sacrament Kings 88 - 100 19 - 2
12/14/1990 PR Dallas Mavericks 106 - 104 20 - 2
12/16/1990 PR rland Magic 126 - 107 21 - 2
12/18/1990 PR Glden State Warrirs 122 - 94 22 - 2
12/20/1990 PR at Glden State Warrirs 118 - 125 22 - 3
12/21/1990 PR at Ls Angeles Clippers 117 - 107 23 - 3
12/23/1990 PR Denver Nuggets 132 - 101 24 - 3
12/26/1990 PR at New Yrk Knicks 108 - 92 25 - 3
12/27/1990 PR at Charltte Hrnets 105 - 96 26 - 3
12/29/1990 PR at Cleveland Cavaliers 120 - 114 27 - 3
12/30/1990 PR at Milwaukee Bucks 112 - 117 27 - 4
1/3/1991 PR Ls Angeles Lakers 104 - 108 27 - 5
1/5/1991 PR Miami Heat 132 - 108 28 - 5
1/6/1991 PR Seattle Supersnics 114 - 111 29 - 5
1/8/1991 PR at Hustn Rckets 123 - 97 30 - 5
1/9/1991 PR at Dallas Mavericks 99 - 109 30 - 6
1/11/1991 PR at Detrit Pistns 98 - 100 30 - 7
1/13/1991 PR at New Jersey Nets 116 - 103 31 - 7
1/15/1991 PR at Minnesta Timberwlves 132 - 117 32 - 7
1/18/1991 PR Washingtn Bullets 123 - 99 33 - 7
1/20/1991 PR Milwaukee Bucks 116 - 112 34 - 7
1/22/1991 PR Phenix Suns 123 - 116 35 - 7
1/26/1991 PR Sacrament Kings 121 - 96 36 - 7
1/28/1991 PR Atlanta Hawks 116 - 111 37 - 7
1/31/1991 PR at Utah Jazz 91 - 105 37 - 8
2/1/1991 PR Glden State Warrirs 119 - 99 38 - 8
2/4/1991 PR New Jersey Nets 117 - 102 39 - 8
2/6/1991 PR at Sacrament Kings 93 - 97 39 - 9
2/12/1991 PR Philadelphia 76ers 121 - 106 40 - 9
2/15/1991 PR Utah Jazz 117 - 105 41 - 9
2/17/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 96 - 106 41 - 10
2/19/1991 PR Dallas Mavericks 107 - 100 42 - 10
2/21/1991 PR at Denver Nuggets 122 - 111 43 - 10
2/22/1991 PR Phenix Suns 127 - 106 44 - 10
2/24/1991 PR San Antni Spurs 88 - 95 44 - 11
2/26/1991 PR at San Antni Spurs 101 - 102 44 - 12
2/28/1991 PR at Atlanta Hawks 109 - 117 44 - 13
3/1/1991 PR at Philadelphia 76ers 111 - 121 44 - 14
3/3/1991 PR at Bstn Celtics 116 - 107 45 - 14
3/10/1991 PR Bstn Celtics 109 - 111 45 - 15
3/11/1991 PR Cleveland Cavaliers 104 - 96 46 - 15
3/13/1991 PR at Phenix Suns 108 - 116 46 - 16
3/15/1991 PR at Utah Jazz 106 - 96 47 - 16
3/17/1991 PR Ls Angeles Clippers 97 - 107 47 - 17
3/19/1991 PR at Glden State Warrirs 126 - 136 47 - 18
3/20/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Clippers 100 - 96 48 - 18
3/24/1991 PR Charltte Hrnets 117 - 102 49 - 18
3/26/1991 PR Seattle Supersnics 126 - 113 50 - 18
3/27/1991 PR at Seattle Supersnics 112 - 107 51 - 18
3/29/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 109 - 105 52 - 18
3/30/1991 PR Minnesta Timberwlves 121 - 91 53 - 18
4/2/1991 PR at Minnesta Timberwlves 104 - 93 54 - 18
4/4/1991 PR at Washingtn Bullets 105 - 96 55 - 18
4/5/1991 PR at rland Magic 115 - 98 56 - 18
4/7/1991 PR at Dallas Mavericks 110 - 92 57 - 18
4/9/1991 PR at Hustn Rckets 103 - 93 58 - 18
4/10/1991 PR at San Antni Spurs 105 - 100 59 - 18
4/13/1991 PR Ls Angeles Lakers 118 - 113 60 - 18
4/14/1991 PR rland Magic 139 - 119 61 - 18
4/16/1991 PR Hustn Rckets 115 - 96 62 - 18
4/19/1991 PR Sacrament Kings 127 - 105 63 - 18
4/21/1991 PR at Phenix Suns 118 - 135 63 - 19
1991 Playffs
Date Team ppnent Scre W-L Lcatin
Western 1st Rund
4/26/1991 PR Seattle Supersnics 110 - 102 1 - 0
4/28/1991 PR Seattle Supersnics 115 - 106 2 - 0
4/30/1991 PR at Seattle Supersnics 99 - 102 2 - 1
5/2/1991 PR at Seattle Supersnics 89 - 101 2 - 2
5/4/1991 PR Seattle Supersnics 119 - 107 3 - 2
Western Semifinals
5/7/1991 PR Utah Jazz 117 - 97 1 - 0
5/9/1991 PR Utah Jazz 118 - 116 2 - 0
5/11/1991 PR at Utah Jazz 101 - 107 2 - 1
5/12/1991 PR at Utah Jazz 104 - 101 3 - 1
5/14/1991 PR Utah Jazz 103 - 96 4 - 1
Western Finals
5/18/1991 PR Ls Angeles Lakers 106 - 111 0 - 1
5/21/1991 PR Ls Angeles Lakers 109 - 98 1 - 1
5/24/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 92 - 106 1 - 2
5/26/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 95 - 116 1 - 3
5/28/1991 PR Ls Angeles Lakers 95 - 84 2 - 3
5/30/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 90 - 91 2 - 4
11/2/1990 PR Hustn Rckets 90 - 89 1 - 0
11/3/1990 PR at Sacrament Kings 95 - 93 2 - 0
11/6/1990 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 125 - 123 3 - 0
11/9/1990 PR Detrit Pistns 113 - 101 4 - 0
11/11/1990 PR Ls Angeles Clippers 138 - 107 5 - 0
11/13/1990 PR Denver Nuggets 155 - 129 6 - 0
11/15/1990 PR New Yrk Knicks 141 - 125 7 - 0
11/17/1990 PR at Denver Nuggets 143 - 112 8 - 0
11/18/1990 PR Chicag Bulls 125 - 112 9 - 0
11/23/1990 PR Glden State Warrirs 143 - 119 10 - 0
11/25/1990 PR San Antni Spurs 117 - 103 11 - 0
11/27/1990 PR Phenix Suns 109 - 123 11 - 1
11/29/1990 PR Minnesta Timberwlves 107 - 92 12 - 1
12/1/1990 PR at Seattle Supersnics 130 - 124 13 - 1
12/2/1990 PR Utah Jazz 101 - 97 14 - 1
12/4/1990 PR at Miami Heat 98 - 95 15 - 1
12/5/1990 PR at rland Magic 119 - 110 16 - 1
12/7/1990 PR at Indiana Pacers 127 - 105 17 - 1
12/8/1990 PR at Chicag Bulls 109 - 101 18 - 1
12/11/1990 PR Indiana Pacers 122 - 96 19 - 1
12/13/1990 PR at Sacrament Kings 88 - 100 19 - 2
12/14/1990 PR Dallas Mavericks 106 - 104 20 - 2
12/16/1990 PR rland Magic 126 - 107 21 - 2
12/18/1990 PR Glden State Warrirs 122 - 94 22 - 2
12/20/1990 PR at Glden State Warrirs 118 - 125 22 - 3
12/21/1990 PR at Ls Angeles Clippers 117 - 107 23 - 3
12/23/1990 PR Denver Nuggets 132 - 101 24 - 3
12/26/1990 PR at New Yrk Knicks 108 - 92 25 - 3
12/27/1990 PR at Charltte Hrnets 105 - 96 26 - 3
12/29/1990 PR at Cleveland Cavaliers 120 - 114 27 - 3
12/30/1990 PR at Milwaukee Bucks 112 - 117 27 - 4
1/3/1991 PR Ls Angeles Lakers 104 - 108 27 - 5
1/5/1991 PR Miami Heat 132 - 108 28 - 5
1/6/1991 PR Seattle Supersnics 114 - 111 29 - 5
1/8/1991 PR at Hustn Rckets 123 - 97 30 - 5
1/9/1991 PR at Dallas Mavericks 99 - 109 30 - 6
1/11/1991 PR at Detrit Pistns 98 - 100 30 - 7
1/13/1991 PR at New Jersey Nets 116 - 103 31 - 7
1/15/1991 PR at Minnesta Timberwlves 132 - 117 32 - 7
1/18/1991 PR Washingtn Bullets 123 - 99 33 - 7
1/20/1991 PR Milwaukee Bucks 116 - 112 34 - 7
1/22/1991 PR Phenix Suns 123 - 116 35 - 7
1/26/1991 PR Sacrament Kings 121 - 96 36 - 7
1/28/1991 PR Atlanta Hawks 116 - 111 37 - 7
1/31/1991 PR at Utah Jazz 91 - 105 37 - 8
2/1/1991 PR Glden State Warrirs 119 - 99 38 - 8
2/4/1991 PR New Jersey Nets 117 - 102 39 - 8
2/6/1991 PR at Sacrament Kings 93 - 97 39 - 9
2/12/1991 PR Philadelphia 76ers 121 - 106 40 - 9
2/15/1991 PR Utah Jazz 117 - 105 41 - 9
2/17/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 96 - 106 41 - 10
2/19/1991 PR Dallas Mavericks 107 - 100 42 - 10
2/21/1991 PR at Denver Nuggets 122 - 111 43 - 10
2/22/1991 PR Phenix Suns 127 - 106 44 - 10
2/24/1991 PR San Antni Spurs 88 - 95 44 - 11
2/26/1991 PR at San Antni Spurs 101 - 102 44 - 12
2/28/1991 PR at Atlanta Hawks 109 - 117 44 - 13
3/1/1991 PR at Philadelphia 76ers 111 - 121 44 - 14
3/3/1991 PR at Bstn Celtics 116 - 107 45 - 14
3/10/1991 PR Bstn Celtics 109 - 111 45 - 15
3/11/1991 PR Cleveland Cavaliers 104 - 96 46 - 15
3/13/1991 PR at Phenix Suns 108 - 116 46 - 16
3/15/1991 PR at Utah Jazz 106 - 96 47 - 16
3/17/1991 PR Ls Angeles Clippers 97 - 107 47 - 17
3/19/1991 PR at Glden State Warrirs 126 - 136 47 - 18
3/20/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Clippers 100 - 96 48 - 18
3/24/1991 PR Charltte Hrnets 117 - 102 49 - 18
3/26/1991 PR Seattle Supersnics 126 - 113 50 - 18
3/27/1991 PR at Seattle Supersnics 112 - 107 51 - 18
3/29/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 109 - 105 52 - 18
3/30/1991 PR Minnesta Timberwlves 121 - 91 53 - 18
4/2/1991 PR at Minnesta Timberwlves 104 - 93 54 - 18
4/4/1991 PR at Washingtn Bullets 105 - 96 55 - 18
4/5/1991 PR at rland Magic 115 - 98 56 - 18
4/7/1991 PR at Dallas Mavericks 110 - 92 57 - 18
4/9/1991 PR at Hustn Rckets 103 - 93 58 - 18
4/10/1991 PR at San Antni Spurs 105 - 100 59 - 18
4/13/1991 PR Ls Angeles Lakers 118 - 113 60 - 18
4/14/1991 PR rland Magic 139 - 119 61 - 18
4/16/1991 PR Hustn Rckets 115 - 96 62 - 18
4/19/1991 PR Sacrament Kings 127 - 105 63 - 18
4/21/1991 PR at Phenix Suns 118 - 135 63 - 19
1991 Playffs
Date Team ppnent Scre W-L Lcatin
Western 1st Rund
4/26/1991 PR Seattle Supersnics 110 - 102 1 - 0
4/28/1991 PR Seattle Supersnics 115 - 106 2 - 0
4/30/1991 PR at Seattle Supersnics 99 - 102 2 - 1
5/2/1991 PR at Seattle Supersnics 89 - 101 2 - 2
5/4/1991 PR Seattle Supersnics 119 - 107 3 - 2
Western Semifinals
5/7/1991 PR Utah Jazz 117 - 97 1 - 0
5/9/1991 PR Utah Jazz 118 - 116 2 - 0
5/11/1991 PR at Utah Jazz 101 - 107 2 - 1
5/12/1991 PR at Utah Jazz 104 - 101 3 - 1
5/14/1991 PR Utah Jazz 103 - 96 4 - 1
Western Finals
5/18/1991 PR Ls Angeles Lakers 106 - 111 0 - 1
5/21/1991 PR Ls Angeles Lakers 109 - 98 1 - 1
5/24/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 92 - 106 1 - 2
5/26/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 95 - 116 1 - 3
5/28/1991 PR Ls Angeles Lakers 95 - 84 2 - 3
5/30/1991 PR at Ls Angeles Lakers 90 - 91 2 - 4
12.26.2007
A West Coast Trip Revisited
On June 28, 1989, the Boston Celtics selected Michael Smith from Brigham Young with the thirteenth pick in the NBA Draft. The pick came with much fanfare.
"He plays a lot like Larry -- I hope," was the infamous sound bite provided by one Red Auerbach.
At 24, Smith was older than anyone else in the draft because he had spent two years on a Mormon Mission in Argentina. Larry Bird was also 24 when he joined the Boston Celtics.
Smith was ambidextrous. So was Bird.
"He plays a lot like Larry -- I hope," was the infamous sound bite provided by one Red Auerbach.
At 24, Smith was older than anyone else in the draft because he had spent two years on a Mormon Mission in Argentina. Larry Bird was also 24 when he joined the Boston Celtics.
Smith was ambidextrous. So was Bird.
Smith was a superb free-throw shooter. Bird, too.
Smith, second only to Danny Ainge in scoring at BYU, could make shots from anywhere on the court, just like Bird. Both Bird and Smith were excellent passers, Bird throughout his career and Smith at BYU. Smith and Bird were both slow afoot, and since Bird overcame that limitation, no biggie for Smith.
Right?
Smith’s career boasted two highlights. The first came on draft night, being compared to Larry Bird by Celtics Patriarch Red Auerbach. The second highlight came on a West Coast trip during late February and early March of his rookie year.
Smith averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 30 minutes over six games as a starter for Jimmy Rodgers. He shot 50 percent from the floor (43 for 86), and the team was 4-2 in those outings. In one game Smith scored 17 points (7-of-10 shooting) and recorded 6 assists in just 21 minutes.
Yet as quickly as Smith was inserted into prime time, he was displaced again, returning to the bench as the Celtics began their next home stand. In the 13 games after the trip, Smith averaged 9 minutes and 4 points a game. By the end of March, the Celtics starters were averaging close to 40 minutes per game.
Heading into April, Rodgers made public what everyone else could have now surmised:
"We're counting on our key people as we get ready for the playoffs. Hopefully we banked minutes from early on so they will be refreshed. It's getting down to crunch time, and we'll do whatever it takes."
Translation: Rodgers planed to go with his horses down the stretch, which meant Kevin McHale and Bird at forward, not Smith.
The Smith saga stands as one of the strangest in Celtics history. Nobody was taking credit for him in November, December and January. Boston's first-round selection plucked splinters from his bony butt, and Red Auerbach, Jan Volk and Rodgers all said something like, "He wasn't my idea."
Any time a rookie starts for the Boston Celtics , you can be sure of one of two things: 1. The rookie is a superstar; or 2. The Celtics are in trouble. Michael Smith was not an NBA superstar. Michael Smith was starting for the Celtics.
By 1989, the Celtics had established themselves as a poor road team with a poor bench. Starting Smith and bringing McHale off the bench cured both ills for a single West Coast trip, where they surprised everyone by winning more games than they lost.
The worst mistake Smith made was that he came in totally out of shape," said Auerbach. "He tried to work hard, but he got hurt lower back and shin splints.
In a kindler, gentler NBA, Smith could have glided around to get his shot off. In this NBA, he was overmatched and overpowered. Kiki Vandeweghe always got away with his defensive and rebounding lapses because he could get the ball into the basket. To the end, Michael was merely a Kiki wannabe, unable to emulate the master.
Speaking of Kiki, as slow as Larry Bird might have been, he never would have let Vandeweghe blow past him three straight times on the baseline, including one time for an in-your-face jam. That happened to Smith in Madison Square Garden.
And Larry Bird would never watch a rebound come off the rim and opt to let it go out of bounds rather than try to grab it to ensure possession. Smith made that decision in Chicago Stadium, and while he watched the ball go to the sidelines, Bulls forward Stacey King retrieved it and started an easy fast break for his team.
In truth, Smith never seemed to grasp just how important the little things like defense and rebounding were to his future. He was a terrific shooter, but there is so much more to the game of basketball. Besides, his slow release and short arms made it difficult for him to get his shot off in the NBA.
The operative phrase when discussing Smith is "right player, wrong decade." Had he been around in the '50s or '60s, when the game was not played above the rim, he probably would have had a solid career.
Jimmy Rodgers later said he wanted to take B.J. Armstrong with the pick. Co-owner Alan Cohen, who had legitimate basketball smarts, lobbied for Tim Hardaway. But Auerbach, in a moment of weakness, thought that Smith could be a Bird-level scorer. Instead, they ended up with a slow-footed, short-armed forward with an infinitely blockable shot.
He lasted two seasons, averaged 4.9 points, played 29 games for the Clippers the following year, and had greater success on the professional beach volleyball tour.
Smith, second only to Danny Ainge in scoring at BYU, could make shots from anywhere on the court, just like Bird. Both Bird and Smith were excellent passers, Bird throughout his career and Smith at BYU. Smith and Bird were both slow afoot, and since Bird overcame that limitation, no biggie for Smith.
Right?
Smith’s career boasted two highlights. The first came on draft night, being compared to Larry Bird by Celtics Patriarch Red Auerbach. The second highlight came on a West Coast trip during late February and early March of his rookie year.
Smith averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 30 minutes over six games as a starter for Jimmy Rodgers. He shot 50 percent from the floor (43 for 86), and the team was 4-2 in those outings. In one game Smith scored 17 points (7-of-10 shooting) and recorded 6 assists in just 21 minutes.
Yet as quickly as Smith was inserted into prime time, he was displaced again, returning to the bench as the Celtics began their next home stand. In the 13 games after the trip, Smith averaged 9 minutes and 4 points a game. By the end of March, the Celtics starters were averaging close to 40 minutes per game.
Heading into April, Rodgers made public what everyone else could have now surmised:
"We're counting on our key people as we get ready for the playoffs. Hopefully we banked minutes from early on so they will be refreshed. It's getting down to crunch time, and we'll do whatever it takes."
Translation: Rodgers planed to go with his horses down the stretch, which meant Kevin McHale and Bird at forward, not Smith.
The Smith saga stands as one of the strangest in Celtics history. Nobody was taking credit for him in November, December and January. Boston's first-round selection plucked splinters from his bony butt, and Red Auerbach, Jan Volk and Rodgers all said something like, "He wasn't my idea."
Any time a rookie starts for the Boston Celtics , you can be sure of one of two things: 1. The rookie is a superstar; or 2. The Celtics are in trouble. Michael Smith was not an NBA superstar. Michael Smith was starting for the Celtics.
By 1989, the Celtics had established themselves as a poor road team with a poor bench. Starting Smith and bringing McHale off the bench cured both ills for a single West Coast trip, where they surprised everyone by winning more games than they lost.
The worst mistake Smith made was that he came in totally out of shape," said Auerbach. "He tried to work hard, but he got hurt lower back and shin splints.
In a kindler, gentler NBA, Smith could have glided around to get his shot off. In this NBA, he was overmatched and overpowered. Kiki Vandeweghe always got away with his defensive and rebounding lapses because he could get the ball into the basket. To the end, Michael was merely a Kiki wannabe, unable to emulate the master.
Speaking of Kiki, as slow as Larry Bird might have been, he never would have let Vandeweghe blow past him three straight times on the baseline, including one time for an in-your-face jam. That happened to Smith in Madison Square Garden.
And Larry Bird would never watch a rebound come off the rim and opt to let it go out of bounds rather than try to grab it to ensure possession. Smith made that decision in Chicago Stadium, and while he watched the ball go to the sidelines, Bulls forward Stacey King retrieved it and started an easy fast break for his team.
In truth, Smith never seemed to grasp just how important the little things like defense and rebounding were to his future. He was a terrific shooter, but there is so much more to the game of basketball. Besides, his slow release and short arms made it difficult for him to get his shot off in the NBA.
The operative phrase when discussing Smith is "right player, wrong decade." Had he been around in the '50s or '60s, when the game was not played above the rim, he probably would have had a solid career.
Jimmy Rodgers later said he wanted to take B.J. Armstrong with the pick. Co-owner Alan Cohen, who had legitimate basketball smarts, lobbied for Tim Hardaway. But Auerbach, in a moment of weakness, thought that Smith could be a Bird-level scorer. Instead, they ended up with a slow-footed, short-armed forward with an infinitely blockable shot.
He lasted two seasons, averaged 4.9 points, played 29 games for the Clippers the following year, and had greater success on the professional beach volleyball tour.
But he did get enshrined in BYU's Hall of Fame.
12.25.2007
Is Paxson on a Short Leash Too?
The Chicago Bulls relieved Scott Skiles of his duties yesterday.
Like I was saying the other day, NBA coaching is constantly evaluated on a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately basis.
Skiles joined the Bulls on Nov. 28, 2003, and won coach of the month in January 2004, and finished fourth in balloting for coach of the year for 2004-05. Even when things were going well, however, Skiles had a knack for starting slow. In 2004-05, Skiles' Bulls started the season 0-9 before finishing 47-35. In 2006-07 the Bulls started 3-9 before finishing 49-33. After the Bulls 18-point home loss to Houston on Saturday, Paxson decided it was time to cut bait.
Bulls assistant Jim Boylan, is likely to replace Skiles as interim coach.
The next question would seem to be whether John Paxson is also on a short leash?
Paxson was named Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations on April 14, 2003. With 13 player acquisitions, Paxson led the franchise to the playoffs in 2004-05 and again 2005-06, the Bulls first playoff appearances since Michael Jordan walked through those doors.
Paxson has drafted three NBA First-Team All-Rookie selections, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, and Luol Deng. Paxson also signed Spanish League star Andres Nocioni prior to the 2004-05 season and watched the Argentina native bolster the Bulls' frontline. After finishing third for Executive of the Year honors in 2005, Paxson signed four-time All-Star and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace in the summer of 2006, a move widely expected to put the Bulls in the running for a championship.
But the championship never materialized.
Every one of the Bulls top players, save one, have regressed since last year. There is talk that Ben Wallace's career is kaput. The first nail in the coffin might be that any time the Bulls team is now mentioned, it is accompanied by the fact that 11 of the Bulls 15 players have less than three years experience, an observation that was frequently used to explain or justify why Danny's Ainge's Celtics stunk for so long.
Thank God we hung on to Doc and Danny when others were demanding their heads.
Like I was saying the other day, NBA coaching is constantly evaluated on a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately basis.
Skiles joined the Bulls on Nov. 28, 2003, and won coach of the month in January 2004, and finished fourth in balloting for coach of the year for 2004-05. Even when things were going well, however, Skiles had a knack for starting slow. In 2004-05, Skiles' Bulls started the season 0-9 before finishing 47-35. In 2006-07 the Bulls started 3-9 before finishing 49-33. After the Bulls 18-point home loss to Houston on Saturday, Paxson decided it was time to cut bait.
Bulls assistant Jim Boylan, is likely to replace Skiles as interim coach.
The next question would seem to be whether John Paxson is also on a short leash?
Paxson was named Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations on April 14, 2003. With 13 player acquisitions, Paxson led the franchise to the playoffs in 2004-05 and again 2005-06, the Bulls first playoff appearances since Michael Jordan walked through those doors.
Paxson has drafted three NBA First-Team All-Rookie selections, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, and Luol Deng. Paxson also signed Spanish League star Andres Nocioni prior to the 2004-05 season and watched the Argentina native bolster the Bulls' frontline. After finishing third for Executive of the Year honors in 2005, Paxson signed four-time All-Star and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace in the summer of 2006, a move widely expected to put the Bulls in the running for a championship.
But the championship never materialized.
Every one of the Bulls top players, save one, have regressed since last year. There is talk that Ben Wallace's career is kaput. The first nail in the coffin might be that any time the Bulls team is now mentioned, it is accompanied by the fact that 11 of the Bulls 15 players have less than three years experience, an observation that was frequently used to explain or justify why Danny's Ainge's Celtics stunk for so long.
Thank God we hung on to Doc and Danny when others were demanding their heads.
Havlicek's Recruiting Class at Ohio State
Jerry Lucas, Bob Knight, and Hondo
Before transplants arrived to pave Grove City, erect golf-course homes in Dublin and strip-and-mall whatever was left in-between, Columbus was an oasis in a cornfield, a one-skyscraper town poised to annex. Back then, even more than now, Ohio State University was the center of it all. The city's soul was wrapped in pigskin, and it moved 3 yards at a time, followed by a cloud of dust.
Near the end of this era, in 1958, there arrived a recruiting class for the ages.
Curiously, this class was a cache of basketball players.
After Mel Nowell, the smart point guard from East High School, the rest were harvested from Ohio's fields. There were two high-scoring perimeter players, Bob Knight and Gary Gearhart. There was the most famous schoolboy player in America, center Jerry Lucas. And there was John Havlicek.
As sophomores and led by Lucas, this class propelled the Buckeyes to their first and only NCAA basketball championship, in 1960. During their three years of eligibility, they won three Big Ten titles, made three consecutive appearances in the national championship game and amassed a record of 78-6.
"One thing about that team: We had a 3.4 grade-point average one grade period," Havlicek said. "Everyone graduated. Seven went on to get master's, two Ph.D.s, two MDs. All but one of us were from Ohio."
Havlicek was part and parcel of an era, and he was quintessential Ohio. He was reared in a small town and taught the value of honest labor. He was steeped in humility just as he was pointed to the highest strata of sport. He got every ounce out of his mind and body, gained fame and fortune and then aged gracefully, without changing.
He was John Glenn in Chuck Taylor tennis shoes.
Three-sport star
Havlicek's parents were immigrants of Czech and Croatian ancestry. They owned a grocery store in the tiny town of Lansing, hard by the Ohio River on the eastern edge of the state. Lansing was dissected by a busy highway, and given the dangers of this thoroughfare, little Johnny was not allowed a bicycle.
Without wheels, the kid ran everywhere.
"I'd say John was a better athlete than a basketball player," said Larry Siegfried, the excellent junior guard on the 1960 Ohio State team. "My God, he could run."
Havlicek was all-state in football, baseball and basketball at Bridgeport High. He found his greatest fame on the gridiron, as happens in steel country. He was an option quarterback who was said to throw an 80-yard pass. Woody Hayes was aware.
In fact, Hayes had a plan to put Havlicek at quarterback in a backfield that would include Tom Matte at halfback and Bob Ferguson at fullback.
"I had four visits to Ohio State and three were for football," Havlicek said, "I told Woody I wanted to play basketball. Woody said, 'You're the kind of kid we want on the basketball team, so I'll help Freddy (Taylor) recruit you.' And that's what he did. And Matte wound up playing quarterback."
Matte led the Buckeyes through two fair-to-middling seasons. Joe Sparma took the quarterback duties in 1961, when the Buckeyes went 8-0-1 and won the Big Ten but a faculty council turned down an invitation to the Rose Bowl because, the council felt, football was getting bigger than academics.
Havlicek could have been a football hero.
"I never regretted my decision," Havlicek said, "but I've always wondered what would have happened if I played quarterback at Ohio State. Of course, you can look at it the other way, too."
Lucas and Co.
After powering Middletown to two state high-school titles, Lucas had 150 scholarship offers. He told recruiters to leave him alone until his senior season was completed. He wasn't kidding. When Adolph Rupp knocked on the door to his English class, Lucas politely told Rupp and his entourage to leave and then crossed Kentucky off his list.
Lucas knew he would end up at Ohio State because Taylor was the only one who wanted to discuss academics with recruits. When Lucas committed, Havlicek and others were prepared to follow the famed center.
"John and I played on a number of All-Star teams together, and his talent was plain to me," Lucas said. "But he was coming up from a small school and didn't think he was good enough. I had to convince him to come to Ohio State."
Fear, Havlicek once said, drove him to improve and compelled him to defeat complacency. It's probably what fed him as a wide-eyed lad of 18 as he faced incredible competition.
"After playing All-Star games with some of those guys, I thought I could play," Havlicek said. "But this was a big, new world. You're going to always have some apprehension when you have no yardstick, nothing to judge yourself by. You throw yourself in, not sure what'll happen next."
In those days, freshmen were not eligible to play varsity, or even play off-campus games against other freshman teams. What they did was scrimmage against the junior varsity and varsity teams.
"The freshmen were better than the varsity," Lucas said. "Maybe not initially, but it wasn't long into the year before we beat them. By the end of the year, we beat them by 40 points. We played the JV team before home games and St. John Arena was full. Some people even left after the freshman game. They didn't watch the varsity."
Havlicek took stock. Lucas was locked in at center. Heck, the offense was restructured for Lucas before he was even eligible. Nowell would be the starting point guard, no doubt about that. Siegfried, Dick Furry and Joe Roberts -- three future pros -- were upperclassmen who would eat up playing time at small forward and shooting guard. Knight and Gearhart, fellow freshmen, were pure scorers.
"Fred was preaching defense," Havlicek said. "It was going to be a staple. Fred said, 'There are nights when you're not going to shoot well, and defense can sustain you.' I took notice. It was a part of the game not too many people took notice of. I said to myself, 'This is a way I can make the team.' "
That championship season
Lucas, agile and expressionless, machine-like and yet artful, was the instant star of the 1959-60 team. The Buckeyes led the nation in scoring with a 90.5-point average. Havlicek became a starter after one game and never surrendered his position. He played defense with unflagging gusto.
"He ran all the time," coaching legend Pete Newell remembered. "He never seemed to get tired. If the guy guarding him started to take short cuts, well, God help him then."
The Buckeyes lost three games -- on the road to Kentucky, Utah and Indiana -- early in the season. They managed to beat Indiana in St. John on a last-second shot by Siegfried to ensure themselves the Big Ten title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. It was a 16-team tournament then, and the Buckeyes rolled through it.
In the championship game, they were matched against the No. 1 defensive team in the land, Newell's California Golden Bears, who'd beaten Cincinnati and Oscar Robertson in the semifinals.
The Buckeyes made 16 of 19 shots from the field in the first half and pushed their lead to 37-19. The interesting twist came on the other end of the court. Taylor, known for his great touch with offense, had picked Newell's brain about defense a year earlier. In this game, Taylor used the tactics he learned to beat his teacher. Cal's weakest shooter was left isolated, the passing lanes were closed and the Bears were shut down. Havlicek had a lot to do with it. Final score: Ohio State 75-55.
"They were a smart team," Newell said, "they were a close team, and they were on a mission."
Havlicek said, "Those teams were fundamentally sound and meshed perfectly. We never even called a play. Even though the offense wasn't designed for me to score, I knew I'd get my garbage."
Havlicek emerges
The blessed group of sophomores became juniors, and they made it back to the championship game. They lost to Cincinnati 70-65 in overtime. They went 27-1. As seniors, they again made it back to the championship game. They lost again to Cincinnati 71-59.
Bearcats coach Ed Jucker, a schemer with a slow-down style, pinned his strategy on taking Havlicek away from the basket. Jucker knew Havlicek would guard his leading scorer, so Jucker left Ron Bonham standing at midcourt -- and Havlicek stayed with him. Havlicek couldn't rebound.
Jucker hoped that his center, bruiser Paul Hogue, could effectively counter Lucas. The Bearcats won in a shocker in '61. They romped in '62, when Lucas was playing on a severely damaged knee. Again, the admitted key was taking Havlicek out of the mix.
As a senior, Havlicek averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds and was a first-team All-American. Still, the large shadow of Lucas made Havlicek a relatively questionable commodity.
"I heard people say, 'Do you really think John can make it to the NBA?' "Lucas said. "These were supposedly knowledgeable people and they said these things because John was not a prolific scorer.
"Anybody who really knew the game had no doubt. I had no doubt whatsoever."
Havlicek was drafted in the first round by the Boston Celtics. Coach Red Auerbach saw something. He liked Havlicek's defense and winning pedigree, but that was only the start of it. Auerbach was the first coach to copiously utilize a sixth man, and he pictured Havlicek as the perfect player for that role.
There was a catch: Havlicek earned three basketball letters, two baseball letters and a degree at Ohio State. He was also drafted by the NFL's Cleveland Browns as a receiver, despite not having played football in four years. Coach Paul Brown saw something.
"The football season only had 12 games back then," Havlicek said. "I figured I'd miss 16 games with the Celtics, so why not play both? I'd give it a year, see how it was and make a decision."
There was more money, and a new car for a signing bonus, in the NFL. Havlicek set his sights on making the Browns. The team had Ray Renfro, Gary Collins and other entrenched receivers. In comes Havlicek, testing himself in a new realm, driven by fear and running, running, running.
He nearly pulled it off. He was the very last cut of training camp in 1962. He was bitterly disappointed, but not to the point where he would accept another invitation to Browns camp. And he had six more invitations.
"I figured the good Lord was telling me something," Havlicek said.
To Boston and beyond
Havlicek played 16 NBA seasons and won eight championships with the Celtics. He was 13 times an All-Star. When he retired in 1978, he was the league's career leader in games played, and was third in points scored and second in playoff points.
"Early on, Red said to me, 'You can't let them insult you by playing off you -- you've got to shoot,' " Havlicek said. "That's all I needed to hear."
His numbers still hold up well after 27 years. Here's the list of NBA players with more career points than Havlicek's 26,395: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson and Dominique Wilkins. Here's the list of players with more playoff points than Havlicek's 3,776: Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal and Larry Bird.
Time ought to march backward today. It should pause in 1960, when Columbus was a one-skyscraper town, an oasis in a field of corn. Buzz your hair, cover your bellybuttons and reflect on Havlicek.
He was recruited by Taylor, drafted by Auerbach and Brown. He moved out from the shadow of Lucas, then eventually from the shadow of Bill Russell. He won nine titles in 19 years and did it by the sweat of his brow, always running, driven by the fear of not being his very best. What scared him was the alternative, mediocrity.
He is the quintessential Ohio athlete. It all started there.
Before transplants arrived to pave Grove City, erect golf-course homes in Dublin and strip-and-mall whatever was left in-between, Columbus was an oasis in a cornfield, a one-skyscraper town poised to annex. Back then, even more than now, Ohio State University was the center of it all. The city's soul was wrapped in pigskin, and it moved 3 yards at a time, followed by a cloud of dust.
Near the end of this era, in 1958, there arrived a recruiting class for the ages.
Curiously, this class was a cache of basketball players.
After Mel Nowell, the smart point guard from East High School, the rest were harvested from Ohio's fields. There were two high-scoring perimeter players, Bob Knight and Gary Gearhart. There was the most famous schoolboy player in America, center Jerry Lucas. And there was John Havlicek.
As sophomores and led by Lucas, this class propelled the Buckeyes to their first and only NCAA basketball championship, in 1960. During their three years of eligibility, they won three Big Ten titles, made three consecutive appearances in the national championship game and amassed a record of 78-6.
"One thing about that team: We had a 3.4 grade-point average one grade period," Havlicek said. "Everyone graduated. Seven went on to get master's, two Ph.D.s, two MDs. All but one of us were from Ohio."
Havlicek was part and parcel of an era, and he was quintessential Ohio. He was reared in a small town and taught the value of honest labor. He was steeped in humility just as he was pointed to the highest strata of sport. He got every ounce out of his mind and body, gained fame and fortune and then aged gracefully, without changing.
He was John Glenn in Chuck Taylor tennis shoes.
Three-sport star
Havlicek's parents were immigrants of Czech and Croatian ancestry. They owned a grocery store in the tiny town of Lansing, hard by the Ohio River on the eastern edge of the state. Lansing was dissected by a busy highway, and given the dangers of this thoroughfare, little Johnny was not allowed a bicycle.
Without wheels, the kid ran everywhere.
"I'd say John was a better athlete than a basketball player," said Larry Siegfried, the excellent junior guard on the 1960 Ohio State team. "My God, he could run."
Havlicek was all-state in football, baseball and basketball at Bridgeport High. He found his greatest fame on the gridiron, as happens in steel country. He was an option quarterback who was said to throw an 80-yard pass. Woody Hayes was aware.
In fact, Hayes had a plan to put Havlicek at quarterback in a backfield that would include Tom Matte at halfback and Bob Ferguson at fullback.
"I had four visits to Ohio State and three were for football," Havlicek said, "I told Woody I wanted to play basketball. Woody said, 'You're the kind of kid we want on the basketball team, so I'll help Freddy (Taylor) recruit you.' And that's what he did. And Matte wound up playing quarterback."
Matte led the Buckeyes through two fair-to-middling seasons. Joe Sparma took the quarterback duties in 1961, when the Buckeyes went 8-0-1 and won the Big Ten but a faculty council turned down an invitation to the Rose Bowl because, the council felt, football was getting bigger than academics.
Havlicek could have been a football hero.
"I never regretted my decision," Havlicek said, "but I've always wondered what would have happened if I played quarterback at Ohio State. Of course, you can look at it the other way, too."
Lucas and Co.
After powering Middletown to two state high-school titles, Lucas had 150 scholarship offers. He told recruiters to leave him alone until his senior season was completed. He wasn't kidding. When Adolph Rupp knocked on the door to his English class, Lucas politely told Rupp and his entourage to leave and then crossed Kentucky off his list.
Lucas knew he would end up at Ohio State because Taylor was the only one who wanted to discuss academics with recruits. When Lucas committed, Havlicek and others were prepared to follow the famed center.
"John and I played on a number of All-Star teams together, and his talent was plain to me," Lucas said. "But he was coming up from a small school and didn't think he was good enough. I had to convince him to come to Ohio State."
Fear, Havlicek once said, drove him to improve and compelled him to defeat complacency. It's probably what fed him as a wide-eyed lad of 18 as he faced incredible competition.
"After playing All-Star games with some of those guys, I thought I could play," Havlicek said. "But this was a big, new world. You're going to always have some apprehension when you have no yardstick, nothing to judge yourself by. You throw yourself in, not sure what'll happen next."
In those days, freshmen were not eligible to play varsity, or even play off-campus games against other freshman teams. What they did was scrimmage against the junior varsity and varsity teams.
"The freshmen were better than the varsity," Lucas said. "Maybe not initially, but it wasn't long into the year before we beat them. By the end of the year, we beat them by 40 points. We played the JV team before home games and St. John Arena was full. Some people even left after the freshman game. They didn't watch the varsity."
Havlicek took stock. Lucas was locked in at center. Heck, the offense was restructured for Lucas before he was even eligible. Nowell would be the starting point guard, no doubt about that. Siegfried, Dick Furry and Joe Roberts -- three future pros -- were upperclassmen who would eat up playing time at small forward and shooting guard. Knight and Gearhart, fellow freshmen, were pure scorers.
"Fred was preaching defense," Havlicek said. "It was going to be a staple. Fred said, 'There are nights when you're not going to shoot well, and defense can sustain you.' I took notice. It was a part of the game not too many people took notice of. I said to myself, 'This is a way I can make the team.' "
That championship season
Lucas, agile and expressionless, machine-like and yet artful, was the instant star of the 1959-60 team. The Buckeyes led the nation in scoring with a 90.5-point average. Havlicek became a starter after one game and never surrendered his position. He played defense with unflagging gusto.
"He ran all the time," coaching legend Pete Newell remembered. "He never seemed to get tired. If the guy guarding him started to take short cuts, well, God help him then."
The Buckeyes lost three games -- on the road to Kentucky, Utah and Indiana -- early in the season. They managed to beat Indiana in St. John on a last-second shot by Siegfried to ensure themselves the Big Ten title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. It was a 16-team tournament then, and the Buckeyes rolled through it.
In the championship game, they were matched against the No. 1 defensive team in the land, Newell's California Golden Bears, who'd beaten Cincinnati and Oscar Robertson in the semifinals.
The Buckeyes made 16 of 19 shots from the field in the first half and pushed their lead to 37-19. The interesting twist came on the other end of the court. Taylor, known for his great touch with offense, had picked Newell's brain about defense a year earlier. In this game, Taylor used the tactics he learned to beat his teacher. Cal's weakest shooter was left isolated, the passing lanes were closed and the Bears were shut down. Havlicek had a lot to do with it. Final score: Ohio State 75-55.
"They were a smart team," Newell said, "they were a close team, and they were on a mission."
Havlicek said, "Those teams were fundamentally sound and meshed perfectly. We never even called a play. Even though the offense wasn't designed for me to score, I knew I'd get my garbage."
Havlicek emerges
The blessed group of sophomores became juniors, and they made it back to the championship game. They lost to Cincinnati 70-65 in overtime. They went 27-1. As seniors, they again made it back to the championship game. They lost again to Cincinnati 71-59.
Bearcats coach Ed Jucker, a schemer with a slow-down style, pinned his strategy on taking Havlicek away from the basket. Jucker knew Havlicek would guard his leading scorer, so Jucker left Ron Bonham standing at midcourt -- and Havlicek stayed with him. Havlicek couldn't rebound.
Jucker hoped that his center, bruiser Paul Hogue, could effectively counter Lucas. The Bearcats won in a shocker in '61. They romped in '62, when Lucas was playing on a severely damaged knee. Again, the admitted key was taking Havlicek out of the mix.
As a senior, Havlicek averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds and was a first-team All-American. Still, the large shadow of Lucas made Havlicek a relatively questionable commodity.
"I heard people say, 'Do you really think John can make it to the NBA?' "Lucas said. "These were supposedly knowledgeable people and they said these things because John was not a prolific scorer.
"Anybody who really knew the game had no doubt. I had no doubt whatsoever."
Havlicek was drafted in the first round by the Boston Celtics. Coach Red Auerbach saw something. He liked Havlicek's defense and winning pedigree, but that was only the start of it. Auerbach was the first coach to copiously utilize a sixth man, and he pictured Havlicek as the perfect player for that role.
There was a catch: Havlicek earned three basketball letters, two baseball letters and a degree at Ohio State. He was also drafted by the NFL's Cleveland Browns as a receiver, despite not having played football in four years. Coach Paul Brown saw something.
"The football season only had 12 games back then," Havlicek said. "I figured I'd miss 16 games with the Celtics, so why not play both? I'd give it a year, see how it was and make a decision."
There was more money, and a new car for a signing bonus, in the NFL. Havlicek set his sights on making the Browns. The team had Ray Renfro, Gary Collins and other entrenched receivers. In comes Havlicek, testing himself in a new realm, driven by fear and running, running, running.
He nearly pulled it off. He was the very last cut of training camp in 1962. He was bitterly disappointed, but not to the point where he would accept another invitation to Browns camp. And he had six more invitations.
"I figured the good Lord was telling me something," Havlicek said.
To Boston and beyond
Havlicek played 16 NBA seasons and won eight championships with the Celtics. He was 13 times an All-Star. When he retired in 1978, he was the league's career leader in games played, and was third in points scored and second in playoff points.
"Early on, Red said to me, 'You can't let them insult you by playing off you -- you've got to shoot,' " Havlicek said. "That's all I needed to hear."
His numbers still hold up well after 27 years. Here's the list of NBA players with more career points than Havlicek's 26,395: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson and Dominique Wilkins. Here's the list of players with more playoff points than Havlicek's 3,776: Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal and Larry Bird.
Time ought to march backward today. It should pause in 1960, when Columbus was a one-skyscraper town, an oasis in a field of corn. Buzz your hair, cover your bellybuttons and reflect on Havlicek.
He was recruited by Taylor, drafted by Auerbach and Brown. He moved out from the shadow of Lucas, then eventually from the shadow of Bill Russell. He won nine titles in 19 years and did it by the sweat of his brow, always running, driven by the fear of not being his very best. What scared him was the alternative, mediocrity.
He is the quintessential Ohio athlete. It all started there.
12.23.2007
Goodbye Big Three, Hello Fab Four
Remember when I asked "what big 3?" My point wasn't that Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce were overrated so much as that they never played big in the same game. In their first 24 games, the Big Three had only once scored twenty or more points each in the same game.
Last night they all showed up, and that spelled doom for the Orlando Magic, as the Celtics won 103-91 at the Gah-den.
Paul Pierce led all scorers with 24 points, on 8-18 shooting from the field. He also added six assists and committed five turnovers. Kevin Garnett scored 21 points on 9-13 shooting, adding 12 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Ray Allen again returned to early season form, scoring 22 points on 7-13 shooting, including 4-8 from international waters.
But the big story of the night was the fourth Celtic who joined the other three on center stage.
Rajon Rondo scored 23 points on 8-10 shooting, including a perfect 2-2 from beyond the arc. He also added six assists, four steals and four rebounds. Far from being a studio musician or session player, Rajon is quickly becoming the George Harrison of the bunch, showing the others that he's got his own gifts for the world to see.
Heading out West next week to play four games in five nights, the Celtics will need continued solid play from Rajon to win more than half of those games. After playing Sacramento on Wednesday and Seattle on Thursday in the first two games, the Celtics will close out the trip on Saturday against the Jazz and on Sunday against the Lakers.
Rajon had 10 points and six assists against Derek Fisher in the Celtics win over the Lakers at home, and I think we all expect Rondo to bring his best against Deron Williams, who is considered one of the best young point guards in the NBA. Blogosphere and traditional media banter about whether Rondo deserves to be mentioned in the same class as Williams should have eyes focused on that particular contest.
Last night they all showed up, and that spelled doom for the Orlando Magic, as the Celtics won 103-91 at the Gah-den.
Paul Pierce led all scorers with 24 points, on 8-18 shooting from the field. He also added six assists and committed five turnovers. Kevin Garnett scored 21 points on 9-13 shooting, adding 12 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Ray Allen again returned to early season form, scoring 22 points on 7-13 shooting, including 4-8 from international waters.
But the big story of the night was the fourth Celtic who joined the other three on center stage.
Rajon Rondo scored 23 points on 8-10 shooting, including a perfect 2-2 from beyond the arc. He also added six assists, four steals and four rebounds. Far from being a studio musician or session player, Rajon is quickly becoming the George Harrison of the bunch, showing the others that he's got his own gifts for the world to see.
Heading out West next week to play four games in five nights, the Celtics will need continued solid play from Rajon to win more than half of those games. After playing Sacramento on Wednesday and Seattle on Thursday in the first two games, the Celtics will close out the trip on Saturday against the Jazz and on Sunday against the Lakers.
Rajon had 10 points and six assists against Derek Fisher in the Celtics win over the Lakers at home, and I think we all expect Rondo to bring his best against Deron Williams, who is considered one of the best young point guards in the NBA. Blogosphere and traditional media banter about whether Rondo deserves to be mentioned in the same class as Williams should have eyes focused on that particular contest.
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