Danny Ferry Fails to Impress

1990-91 Boston Celtics
November 3, 1990

Basically, he was just glad to have it over and out. Danny Ferry may be the only player in the NBA actually looking forward to playing tonight in Detroit.

Ferry scored 5 points in his NBA debut last night and he was the first to admit it wasn't one of his better nights. His team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, got shelled, 125-101, by the Celtics , so that made it doubly tough.

"I don't think I played particularly well," the former Duke star said. "I still have a lot to learn."

Ferry was 2 for 10 from the field, although he can always say he made his first NBA shot, a top-of-the-key jumper. He also found out what it was like to have a shot sent back by Kevin McHale (there were three misses or alterations in one sequence) and to be breathing Reggie Lewis' exhaust fumes.

"I figured I had a step or two on Danny," Lewis said.

Ferry had five rebounds in his 16-minute stint, three offensive (off his own misses). He also had three fouls and a turnover.

Kleine floored

Joe Kleine hit the deck hard in the fourth quarter after catching a Hot Rod Williams elbow in the right jaw area. Apparently, all he got out of it was a big headache, but he will be examined this morning before the team leaves for New York . . . Larry Bird's 15 assists matched his third-best output ever. "It's more fun for me if the game is spread out and opened up," he said. Added McHale, "Larry really controlled the game. He made some tremendous passes." . . . McHale had five of Boston's nine blocked shots, and Lewis had three. McHale also got a curious goaltending call -- on a Mark Price 3-pointer. The ball hit the rim, bounced up, and McHale knocked it away while it was still in the cylinder . . . How bad was it for the Cavs in the early going? They called a timeout and came out of it by getting called for a 24-second violation . . . There was a wild sequence in the third quarter. Larry Nance made a great block on McHale and then flew down the floor, took a feed from Price and had a thundering dunk, flattening Bird in the process. An enraged Red Auerbach was on his feet, as was owner Don Gaston . . . Brian Shaw played 27 minutes because of foul trouble and struggled in the first half. He came on to post 13 points and 7 assists. Dee Brown was visibly nervous and went 0 for 3 from the field and had four turnovers. Brown did have six assists . . . Kevin Gamble played 17 minutes and had 14points on 7-for-8 shooting. The Celtics' shooting guards were 20 for 26 from the field.