1986 Bench Not Getting It Done

December 1985

Shades of 1984.

Slowly but surely, the Celtic bench is slipping into the Atlantic Ocean. Four starters played 38 or more minutes last night and Dennis Johnson went 32 with his bad hand. Boston's bench contributed 13 points and zero rebounds.

Bill Walton has been increasingly ineffective in the last couple of weeks. Last night he was 0 for 3 from the floor, played a season-low nine minutes, and did not get a rebound for the first time all season. The rest of the shock troops aren't doing much better.

"We have not been getting the job done," said Walton. "We have not been playing that well as a second unit. We just have to start playing better. It's going to take some concentration and hard work and patience. You can't force it, because that attitude just tends to compound it."