Jabbar was No Russell

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-5
11/24/1983

Item: Kareem Abdul-kabbar passes the 30,000-point mark.

And some day he will surpass Wilt Chamberlain's record of 31,419 points to become the NBA's leading scorer. He is certain to be hailed in Los Angeles as the greatest player ever. We in Boston will say, "I beg your pardon. It's about this guy who used to wear No. 6 . . . " It has now been 14 years since Bill Russell played his last game for the Celtics. Millions have grown up without having seen him play, unable to understand how a man with a lifetime scoring average of 15.1 points per game could be viewed by their elders as the starting point for all pivotman discussions.

The average basketball player today shoots better, runs better and jumps better than the player of 15 years ago. But this does not mean anything when the topic of discussion is Bill Russell, the first "modern" center. His calling cards were defense, rebounding and just plain winning. Be assured that Bill Russell would dominate rival centers today, just as he did in his prime. They don't want to hear about this down in Philadelphia, because they had Wilt Chamberlain.

His individual feats border on the incomprehensible. You will see Michael Gelber elected mayor of Boston before you will see another NBA player average 50.4 points a game for one season (1961-62), average more than 27 rebounds a game (which he did twice) or score 55 or more points in one game 72 times. The numbers favor Wilt in any discussion against anybody; we all know that. But Wilt Chamberlain was no Bill Russell; we all know that, too.

Don't misunderstand. There is a lot to be said for Kareem. He truly was a franchise when he broke in with the Milwaukee Bucks, lifting them from 27 victories in their first season (1968-69) to 56 in his rookie year, then to 66 and an NBA title in his second season. He personally kept the Bucks afloat in the 1974 finals against the Celtics. In case your memory needs refreshing, the Bucks lost Lucius Allen with a knee injury before the Celtics series began and had to make do for much of the final series without Jon McGlocklin, as well. Larry Costello's starting lineup was Kareem, Bob Dandridge, Curtis Perry, a 34-year-old Oscar Robertson and Mickey Davis. Yet this team took the Celtics to a seventh game and the reason was Kareem.

But it is impossible to equate so indifferent a rebounder and so spotty a competitor with Russell, or even with Chamberlain. History will also record that two shorter, fiercer, more passionate men were able to neutralize him in his prime. I am speaking of Willis Reed and Dave Cowens, each of whom was not only able to score on Kareem by staying outside, but who also defended him well and certainly beat him to the boards more than could have been expected.

Indeed, the big beef with Kareem has to be his rebounding. If the first rule of rebounding is simply to go after the ball, Kareem must be marked as a failure. He is 7-3, or whatever. He has marvelous coordination. He is no 97-pound weakling. But the results have always been lacking. He ought to be ashamed of his career rebound accomplishments. Not wanting to rebound doesn't make him a bad person, but it surely disqualifies him from any discussion involving Russell and Chamberlain.

Kareem's legacy will be the hook shot, which he has elevated to an art form. It is the most fearsome offensive weapon in the history of the sport, and the wonder of it all is that Kareem has obviously failed to serve as the role model for all young centers following in his wake. The hook should be the basic shot of every center, at every level, and yet more big men coming out in the '70s and early '80s appear to have been inspired by Elvin Hayes and his turnaround jumper (Exhibit A: Darryl Dawkins) than by Kareem and his hook.

So rank Kareem third, at best, on the all-time list of centers. Then we come to the matter of Bill Walton, whose best game was better than anybody's, Russell included. But that's a discussion for another day. I've got to go polish up my hook shot, not to mention my jump hook.

11-4: Celtics 113, Sixers 110

76ers 110, Celtics 113

Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart GameCastRealTime Conversation

	1	2	3	4	T
PHI (5-10)	23	29	33	25	110
BOS (11-4)	27	24	28	34	113

End of Qtr

7:30 PM ET, November 25, 2009

TD Garden

Boston, MA

Refresh: 30 | 60 | 90 | OFF

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Jrue Holiday, G	33	4-13	0-3	2-4	1	3	6	0	0	4	5	-8	10
Andre Iguodala, SG	46	8-18	2-4	7-8	2	9	9	1	0	4	5	-7	25
Jason Smith, PF	23	3-4	2-2	0-0	2	6	2	0	1	1	4	-17	8
Thaddeus Young, F	40	7-16	1-1	2-4	1	6	0	2	0	3	3	-9	17
Samuel Dalembert, C	26	2-8	0-0	0-0	4	9	2	1	1	1	3	-6	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Primoz Brezec, C	8	0-3	0-0	0-0	2	4	0	0	0	0	4	+16	0
Royal Ivey, PG	5	1-1	1-1	0-0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	+6	3
Lou Williams, G	Has not entered game
Marreese Speights, PF	Has not entered game
Elton Brand, PF	Has not entered game
Jason Kapono, SF	29	8-11	4-6	0-2	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	+2	20
Rodney Carney, SF	8	1-1	1-1	2-2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	+6	5
Willie Green, SG	13	5-7	2-2	6-6	0	1	4	0	0	1	2	+6	18
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		39-82	13-20	19-26	12	39	26	4	2	13	30		110
		47.6%	65.0%	73.1%
Fast break points: 23 Team TO ( points off ): 13 (17) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Ray Allen, SG	32	6-14	1-6	5-5	1	5	2	1	0	0	2	-5	18
Paul Pierce, SF	43	10-15	3-7	4-4	0	6	6	1	1	0	4	+10	27
Rajon Rondo, PG	37	5-9	0-1	0-0	0	4	7	2	0	3	5	+10	10
Kevin Garnett, PF	30	5-9	0-0	9-12	1	4	4	0	0	3	1	+1	19
Kendrick Perkins, C	23	4-7	0-0	4-6	5	8	1	1	1	2	4	+9	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
J.R. Giddens, SG	Has not entered game
Lester Hudson, G	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Tony Allen, SG	Has not entered game
Shelden Williams, PF	3	0-1	0-0	1-2	2	4	0	0	0	0	0	-6	1
Glen Davis, PF	Has not entered game
Rasheed Wallace, FC	21	2-7	2-6	2-4	1	4	0	0	0	2	3	+1	8
Brian Scalabrine, PF	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	-1	0
Marquis Daniels, SG	21	2-7	0-2	1-2	1	1	2	0	1	2	2	-3	5
Eddie House, PG	22	4-9	1-5	4-4	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	+7	13
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		38-78	7-27	30-39	11	37	23	6	3	12	22		113
		48.7%	25.9%	76.9%
Fast break points: 19 Team TO ( points off ): 12 (12) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.

Vegas: Boston -12 over the Sixers

LINK

Gameday Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK	L10
PHI	5-9	96.7	101.1	3-4	2-5	L3	3-7
BOS	10-4	98.4	89.6	5-3	5-1	W1	6-4

Last 5 Games
PHILADELPHIA (ET)	BOSTON (ET)
Nov 24 @WAS Loss 108-107 Nov 21 @CLE Loss 97-91 Nov 20 MEM Loss 102-97 Nov 18 CHA Win 86-84 Nov 14 @CHI Loss 94-88	Nov 22 @NY Win 107-105 Nov 20 ORL Loss 83-78 Nov 18 GS Win 109-95 Nov 14 @IND Loss 113-104 Nov 13 ATL Loss 97-86

"Kevin Garnett is an Average NBA Forward"

That's what Bob Ryan says here, a statement bound to stir a response. I'm sure there's a few bloggers that can confirm or refute this assertion based on stats. For the record, KG is averaging 13.2 PPG, 7.6 RPB, 1.0 BPG, and 2.3 APG, while shooting 48% the floor. All of these numbers, while sub-par for the Ticket, sound like he still belongs in the upper third or better of all NBA big men.

So I'm going to register my disagreement with Grampa Celtic.

For now.

What's wrong with the 1983-84 Boston Celtics?

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-5
11/23/1983

Have we vastly overrated this bunch? Are Robert Parish, Cedric Maxwell, Dennis Johnson, Quinn Buckner and Scott Wedman over the hill? Is Gerald Henderson capable of being the consistent guard the team has lacked? Is it time to give up on Danny Ainge? Are the team's fortunes too dependent on Larry Bird's shooting accuracy? Do they (gulp) miss Bill Fitch?

There are no easy answers to the questions, but one thing is clear: The Celtics have lost much of their intimidation. In the spirit of the Berlin Airlift, they've brought joy to decimated franchises around the league in the last 12 months. This benevolence has cost them dearly. They have forfeited their "big stick" mystique. They have to work harder to win now, because teams don't fear them anymore.

After New York's double-overtime victory over Boston Tuesday (the Knicks' fourth win in their last five games against the Celtics), Marvin Webster and Rory Sparrow issued telling statements.

Webster: "In the past, playing Boston, we always came in scared to lose. It was a psychological thing. Now we know we can beat them."

Sparrow: "We're no longer in awe of the Celtics' mystique."

There. The mere presence of Celtic Green is no longer enough to wilt opponents.

The Celtics are paying for bad habits acquired last year, when they lost to weak teams and had trouble handling mediocre ones. It's not like the good old days when opponents threw in the towel as soon as Fitch unleashed his formidable weaponry. Teams now think they can beat the Celtics. The Bullets do. So do the Hawks, and the Knicks and the Pistons. Even the Utah Jazz know they can beat the Celtics.

Coach K. C. Jones has noticed. "It's more of a problem this year than ever before," he says. "Utah, Detroit, New York, Indiana . . . all of them seem to have supreme confidence. Before, we'd walk on the court and we'd know that they knew that we were gonna win. Now they believe they can win, and it makes a difference."

One more thing. The Celtics are not viewed elsewhere the way they are here. Before Tuesday's game in New York, basketball scribe Harvey Araton of the Daily News wrote, "Another victory over the Celtics might create some doubt as to which team will chase the 76ers in the Atlantic Division."

Chuckle if you like, but the Celtics shouldn't be laughing. It's time for the Green Team to re-establish itself, or admit that it has dropped behind Philadelphia into that second-tier wasteland occupied by the Knicks, Nets and Hawks of this world.

Celtics in 9-Month Slump

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-5
11/24/1983

Someone in the Celtics organization did something wrong in the first week of last February. It has to be that. How else can you explain what has happened to this club over the last 9 months? From the time Bill Fitch arrived in Boston to Feb. 4, 1983, the club had a winning percentage of 76 percent - 223 wins and 70 losses. Since that time (including last year's playoffs) the record is 30 wins and 26 losses for 54 percent. How does one explain the dramatic dropoff in performance from such a high level to mediocre with the same players?

Bird Clanging More than His Share of Bricks

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Knicks 117, Celtics 113
Record: 9-5
11/23/1983

If you've ever shot hoops out behind the barn with Uncle Ernie, you know what it feels like. You don't need NBA experience to understand The Big Chill. It can happen to anyone . . . anytime. A shooter goes through white-hot phases when he feels like he's tossing hard-boiled eggs into a silo, then suddenly wakes up one morning with Charles Bradley Disease.

The Big Chill has Larry Bird in a deep freeze right now. Somewhere between Denver and Salt Lake City, Bird temporarily lost his extraordinary shooting touch. Shots that ordinarily kiss the bottom of the twine have been rudely clanging off the back rim and there's not much he can do about it. A $1.8 million per year contract won't help at a time like this, and neither will advice from coaches, teammates or well-meaning talking heads.

Bird's shooting slump is news because it's rare, and it has had a dramatic impact on the sliding fortunes of the local live. With Bird shooting .528 from the floor, the Celtics rolled to a 9-1 start. Since Bird ducked into his ice water mansion, (25-76, .329) the Celtics have dropped four straight. Bird was playing for Indiana State the last time the Celtics lost five in a row (April '79).

Always a key man at crunch time, Bird did not score a single point in either overtime in New York Tuesday night. He finished 6-19 from the floor and said afterward, "I'm tired of this." Bird concedes that he's never had a professional shooting slump like this one. "As far as shooting bad, I'd say this is probably the worst," he says. "I've really had some good shots and I'm not making them.

"I don't really worry about it," he adds. "If I shoot a shot and miss, I always feel that the next one will go in. Right now I'm not hitting the shots I was hitting earlier." He has been hampered by a nagging cold and routine hip and elbow bruises, but refuses to make excuses. He expects to be asked about his slump and handles inquiries without indignation or emotion.

"I know I've got to talk about it when I'm not shooting well," he says. "It's no different than when people ask me about my shooting when I'm shooting real well. If it were someone else, people might not notice as much, but it's expected of me to hit those shots. I'm a pressure player." What about the rest of the Celtics? Is it possible they are relying too much on the shooting accuracy of one player? Cedric Maxwell admits, "The way we've been playing, I would say we've been depending too much on Larry's shot. If we're going to turn things around, we'll have to go to other avenues until Larry gets back on the track."

Coach K. C. Jones adds, "There's a large connection between Larry's shooting and our losing right now. He's our No. 1 outside shooter and he's not shooting well. That puts an extra burden on what we're trying to do, but if we were totally tied into Larry, we wouldn't be much of a team. We just have to find a hot man." Bird thinks he'll be the hot man tomorrow night when the Celtics entertain the Hawks (yesterday's Globe erroneously reported that the Celtics would play San Antonio tomorrow). Bird says, "Chances are, I'll probably have a great game. I love to shoot in the Garden. And once I am out of a slump, I usually come out pretty good."

MISC

The Knicks feel they have Boston's number. New York has won four of the last five games between the two teams and five of the last seven.In the four years before Hubie Brown took over, Boston owned an 18-4 advantage . . . Bird had 11 assists and rebounds to go along with his 16 points Tuesday. It was his second triple-double of the season . . . Celtic owners Don Gaston and Alan Cohen attended the Knick game as did actor Jack Nicholson and Mets rookie Darryl Strawberry . . . Quinn Buckner, who got into a little scuffle with Rory Sparrow, played only seven minutes and did not score . . . Kevin McHale picked up his fourth technical foul of the young season . . . The Celtics have played nine road games already, but will be home for two weeks. Jones ordered a 10 o'clock workout for this morning.

Close Mouth, Play Basketball

Anyone who watches the NBA on a regular basis knows that the Celtics are the loudest and most demonstrative team in the league when the game starts. They yell to the fans at home. They yell at fans on the road. They chest bump each other. They chest pound themselves. They talk trash to other players constantly. They berate the referees on every call that goes against them. They curse constantly. They laugh and cheer and wave towels on the bench during the fourth quarter of blowout wins. To be perfectly honest, between the lines, they are jerks.

And I love that about them. I like the fact that, at least during the games, they can’t stand the other team. They try and get in the heads of their opponents through intimidation, and why shouldn’t they? They are trying to gain an edge any way they can. They’ve developed a reputation for this behavior and they are widely known for the angry swagger they display every night they take the floor. All good things in my book.

Except that swagger doesn’t block shots. Reputations don’t rebound. F-words don’t count as points. If they did, Kevin Garnett would have broken every scoring record in the history of the league. The Celtics have plenty of hardware. They have championship rings, a Finals MVP, a League MVP, a defensive player of the year award, but unless they are going to bring the trophies to the game and chuck them at the other team, they are meaningless after the opening tip.

Okay, maybe that was a little redundant, but I had to belabor the point to make it clear that this team cannot just show up every night and yell some profanities and wave their resumes and hope to win the East. Again, I love their on-court antics, but when you run your mouth against a team and they run you out of the gym, you should be embarrassed. Example: Gary Washburn wrote on Monday that Pierce and Garnett were making fun of Dahntay Jones’ jump shot in the first half on Saturday, and then proceeded to let him drop 25 points on them. That’s unacceptable. When that happens, the antics go from “intensity” to “stupidity”.

--Ian Rider

As a fan, I'm inclined to direct an F-Bomb at the entire Celtics team. Shut the F up, fellas, and go find your game.

C's Drop 4th Straight

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Knicks 117, Celtics 113
Record: 9-5
11/23/1983

How do you like your turkey?

The Celtics were outplayed and outscored again last night. It took two overtimes, but when the last of the final buzzers sounded, Hubie Brown's hungry Knicks had danced on the fabled Green Team again, 117-113, before a bloodthirsty 16,921 at the Penn Station sports palace. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the sagging Celtics, which means that Boston will be faced with the ugly prospect of five straight when Atlanta invades the Garden Friday night.

The Celtics had plenty of chances to win this one, but Gerald Henderson missed an easy jumper at the close of the first overtime, Larry Bird continued his shooting slump (6 of 19) and Robert Parish (7-20) was neo-catatonic in the extra innings. Collectively, Boston shot a woeful 4 for 19 in the two overtimes. "We had chances to win and we didn't win," sighed Kevin McHale (an impressive 25 points and 13 rebounds). "Three times we didn't win."

The Celtics' best chance for victory came at the end of Overtime 1, when Henderson (21 points) missed an open 8-foot jumper with the score tied and three seconds left on the clock. "You've got to give Marvin Webster credit," said Henderson. "He blocked my view of the basket. I got it up and over him, but it came off the back of the rim. He had his hand up and I couldn't see the basket."

"We had a chance to win and missed a chippy," said a disappointed K. C. Jones. It was 108-108 at the end of Overtime 1. Henderson opened the second extra period with a follow-up basket, but Louis Orr answered for the Knicks. New York went ahead, 112-110, on a jumper by Ray Williams (17 points, 12 assists). After a three-point play by Parish, Bernard King (24) put the Knicks ahead for good (114-113), canning a jumper in Bird's face with 1:43 left.

Then Parish missed a layup and Orr rebounded. When Rory Sparrow (24, 10 assists) buried a bomb to make it 116-113 with 1:22 left, Boston called time and the new Garden exploded. In the closing seconds, Bird had a shot blocked by Webster and Parish had one swatted by Ray Williams. After Parish rebounded a bomb, McHale was hit with an offensive foul with 13 seconds left. New York had the ball, a 116-113 lead and the game.

"To beat them we needed the key block by Marvin and the key block by Ray," noted Brown. "They were big plays, and when we got the ball, we did something with it. The Celtics are usually the team blocking the shot and making the big play at the end. For us to do that, it was extremely big." There was nothing clinical about this one, folks. In five minutes of the first overtime, each team managed to score only four points. The Celtics shot 2 for 9, the Knicks 2 for 8. The Knicks were hit with a 24-second-clock violation with 11 seconds left, and Boston blew its chance when Henderson's shot clanged off the rim.

Regulation ended after the Celtics, who had trailed (by as many as 17) since late in the first quarter, pulled even with six seconds left. McHale rebounded a Sparrow miss and passed to Bird (11 assists and rebounds), who fed Henderson in the lane. Henderson laid it in to tie it at 104-104. The Knicks called time and set up a final play. After two more timeouts, Sparrow finally inbounded to King, who tossed an airball over Bird. The shot landed in the hands of Dennis Johnson as the buzzer sounded.

The Celtics were thoroughly outplayed in the first half and trailed, 63-51, at intermission. Knicks center Bill Cartwright accounted for New York's big lead. No longer Invisi-Bill, Cartwright had 18 points and seven rebounds to Parish's four and two in the first half. Cartwright finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds. New York's biggest lead was 78-61, midway through the third quarter. That was when Jones tried his "big" team (two centers, two forwards and Henderson). Boston's treetop team dominated the boards for a while, and the Celtics clawed back into it. The Celtics outscored the Knicks, 16-4, to pull within five (82-77) in the final minute of the period.

The Knicks led, 84-77, after three. Boston had a lot of luck with Sammy Baugh court-length passes in the third and fourth quarters. The Celtics pulled to within two several times, but couldn't tie it until Henderson scored with six seconds left. Then came the 4- for-19 overtime shooting and the Celtics' well-deserved fourth straight defeat.

ERIC FERNSTEN UPDATE

The ex-Celtics center-forward sat at the end of the Knicks bench in street clothes. He's on the injured-reserve list (Achilles tendon). He's still waiting for a ruling on his grievance, filed against Boston after the Celtics cut him last fall. Fernsten still claims he had a hernia at the time he was cut, and expects an arbitration date within 4-6 weeks.

Earlier this fall, it appeared he and the Celtics had made up and he would be at training camp, but he refused to take a physical and the Celtics said goodby. "I didn't take the physical because I hadn't yet talked to my agent (Don Dejardin) about the contract I agreed to with the Celtics," said Fernsten. "The deal was that I would take the physical after my agent approved the terms of the contract, but he was busy with the big San Diego-Seattle trade and the Celtics wouldn't wait. They just call Ed and said to report for a physical in 15 minutes."

KC Jones Riles Up Pitino

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-4
11/22/1983

There is tension between these two teams. When the Celtics arrived at Madison Square Garden last night, Hubie Brown was walking his troops through some plays in the dimly lit sports palace. Celtics coach K. C. Jones took a front-row seat and watched the duration of the workout (about 25 minutes' worth). At one point, Knicks trainer Mike Saunders came over and started talking to Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most, who was seated next to Jones. Saunders' real objective was thinly veiled. He was standing directly in front of K. C. as he small-talked with Most.

"Could you move aside?," asked Jones.

"K. C., you can't watch our practice," said Saunders.

With that, Jones got out of his seat, moved to another and resumed watching the Knicks. When the session ended, Knicks assistant Rick Pitino walked by and said to Jones, "Did you get everything you needed?" Upon learning of the incident, one Knicks official said, "That's a low blow by K. C." Asked about it, Jones said, "There's no law that says we can't come out here and watch." "If K. C. wasn't a nice guy, he'd have knocked that trainer on his ass," added combative general manager Red Auerbach.

"We don't even think about it," said Hubie. "If he wants to do that, fine. In the end, it just comes down to execution anyway." Pitino added, "It was the strangest thing I've ever seen in my life. I was afraid to keep going through the plays, but Hubie said, Never mind him.' Nobody ever watched us like that before. Coaches might be in the arena somewhere, but nobody ever sat and watched."

No One Said It was Going to Be Easy

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-4
11/22/1983

When he was named head coach of the Celtics last June, K. C. Jones said he had wanted the job ever since he was black. That's a long time. In just 13 games, Jones already has experienced almost everything his coveted position has to offer. He has lived through the euphoria of a nine-game winning streak and the second-guessing that comes with a three-game losing streak. He has returned triumphantly to the scene of his firing (Washington) and endured a bitter battle in Philadelphia's Spectrum. He has been ejected by Darrell Garretson and questioned about playing time allotted Danny Ainge and Scott Wedman.

"My introductory period has been over since the (opening) Detroit game," he says with a sigh. What about pressure? Jones' predecessor, Bill Fitch, had trouble coping with ghosts of championships past and the lofty expectations of the Celtic fandom. How does it feel to be 9-4 and hear only, "What's wrong with you guys?" "I really haven't felt the pressure yet," Jones says. "It must be out there waitin' to lay on me, but I don't feel it at this point. It's brought on by what's expected of the Celtics. I knew this was coming and I know that if we don't snap our three-game losing streak, it'll be much more verbal."

He would like nothing better than to beat Hubie Brown and the New York Knicks tonight at 8 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks topped Boston three times in six tries last year, and beat the Celtics at Boston Garden Friday, 110-103. "They think they own us now," Jones says. "They came into Boston and talked about how they were able to quiet our fans. Now we have to go into their place. We'll see what happens."

Jones would probably rather win in New York than anywhere. He no longer attempts to mask his disdain for the Knicks' outspoken head coach. Jones almost got into a hallway brawl with Brown last season, and Brown's inflammatory comments in a recent Sports Illustrated profile further infuriated Jones. In the article, Brown labeled Jones' longtime friend, Bill Russell, as "a terrible human being," and suggested that ex-players were not worthy of NBA coaching positions. Jones says he didn't speak to Brown at the Garden last week.

"Hubie Brown is a small person who thinks that making a big salary and being in the spotlight makes him a man," says Jones. "He rips Russell, a guy that created the NBA as we know it, a guy who gave it respect. Hubie and us other coaches might not have jobs if it weren't for Bill Russell. Russell was the epitome of what a ballplayer should be and you've got to be sick to rip him like that."

What about Brown's torching of all NBA coaches except Dick Motta, Jack Ramsay and himself? "I would have been hot about that, but I'm in a pretty big group there," says Jones. "If Hubie had been in as may championship finals as Billy Cunningham, maybe he could say some of those things." Jones has to bite his tongue when asked about the work of the NBA's substitute officials. Some NBA coaches have been fined for blasting the non- union refs, and Jones will only say, "It's awful not to be able to talk about it. I just got to do what I got to do out there. You give them a break because you know the effort's there, but when something's happening on a consistent basis, you've got to get up and scream and yell."

Boston's ever-volatile playing-time crisis is another of the new coach's dilemmas. Ask Jones if he'll try to find more minutes for Ainge, and he says, "I'd like to get Scott (Wedman) more minutes. I'd like to get M. L. Carr more minutes. There aren't enough minutes." Ainge requested - and was granted - a private audience with Jones after yesterday's practice. Wedman has done so twice already.

Nobody said it was going to be easy.

"I'm not nervous yet," Jones says. "Our record is 9-4. We've had a winning streak and now we're in a little losing streak. I'm comfortable with where I am now and with the team and what we've been doing."

MISC

Celtic assistant general manager Jan Volk was dazzled by a report that Robert Parish's renegotiation agreement provides for an option year after the 1985-86 season. "There's still some work to be done on the agreement," said Volk. "I have no idea how someone came up with the speculation they did, especially someone in the league office. We haven't filed anything with the league office. Somebody's being very creative." . . . Woody Allen and Dustin Hoffman are faces in the crowd tonight.

Rory Sparrow is a questionable starter for the Knicks tonight. Ernie Grunfeld may start in Sparrow's place . . . Bernard King has scored 32 points in each of New York's last two games . . . The Knicks lead the league in turnovers (a whopping 23 per game) and defense (allowing only 101 points per game). They also own the best rebounding ratio (53 percent) in the league . . . New York's 7-5 record is pretty impressive when you consider that the Knicks didn't win their seventh game until December 11th last year . . . Larry Bird is shooting 33 percent (19-57) in Boston's losing streak . . . Is it necessary to point out that the last time the Celtics lost four in a row was against Milwaukee in the playoffs last spring?

Celtics May Trade Ainge for Rich Kelly

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-4
11/21/1983

The latest trade rumor has Danny Ainge and Greg Kite going to the Jazz for Rich Kelly and Utah's No. 1 pick in 1984 . . . Speaking of trades, Rick Robey, whom the Celtics dealt to Phoenix, is injured, and the Suns rank as the league's most disappointing team thus far.

Losing Streaks More Common than Earlier in Bird Era

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Sixers 92, Celtics 91
Record: 9-4
11/21/1983

A Celtic losing streak used to be genuine, stop-the-presses news. In 344 regular season and playoff games between October '79 and March '83, the Celtics lost as many as three straight only once. Those days are over. Celtic losing streaks aren't a Halley's Comet rarity anymore. In 42 games since March 9, the Celtics have endured two four-game losing streaks and are in the midst of a three-gamer which could get out of hand if they don't beat the Knicks in New York tomorrow night.

Obviously, there was nothing disgraceful about Boston's 92-91 defeat in Philadelphia Saturday night. The Celtics rebounded from a 16-point third quarter deficit, outscoring Philly, 24-6, in a 13-minute stretch to take an 82-80 lead late in the fourth quarter. However, Boston shouldn't take too much consolation from its second-half surge. As they did in Utah and again Friday night against the Knicks in the Garden, the Celtics dug a huge hole and couldn't climb out.

"It says a lot about our defense that we were able to come back the way we did," noted center Robert Parish. "But we've got to have that for four quarters instead of two." "When you get down 16, it's too tough to come back," added Larry Bird, whose shooting slump coincides with the Celtics' slide (19 for 57, 33 percent in the three losses). "You have to struggle so hard to get back, and it's tough to maintain that."

"A game has to be evaluated on a 48 minute basis," observed Julius Erving. "When you start talking about how well you played for a certain amount of minutes, you're searching." The Celtics are searching. After winning nine in a row, they've gone into a shooting slump (119-266, .447 percent in three games) that has created huge deficits. It'll be tough to snap out of it on the road against the Knicks. Hubie Brown's hustlers have beaten Boston four times in the last six meetings.

"I wasn't pressing as much tonight," Bird said after hitting 7 of 18 against the Sixers. "I had shots and I had to shoot 'em. I'm not worried about my shooting right now." . . . The Sixers didn't have Bobby Jones (pinched nerve in leg) . . . The Celtics outrebounded Philly, 48-43 . . . Quinn Buckner and Dennis Johnson played superb defense in the second half, but DJ hurt the cause with a wild drive to the hoop in the final minute. The Celtics trailed by one with 47 seconds left when Moses Malone rebounded Johnson's heave. Andrew Toney then buried a jumper ("That was a real Macadamia buster"- Jones), and the game was over.

MISC

Danny Ainge, rapidly becoming the invisible man, played only eight minutes and did not take a shot. It was Ainge's second shutout in three games . . . The Sixers had only three turnovers in the fist half and 10 on the night. Malone had six of Philadelphia's giveaways . . . Philly shot 12-38 (32 percent) in the second half, scoring only 32 points after intermission . . . DJ has hit 52 of 54 free throws. Meanwhile, Scott Wedman hasn't gone to the line in 13 games . . . Boston's nine-game winning streak seemed impressive at the time, but keep these thoughts in mind: Only two of the nine wins came against teams who made the playoffs last year, and after 13 games last year, the Celtics were 11-2, two games better than they are today.

29th in the League in Rebounding

For all the depth the Celtics believed they had, they rank 29th in the league in rebounding. The absence of Davis limits Rivers's options with his big men and it's becoming apparent that he doesn't trust Shelden Williams for late-game minutes. All nine of Williams's minutes came in the first half, while the Celtics were in dire need of dependable post play against Curry, the suddenly All-Star-caliber Harrington, or nifty undersized center David Lee.

"Baby gives us a force, he brings strength," Garnett said about an hour after draining the winning shot yesterday at the buzzer. "He brings us versatility, the fact you can play different lineups with myself, Rasheed, Shelden. When we get him back along with Tony Allen, it will make us a better team."

--The Globe

How things change. A couple of weeks ago, we were a team filled with multi-talented giants, and now we're the second worst rebounding team in the league. A couple of weeks ago, many Celtics fans believed Shelden Williams had more to offer than Glen Davis. Now Celtics players are looking forward to the return of Glen Davis and (gasp) Tony Allen.

This may be a long, disappointing season, gang.

Another Alley-Oop that Results in Garnett Limping

A quick perusal of the Web this morning is quite revealing for what we don't find. No one is talking about KG coming up lame once again after another failed alley-oop attempt. The limp was the most pronounced we've seen since this. Celtics Stuff Live opened their show talking about how the Celtics' defense has suffered from the deterioration in Garnett's defensive abilities. I'm going to go a step further.

If KG's knee doesn't significantly improve between now and May, KG may hang them up after this season and call it a career. I don't know Kevin Garnett personally. But I do know that he sets very high standards for himself, standards he's met or exceeded over the course of his career. It just can't be any fun playing basketball at the level he's playing now, having played in the stratosphere for most of his career.

Celtics-Sixers is NBA's Premier Rivalry

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Sixers 92, Celtics 91
Record: 9-4
11/20/1983

We've got rivalries on the mind. Yesterday was Harvard vs. Yale, Boston College vs. Holy Cross, Michigan vs. Ohio State, Pittsburgh vs. Penn State, Washington vs. Washington State and UCLA vs. USC. The NBA did its best to compete. The Boston Celtics played the Philadelphia 76ers in the Spectrum. Pro basketball has nothing better to offer.

"It's the one great rivalry in all of sport," says 76ers general manager Pat Williams. "It's a privilege to be associated with it. It's hard to find a good hatred pattern in any sport, but we've got one. It is something to be savored, valued and enjoyed." Ancient history isn't needed to establish the validity of this holy war. One needn't look back any further than Oct. 16, when three fights, three ejections and Red Auerbach's divine intervention highlighted a Celtics-Sixers exhibition game in the Garden.

Auerbach didn't go to Philadelphia last night. "I don't want to go down there," he says. "The fans give me too hard of a time, you know what I mean?" In addition to mutual disdain, the Celtics and 76ers present uncommon excellence and parity. Over the last four years, the Celtics and Sixers have compiled the top two NBA regular-season winning percentages, reached the finals four times and won two NBA championships.

When it comes to parity, it is impossible to top Philly-Boston. Going into last night's game, the 76ers and Celtics had met 43 times (regular season and playoff) since Larry Bird joined the Celtics in 1979. Philadelphia had won 22 games, Boston 21. They even compete in the offseason. Every move the Sixers make, every breath they take, is monitored by the Celtics, and vice versa. Would anyone deny that the presence of Andrew Toney in a Sixers uniform has forced the Celtics to spend the past two summers searching for a standout defensive guard? Quinn Buckner and Dennis Johnson were acquired to stop Toney.

"Let's put it this way," admits a Celtics official. "We're certainly not putting our ballclub together with the Utah Jazz in mind."

Sixers Win, but Both Teams Still Have Issues

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Sixers 92, Celtics 91
Record: 9-4
11/20/1983

Coaches K. C. Jones and Billy Cunningham were both concerned before last night's Celtics-Sixers battle at the Spectrum. Jones was worried because the Celtics brought a two-game losing streak to Philadelphia. Boston lost three in a row only once in three seasons from 1979-82. Last year, the Celtics had a pair of four-game losing streaks.

Cunningham was "very concerned" after Thursday night's loss to Atlanta. The Sixers didn't lose their third game until Nov. 30 last year. Opponents had taken more shots than the Sixers in eight of 10 games, and Philly was outrebounded in six of 10. Guard Maurice Cheeks had yet to compile more than 10 assists in any game and Marc Iavaroni had scored only 13 total points in eight of the 10 games. Making matters worse, the Sixers played without Bobby Jones (pinched nerve in his leg) last night.

MISC

Larry Bird had hit only 12 of 39 shots (31 percent) going into last night's game . . . Scott Wedman, who played a season-high 20 minutes Friday night, was still looking for his first free throw . . . Assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers took a two-game technical foul streak into last night's contest. Rodgers was tagged in Utah Wednesday and again Friday night against the Knicks . . . Going into last night, the Celtics and Sixers had played 55 (regular season and playoff) times since 1976 and produced a six-point differential (Boston leading, 5751-5745).

10-4: Celtics 107, Knicks 105

Celtics 107, Knicks 105

Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart Photos Conversation

	1	2	3	4	OT	T
BOS (10-4)	30	26	21	21	9	107
NYK (3-10)	22	31	29	16	7	105

Final

OT

1:00 PM ET, November 22, 2009

Madison Square Garden

New York, NY

BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Kevin Garnett, PF	32	4-15	0-0	2-2	2	5	7	1	0	0	3	4	+8	10
Paul Pierce, SF	42	9-17	6-7	9-10	0	9	9	6	1	2	3	4	+9	33
Kendrick Perkins, C	37	6-7	0-0	4-6	4	9	13	1	0	4	3	5	+6	16
Ray Allen, SG	40	3-13	1-6	6-6	0	1	1	2	1	2	3	4	+12	13
Rajon Rondo, PG	43	5-13	0-2	4-8	2	7	9	10	4	0	2	1	+4	14
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Rasheed Wallace, FC	15	0-6	0-3	0-0	1	3	4	1	4	0	0	4	-4	0
Eddie House, PG	18	3-7	2-6	2-3	0	2	2	0	1	0	0	1	-5	10
Brian Scalabrine, PF	12	1-1	1-1	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	2	-5	3
Marquis Daniels, SG	15	3-4	0-0	0-0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	-14	6
Shelden Williams, PF	9	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	-1	2
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		35-84	10-25	27-35	11	37	48	21	11	8	16	28		107
		41.7%	40.0%	77.1%
Fast break points: 5 Points in the paint: 38 Team TO ( points off ): 17 (13) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
NEW YORK KNICKS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Wilson Chandler, SF	29	5-13	0-2	1-1	2	3	5	1	1	1	4	5	-4	11
Danilo Gallinari, F	25	4-8	2-5	0-0	1	5	6	2	2	0	2	3	+3	10
David Lee, C	37	7-12	0-0	8-9	3	12	15	3	1	0	5	2	-1	22
Larry Hughes, SF	38	2-11	0-5	0-0	1	1	2	4	0	1	1	3	-1	4
Chris Duhon, PG	47	1-6	0-2	1-1	0	1	1	6	2	0	1	2	-2	3
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Al Harrington, PF	40	10-21	5-10	5-6	2	7	9	2	1	0	1	5	0	30
Eddy Curry, C	16	2-6	0-0	2-4	1	3	4	0	0	0	2	1	-1	6
Nate Robinson, PG	27	7-11	3-6	2-3	1	2	3	1	0	2	1	4	-1	19
Toney Douglas, G	6	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	-3	0
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		38-88	10-30	19-24	11	34	45	19	7	4	18	25		105
		43.2%	33.3%	79.2%
Fast break points: 7 Points in the paint: 38 Team TO ( points off ): 18 (22)

First Quarter Observations

The start of the Boston Celtics game against the New York Knicks had a familiar ring to it. The Celtics couldn't hit the broad side of the barn. In particular, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were ice cold. But amid the clanging of bricks, an interesting thing happened. Doc moved Eddie House up in the rotation. House, who was in a shooting slump heading into the game, immediately hit two threes. Sheed, also inserted a bit early, made a steal. For the rest of the first quarter, the team in green was recognizable to its fans.

Altering the rotation isn't quite the equivalent of moving Pete Rose from left field to third base to make room for George Foster, but at least its something.

Vegas: Celtics by 5.5 over the Knicks

LINK

I'm thinking take the home team plus the points.

Sixers Hand Celtics (9-4) Third Straight Loss

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Sixers 92, Celtics 91
Record: 9-4
11/20/1983

PHILADELPHIA

This is why you cared all summer long. This is why you followed the Kevin McHale contract nonsense and the endless press conferences concerning new Celtic owners, new coaches and new players. Last night was the reward. The small type will record that the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics, 92-91, before 17,921, but if you attended, watched or listened, you know it was more than that.

For 78 nights a season, the Celtics and Sixers drive through the interminable NBA regular season. It is an emotional cruise-control trip all the way to the playoffs. Six times during that stretch, the Celtics and Sixers meet and play as if the outcome might decide the future of the planet. Last night was one of those six nights, and it lived up to expectations. If you could take this one, "The Day After" should be no problem tonight.

The Celtics were beaten because they turned the ball over too many times and dug themselves into a hole with a 16-point third-quarter deficit. But what Boston did in the final 20 minutes should be enough to ease the pain of a three-game losing streak and fuel the hopes that the hearts and heads of the Celtics are back in place.Trailing, 74-58, with 7:22 left in the third quarter, the Celtics dug in and played K. C. Jones defense for the rest of the night. Philly went into a big chill and Boston outscored the Sixers, 14-4, through the end of the third. The Celtics continuted the exhaustive pressure for the first 5 1/2 minutes of the fourth.

When Gerald Henderson tapped home a Kevin McHale miss with 6:34 left, the Celtics had completed a 24-6, 13-minute run and led, 82-80. The stunned Sepctrum crowd sat in silent disbelief. They had just seen their Sixers score three baskets in 13 minutes.Julius Erving, in the midst of a woeful shooting night, tied it with a pair of free throws with 4:50 left. It went back and forth for a few minutes and, with 1:35 left, Robert Parish gave the Celtics their last lead, rebounding his own miss and hooking one in to make it 89-88.

Andrew Toney was fouled by Dennis Johnson and made both to give the Sixers the lead for good with 1:09 left. Then Moses Malone rebounded a wild shot off the drive by DJ, and Toney buried a jumper to make it 91-88 with 28 seconds left. The Celtics called time, inserted three-point threat Scott Wedman and set up a play. However, the Celts ended up getting nothing. Philly hero Maurice Cheeks stripped the ball from Parish and the C's had to foul Erving. The Doc made one with eight seconds left to make it 92-88. DJ drilled a three-pointer with two seconds left to set the final score. The victory lifted the Sixers back into first place ahead of the Celtics.

The Celtics had dug quite a hole for themselves in the first half. Larry Bird was still cold and Philadelphia grabbed seven of the game's first eight rebounds. With Philadelphia's guards driving straight for the hoop at every opportunity, the defending World Champs bolted to a 10-2 lead in the first 3:13. The Celtics turned the ball over 10 times (which cost 14 points) in the first quarter, and Philly led, 18-11, when Boston made its first run of the game.

The Celtics hit seven consecutive floor shots, Parish managed to beat Malone down the floor a few times, and Boston temporarily contained Philadelphia's backcourt. The result was a 10-2 Boston surge that produced the Celtics' only lead of the half, 21-20. After two free throws by Bird put the Celtics ahead, the Sixers outscored the Celtics, 6-2, for the rest of the quarter and led, 26-23, after one. No fewer than 22 of Philadelphia's first 26 points came on layups, tip-ins and slam dunks.

Cheeks (16 in the half) started hitting some jumpers early in the second. He and Erving controlled the tempo and Philadelphia stayed ahead by 10 or more for most of the half. Boston's guards couldn't do anything with Cheeks and Toney. The Sixers were intent on going right to the basket, and Quinn Buckner, Danny Ainge and Co. issued free passes to the hoop.

When Malone scored on a power drive with 15 seconds left in the half, the Sixers had their biggest lead of the first 24 minutes - 60-46. That was the score at intermission. There wasn't much encouragement for Celtic fans. Bird made only three of eight shots in the first half, Malone outrebounded Parish, 8-4, and Cheeks and Toney combined for 27 first-half points.

Ivaroni More than an Afterthought

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-3
11/20/1983

His name comes up most nights as an afterthought.

Marc Iavaroni is a starter for the defending NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers. But the most notoriety of his brief NBA career might have come from an exhibition-game shoving match with the Celtics' Larry Bird last month. If Iavaroni were playing for any team except Philadelphia, it might be different. He would be portrayed as a role player, a muscle guy who plays defense, grabs rebounds and keeps the power forwards busy while the likes of Moses Malone and Julius Erving do their things inside.

But because he's playing for a team that has so much talent, Iavaroni comes off as the 76ers' enforcer. His game is physical. But that's what he's asked to do each night. The truth is that Iavaroni, playing in only his second NBA season, is a man who must exhibit force and ability. It is a Jekyll-and-Hyde assignment, which, if done correctly, earns him a seat on the bench in time for the 76ers to unleash supersub Bobby Jones.

"Marc brings that chemistry that we needed," coach Billy Cunningham said. "In most cases, players like Marc don't get the credit due them because they're not going to have the statistics. But I can say that without Marc, we probably wouldn't have won the championship. He's willing to accept a role. He does everything I ask of him as a coach. He's not going out there trying to be a star."

The Iavaroni-Jones connection has benefited both men. Iavaroni, once cut by the Knicks, played in Europe and might not have made it to the NBA had not the 76ers rescued him. Jones suffers as a starter. "I like Bobby coming off the bench to give us life," Cunningham said, "either offensively or defensively. That's a quality we need every night."

Iavaroni is hardly what you'd call your instant success story. A 1978 graduate of Virginia, he had learned by trial and error that he was not a one- on-one player. But instead of giving up after being rejected, he went to Europe to develop his skills. "I knew if I made an NBA team, it would be because of defense and rebounding and taking the open shot. I'm not a big scorer. I wasn't in Italy."

Even when he came to the 76ers a year ago, many thought that another rookie, 6-foot-10 Russ Schoene (now with the Indiana Pacers), would be the better forward because of his shooting. But the 76ers found the Iavaroni-Jones combo a devastating weapon. Iavaroni is physical but has enough speed to get out on the fast break. "When I got a chance with the 76ers, I felt it was just like going out for any other team. It was important to do what they asked me. Do the simple things. Don't try to shoot or make a great pass every time I get the ball; just make simple passes, keep the turnovers down; get all the loose balls that maybe other players can't get. And that's really all they wanted."

At first glance, Iavaroni's stats are not impressive. He averaged 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 80 games last season and logged about 20 minutes a game. When you add that to the 9.0 scoring average of Jones, who also averaged 4.6 rebounds over 74 games, you begin to get the picture. Jones' defensive work (85 steals and 91 blocked shots) is what makes him an All-Star. But Iavaroni contributed 31 steals and 44 blocked shots. "As the season progressed," said assistant coach Jack McMahon, "Iavaroni progressed. That enabled us to get more quality minutes out of Jones. The more quality minutes you get from Iavaroni, the better chance to have Jones fresh at money time. That's so important for us."

Iavaroni wasn't happy about his run-in with Bird. He considered the incident out of character, even for a Celtics-76ers contest. He was just doing his job, and things got out of hand. "I've always been a fairly physical player," he said, "and it's tough some nights when you're going against guys who are a bit heavier and stronger. I have to be able to deal with that. The power forward, next to the center, is the most physical position.

"I have to put what happens on one night behind me. That (Bird incident) was a crazy thing, not very typical even for Boston-Philadelphia. You have to forget things like that. If not, your performance is impaired. We'll just have to go out and play basketball." Cunningham said he likes the way his young forward is willing to stand his ground but added that he hoped he never sees a scene like the one that took place in Boston Garden last month.

"Marc's not afraid of anybody," Cunningham said. "He doesn't play the game to try to hurt anybody. He's a physical player, but that's something we expect and need him to do for us, especially alongside Julius. "He's got to be able to bang with the big forwards, keep them off the boards and be a factor off both boards. Sometimes he goes into lapses, like all players do. But he has the ability to absorb what we ask him to do."

Iavaroni had an interesting rookie season, to say the least. On and off the court, he showed a side that both frustrated and delighted his teammates. One night in Portland, he wore his uniform shorts backwards for an entire half, despite razzing from the fans. He changed at halftime, only because his teammates flatly told him they'd never speak to him again if he didn't. Being punctual for a practice session in Atlanta once proved difficult, too. He was told that practice was "10 to11," as in 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sure enough, he showed up at 10 minutes to 11, or 10:50.

"Yeah, there were some days like that," Iavaroni admitted. "We have a lot of fun around here, sometimes."

Time for Doc Rivers to Move Pete Rose to Third Base

The 1975 Cincinnati Reds started the season splitting the first 40 games, 20 wins and 20 losses. Then Manager Sparky Anderson made a fateful move. He moved Pete Rose to third base, replacing John Vukovich, who couldn't hit his way out of a paper bag. The move enabled Anderson to insert George Foster--a power hitter who could also hit for average and had a canon for a throwing arm-- into the line-up as the starting left-fielder. The Reds went 88-34 the rest of the way. Astounding.

In the fall of 1971, the Los Angeles Lakers started the season 6-3. Then Coach Bill Sharman forced aging and injured star Elgin Baylor to retire, replacing him with the young, fresh legs of Jim McMillian. Result? The Lakers immediately ripped off 33 wins, on their way to an historic 69-win season and an NBA championship. Again, astounding what a difference one line-up change can make to a season.

So all Doc Rivers needs to do is figure out is how to make one of these season-changing moves, and the rest, as they say, will be history.Only problem is Doc doesn't have the players to make any moves. Kevin Garnett isn't the Kevin Garnett from 2008. My latest example was in the first quarter against the Magic. When Orlando point guard Jason Williams drove to the basket against the Celtics, Garnett backed away to box out Dwight Howard. Williams scored an uncontested lay-up. Say what? Hey, Kev, next time maybe defend the guy with the ball. Just a thought.

Now let's say Doc gets a wild hair. Who's he gonna replace Garnett with? Sheed? He was 0-8 from three last night, and might be playing worse basketball than Garnett. How about Shelden Williams? Too short. Not an impact player. Baby? Young legs. Plenty of energy. But, again, too short and not an imposing defensive presence. Look around this team, and any move you contemplate leaves the team in worse position than if no move is made at all.

And so, like I said earlier in the week, this team will merely be a good team, winning 54 games or so, unless, somehow, miraculously, KG and the starters find their mojo and do something other than sleepwalk their way through important junctures of games, digging themselves into holes they can't get out of.

World Champion Sixers Not in Synch

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-3
11/19/1983


For the Philadelphia 76ers, it was a rude awakening. The pressure to win an NBA championship in recent years was intense, but it was nothing compared with what they are running into these days as defending champions. It is an old story in the NBA, where no champion has repeated in 14 seasons. But it seems like a cruel joke in Philadelphia, where winning it all became a passion in recent years and the hue and cry did not die down until the 76ers finally emerged last season.

The 76ers are off to another fast start, winning seven of their first 10 games. But Moses Malone and Julius Erving are finding they can't sneak up on any team. Andrew Toney seems to have a hand in his face at every shot. Suddenly, teams are successfully using an aggressive trapping defense that the 76ers used to break with ease. "I don't think we're ever going to have an easy game," says 76ers coach Billy Cunningham with a half-smile. "I think these guys are trying to put me in an early grave. But the thing we have going for us is that our guys know how to win.

"Right now, we're at a point where we're not all in sync. We're just going to have to put it all together on a consistent basis." The alarm has been sounded in Philadelphia by its active news media and eager fans, who found that the five months following the 76ers' defeat of the Lakers in the NBA finals passed so quickly that there was scarcely time to enjoy what happened. And now the 76ers must do it all over again, mindful of what is happening in Boston, where the Celtics are also off to a fast start.

"Early last year," said veteran guard Maurice Cheeks, "we had a lot of easy games, and we were expecting everything to be the same. Now, we're coming out and having a lot of hard games. But I think it will be beneficial to us later on." Added second-year man Marc Iavaroni: "Teams are going to come at us every night. I think we're getting to the point where we can accept them. Hopefully, we'll grow out of this tendency to just play the last quarter."

The problem, said Cunningham, is that teams need no artificial incentives to beat his club, and the 76ers must also be up every night. There have been more bodies around Malone than ever. Opponents have pressured the 76ers from the opening whistle, and, as a result, almost all of Philadelphia's victories have come in second-half surges. Cunningham cited 80- to 90-percent efficiency in the playoffs last year as proof the 76ers aren't really bothered by trapping guards. But that was last year, and this year, the 76ers' guards have had many traps thrown at them that have been effective for at least a half.

Erving, still the heart of the 76ers offense, says panic is not in Philadelphia's vocabulary. "I think you have to take certain things into consideration," he said. "It's early. There is a lot of room between where we want to go and where we are. We know. We keep talking about it. We keep practicing. "The media has brought a whole lot of attention to it. The team is a shadow of itself. It should be better. It should be playing easy games. All the things we haven't done . . . It's a heck of a way to live. I don't totally buy it.

"Let's put it this way. When it's time, it will happen. That's the confidence we have. We know it's not going to be the result of us awakening and suddenly it's there. It will be the result of continuing to do the things that are good and eliminating the things that are not so good. I don't have a time schedule. But it seems the sooner the better." Malone, the NBA's most valuable player last year, said teams are forcing him to take jump shots, something he doesn't particularly like to do; and this means he must work harder inside.

"I'm trying to get my power game back in order," he said. "But it's going to take some time. I've got to fight for better position and keep it. Set up low, like I want to. Then, it will be a more easy game for me. "Believe me, we're not looking at the past. We're trying to win. A lot of teams are coming in here and playing hard against us. That makes it difficult for us because we have to be prepared every game, no matter who we are playing, because they want to beat us.

"But we've got to be ready to go. We've only played nine or 10 games. When we really get it going, 20 or 30 games, it's going to be a big turnaround. Right now, we're struggling a little bit. I think it will loosen up once we play every team."

Fernsten Happy with Knicks

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Knicks 110, Celtics 103
Record: 9-3
11/19/1983

Eric Fernsten likes his new team. Now all that needs to happen is that they like him enough to put him on the 12-man roster.Fernsten, the former Celtic, was back in town with the New York Knicks. Currently, he is on the disabled list with an "achilles problem." But mostly, he is idle until the Knicks can decide about making a trade that would free up a spot on the roster.

"I was very happy playing for Hubie Brown before I was hurt," said Fernsten, who still has a lawsuit pending against the Celtics. "I've never worked so hard in a training camp as I did for Hubie, but I loved it. I found out some things about myself. I can be more of a help for the Knicks than I was with the Celtics. With them, the level of talent was so high, I couldn't do as much as I'm able to do away from them."

MISC

The Knicks (5-5) got a boost last night with the return of veteran guard Rory Sparrow. He had played only two minutes in the last four games because of a bruised toe. With a healthy Sparrow, the Knicks can press better with the No. 1 unit, rather than depend strictly on the second unit, says Brown . . . Brown said he is pleased with the work of Ray Williams as a point guard despite the large number of turnovers. "He's new and still learning our system. Still, since Ray took over, we won three of four games, and should have beaten Philadelphia . . . Over the 37 years Boston and New York have been playing, the Celtics lead in victories, 196-116. The two teams have split five playoff series dating back to 1950-51, but Boston has one more win, 21-20 . . . The Celtics will pay their first visit to Philadelpha tonight (7:30, Ch. 4)

9-4: Magic 83, Celtics 78

Magic 83, Celtics 78

Recap Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart Photos Conversation Watch Replay

	1	2	3	4	T
ORL (10-3)	29	14	23	17	83
BOS (9-4)	13	27	19	19	78

Final

8:00 PM ET, November 20, 2009

TD Garden

Boston, MA

ORLANDO MAGIC
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Rashard Lewis, PF	36	5-11	2-5	4-5	0	10	10	1	1	1	1	4	+13	16
Mickael Pietrus, SF	30	5-6	4-4	0-2	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	4	+12	14
Dwight Howard, C	37	2-4	0-0	5-11	3	12	15	0	1	3	3	4	+14	9
Jason Williams, PG	33	2-7	1-2	2-4	0	1	1	6	4	0	2	0	+19	7
Vince Carter, SG	40	10-29	2-7	4-4	0	6	6	6	0	2	6	3	+1	26
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Anthony Johnson, PG	15	0-3	0-1	0-0	1	3	4	3	0	0	3	0	-14	0
Matt Barnes, SF	17	1-3	0-1	0-0	0	2	2	1	0	0	1	4	+2	2
J.J. Redick, SG	6	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	-2	0
Marcin Gortat, C	11	2-2	0-0	0-0	3	0	3	0	0	1	0	2	-9	4
Ryan Anderson, PF	16	2-5	1-2	0-0	0	1	1	2	0	0	2	2	-11	5
Jameer Nelson, PG	DNP TORN MENISCUS LEFT KNEE
Brandon Bass, PF	DNP COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		29-70	10-22	15-26	7	35	42	19	7	7	20	24		83
		41.4%	45.5%	57.7%
Fast break points: 5 Points in the paint: 24 Team TO ( points off ): 21 (21) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Kevin Garnett, PF	32	5-13	0-0	3-3	4	7	11	1	2	3	1	3	-12	13
Paul Pierce, SF	38	7-19	0-4	7-7	0	3	3	2	0	0	3	4	-11	21
Kendrick Perkins, C	14	2-3	0-0	1-2	1	1	2	0	0	1	1	5	-14	5
Ray Allen, SG	34	5-10	1-2	4-4	1	3	4	6	2	0	2	3	-8	15
Rajon Rondo, PG	29	3-11	0-0	0-0	3	3	6	6	1	0	3	3	-14	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Rasheed Wallace, FC	34	4-16	0-8	1-2	5	8	13	2	3	1	0	2	+9	9
Eddie House, PG	19	1-7	1-4	0-0	0	1	1	1	1	0	1	0	+9	3
Brian Scalabrine, PF	9	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	+2	0
Marquis Daniels, SG	23	2-6	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	2	2	0	1	4	+9	4
Shelden Williams, PF	8	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	2	2	0	0	1	0	1	+5	2
J.R. Giddens, SG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
Lester Hudson, G	DNP COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		30-87	2-19	16-18	14	29	43	20	11	7	12	25		78
		34.5%	10.5%	88.9%
Fast break points: 17 Points in the paint: 38 Team TO ( points off ): 12 (8) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.

Vegas: Celtics by 5.5 over Orlando

LINK

Gameday Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK	L10
ORL	9-3	100.4	94.8	6-1	3-2	W3	7-3
BOS	9-3	99.3	88.8	5-2	4-1	W1	7-3

Last 5 Games
ORLANDO (ET)	BOSTON (ET)
Nov 18 OKC Win 108-94 Nov 16 CHA Win 97-91 Nov 13 NJ Win 88-72 Nov 11 CLE Loss 102-93 Nov 10 @CHA Win 93-81	Nov 18 GS Win 109-95 Nov 14 @IND Loss 113-104 Nov 13 ATL Loss 97-86 Nov 11 UTA Win 105-86 Nov 07 @NJ Win 86-76

Larry v. Magic: Game 5

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

Celtics 113, Lakers 104

February 24, 1983

INGLEWOOD, Calif.

For 48 minutes they made everyone forget about strike threats, losing streaks, West Coast weariness and other assorted discord and disappointment. On this night, near the City of Angels, the Celtics sucked in their guts and reminded you why you care.

Playing like the hungry Celtics of yesteryear (circa 1979-82) the Celtics bounced the World Champion Lakers, 113-104, last night. Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, Stephen Stills and other hardcore Laker fans came to see their world champs bury Boston, but filed out of the Fabulous Forum crying in their Perrier and mumbling about guys in green named Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell (30 points) and Robert Parish.

You're going to be hearing a lot about the game Bird played. He scored 32 points, made 13 of 23 shots (including a couple of killer three-pointers in the third quarter), gathered a game-high 17 rebounds and served 9 assists for dessert. "You can use any superlative you want," admitted Laker coach Pat Riley, "but I would have to say tonight he was pretty damn good."

Since the fabricated Magic Johnson vs. Bird duel is always paramount out here, Bird's performance will undoubtedly result in his sneakers being immediately cast in the cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. But let the record show that Maxwell played his best game of the year (30 points, 8 assists). It was Maxwell who kept the Celts glued together (12 in the first quarter) before Bird took over, and again in the final moments. Meanwhile, Parish (16 points, 11 rebounds) chipped in with a couple of crucial baskets, blocked two of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's shots and held the big fella to a pitiful three rebounds.

It was fitting and typical that the Boston veterans would take over a game in which the Celtics were favored to lose their third straight for only the second time in four years. The Celtics led by one after one, it was tied at intermission and after a third quarter which featured seven lead changes, Boston was ahead, 90-87.

The final period, like the rest of this game, was nothing less than magnificent. While rookie James Worthy (20 points, 11 rebounds) conjured memories of the job he did on Georgetown last spring, Magic Johnson (20 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists) kept the Lakers running. Meanwhile, the Celtics weren't shooting particularly well, but they were coming up with loose balls . . . just like in the good old days.

The Celtics led by three (99-96) with six minutes left, but with Parish and Bird, who played 46 minutes, resting on the pine, LA ripped off six in a row and took a 102-99 lead on Jabbar's follow-up slam with 4:10 left. Bill Fitch called time and put Bird and Parish back on the floor. Boston outscored LA, 14-2, the rest of the way.

Gerald Henderson started it, scoring off a drive to cut it to 102-101. A minute later, Maxwell fed Parish for a stuff which put the Celtics up, 103-102, with 2:22 left. After Parish rebounded a Michael Cooper miss, the Chief hit a foul-line jumper to make it 105-102 with 1:52 showing. LA called time. Jamaal Wilkes scored underneath (LA's only points in the final 4:10), but Bird answered from the top of the key. Coming up with more key plays, Maxwell rebounded an errant lob pass by Magic Johnson, then scored underneath to put the Celtics ahead, 109-104 with 45 seconds left. LA called time again. When play resumed, Abdul-Jabbar was called for charging into M. L. Carr and everybody knew it was over.

It was also a big loss for the Lakers, who are now condemned to finish the regular season with an 0-4 record vs. Boston and Philadelphia.

Knicks Trap Celtics (9-3)

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Knicks 110, Celtics 103
Record: 9-3
11/19/1983

All week long the Celtics heard nothing about the New York Knicks but their trapping defense. Surely, this was the biggest problem in facing a team coached by Hubie Brown. But someone should have reminded them of the offensive talents of Bernard King and the floor leadership of Rory Sparrow as the Knicks came into Boston Garden and pulled off a stunning 110-103 victory last night before a sellout crowd.

King was hot, scoring 32 points, 15 in the first quarter. The Knicks stopped a Celtics surge in the second and third quarters with good defense by their famed No. 2 unit, "Hubie's Hummers." But the game was decided in the final period, because Brown put the ball into the hands of Sparrow, who got it to the right people after Boston had pulled to within a point at 97-96. Sparrow scored two baskets himself, then fed the ball inside to the big Knicks front line, which stopped the Celtics' inside thrust and won for the sixth time in 11 games.

Both the Celtics and Knicks saw winning streaks broken in road games prior to last night's meeting. Boston's nine-game streak was snapped at Utah, and the Knicks had won three in a row before losing Wednesday night in Philadelphia. All three of New York's victories had been achieved with trapping pressure defense, but it was King's brilliant that sent the Knicks off to an early nine-point lead, 13-4, with King scoring 11. The Celtics simply could not get the ball inside, and when they did, the Knicks were there to steal the ball.

Shots by Gerald Henderson and Larry Bird helped cut the deficit to five points at 15-10. But the Knicks kept the upper hand and surged ahead, 22-13. But with a little more than five minutes to play in the period, the Celtics went to the bench for Kevin McHale. That seemed to spark Boston to its best spurt of the night, an 11-2 run that created a tie at 24, with McHale scoring three baskets. New York regrouped by going to its second unit, which went after the Celtics with an aggressive three-quarter court trapping defense. When Parish sank a layup with 1:33 left, the score was tied at 29-29. After McHale hit a free throw for a one-point lead, New York went ahead at 31-30. But Boston regained the lead with 36 seconds left on a jumper by Bird. In the period, King had 15 points, Bird, 9.

The second period began the same way the first had ended. The Hummers kept scrambling and clawing, and Boston's lead turned quickly into a 35-32 deficit. New York shot ahead, 40-34, before the Celtics cut the margin to two points at 40-38. New York surged ahead again, 49-42. At this point, the Knicks starters came back, and Boston went to a lineup featuring McHale, Scott Wedman and Cedric Maxwell. After New York went ahead, 52-46, Dennis Johnson went on a five-point binge, and suddenly the Celtics trailed by only one, 52-51, with 2 1/2 minutes left.

The Celtics rally, however, also woke up the Knicks, who scored six straight points, including a delicious fast break by King, his 23d point of the night, and New York moved to a 57-51 lead. Johnson's two free throws moments later made it 57-53, but the Celtics could get no closer. King hit 10 of 11 shots in scoring his 23 points. The Knicks had only one more steal (9) and one more turnover (13) than Boston but was obviously the more aggressive team. Boston had only one blocked shot in the first half.

New York started off the second half strong, thanks to an interesting substitution. Sparrow, who had missed four games with a bruised toe, started at guard in place of Ray Williams, and the Knicks took off after Boston had closed to within two points at 60-58. Truck Robinson hit a hook shot to give New York a four-point lead, Sparrow hit three straight baskets and, suddenly, it was a 68-62 game. But after falling behind by eight points, 70-62, the Celtics began to climb slowly back with good defense and scoring from its front line. New York was ahead, 74-66, when Maxwell hit a three-point play. When Quinn Buckner hit one of two free throws, and Parish sank a shot of the miss second attempt, Boston had pulled to within two at 74-72.

King sank a basket to put New York ahead by four again, but Bird and Buckner came right back, and the game was tied at 76. When Wedman, playing at guard, hit a jumper with 39 seconds left, Boston had the lead at 80-78. But the Knicks worked for the last shot, and with three seconds left, Louis Orr sank a shot from the left corner, tying the game at 80. Boston quickly took the lead at 82-80 on a jumper by Wedman, but New York quickly scored three straight baskets to go ahead, 86-82. Boston pulled within two points at 88-86 but seemed to go cold from the field, and with Marvin Webster scoring two baskets and Robinson, one, the Knicks lead grew to six points at 92-86.

The Knicks answered every Boston charge and went ahead, 97-90, and with 3:32 left, Boston trailed, 97-91. But when McHale hit a banker off the glass with 3:09 left, and passed to Danny Ainge for a sneakaway layup at 2:44, the Knicks lead was cut to two points, 97-95, and the crowd was howling. A steal by Bird and a fastbreak resulted in a free throw by McHale that cut the lead to one point at 97-96. But Sparrow made it a three-point lead with a layup, and New York led with 2:22 to play, 99-96. McHale hit two free throws and Robinson sank a hook shot, and with 1:29 left, the Knicks led, 101-98. Johnson sank two free throws to make it a one-point game again.

With 58 seconds left, Johnson fouled Bill Cartwright, who sank one of two free throws to put New York ahead, 102-100. McHale missed a hook shot, and King was fouled in the shoving afterward as the Knicks went ahead, 104-100, with 40 seconds left. The final straw was when a play for Johnson went astray. He was called for traveling, and a foul to Ray Williams produced a 105-100 New York lead with 31 seconds left.

Knicks Visit Boston for First Time Since Red Ruined their Summer

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-2
11/18/1983

The New York Knicks are in town to play the Celtics tonight (7:30). The Knicks are hoping to get over .500 again, while the Celtics want to start a new winning streak after Wednesday's 122-109 beating by the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. There are a few scores to settle between these traditional rivals. The Knicks beat the Celtics three times in six tries last year, then made a big play for Boston free agent Kevin McHale in the offseason. Celtics general manager Red Auerbach got even by signing Knicks free agents Rory Sparrow, Marvin Webster and Sly Williams to offer sheets, which ended up costing the Knicks $950,000 a year to keep Sparrow and Webster. New York traded Williams to Atlanta for Rudy Macklin.

There are various subplots. The Knicks are still mad at McHale. They think they were used to get more money out of Boston. Auerbach is still bitter toward the Gulf & Western conglomerate, which owns the Knicks. The Knicks, meanwhile, have signed ex-Boston center/forward Eric Fernsten (injured list), who has still got a grievance pending (he says he was cut while injured) against the Celtics. And like just about everyone else in the NBA, Auerbach and Celtics coach K. C. Jones thought little of Hubie Brown's remarks in Sports Illustrated's NBA preseason issue.

In the article, Brown called ex-Celtics great Bill Russell "a terrible human being" and intimated that NBA coaches who are also former players (like Jones) did not earn their head coaching positions. "It shows a lack of class, but it wouldn't serve any purpose for me to say any more," Jones said yesterday.

The Knicks are coming off a tough 102-97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday . . . Sparrow has missed the last four games with a bruised toe and is doubtful for tonight. Look for Ernie Grunfeld to start in the backcourt with Ray Williams, who has committed a whopping 12 turnovers in his last two games and is averaging 3.7 giveaways a game . . . Trent Tucker is the third guard, and rookie Darrell Walker is averaging 8.9 points in 17.7 minutes a game . . . Bernard King (18.9 points a game), Truck Robinson (43 rebounds in his last four games) and center Bill Cartwright start up front for the Knicks. Cartwright had 20 points and nine rebounds against Moses Malone Wednesday . . . The Knicks are giving up only 100.8 points a game, second-lowest in the NBA. However, New York has been turning the ball over 22 times per game.


MISC

Larry Bird, who is 0 for 10 in three-point tries and was held to a season- low eight points Wednesday, says his ankle and hip injuries have not hindered his performance . . . Gerald Henderson hit 9 of 10 shots and had five assists in the Utah loss. He has scored 40 points in the last two games . . . Danny Ainge and Quinn Buckner were shut out against the Jazz. Buckner played only six minutes, and Ainge looked unusually tight in his 11 minutes. McHale has averaged 24 points in his last five games . . . The Celtics have been outrebounded only once (by Washington) this season . . . Robert Parish had 55 rebounds in his last four games . . . Jazz fans were tough on the Celtics Wednesday. When Dennis Johnson heard a fan say, "You guys are bad losers," D.J. replied, "Y'all are used to losing, but we're not." . . . Jones was heaved by Darrell Garretson in the final minutes of the game . . . The Knicks will be wearing their new/old uniforms tonight . . . Boston plays Philadelphia in the Spectrum tomorrow night.

Larry v. Magic: Game 5 Preview

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

February 23, 1983

INGLEWOOD, Calif.

Under smoggy skies and the threat of a rare three-game losing streak, the Celtics make their annual visit to the fabulous Forum tonight. A joust with the Lakers is always a glamor game, but tonight's match is especially significant because the Celtics must win to avert the indignity of three straight losses - something that has happened only once in the four seasons since Bill Fitch and Larry Bird came to Boston.

It's never easy to win here, and it will be especially tough because the Celtics are playing poorly (Golden State smacked them, 17-2, down the stretch Saturday), and the Lakers are out to avenge the 110-95 beating they took in the Garden Jan. 30.

Lakers coach Pat Riley says, "I think we're going to be more prepared for them than we were last time. There are a couple of things we have to focus on. Certain players they have increase the tempo defensively. Last time, M.L. Carr and Gerald Henderson and Cedric Maxwell did it for them. We have to take the challenge defensively, accept the pressure and fight through it."

Riley doesn't think Boston's recent problems necessarily will carry over. "When you get to this level, that doesn't make any difference," he says. "I don't think the fact that they've lost the last two will have anything to do with it." Fitch says, "They can all add to three . . . But I don't think there's any mental attitude. You just have to come into it wth the attitude that you're going to play your best basketball or you're not going to beat LA."

At this juncture, incentive must come from within. The Celtics are locked in second place in the Atlantic Division, seven games behind the white-hot Sixers. The NBA champion Lakers have virtually clinched the top spot in the Pacific Division, but won't have a realistic shot at compiling the best overall record.

LA's Great Eight may be reduced to the Not So Deep Six tonight. Bob McAdoo has an injured toe on his right foot and has missed the last three games. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came down with one of his migraine headaches and had to leave practice yesterday. If he can't play, LA probably will go with Kurt Rambis at center, Jamaal Wilkes and Michael Cooper up front, Norm Nixon and Magic Johnson in the backcourt and James Worthy coming off the pine.

Riley is a firm believer in the eight-man rotation: "Somewhere along the line you make a decision. With eight players, they know their roles and how much time they're going to get and they know they're not going to get the hook if they don't play well. If you could convince 12 guys you were going to platoon it would be different, but I don't think that's realistic in this league. You find your best eight, go with that rotation and hope the guys on the bench are ready to play if you need them." Tiny Archibald couldn't have said it any better.

Quinn Buckner, who has missed four staight games with a slight tear in his ankle, is "still shaky," according to Fitch . . . Archibald was a chief contributor (15 assists) when the Celtics beat the Lakers, Jan. 30. Last season, the Celtics won in Inglewood, 108-103, one week after losing to the Lakers, 119-113, at Boston Garden . . . A loss tonight would make the Celtics 1-3 on the trip and give them four losses in six games. Boston lost four of six from Dec. 16 to Dec. 28 earlier this season . . . The Lakers are second in the the NBA in team offense, averaging 116.9 points . . . Lakers owner Jerry Buss has yet to talk with Abdul-Jabbar's agent, Tom Collins. Abdul-Jabbar will be a free agent at the end of the season. Collins has already talked (with Buss' permission) with the Knicks, Nets and Sonics.

Something Still Ain't Right

For the first time in his career as a Boston Celtic, Shelden Williams manifested a perceptible spring in his step. There would be no expressionless, meditative look and feel to his game last night. Oddly, it might have been his worst game to date in green. Conclusion? Go figger.

Rajon Rondo followed orders and impersonated D.Wade in the third quarter, taking it to the rack and scoring from range. This is not only encouraging, it is necessary. As I've noted earlier, Rajon Rondo may not be our best player, but he is our only player who can play his best 90% of the time he's on the floor. So this he must do, and I see Doc telling him to be D.Wade more and more this season as Doc realizes that this gives us our best chance to win.

Speaking of young legs, let's talk for a minute about old and tired legs. If you want to know why we aren't a dominant defensive team, it's because Kevin Garnett is no longer a dominant defensive presence. If you want to know why the Boston Celtics get off to slow first-quarter starts, it's because KG doesn't impose his will on defense from the opening tip. It's no secret that our defense fuels the rest of our game. So if KG ain't playing world class D, we ain't gonna be playing world class ball.

Next I welcome back Eddie House to the Boston Celtics. I'm not sure where he'd been. But 4-10 (including 3-5 from range) is much better than 5-20 (including 1-6 from range), which is what he shot in the previous four games.

Finally, Ray Allen shot 6-10 from the field last night. For the year, he's shooting .486 from the field. I'm pleased by this. While he's shooting only .313 from range, I have more confidence that his long-range shooting will improve than I do that KG's defensive presence will improve. I also note that Ray has converted 13 of his last 14 free throws.

9-3: Celtics 109, Warriors 95

Warriors 95, Celtics 109

Recap Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart Photos Conversation

	1	2	3	4	T
GSW (3-8)	23	25	19	28	95
BOS (9-3)	27	22	31	29	109

Final

7:30 PM ET, November 18, 2009

TD Garden

Boston, MA

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Corey Maggette, SF	32	8-13	1-3	6-9	2	6	8	3	1	1	2	3	-10	23
Vladimir Radmanovic, SF	29	4-8	1-3	0-0	0	5	5	3	1	0	5	2	N/A	9
Mikki Moore, PF	29	3-6	0-0	0-0	1	4	5	0	0	0	1	3	0	6
Monta Ellis, PG	40	8-21	0-1	2-2	2	2	4	4	3	0	2	2	-16	18
Stephen Curry, G	35	4-10	1-4	4-4	0	0	0	7	4	0	6	3	+5	13
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Raja Bell, SG	23	4-6	3-3	0-0	0	2	2	3	0	0	0	2	N/A	11
Anthony Morrow, SG	27	2-5	0-3	0-0	0	3	3	2	1	0	1	2	-13	4
Anthony Randolph, PF	24	4-11	0-0	3-4	3	5	8	0	0	0	4	4	-12	11
Ronny Turiaf, C	DNP COACH'S DECISION
Kelenna Azubuike, SF	DNP LEFT PATELLAR TENDON
Andris Biedrins, C	DNP OSTEITIS PUBIS
C.J. Watson, PG	DNP FLU
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		37-80	6-17	15-19	8	27	35	22	10	1	21	21		95
		46.3%	35.3%	78.9%
Fast break points: 12 Points in the paint: 40 Team TO ( points off ): 21 (30) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Kevin Garnett, PF	31	6-12	0-0	0-0	2	4	6	4	1	0	1	2	+13	12
Paul Pierce, SF	35	7-12	2-4	3-4	0	4	4	2	1	1	2	3	+16	19
Kendrick Perkins, C	31	5-8	0-0	5-8	3	4	7	3	0	2	4	1	+11	15
Ray Allen, SG	30	6-10	0-2	3-3	0	1	1	0	1	0	1	2	+17	15
Rajon Rondo, PG	37	8-12	1-2	1-4	1	6	7	12	1	0	4	4	+18	18
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Rasheed Wallace, FC	16	3-8	2-6	0-0	0	1	1	1	1	0	1	2	+8	8
Eddie House, PG	17	4-10	3-5	0-0	0	1	1	2	0	0	1	2	+2	11
Brian Scalabrine, PF	2	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	-3	2
Marquis Daniels, SG	18	2-2	0-0	0-0	2	1	3	0	2	0	1	0	+1	4
Shelden Williams, PF	15	0-2	0-0	4-6	1	2	3	0	0	0	1	2	-2	4
J.R. Giddens, SG	7	0-0	0-0	1-2	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	1	-8	1
Lester Hudson, G	2	0-3	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	-3	0
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		42-80	8-19	17-27	10	26	36	25	7	3	18	20		109
		52.5%	42.1%	63.0%
Fast break points: 5 Points in the paint: 48 Team TO ( points off ): 19 (17) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.

Vegas: Celtics by 16.5 over Warriors

LINK

Warriors at Celtics

	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK	L10
GSW	3-7	111.2	113.7	2-2	1-5	L2	3-7
BOS	8-3	98.5	88.3	4-2	4-1	L2	7-3

Utah Stops Celtics' Streak at 9

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Jazz 122, Celtics 109
Record: 9-2
11/17/1983

SALT LAKE CITY

When you bring a nine-game winning streak, the best record in the NBA, and a couple of Brigham Young University legends to Salt Lake City, you figure to come out with a victory over the Utah Jazz. What you don't figure is that 7-foot-4 Mark Eaton is going to take over the ballgame in the final minutes and lead All That Jazz to a 122-109 victory over the Celtics before 12,743, the largest crowd in the franchise's history.

Eaton has been something of an NBA laughingstock since he first ducked under the Salt Palace doorway last fall. He hardly played in his two-year stint at UCLA, and it was widely assumed that he'd never make it in the big time. The Celtics weren't laughing last night. After trailing for most of the game, Boston pulled to within four with 3:12 remaining when Mr. Sears Tower took over. In rapid-fire succession, Eaton blocked Larry Bird's shot, buried a lefthanded hook to make it 106-100, blocked Kevin McHale's shot and turned an Adrian Dantley feed into a three-point play. That made it 109-100 with 1:49 left. Ballgame.

"He's the reason they won," said Celtics coach K.C. Jones, who was heaved in a hail of last-minute technicals. "All of 'em played great, but Eaton's the one that did it to us." "I couldn't believe how big he was," added McHale. "I couldn't believe he could do what he did. When he gives them 17 points and 12 rebounds, they're going to win." In the closing seconds, the Celtics futily fought back with three-point tries and complaints to the officials. Jones was tossed by Darrell Garretson (not a substitute official, folks), as the Jazz giddily padded their lead. "It was a thrill," said Eaton, who had six blocks. "They weren't as physical as I expected they'd be, but they scored 140 points in Denver last night and had to be a little tired."

The Celtics were in trouble from the outset, as Bird (hobbled by ankle and hip injuries) was on his way to a season-low eight points on 4-for-15 shooting and Boston's defense hardly made up for his off night. The Celtics allowed Dantley (26 points), Darrell Griffith (18) and John Drew (29) to run wild for three quarters. The Celtics trailed by 13 in the second quarter, by nine at halftime, and again by nine after three. It was the first major deficit the Celts had faced since their opening-night loss in Detroit 20 days ago. When Utah's Rickey Green sparked an 11-1 third-quarter surge, Boston trailed by 10 (86-76) with 3:46 left in the period. The end of the period was downright embarrassing. Griffith scored on a sneakaway after McHale (24 points, 11 rebounds) missed two free throws, then Green stripped the ball from McHale and made two free throws after a desperation foul by Danny Ainge. Utah led, 94-85, after three quarters.

With M.L. Carr on the court, Boston tightened its defense in the fourth. Utah managed only two field goals in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the period. The Celtics outscored the Jazz, 11-4, in that stretch to pull within two. Utah wouldn't fold. Eaton banked one in and Green hit a bomb to put the home team ahead by five with 4:41 left. A minute later, Eaton took over. "They were sky high for the ballgame and when we got close, Eaton came through," noted Parish, who led the Celtics with 25 points and 17 rebounds. The Celts were ahead by one after one period, but the Jazz blasted the Celtics, 20-6, in the first five minutes of the second period and never looked back. Griffith hit three three-pointers, and Drew scored 14 second-quarter points. It was a 37-point period for the home team.

The first half paralled Boston's demolition in Detroit in more ways than one. The Celtics let the Pistons score 70 in the first half of their only other loss, and "held" the Jazz to 68 in the first 24 minutes last night. Last summer, Utah coach Frank Layden joked that the 1982-83 Jazz Booster Club turned into a terrorist group. There was no such ugliness in Salt Lake City last night. And there were no jokes about Mark Eaton.

MISC

Ex-BYU greats Danny Ainge and Greg Kite were honored at halftime last night . . . The Celtics have accounted for 19 percent (5 of 26) of all NBA road victories . . . Celtics assistant coach Chris Ford was in Philadelphia last night, scouting the Sixers and Knicks. The Celtics, who have played 7 of 11 on the road thus far, play host to the Knicks tomorrow night and travel to Philly for Holy War No. 1 Saturday night . . . The rumor mill has Seattle's David Thompson going to the Atlanta Hawks . . . In case you were wondering, it was 24 years ago today when Syracuse's Connie Dierking fouled out in the first quarter of a game against Cincinnati.

Celtics Breathing Hard

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-1
11/16/1983

Denver and Salt Lake City, back-to-back, present special problems for every NBA tour group.The Celtics beat the Nuggets in Denver last night and take on the Jazz in Salt Lake City tonight. Atmospheric conditions and high-scoring opponents make it tough to win in either city. Elevation is the first problem. They don't call Denver the mile-high city for nothing, and the hometown Nuggets do their best to take advantage of the thin air. Salt Lake is only about 1000 feet lower than Denver and Celtic forward M. L. Carr said, "Salt Lake City is the same as Denver, it just doesn't get the publicity. It's so tough to breathe in these towns that you need a time-out just to do a post-game interview."

The scoring capabilities of the Nuggets and Jazz are also in the stratosphere. Look at it this way: in a 26-hour period, the Celtics will face the top-ranked and second-ranked NBA offensive units, and six of the top 20 scorers in the league. Going into last night's games, the Nuggets were scoring 125.7 points per game, the Jazz a mere 120.5. Denver's front line of Kiki Vandeweghe (3d in league, 28.9), Alex English (14th, 22.1) and Dan Issel (17th, 21.7) were combining for 72.7 points per game. Meanwhile, the Jazz have Adrian Dantley (1st, 31.1), John Drew (16th, 22.0) and Darrell Griffith (20th, 20.5).

MISC

Larry Bird has a sprained left ankle and suffered a bruise on his right hip last night . . . Kevin McHale is shooting 64 percent (74-116) . . . Gerald Henderson hit 8 of 11 for 21 points and had eight assists . . . The Celtics shot 76 percent (16-21) in the third quarter and held Denver under 30 in each of the last two quarters . . . Danny Ainge and Greg Kite will be honored at halftime tonight. "It'll probably be like Yaz Day," laughed Kite. "But I don't know how they'll get the car in the boat into the building."

Fundamentals Have Been Key to Celtics' Success

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 9-1
11/16/1983

Win nine in a row and everybody starts talking about pride, tradition and happy ballplayers, but the Celtics are winning because they are shooting and rebounding exceptionally well. The Green took a nine-game win streak into Utah's Salt Palace last night. Two important statistics explained the streak: the Celtics were outrebounded only once in their first 10 ballgames, and Boston led the league with a .534 shooting percentage after Tuesday night's 140-124 victory over the Nuggets in Denver.

The Celtics shot 59 percent against Doug Moe's track team, including 67 percent (16 for 24) in the first quarter and 76 percent (16-21) in the third. Kevin McHale, who had 24 points and converted 10 of 13 floor shots, said, "We can't expect to keep this shooting pace, but we've always shot around 50 percent since I've been here. Basically, I think the reason we've been shooting so well is because of our shot selection. Also, our new offense allows us to really establish our inside game, while the guards have been getting better percentage shots."

McHale (98 points in the last four games) appears to have benefited most from the new offensive wrinkles. He shot a white-hot 64 percent in the first 10 games, including 76 percent (38-50) in his last four games. "Kevin's hit a very high average, and so has Robert (Parish, 59 percent)," noted Celtics coach K. C. Jones. "We've been getting a lot of transition baskets off our fast break, which naturally helps, but it's got to level off. Shooting is one of those unknown aspects of the game that you really have no control over."

The Celtics trailed the Nuggets only once. Denver held a one-point lead late in the first quarter, but Boston led at all the stops. Larry Bird had a triple-double (28 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists), Gerald Henderson scored a season-high 21 points, and Parish had 13 rebounds and 18 points. The Celtics opened up a 120-102 lead before Kiki Vandeweghe (38 points) took over, scoring 10 straight in a 12-0 Denver run. Denver got within five once after that, but Bird, McHale and Parish wouldn't let the lead slip away. The victory gave the Celtics their best start since 1959-60, when they were 11-1 after 12 games.

MISC

Going into last night's action, the Celtics had accounted for 19 percent (5 of 26) of all NBA road victories . . . Robert Parish had 38 rebounds in the last three games . . . Larry Bird, who suffered a sprained left ankle and a hip bruise in Denver, was 0 for 9 on three-point tries for the season . . . Most of the Celtics were laughing at a column by a Denver Post sportswriter. The column insisted that Denver's T. R. Dunn had effectively slammed the door on Bird - "Dunn neutralized the Birdman of Boston." Dunn held Bird to 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Wonder what Larry would have done without Dunn on him? To his credit, Dunn is only 6 feet 4 and played 46 minutes . . . Ex-BYU greats Danny Ainge and Greg Kite were honored at halftime last night . . . Celtics assistant coach Chris Ford was in Philadelphia last night, scouting the Sixers and Knicks. The Celtics, who have played 7 of 11 on the road thus far, host the Knicks tomorrow night and travel to Philly for Holy War No. 1 Saturday night . . . The rumor mill has Seattle's David Thompson going to the Atlanta Hawks . . . In case you were wondering, it was 24 years ago today when Syracuse's Connie Dierking fouled out in the first quarter of a game against Cincinnati.

Like I told them after one of our losses, I would love to tell you that what they were doing was beating our stuff - but we were never running our stuff. We didn’t execute our stuff, defensively.

--Doc

This is a good answer. It is what Celtics Nation wants to hear. It's what we want to believe. With games against Golden State and Orlando on Wednesday and Friday respectively, we'll have a chance to find out if it's true.

The 1986 Team had Problems with Athletic Opponents, Too

December 6, 1985

The Portland Trail Blazers trashed the Celtics 121-103 at Boston Garden last night because Dr. Jack Ramsay's Flying Burrito Brothers could do no wrong. Steve Colter was Norm Van Lier, Jerome Kersey was Elgin Baylor, and Sam Bowie was Nate Thurmond. The men in the red shoes ran the Celtics off the floor in the first five minutes. Bowie, Mychal Thompson, Clyde Drexler (19) and Jim Paxson forced a flurry of Boston turnovers and beat the green team down the floor for layups and dunks as the visitors bolted to an 18-7 lead.

En route to a 10-13 second half, Kersey, who averages 11 minutes and 5.7 points destroyed the Celtics. While Bird looked at the bottoms of Kersey's red shoes, the second-year sub led the Blazers to a quarter-closing 11-2 run. It got worse. Kersey kept connecting and a fastbreak follow-up slam by Bowie gave Portland a 97-83 lead with 8:36 left. Then Bowie dunked on an alley-oop from Colter and it was 99-83. "They had 14 offensive rebounds and I think all of them must have been dunks," sighed Ainge.

Robert Parish stood still for the fourth straight game, Bill Walton (2 points, 3 rebounds, 5 turnovers) was worse, and Bird's brick-tossing turned the area under the hoop into a hard-hat zone. Dennis Johnson fouled out in 23 minutes.

Read More the first Boston-Portland Game in 1986.

In the little-remembered rematch in Portland, it took a triple-double from Bird (47, 14, & 11), which included a 14-footer in the closing moments, for the Celtics to pull out a 120-119 victory.

Read More about the rematch.

Don't Worry, It's Not 1987 or 1988 Yet

Many of us long-time Celtics' fans spent last season comparing the 2008-09 Boston Celtics with the 1986-87 Boston Celtics, and with good reason. Both teams had at least three things in common.

First, they were both coming off a championship season, and were both attempting to defend their championship with vastly depleted benches. The 1987 squad was missing sixth man Bill Walton and sharpshooter Scott Wedman. They were also missing their first-round draft pick, Len Bias, who had died from a cocaine overdose. Reserve shooting guard Jerry Sichting was as good as missing, too, as he never came close to reproducing his career numbers from the prior season. The 2008-09 Boston Celtics were missing PJ Brown, James Posey, and Sam Cassell, each of whom had contributed to banner 17.

Second, the players who remained from the previous championship season started getting injured. Power forward Kevin McHale broke his foot for the 1987 squad, while power forward Kevin Garnett injured his knee for the 2009 squad. Leon Powe also injured his knee for last year's team, and was not available for much of the playoffs, while the 1987 squad missed almost 200 games due to various injuries suffered by the nearly the entire team, and that doesn't include another dozen games missed in the playoffs.

Third, once the injury bug struck, neither the 1987 team nor the 2009 squad stood a chance to beat the Lakers in the Finals. The 1987 team tried and failed, while the 2009 bowed out early to spend the summer getting healthy.

Those two stories aren't happy ones. 1988 was worse. If the writing was on the wall in 1987, the championship window was about closed-shut by the following year. Everyone knew the Lakers were better than the Celtics in 1987, while everyone knew the Pistons and the Lakers were better than the Celtics in 1988. Celtics' fans kept their fingers crossed and said their prayers, but the steady decline into oblivion had begun.

We don't know if the 2009-10 Boston Celtics are headed into a similar downward decline. But even if they are, this is no 1987 or 1988.

The 1987 and 1988 Boston Celtics were 5 deep, six once the 1988 team added Jim Paxson. The rest of the bench consisted of players KC Jones could not or would not rely on (Fred Roberts, Darren Daye, Greg Kite, Dirk Minnifield, Mark Acres). The Celtics' competition in 1987 and 1988, however, was nine deep (the Pistons) and eight deep (the Lakers). This year, the Celtics are at least 9 deep, and probably 10 deep once Glen Davis returns. Speaking of Glen Davis, because his skills largely overlap with those of Shelden Williams, Big Baby gives the Celtics a reasonably attractive asset to dangle as trade bait if a midseason move is needed, a luxury the 1987 Celtics didn't enjoy. Thus, few pundits would disagree that the 2009-10 Boston Celtics are as deep or deeper than any other team in the NBA.

So despite losing 3 of their last 5 games, the 2009-10 Boston Celtics are not in the same boat as the team was in 1987 and 1988. However, the 2009-10 Celtics do share one thing in common with their late 80s forebearers. Both squads were getting old, and starting to show it. Yet the 1987 and 1988 Celtics possessed one advantage over the current squad that helped them overcome the effects of old age during many regular season games. His name was Larry Bird.

The 2007-08 Boston Celtics won a championship without having a player who dominated the game on offense every night of the season. The 2009-10 team is built the same way, and, of course, there is nothing wrong with sharing the offensive load. The Celtics have won 14 of their 17 championships with teams lacking a Larry-Bird type of scorer on offense. Still, there is no underestimating the value of having a go-to guy the caliber of Larry Bird. Watch the pivotal game 4 of the 1986 Finals if you disagree. He refused to let the Celtics fall behind by more than a small margin, and as the game's end approached, he made sure he took over.

Many fans assume Bird's play in 1987 and 1988 mirrored the play of his team, which is to say they assume that Bird's play was also in a state of decline, because the last MVP he won was in 1986. But even a quick glance at his 1987 stats shows that he averaged 28.1 points per game, with a .525 field-goal percentage. The field-goal percentage was the best in his career, until the next year, when shot .527 from the field while averaging 29.9 points per game. The down-side of having a primary go-to guy on the roster, with the talent and ego to match, is that he ends up playing too many minutes and it’s easier to defend him as the focal point of the offense.

I’d like Paul Pierce to step up and take on the Alpha-male duties more often, or even Ray Allen. But I don’t think it will happen. They've both become too team oriented, if that's possible. Rajon Rondo would be my next choice. But that probably won’t work either, at least until he finds a reliable jumper. So the bottom line is that this team will merely be a good team that plays great on some nights and plays bad on other nights, unless each player finds a way to motivate himself to play at a high level every night.

C's Make It 9 in a Row (9-1)

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 140, Nuggets 124
Record: 9-1
11/16/1983

DENVER

Maybe this is their year. On a night when a former Celtics tryout was elected mayor of Boston, the Green Team won its ninth straight, beating Denver's pinball wizards, 140-124, before 13,908 at McNichols Sports Arena. The Celtics own basketball's best record, haven't lost in 19 days and can match the fabled franchise's best start (11-1 in 1959) with a victory in Utah tonight and another on Friday in the Garden against the Knicks.

"I think the encouraging thing is that we're playing well, but we're still not playing up to our potential," said Kevin McHale, who destroyed the McNuggets with 24 points (10 of 13 from the floor) in 26 minutes. Boston was able to beat a good team at its own game. The Nuggets (averaging 125.7 points a game) try to exploit the thin Denver atmosphere by running visitors off the floor, but the Celts were equal to the task. Larry Bird had a triple-double (28 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists), Robert Parish (18 points, 13 rebounds) continually beat Dan Issel down the court and coach K. C. Jones adroitly employed his multiheaded backcourt monster, keeping fresh troops on the floor to deal with Denver's track team.

"You had two running teams on the floor," noted Jones. "The thin air here has its effect and I had to keep running people in and out, but we were able to hang tight, and we had some success inside." The Celtics trailed only once (32-31 late in the first quarter), and led by 39-34 after one period, 71-68 at the half and 106-96 after three quarters. Boston temporarily opened it up early in the fourth when McHale and Danny Ainge paced a 14-6 run. Ainge scored four points on one break, making a layup as he ws fouled and convert-ing two free throws (one a technical on Denver coach Doug Moe). Then Parish rebounded an Issel miss and Quinn Buckner drove for two to make it 120-102 with 8:12 left.

"I didn't think we had a chance at that point, but it turned out we did," said Moe. Led by the remarkable Kiki Vandeweghe (38 points), Denver roared back from the 18-point deficit with 12 straight points. Vandeweghe hit two three- pointers and scored the first 10 points of a dirty dozen that cut it to 120-114 with 5:49 left. Jones called time. After the pause, Denver pulled to within five (122-117) before the Celts blew it open for keeps with a 10-0 run to make it 131-117 with 3:19 left.

"We started to wonder what was going on when they came back like that," said McHale. "But then Larry hit a turnaround and Robert scored on an inside move and we started to get loose again." Bird's fallaway jumper started the final surge, but the most poetic motion of the spurt was a Bird fast-break layup off a perfect bounce pass from Gerald Henderson. Moe, who may yet be suspended for pouring water on official Tommie Wood Saturday, blamed the loss on bad calls and bad breaks, but was quick to credit Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell. "In the beginning of the second half, they went to him and he killed us," said Moe.

Maxwell finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. He also did a credible job on the defending league scoring champ, holding Alex English to 19 points. The first half was typical of most Denver first halfs. The running and gunning never stopped, and when it was over, Boston held a 71-68 lead. Seventy-one points might sound like a lot, but the Celtics scored 85 in the first half here last year. The Celtics hit 67 (16 of 24) percent of their shots in the first period, 59 percent (55-93) for the night. Boston also made 30 of 33 free throws and outrebounded the home team, 47-45. "We played against a great team that had a great game," admitted Moe. "They're very good and they seemed to be making every shot out there."

Sound Familiar?

June 7, 1986

The Celtics are being destroyed on the boards. Houston has established territorial rights in the air space surrounding the basket, the result being that the Celtics' big people have been made to look either old or physically inferior in Games 4 and 5. Seeing the Rockets get three, four or even five shots in one possession is nothing less than a shock, especially considering that this is a Celtics team that went through one stretch of 28 games during the regular season in which it either outrebounded its opponent or battled to a tie.

The Celtics won Game 4 despite surrendering 25 offensive rebounds to the Rockets. Boston won the game by shooting 58 percent from the floor, by having Larry Bird sink a three-pointer on just about the only possession all night when he wasn't wearing either Rodney McCray or Robert Reid, and by virtue of one wonderful play by Bill Walton. In the whole scheme of things, their margin of error in that game was about 1 percent.

The margin disappeared Thursday night, when the Rockets again treated the Celtics with contempt on the glass as they helped themselves to 23 offensive rebounds. These extra shots were particularly damaging in the first half, when the game was still something of a game. The Rockets accumulated 14 points on second shots to Boston's two in the first half, which ended with Houston in front by 11.

Should this total board dominance continue, it won't matter if they play Games 6 and 7 in the Garden, at Hellenic College or on the outdoor court at the Fens. The Celtics simply cannot surrender that many second shots and survive.

What is going on? Are the Rockets just too young and strong for the older Celtics? Is Jim Petersen (13 offensive rebounds in the past two games) the Nordic Charles Barkley? Is playing at home, where a team often inherently feels it can be extremely aggressive without fear of officiating scrutiny, that valuable? Or were the Celtics just not playing hard enough?

Hubie Brown: "Bill Russell is a Moron"

October 31, 1983
Bruce Newman
SI

The Gospel According To Hubie

New York Knicks Coach Hubie Brown preaches X's and O's, teaches defense and screeches about anything that pops to mind


CHARLEY: Willy, when're you gonna realize that them things don't mean anything?...The only thing you got in this world is what you can sell. And the funny thing is that you're a salesman, and you don't know that.

WILLY: I've always tried to think otherwise, I guess. I always felt that if a man was impressive, and well liked, that nothing—

CHARLEY: Why must everybody like you? Who liked J.P. Morgan? Was he impressive? In a Turkish bath he'd look like a butcher. But with his pockets on he was very well liked.

—DEATH OF A SALESMAN

All day long the colorless sky had brooded over Phoenix like a flat and ugly threat. All that remained as night came was heat lightning and the roll of distant thunder. Soon the storm would begin.

Just as Hubie Brown stood up and moved quietly to the front of the crowded hotel conference room, jagged bolts of lightning split the night air and the rain lapped at the roof in sheets. For several moments the coach of the New York Knicks stood in silence, his eyes closed and his head tilted back. The 75 Litton Industries Credit Corporation executives, who had gathered for their national sales meeting, sat perfectly still. Then Brown slowly drew up his arms and remained that way—in the manner of someone who had been nailed to a cross—until he began to speak.

"The toughest thing...in my life...was to be 48 years old...extremely successful...and to get fired," Brown said, his voice booming through the room. "Remember...every day when you get up...you're just half a step away from the street. My father told me that when I was young. And if that doesn't make you give a hundred percent every day of your life, nothing will."

Many in the audience had come expecting to hear a little uplifting chalk talk sprinkled with a lot of the usual palaver about the power of positive thinking. But Brown has taken Norman Vincent Peale, stood him on his head and dressed him in a brown shirt and a blue collar. It is not the dress-for-success look, but Brown is not selling success, he's selling fear of failure. He preaches the work ethic and the out-of-work ethic in equal measure. "I don't give them all this boola-boola, rah-rah stuff," he says. "When I went to New York," he tells the salesmen, "there were 12 players on the team. Before the first game I got rid of nine. That's how you send a message!"

As Brown speaks, his chin is stuck out and his head is tilted back slightly, so that his nose seems always to be the highest point on his body. His eyes are set deeply and they seem to be measuring something far away. When Brown was 10 years old, his left eye was damaged in a playground accident, and the resulting muscle damage left him slightly walleyed, a condition that allows him to see someone standing almost behind him. For many people who approach Brown, the fact that they're never sure which eye to look him in is often just the start of what can be an unsettling experience. Brown knows he intimidates some people with his long, withering gazes, which even his best friends call The Stare. But Brown was doing little staring and lots of selling, at one point even holding up a book called The Greatest Salesman In The World and calling it "the bible." After an hour and a half of preaching his message, Brown slumped into a chair as the salesmen responded with a long standing ovation.

Brown's message is simple: The street made you, and someday it will take you back. It happened to him when he was fired by the Atlanta Hawks in 1981; it can happen to you. Three nights earlier he was selling it to a thousand vacuum-cleaner salesmen in Syracuse, and before that in Schenectady and Gainesville and Daytona. "I'm no different than you," he tells the credit salesmen. But in a way they seem to understand better than he does. Brown is clearly not one of them. By his own estimation, Brown is better than everyone else. In the salesman's line, that is a dangerous thing to be, for you will spend your whole life selling, but never selling out.

Someone once said that Hubie Brown burned his bridges before him. That speaks volumes about the effect Brown's personality has on people. Brown makes little effort to conceal his contempt for many of the other 22 head coaches in the National Basketball Association, and yet he is plainly wounded by their disdain for him. He tells his players he doesn't want them to love and doesn't care if they like him, but then expects them to play harder for him than they have played for any coach in their lives. And he has waged warfare with the front office of virtually every pro team that has employed him.

"Hubie can't stand to have anybody above him," says Cotton Fitzsimmons, coach of the Kansas City Kings, who likes Brown but recognizes his flaws. "He can't believe that anybody else is doing as good a job as he does. Sometimes when you talk to Hubie you get the impression that he invented this game."

Even Brown doesn't believe he invented the whole game, but he did have a great deal to do with reinventing pro basketball in New York last season. In 1981-82, the year before Brown arrived, the Knicks had turned Madison Square Garden into a kennel club of yapping malcontents and strays, woofing to a 33-49 record under Coach Red Holzman. A year ago, no one expected them to do much better than that, but after a dreadful 14-26 start New York won 30 of its last 42 games. In the playoffs, the Knicks wiped out the Nets in two games before falling to the eventual champion 76ers in a series that was far more competitive than the 4-0 margin indicated. Three of the games were decided in the final seconds. In part because of the Knicks' impressive turnaround, Brown's salary was increased to a reported $300,000 a year.

Brown is one of the NBA's best technicians, a wizard of X's and O's. He started calling every play from the bench when only football coaches were doing that, and he was the first coach in the NBA to try to use 10 players in every quarter and to press for 82 games. He is the only coach whose substitution rotation is determined entirely by the clock, completely ignoring the rhythmic flow of the game. "We do a lot of radical things that pro basketball doesn't want to accept," he says. "But if you are an innovator, you will always be attacked. You can't ever allow that to stop you. The easiest thing is to just say you're going to let the players do their dance and let the talent win it or lose it. I want complete control."

While many of the league's other coaches recite a standard litany of Brown's failings, they prefer to do so off the record, a crutch Brown rarely uses. Denver Coach Doug Moe is an exception. "He's overrated," Moe says. "He's everybody's conception of what a good coach should be, but what has he done? His winning percentage [.497 in six NBA seasons] isn't that good. He got a lot of credit for what he did with the Knicks last season, but he had a great cast. When they were losing early in the year, he said it was because they had lousy players; and when they started to win, it was good coaching. Hubie's very insecure and an average coach who happens to be great at promoting himself. Plus, I defy anybody to say his teams aren't boring."

Brown reserves his greatest scorn for critics like Moe, and for most of the other former players who he believes are unworthy of his profession. "Who are these guys to attack me?" he says. "Down at one level you've got some children who were players—guys like Billy Cunningham and Kevin Loughery—who never coached a game and walked into jobs where there was all kinds of talent. Then you've got all the other guys, who I personally have no problem with. And way up here—so far from the rest of them we're practically on an island—you've got Jack Ramsay, Dick Motta and me."

Brown's island became even more deserted when he was censured by the NBA coaches association in September of 1982. The action came during a dramatic and bizarre meeting on Long Island following the playing of a tape on which Brown is heard criticizing Cunningham. On the tape, Brown told a roomful of high school and college coaches that Cunningham had been unable to handle a simple zone trap that the Lakers ran throughout the 1982 championship series, and that had caused the Sixers to lose. What made the remark especially incriminating was that Brown was at least partly right—Philadelphia hadn't responded with a consistent attack against the trap.

When Ramsay, who is president of the coaches association, gave Brown a chance to respond, everyone in the room thought that Brown would be forced to apologize. "At that point it was like backing an animal into a corner," says Atlanta Coach Mike Fratello, who was then Brown's assistant. "He defended himself the way he knew best."

Brown was practically trembling when he stood up to speak. "I told them, 'How dare you come into my classroom and tape two minutes of a three-hour clinic, then play it like this to try to embarrass me? How dare you? I do more clinics in a year than all the rest of you put together, and every time I speak I raise every one of you up to my level of X's and O's, just because you are NBA coaches like me. You think he couldn't handle a simple 1-3-1 trap? You're bleepin'-A right he couldn't! So deal with it and move on.' " He went on like that for several minutes. "There were 44 guys in that room," says Brown, referring to the 22 head coaches and their assistants, "and not one of them had the guts to tell me that I was wrong. I was wild. Jack Ramsay was standing next to me, and when I finished, Jack was as white as a sheet. I destroyed the guy [Cunningham] in front of the whole group. I destroyed all of them."

And he wasn't finished. Subsequently, Brown got into a fix over his criticism of Phoenix Coach John MacLeod. "I got killed for talking about MacLeod during a clinic, but all I said was that you can't expect to win a [championship] ring when your teams average so much more during the regular season than in the playoffs," Brown says. "When I speak at clinics, I use myself as an example, and if I can accept it, why can't they? What's wrong with these guys? They say they're in the stratosphere of coaching, but they don't want to talk about the possibility they made mistakes."

MacLeod, for one, didn't want to talk about it. "I have to wonder about the self-esteem of someone who has to promote himself at the expense of others," MacLeod says. "He sets himself up as some kind of paragon, but all he's done is load the gun 22 times. You don't think every time we play in New York or when I've got his ass here that I'm not loaded for bear? This is a tough job, and we just can't have that sort of thing."

Brown says he is weary of the controversies, and yet his honesty—which he frequently wields like a bludgeon—doesn't prevent him from diving into new skirmishes. He describes former CBS color analyst Bill Russell as "a moron," and CBS play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton as "a jerk," after having worked with both when he was out of coaching two seasons ago. Of the coach of the New Jersey Nets, he says, "Stan Albeck is a washerwoman who calls six people every day to find out the latest gossip. A nice man." And Brown doesn't stop there. "We've got maybe five general managers in the NBA who know anything about basketball," he says. "The other 18 are stealing their money."

Michael Gearon, president of the Atlanta Hawks and the man who put Brown on the street in 1981, says, "Is it a coincidence that in every [professional] relationship the guy has ever had, the friendships aren't there? In fact, it's almost as if they're all his mortal enemies. I think Hubie really has a contempt for people."

If that is so, then it is truly a paradox because Brown's hard-nosed brand of basketball has made him very popular with fans. "There are NBA coaches who are popular with the players, popular with management, popular with the other coaches," Fratello says, "but what coach in the league is more popular than Hubie with the people in the stands? There are people there every night just to see him." Part of his appeal is his ability to turn a word beginning with F into a noun, adjective and direct object all in the same vile sentence. "I'm more offensive in an empty building than one that's packed," Brown says. "In a packed building I'm known as colorful."

He was colorful in Atlanta, until the Hawks fired him just before the 1980-81 season ended. The Hawks claim they cashiered Brown because his abusiveness toward the players had reached a point of diminished returns. Finally, when Brown's harshness stopped working, there was nothing soft to fall back on.

"People say, 'You're too critical, you attack too much,' " Brown says. "But the real test is to hold your ground when they try to back you down and knock you on your ass. It's easy to be loved, but you have to remember that the only ones who really love you are the people who sit around that dinner table with you at night. Everybody else is trying to cover his own ass."

Hubie Brown was born on Sept. 25, 1933 in the little town of Hazleton, Pa., not far from Bethlehem and Nazareth. In the manner of Catholic families at that time and place, Anna and Charlie Brown named their son for a saint, calling him Hubert Jude, the latter being the patron saint of desperate causes. Hubie was an only child, and Anna and Charlie worshiped him and raised him like their own desperate cause.

When Hubie was three, Charlie moved the family to Elizabeth, N.J., which at that time was an industrial city of 125,000 people, many of them immigrants who worshiped in the city's 15 Catholic churches. "When I was growing up, you never talked about the street you lived on," Brown recalls. "You just said what parish you were from."

The Browns settled in St. Mary's parish, in a four-family apartment house hard by the railroad tracks that came stretching out of Manhattan, 20 miles away. When one of the old steam-driven locomotives rumbled by, not 50 feet from the Browns' front door, you could gauge its speed and the number of boxcars behind it just by pressing your cheek against the window and feeling the vibration in the glass. The Browns never had a telephone or a car, and in the wintertime the furnace warmed only three of the apartment's five rooms. Anna Brown rarely left home, except to go to church almost every day, preferring to stay in the apartment with her rosary and a damp mop. "We could never use the front stairs," Hubie says, "because my mother used to wax them three times a week."

Hubie and Charlie usually called each other "Chief," as friends might. Charlie worked as a foreman at the federal shipyard in nearby Kearny until the end of World War II, helping to ferry completed ships to Navy yards up and down the coast. When the war ended, the shipyards began closing down, and Charlie was laid off. To remind his players how close they are to the street, Hubie frequently tells the story of how his father was thrown out of work after 19 years' service at the shipyard. In fact, Charlie worked at the facility for only 10 years before he lost his job there.

For a while Charlie worked as a maintenance man at the Singer sewing-machine plant in Elizabeth, but when the shipyard reopened he decided to go back. Three months later the docks were closed again, and this time there were no other jobs to be had. "My parents lost everything they had," Hubie says. Charlie was out of work for eight agonizing months, a period of despair for both the father and his son.

"Then one day," Hubie says, as if recalling a miracle, "my father became the janitor at my school."

To this day Brown cannot talk about his father for more than five minutes without choking up. Rather than deny Charlie this most fundamental tribute, Hubie will simply stop speaking while he stares off into space, lost in a private reverie about what, for him, was clearly the best time of his life. "My father was a giant," Brown says.

"Charlie's whole life was his son, and he was always there," recalls Jim Murphy, a standout basketball player at St. Mary's during the 1940s. "When he was watching Hubie it was just like he was watching a little puppy." Charlie never missed a game his son played throughout grammar school and high school. "You wouldn't know Charlie was there," says Al LoBalbo, who was the basketball coach at St. Mary's and now is an assistant at St. John's University. "But he was there. Sometimes I'd see him watching our practices through the window."

To Charlie, failure was a very personal act of denial. That was at the root of Hubie's own obsession with eliminating mistakes. "A lot of Hubie's life has revolved around the fact that his father wanted him to have a better life than he did," says Hubie's wife, Claire, "and that he could make that happen through sports."

Hubie soon learned that you were never far from the street, even with someone who loved you. Once after Hubie had gone 0 for 4 in a baseball game, Charlie wouldn't—or couldn't—bring himself to speak to his son. "It's not like somebody stood there and said, 'I don't love you today because you didn't get a hit,' " Claire says, "but that's what it was. When a person gets all his sense of worth in that one way, in the long run it hurts the person's sense of self-worth. The tendency is to say, 'If I lost today, then I'm not a good person.' "

If there was one thing that Brown practiced even more seriously than sports, it was Catholicism. St. Mary's was run by the Sisters of Charity, and Hubie seemed to consider their stern guidance divine. He began serving as an altar boy while in grammar school, and he hustled weddings for tips. From the fifth grade until he graduated from St. Mary's, Hubie served a daily 6:30 a.m. Mass at St. Elizabeth's Hospital for a dollar a week and breakfast with the staff. After eight years of this, when he was ready to leave for college, one of the nuns at the hospital presented him with a card of thanks and $50. "You have to understand that in 1951, fifty dollars was my father's weekly paycheck," he says. "I was stunned."

It seems odd somehow that this angry man, the most profane coach in pro basketball, should have been most strongly influenced by these vessels of God. "Some of the most important women in my life have been nuns," he says.

After Brown graduated from Niagara University in 1955 (he was a low-scoring, great-passing guard for what was one of the top teams in the country), he spent a year as the phys ed teacher at St. Mary's Academy in Little Falls, N.Y. Like many of his Niagara classmates, Brown had joined the ROTC in college, but when it became evident that the ROTC guys were taking their commissions and going to Korea, Brown quit and was drafted into the Army.

Like many good athletes, he had a way of making the Army work for him. Stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco, Brown spent two years touring the country with various Army basketball, baseball and volleyball teams. "That was a great time for me," he says. "These other guys were all coming back from Korea, where they had been freezing their asses off, and there I was with a tan and no uniform."

When he was mustered out, Brown returned to Niagara in 1958 to get his master's degree in education, playing basketball on weekends for Rochester in the Eastern League. That was also the year he met Claire and, typically, made a vivid first impression. "A friend who was a priest had borrowed a car to take some students to the beach," she says. "Suddenly another car pulled up and a man got out and yelled, 'Father Murray, that's the last time I let you borrow my car. You told me you were going on a sick call!' " Claire remembers looking up and asking, "Who's the maniac?" It was Hubie. Father Murray of the Wayward Car married them two years later. They have four children: Molly, 22, is a recent graduate of Auburn; Ginny, 21, is a senior nursing student at St. Mary's of Notre Dame; Julie, 18, will enter the College of Charleston (S.C.) in January; and Brendan, 13, is in the eighth grade of Atlanta's Marist School.

Starting in 1959, Brown spent five years coaching baseball and jayvee basketball and serving as defensive line coach for the football team at Cranford (N.J.) High School. After that he moved to the varsity basketball coaching job at Fair Lawn (N.J.) High School. The school might as well have hired St. Jude, because the basketball team had won only four of 36 games the preceding two seasons. "When I got to Fair Lawn," Brown says, "basketball was the prelim to the wrestling matches." The first thing he did was cut all the seniors from the squad. That's how you send a message! It was a move that, predictably, caused some acrimony among parents in the community. "I got brought up before the Board of Education for that one," Brown says. The team finished 2-16 his first year. The next season Fair Lawn got hot and won five games. Everyone seemed fairly satisfied that the new coach had fallen flat on his face.

Brown taught business, economics and business law at Fair Lawn, and it was there that he learned to use the classroom as a stage. "You're always selling yourself," he says. "Those kids had a choice between five different winter sports, so when I went in that classroom, I had to give them 55 minutes of dynamite, just blow them away. If I wasn't in the top three for Teacher of the Year every year, I was ticked off. That's how good a teacher I thought I was." For all the notoriety he has achieved in basketball. Brown has spent more time standing at the blackboard in classrooms than he has as a head coach in the NBA. By his third year at Fair Lawn he had turned the program around, and the Cutters posted what was for them an impressive 14-9 record.

Brown says he was happy coaching at the high school level, but in 1967 he decided to take a chance—and an $11,500 pay cut—to become an assistant coach at William & Mary. His salary: $7,000 a year. Eight months later he was offered the freshman coaching job at Duke, also for $7,000, and he took it. For four years he was the chief recruiter at Duke, whose coach at the time was Vic Bubas, and he had the difficult task of "trying to get the best white players with the high college boards." It was a chance to further refine his salesman's pitch, so he talked and talked and talked. "Guys in the business used to say to me, 'You kill the mothers,' " he says. "And I said, 'That's right, because all those moms, they like to talk.' " Talking was something Hubie Brown could always do.

In 1972 Larry Costello, who had been Brown's teammate at Niagara, called to offer him the job as his assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks. It is fair to say that Brown would not be one of the highest paid coaches in basketball today were it not for Costello, a debt that Brown readily acknowledges. "He gave me my start," Brown says. "That was big."

Brown worked with Costello for two seasons in Milwaukee. When Charlie Brown died on Thanksgiving Day in 1973, Hubie drew closer to Costello and threw himself even further into his work. It paid off the next season when he was hired as head coach of the ABA's Kentucky Colonels, a team that included Artis Gilmore, Louie Dampier and Dan Issel. On Oct. 18, 1974, the night of Hubie Brown's first game as head coach of the Kentucky Colonels, one of the empty seats in Louisville's Freedom Hall was between two of Brown's old friends. The seat was for Charlie. "One of the toughest things in my life was that my father never got to see me as a head coach in the pros," Hubie says. The Colonels won the ABA championship in 1974-75, Brown's first year, but the next season they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. When the ABA and NBA merged after the 1976 season, Kentucky owner John Y. Brown decided to take what cash he could grab in the merger settlement and fold his tent. During this turbulent period, Hubie could not even bring himself to utter the owner's name, referring to Brown as the man who "destroyed the Kentucky Colonels basketball team." To this day, Hubie bears a grudge against Brown, who would later own and all but destroy the Boston Celtics. John Y. Brown is now governor of Kentucky.

With his team and his job gone, Hubie Brown was on the street and, presumably, frantic. As much as anything, that is what would later fuel the speculation—most of it ill-informed—that he stabbed Costello in the back by campaigning for his Milwaukee job. Costello suggested that Brown had done exactly that, and in the years that followed he repeated the charge often to other coaches.

Brown says that when the Colonels disbanded, he was approached by three NBA teams that wanted him to be head coach. He says he never pursued the Milwaukee job and that he had already come to terms with Atlanta.

CHARLEY:... For a salesman, there is no rock bottom to the life.... He's a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that's an earthquake. And then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you're finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory.

The Hawks won only 31 games in Brown's first year, and in midseason Ted Turner bought the team and subsequently instructed Brown to get rid of all the high-priced talent. What followed may have been Brown's greatest triumph. Taking a motley assortment of castoffs and no-name players (Brown had recruited a 27-year-old, 5'8" guard named Charlie Criss from the Eastern League the year before), whose salaries totaled $800,000, Brown pushed and bullied and goaded the Hawks into winning 41 games and making the 1977-78 playoffs, Atlanta's first postseason appearance since 1972-73.

Brown's blue-collar image was forged in those years. He took his so-called "overachievers," taught them the importance of defense, and won 46 and 50 games the next two seasons. "You must make them play to their potential," he would say, "and you must make them cry for mercy." The work ethic that he preached had a special appeal in Atlanta, where most of the fans were white and most of the players were black. Brown had become a sort of working man's hero, an image that was sneered at by other coaches and even the Hawks' management. "That's a sort of demagogic thing," says Gearon, who was uncomfortable with the idea that Brown had become a bigger star than the players. "A lot of people feel the players are overpaid, and they like to see somebody who will kick them in the butt."

Brown was such a dazzling success with the Hawks that at one point Turner tried to persuade him to manage his Atlanta Braves. Brown almost went for it, but eventually decided the scheme was too crazy to work.

Even as the Hawks grew more successful, Brown drew further and further away from his players. "Hubie always dealt in groups," says Tom McMillen, who played with the Hawks during Brown's coaching tenure. "I think that was because it was hard for him to talk to people on an individual basis. When you motivate in a group, you sacrifice the idiosyncrasies of the individual."

One of the most idiosyncratic Hawks was John Drew, the All-Star forward to whom Brown regularly referred—both in front of his teammates and to the press—as "cement head," "moron" and "cinder head," those being among the least harsh and more printable epithets he applied to Drew. In a painfully public way, Drew had become the ultimate whipping boy. Brown never flinched from his role of bully. For his part, Drew refused to say an unkind word about the coach. But by that time, Drew, by his own subsequent admission, was a heavy user of cocaine. The season the Hawks won 50 games, 1979-80, Brown rode Drew mercilessly, a tactic that further alienated him from many of his players. "In terms of depression," says Gearon, "that year was the worst. That was brutal."

In addition to Drew, Brown blamed Guard Eddie Johnson, who would later admit that he had used cocaine, and yet a third player, whom Brown accused of being both a cocaine user and a homosexual, whenever anything went wrong. Gearon disputes the notion that for his last two years in Atlanta Brown was some kind of lone ranger crusading against cocaine, and yet he rather blithely dismisses the impact of Drew's erratic behavior. "John Drew didn't give us any problems after Hubie left," Gearon says. "He may have been a drug user, but it never caused him to be late or to miss practice. John Drew is a very stable person."

Following the Hawks' 4-1 loss to Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 1980, Brown says he spent $1,200 seeing a psychologist who "took my personality and put it into the drug scene." He says the sessions helped him cope with the problem of drug abuse. "So why," he wonders, "did I flip out the next year? I have no answer for that."

The Hawks were beset by injuries during the 1980-81 season, and for the first time Brown could not push his players through the pain. He spent most of his time very close to the edge. "My last year in Atlanta," he says, "I got so paranoid about the drug thing that I became distracted from my job. Every night when the locker room door closed, I was right in their faces, offering to fight them. I should have backed off, but I couldn't. In spite of the problems, I became more obsessed than ever with making the playoffs. I had no peace of mind, ever. You can't believe this creation of yours is being destroyed." The Hawks were 31-48 and in chaos when Brown was finally fired with three games left in the season.

During the months that followed, Brown convinced himself that the people in his suburban Atlanta neighborhood were whispering about him because he had lost his job. "He felt embarrassed, humiliated," says Brown's best friend. Rich Buckelew, "and he went into a shell." He began to accelerate the pace of his speaking engagements, doing 40 coaching clinics and another 40 motivational speeches during the next 18 months. (It is that kind of intensity, said Dr. Norman Scott, the Knicks' physician, that contributed to the mild case of angina and forced Brown to spend four days in New York's Lenox Hill Hospital last week.) He also earned acclaim for his work as an NBA color analyst for both the USA cable network and for CBS, although he found his experience with CBS somewhat disillusioning.

"Everybody thinks football is an incredibly complex game, run by scientific minds," Brown says, "and that's because TV analyzes every play with statistics, breaking it all down. Well, football's not nearly as intricate as basketball, but people don't realize that because CBS doesn't want that kind of analysis. Pro basketball is a beautiful, complex game, played by great athletes. But CBS doesn't want to get too technical because they think that's just for the junkies. They told me, 'Our audience doesn't want to hear that stuff, so keep it on a sixth-grade level.' "

Brown feels particularly strong about Bill Russell, who was one of the game's great centers in the 1950s and '60s when he played with the Celtics and who had done the CBS telecasts for four years before he was replaced prior to this season. "That moron has done more to cause the game's popularity to regress than anyone or anything else," Brown says. "He doesn't know anything about the game and he can't articulate anything. The guy does not prepare.

"Everybody was afraid to say anything to him because—ooh ooh—this is Big Russ. I mean who the hell is Bill Russell? The coaches didn't like him, the fans didn't like him, the guys at CBS didn't like him, but he was allowed to ruin the game. Bill Russell is a terrible human being."

When Brown became coach of the Knicks last year, a columnist wrote in The New York Times that after 26 years, of coaching, "Hubie Brown was home."

There was something smug in that, of course, and Brown heard the implied Jersey joke, even if no one else did. "Everybody tells me I'm where I belong now, but that's bull," Brown says. "I belong across the river. I'm a Jersey guy."

All of New York at his feet, king of the hill, top of the heap, and the only thing Brown ever wanted was to be a Jersey guy. "Jersey guys stick together," Brown explains. "There is a unification of guys." When Joe Taub, a Jersey guy who owns the New Jersey Nets, began hinting just before the end of last season that he wanted to lure Brown across the river, the Knicks gave Brown a raise and contract extension. "The truth is, I was ready to go," Brown says, "but the Knicks wouldn't give me permission."

It had been just a few months earlier that Brown had thought he heard the street calling him again. After two weeks, the Knicks were 0-7, and in New York that's not a start, it's an invitation to a funeral. Brown just kept pushing, and taking names along the way. "People say I don't ever forget," he says, "and they're right. Once we got it going [last season], everybody jumped to the front of the parade, and I was a genius. But what had changed?"

Some things never change, just as some people never do. For now, Brown is content to bask in the heat of his own genius. But another winter is coming, another season. And sooner or later a salesman has got to go back out into the street. It comes with the territory.

Faker Fans Already Worried about June

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 8-1
11/15/1983

Basketball people in LA are very fearful of the Celtics because a) they saw Larry Bird in the exhibitions and couldn't believe how well he was playing at that stage and b) they feel Dennis Johnson is a great player who just might offset Magic Johnson.

This is when the Lakers should be cleaning up, not scraping their egos up off the floor. During a stretch in which they will play 17 of their first 21 games at home, they should be resting Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter because they have put the game out of reach, not because he aggravated a week-old groin strain during the first quarter and had no reason to risk making it worse.

The Lakers' 101-91 loss to Houston on Sunday in front of an unhappy crowd at Staples Center was their second in a row and third this season. That, in itself, is not the big problem. The big problem is they followed a putrid, franchise-worst second half at Denver on Friday with a ragged first half Sunday -- and let that bleed into a rancid third quarter in which Aaron Brooks had 15 points and the Lakers as a team had 19. After scoring only 23 points in the second half at Denver on Friday, the Lakers were outscored, 49-37, in the second half Sunday.

In a season that began with the goal of challenging the 72-10 standard set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, the Lakers are looking at their transition defense and finding it wanting and shaking their heads at being outrebounded, 60-38, by a team that starts a 6-6 player at center and lacks Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. The 70-plus win goal came from Kobe Bryant and has taken root in the Lakers' minds, a goal to keep them interested while they slog through the long season. What they might want to do instead is focus on a way to win the next game.

LINK

The Rockets, who pushed the Lakers to seven games in the second round of last spring's playoffs, now start a 6-foot-6 center, but that didn't keep them from crushing L.A. in rebounds, 60-38. They were so much more active and inspired that Lakers fan booed after a slew of Rockets offensive rebounds near the four-minute mark of the fourth quarter. Shortly thereafter, Lakers fans began streaming for the exits, and it had nothing to do with beating traffic. It was the beating their team was taking. The Lakers made only 38.1% of their shots, many of them forced. In addition to Bryant's off night, Derek Fisher made three of 13 shots. Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic and Josh Powell were a combined two for 12.

LINK

The Lakers gave Trevor Ariza his championship ring Sunday night, but their generosity didn't stop there. They handed the Houston Rockets just about everything else, including a victory while getting booed by their own fans in a surprisingly uninspired effort at Staples Center. The Lakers continued to look nothing like defending NBA champions, losing to the Rockets, 101-91, after a moribund effort two days earlier against the Denver Nuggets.

LINK

Ainge Accepts Limited Role

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 8-1
Date: 11/14/1983

He knows his minutes and numbers are down, but he also knows it was dissension and selfishness that ripped the heart out of the 1982-83 Celtics. So Danny Ainge sits in silence, helping when he can, and ponders his future. "One thing I'm not going to do, no matter what, is complain," said Ainge, who will be on the bench when the Celtics tap off against the Nuggets tonight.

He may not complain, but Ainge isn't the jovial prankster he was four weeks ago. As his minutes have dwindled, he has become slightly withdrawn. "It might be affecting me personally and, to be honest, I don't believe the Celtic system is the ideal situation for me," he said. "But I wouldn't trade it to go to a losing team which had an ideal situation for me."

Ainge is a 24-year-old talent dying a slow death on the end of the Celtics bench. Dennis Johnson has taken Ainge's starting spot and is averaging 30 minutes per game. Gerald Henderson (23 minutes per game) is the other backcourt starter, and Quinn Buckner (19 minutes) is also getting more time than Ainge. In the last week, M. L. Carr, Carlos Clark and even Larry Bird have been employed in the Celtics backcourt.

Thus far, Ainge is the loser in Boston's backcourt numbers game. He is averaging 16.4 minutes per game, down from last year's 25.6. His scoring average has dropped from last season's 9.9 to 5.1, and his shots-per-game, from 9.0 to 3.7. "It's an easy living," he said with a chuckle. "I haven't had to work very hard.

"Everybody on the team is going to have to sacrifice minutes this year. It's something we're going to have to live with. Hopefully, it won't be any problem. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude. I'm not discouraged yet. If things were to continue like this for the whole year, I'm not saying I'd have a bad attitude, but it would become harder to contribute. A lot of times, when you play eight or 10 minutes, you don't even feel like you're in the game."

Ainge is shooting 56 percent (19-34) from the floor and has committed only seven turnovers in nine games. He came off the bench effectively in the closing minutes of Saturday's eighth-straight victory in Chicago, and coach K. C. Jones was quick to point out Ainge's contribution. Bench work is tough duty when you're a consensus All America who gave up major league baseball to star in the NBA.

"It's difficult," Ainge conceded. "Players like M. L. (Carr) and Scott (Wedman) have established themselves as great players in this league. It's tougher for someone who's trying to establish himself. That's the only thing that frustrates me." The trade rumors don't bother him. Newspapers, talk shows and barrooms have already traded him to Chicago (for Reggie Theus), Golden State (for Russell Cross) and Utah (for a first-round pick), but Ainge says, "Red (Auerbach) and K. C. always say that's a bunch of garbage."

"Right now I feel good because I'm thinking of the team more than myself. If this were to be my role for the rest of my career, I might get tired of it, but I understand, and I'll try to make the best of it." Denver coach Doug Moe expects to be working tonight.

MISC

The league is investigating Saturday night's incident in which Moe poured water on referee Tommie Wood. It is expected that Moe will be fined and possibly suspended sometime tomorrow . . . The Celtics won here last year, scoring a 1982-83 NBA record 85 points in a half . . . The Celtics play the Jazz in Salt Lake City tomorrow night, entertain the Knicks in the Garden Friday and play the Sixers in the Spectrum Saturday night.

Celtics Take Winning Streak to Denver

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 8-1
11/14/1983

Rocky Mountain High, anyone?

The Celtics barely needed United's DC-10 aircraft to get from Chicago to the Mile High City yesterday morning.The Celtics have been in the ionosphere for more than two weeks. Saturday night's 116-101 goring of the Bulls stretched Boston's win streak to eight and made quite an impression on Chicago coach Kevin Loughery."Boston is by far the best team we've seen," said Loughery (yes, the Bulls have played the Sixers). "Dennis Johnson makes them awesome. They're sensational. K. C. (Jones) has done a sensational job, and it seems like they want to play again."

Against the Bulls, the Celtics were flat for five minutes and fell behind, 17-8. From there, Johnson (19 points in the first half, 23 overall) took over as Boston outscored Chicago, 31-10, over the next nine minutes to take a 39-27 lead early in the second quarter. The Celtics led the rest of the way."For some reason I always play well against Chicago," said DJ. "I feel I've lacked agressiveness on offense at times, so tonight I tried to take it right to them."

Orlando Woolridge (26) and Quintin Dailey (20) tried bringing the Baby Bulls back, but Kevin McHale (24), Robert Parish and Larry Bird pounded Chicago underneath, and the Celtics steadily increased their lead. Boston outrebounded Chicago, 49-31. Jones used seven players in his backcourt. The regular quartet of DJ, Gerald Henderson, Quinn Buckner and Danny Ainge got some unexpected help from Bird, M. L. Carr and Carlos Clark.

"That's a lot of guards," admitted Jones. "It'll probably be the only time we'll do that." It was the second straight game in which Bird logged some time in the backcourt. Is Bird Boston's new shooting guard? "It's different being back there," said Bird. "But I don't know about it." "They say he's a man of all postions," said Johnson. "He didn't hamper us one bit." "We weren't hitting from outside," said Jones. "I wanted to get some more shooting from back there. Our guards on the whole are scrappy and good defenders, but they're not great shooters like Walter Davis, George Gervin, Kelly Tripucka, Norm Nixon or Jeff Malone."

MISC

Maybe Kevin McHale is worth $1 million per year. He hit 10 of 12 shots from the floor against Chicago. In his last three games, McHale averaged 25 points while shooting 76 percent (28-37) from the floor . . . Henderson and Ainge are struggling to get minutes. Henderson has started all nine games, but played only 13 and 14 minutes in the last two contests. Ainge hasn't played more than 24 minutes all season . . . Clark was seriously tested in his his first meaningful NBA appearance. He had to play the point while Bird assumed the role of the shooting guard. Clark, who played forward in college, was Boston's only guard on the floor for four minutes. Loughery responded by throwing a tough halfcourt trap at the Celtics. Clark hit two free throws, had one turnover and one rebound before he was replaced by Buckner. "He was a bit over-anxious, but he didn't back off," said Jones . . . Reggie Theus scored two points and had four turnovers in 12 minutes for the Bulls. He hasn't started all season and expressed displeasure with his non-role after the loss, claiming Loughery had "embarrassed" him . . . Meanwhile, Denver coach Doug Moe might be looking at a suspension for throwing a cup of water on official Tommy Wood during the Nuggets' 126-107 loss in San Antonio Saturday night. "I lost control," admitted Moe. "These guys just don't have the ability. They're not as competent as the regular officials." . . . After seven games in 11 days, the Celtics took yesterday off. They play in Denver tomorrow night.

Walton v. Maravich

Next Friday at Home against Orlando

Can Doc right the ship by then?

Sheldoon

Was that a dream shake we saw in the second quarter? It must have surprised even Shelden, because later in the quarter, he tried some sort of twisting, spinning move across the baseline before throwing it away. All in all, however, it was another solid performance by #13. Ten points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 assist. It also included this block and the subsequent ally-oop:

8-3: Pacers 113, Celtics 104

Celtics 104, Pacers 113

Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart Photos Conversation

	1	2	3	4	T
BOS (8-3)	27	34	18	25	104
IND (4-3)	26	26	32	29	113

Final

7:00 PM ET, November 14, 2009

Conseco Fieldhouse

Indianapolis, IN

BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Kevin Garnett, PF	29	7-11	0-0	1-1	2	5	7	2	0	0	2	3	-9	15
Paul Pierce, SF	34	4-10	1-2	6-9	1	3	4	4	0	0	2	4	-13	15
Kendrick Perkins, C	28	4-9	0-0	3-4	3	10	13	0	0	2	1	4	-5	11
Ray Allen, SG	36	8-18	2-6	6-7	1	4	5	4	2	0	3	2	+1	24
Rajon Rondo, PG	33	5-11	0-0	0-2	1	1	2	4	2	0	1	2	-7	10
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Rasheed Wallace, FC	19	2-4	0-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	-5	4
Eddie House, PG	15	2-5	0-1	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	2	0	4
Brian Scalabrine, PF	5	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	-3	2
Marquis Daniels, SG	20	3-8	0-1	3-4	2	0	2	3	0	0	0	2	-6	9
Shelden Williams, PF	18	3-5	0-0	4-4	4	5	9	1	0	1	1	2	-2	10
J.R. Giddens, SG	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+2	0
Lester Hudson, G	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	+2	0
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		39-82	3-12	23-31	14	29	43	18	4	3	14	23		104
		47.6%	25.0%	74.2%
Fast break points: 6 Points in the paint: 52 Team TO ( points off ): 14 (16) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
INDIANA PACERS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Dahntay Jones, SG	33	7-15	0-1	11-15	0	4	4	4	0	1	3	4	+8	25
Danny Granger, SF	38	8-16	6-9	7-7	1	5	6	4	3	1	1	3	+7	29
Roy Hibbert, C	30	5-7	0-1	1-2	1	1	2	4	2	1	2	4	+8	11
Earl Watson, PG	31	4-7	1-3	3-3	1	1	2	7	0	2	0	2	+13	12
Brandon Rush, SG	36	4-9	2-2	0-0	1	7	8	1	1	2	0	2	+12	10
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
T.J. Ford, PG	18	5-9	0-0	0-0	1	3	4	3	2	0	1	0	-6	10
Luther Head, GF	20	2-5	0-2	0-0	0	3	3	6	0	0	0	1	+2	4
Solomon Jones, C	15	2-2	0-0	0-0	0	3	3	1	0	0	0	6	+7	4
Tyler Hansbrough, PF	14	3-6	0-0	1-2	1	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	+2	7
Josh McRoberts, PF	5	0-0	0-0	1-2	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	-8	1
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		40-76	9-18	24-31	6	28	34	31	8	7	8	24		113
		52.6%	50.0%	77.4%
Fast break points: 27 Points in the paint: 32 Team TO ( points off ): 10 (9) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.

Vegas: Celtics -6 against Larry & Obie on the Road

Gameday Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK	L10
BOS	8-2	97.9	85.8	4-2	4-0	L1	8-2
IND	3-3	99.3	99.3	2-2	1-1	W3	3-3

Should be interesting to see if the Celtics rebound from the egg they laid last night. I still remember Garnett's first game in green. He had 20 rebounds, 18 of them defensive. Is he even capable of a 20-rebound night anymore?

Celtics Make It 8 Straight (8-1)

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 116, Bulls 101
Record: 8-1
11/13/1983

CHICAGO

Playing like a team intent on impressing the bowl committees, the Celtics made it eight in a row last night, goring the Chicago Bulls, 116-101, in Chicago's archaic sports palace.The streak matches Boston's longest victory string of last season and puts the Celtics on a 73-9 pace. Easy, now. It's a little early to be ordering banner No. 15, and there's no need to have the new mayor leave an open date for a City Hall Plaza victory reception in June. After all, the Celtics have thus far only played one game against a 1982-83 playoff team.

Victory No. 8 came on a night when Kevin McHale led the team with 24 and Dennis Johnson (23) played like the man who was the NBA playoff MVP in 1979. And Larry Bird got another audition playing shooting guard while rookie Carlos Clark saw his first meaningful minutes as a professional. It was also an altogether different victory route for the Celtics, who've been smoking their opponents in the first quarter, then blowing leads. Last night, Boston trailed early, then slowly built a comfortable margin, which didn't peak until the final buzzer.

"We played well at the end, and that's kind of a new thing," noted McHale, who made 10 of 12 floor shots. "Chris (Ford) wants us to go 81-1, but that might be asking too much. We'll just have to keep on playing hard and good things will happen." The visitors were stale at the start. Chicago's David Greenwood and Orlando Woolridge (17 in the first half) shot the Bulls to a 17-8 lead before the startled Celtics went on a nine-minute tear, outscoring the home team, 31-10, to take a 39-27 lead with less than two minutes gone in the second quarter. Boston never trailed again.

"We started off in the mud," said coach K. C. Jones. "Chicago was playing like they hadn't been in a game in three weeks. They were hungry and were blowing us away." It didn't last because Dennis Johnson (19 in the first half) brought the Celtics back with sticky defense and penetration drives. Meanwhile, Robert Parish (19, 13 rebounds) stayed hot, and Bird (18, nine rebounds) picked up the loose pieces.

Boston's lead swelled to 13 (55-42) with 3 minutes left in the half, but Woolridge brought Chicago back, scoring eight points in a 13-4 surge. The Celtics' margin was down to six when D. J. converted a Bird feed in the closing seconds to make it 61-55 at intermission. The Celtics outrebounded Chicago, 27-17, in the first half and 49-31 overall. Boston had a whopping 22 offensive rebounds. In a choppy third quarter, Quintin Dailey (20) brought the Bulls back to within three a couple of times, while Jones experimented with a backcourt of M. L. Carr and Clark, then Bird and Clark. Clark held his own for a couple of minutes, started to struggle, and was mercifully rescued by Quinn Buckner. Meanwhile, both McHale and Cedric Maxwell picked up their fourth fouls and had to come out.

The Celtics led, 88-79, after three, and held their ground in the fourth. Chicago had some luck with a 1-3-1 trap defense, but Gerald Henderson and Danny Ainge beat the zone late in the game, and the treetop trio of Bird, Parish and McHale wore the Bulls down. When Boston went ahead by 11 with 8 minutes left, Bulls coach Kevin Loughery inserted Nowhere Man Reggie Theus. The crowd implored Mr. Solid Gold Dancer to shoot, but Theus kept passing off, and his teammates kept missing. Meanwhile, Parish and Bird buried a couple of jumpers to make it 102-89 with 5:28 left. Loughery called for time. He had seen enough of Theus, who has scored only two baskets in his last two games.

When Chicago again pulled to within eight, the Celtics were ready to respond. They continued to beat the trap defense and outscored the Bulls, 12-5, the rest of the way.

Stern is Leading Candidate to Replace O'Brien

1983-84 Boston Celtics
November 13, 1983

Larry O'Brien is vacating his throne Feb. 1, and NBA owners can do themselves a favor by electing David Stern the next commissioner. You probably haven't heard of Stern because he's never won a slam-dunk contest, starred in a television sitcom or served as Secretary of the Treasury. He's merely a low-profile guy who has been the NBA's de facto commissioner for the last couple of years.

A bespectacled 41-year-old lawyer, Stern joined the NBA as its legal counsel in 1978 and currently serves as executive vice president of business and legal affairs. No one knows more about NBA marketing, television and law than David Stern. He was the architect of the league's cable contract and has been the NBA's liaison with CBS. When it was needed most, he breathed life into the league's marketing and promotions departments.

A graduate of Rutgers and Columbia Law School (where he was editor of the law review), Stern was a partner in the law firm of Proskauer, Rose, Goetz and Mendelsohn before joining the NBA. He had an enormous impact on the innovative collective-bargaining agreement signed by league owners and players last spring. He remains one of the few people who fully understand the contract. Clearly, Stern is the man with all the necessary credentials. It would be a mistake for the owners to seek a more "visible" candidate for the job. The NBA board of governors is scheduled to meet Tuesday in New York, and a 10- owner advisory committee will submit one or more candidates to the board.

Some owners will look for a "name" candidate. There will be support, no doubt, for the likes of Jerry Colangelo, William Simon, Paul Simon, Sargent Shriver, Red Auerbach, Redd Foxx, Elvin and Woody Hayes, Gary Coleman, Coleman Young, David Bowie and Bowie Kuhn, but there is no need for a search. The next commissioner won't even charge moving expenses. He's right across the hall from Larry O'Brien.

8-2: Hawks 97, Celtics 86

Hawks 97, Celtics 86

Recap Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart Photos Conversation Watch Replay

	1	2	3	4	T
ATL (7-2)	24	17	31	25	97
BOS (8-2)	22	20	28	16	86

Final

8:00 PM ET, November 13, 2009

TD Garden

Boston, MA

ATLANTA HAWKS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Josh Smith, PF	35	6-12	0-0	2-4	4	3	7	2	1	3	1	3	+16	14
Marvin Williams, SF	23	3-7	0-1	0-0	1	2	3	2	0	0	0	1	+5	6
Al Horford, C	33	6-9	0-0	0-0	4	9	13	3	3	1	3	4	+17	12
Mike Bibby, PG	37	4-9	2-3	3-4	1	3	4	6	0	0	0	3	+12	13
Joe Johnson, SG	40	9-21	1-3	5-6	0	7	7	3	1	0	3	2	+23	24
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Joe Smith, PF	13	2-4	0-1	0-0	3	3	6	0	0	2	0	1	-5	4
Jamal Crawford, G	28	6-15	1-6	5-7	0	1	1	2	0	0	3	0	+6	18
Jason Collins, C	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Maurice Evans, SF	11	0-2	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	-5	0
Zaza Pachulia, C	15	2-4	0-0	2-2	3	1	4	0	1	0	1	3	-6	6
Jeff Teague, G	5	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	2	2	0	0	0	2	2	-8	0
Randolph Morris, C	DNP COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		38-84	4-15	17-23	16	31	47	19	7	6	13	20		97
		45.2%	26.7%	73.9%
Fast break points: 10 Points in the paint: 44 Team TO ( points off ): 13 (11) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Kevin Garnett, PF	33	6-10	0-0	2-3	1	4	5	2	2	0	0	2	-7	14
Paul Pierce, SF	36	8-16	0-4	8-11	0	3	3	2	0	0	2	1	-11	24
Kendrick Perkins, C	29	6-12	0-0	2-2	2	7	9	0	0	1	4	4	-18	14
Ray Allen, SG	40	5-8	0-2	0-0	0	3	3	5	0	0	2	3	-9	10
Rajon Rondo, PG	35	2-4	0-1	0-2	1	3	4	9	1	0	3	3	-12	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Rasheed Wallace, FC	22	3-7	1-5	0-0	1	2	3	1	1	3	1	5	+3	7
Eddie House, PG	13	1-5	0-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	+1	2
Brian Scalabrine, PF	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-2	0
Marquis Daniels, SG	19	4-6	0-0	1-1	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	3	+2	9
Shelden Williams, PF	11	1-4	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	0	1	0	1	1	+2	2
J.R. Giddens, SG	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-2	0
Lester Hudson, G	1	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-2	0
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		36-73	1-15	13-19	6	23	29	20	6	4	15	23		86
		49.3%	06.7%	68.4%
Fast break points: 12 Points in the paint: 58 Team TO ( points off ): 15 (21)

Grampa Celtic on Nellie

Bob Ryan
11/19/2009

Mr. NBA was in town last night.

Well, he is. This was career game No. 3,380 as a player and coach for Don Nelson, and that’s No. 1 on the all-time list. He has been a part of the NBA since 1962.

We could concoct a pretty interesting list of all the “pre-this’’ and “pre-that’’ things that beginning 47 years ago would include, but one thing it might not encompass would be a more bizarre coaching circumstance than the one he finds himself in right now, when, thanks to injury (knees, wrists, shoulders, groin pulls), illness (the celebrated H1N1 business afflicting C.J. Watson), and just plain discontent (Stephen Jackson, dispatched, after much wrangling, to Charlotte), he finds himself in charge of a functioning unit that could fit safely inside a minivan.

The rules say you must dress eight players, and right now Nellie has precisely eight Golden State Warriors sufficiently healthy to participate in an NBA game. That’s eight out of 15, remember. Then again, when you’ve been coaching in this league since 1976, there usually is a precedent for just about everything, including arriving here with just eight available players. So it wasn’t a major shock when the Celtics prevailed by a 109-95 score.

“Actually, one of my favorite stories,’’ Nelson says. “One time when I was coaching in Milwaukee, we came here with just seven healthy guys, and Kevin Stacom came by the hotel to say hello. I said to him, ‘Got your sneakers?’ I signed him to a contract that afternoon and he played for us that night. Got 10 points, too. He stayed with us a couple of months and he played pretty well.’’

Let the record show that Stacom again stopped by Nellie’s hotel yesterday afternoon to pay his respects, but this time he left without a contract.

Nellie still has the baby face. But he’s 69 now, and it has been 33 years since we saw the last up-fake, the last fast-break trailer jumper, and the last shot-put free throw from No. 19. In the ensuing years, he has been a Buck, a Warrior (twice), a Knick, and a Maverick, so you wonder what he’s thinking each time he returns to the city where he spent 10-plus years, was an important part of five championship teams (who can forget The Bounce in ’69?), and was considered worthy of having his number retired.

“I can’t say I don’t have a few thoughts about the old days when I come to town,’’ he admits. “Usually someone comes by and we reminisce a little.’’

It still amazes and flatters him that his number stares down from the ceiling.

“I do think about how blessed I am,’’ he says. “I never thought enough of my game to have it warrant being a retired number. I never considered myself anything other than just a good ballplayer. But I guess there’s a couple of other schmoes up there, too. It’s a pretty important thing in a guy’s career. It’s one of the highlights of mine.’’

It would be hard to explain Nellie to a modern kid. They would have a hard time understanding how a 6-foot-6-inch guy with no discernible lift and nothing approaching speed could score more than 10,000 points, the bulk of the damage done with a 15-foot jumper, with an occasional layup, and, of course, some free throws. But he did.

Nellie was a marvel. Some nights it seemed as if he was always open. It didn’t hurt that the Celtics in his day were always a running team that featured a multilayered transition game whose final act was someone - Nelson or Dave Cowens, as a rule - entering the action as things appeared to be stalled before receiving a final pass leading to a 15- or 17-footer. What team plays like that now? The answer would be “nobody.’’

Nellie’s shooting seemed to improve as he got older. In the 1974-75 season, when he was 34 going on 35, he led the league in shooting percentage, nailing nearly 54 percent of his shots, a disproportionate amount of them midrange jumpers. The team had, in fact, no better pure shooter, and it was very much the custom of the day for the Celtics to call upon him to settle things down when trouble arose.

Say, for example, the lead had just gone from 10 to 2. Timeout, Boston, and when play resumed, the Celtics would run a “15’’ play for Nellie, who would slip behind the screen, nail the soft jumper, and the team would be off on a 12-4 run to put the game away.

Still not convinced? OK, how about a 10-for-10 playoff game against Buffalo?

Nellie was a classic old-time trickster. He was a devotee of a gummy substance known as “firm grip,’’ nicknamed “stickum,’’ which he would hide in adhesive tape wrapped around his left wrist or, following a New York Post pictorial exposé, under his shorts. With this gooey helper, he was able to embarrass young studs with the greatest up-fakes ever known to man. How he managed to shoot jumpers with this gunk on his fingers is a mystery lost to the ages.

As to how he got open so effortlessly, let’s just say he wasn’t averse to a timely shove or jersey grab. One night in Kansas City, he and fellow dinosaur Don Kojis were going at it all game, pushing, shoving, grabbing, and just generally having a rowdy old time. Someone asked legendary referee Richie Powers afterward if he had noticed what was going on. Sure, he said. Well? “Aw,’’ said Richie, “I figured they weren’t bothering anybody.’’

He’ll always be a Celtic to us, but it took a lot more nights with those other teams to put him in position to become Mr. NBA, the all-time participant. And with just 21 more wins he will have the big one. He will pass Lenny Wilkens as the NBA’s winningest coach when he gets No. 1,333. This, to him, is not, repeat not, a pleasant thought.

“First of all,’’ he says, “I’ve never had any individual goals. It’s not important to me. I’m very uncomfortable with this. Lenny is my idol and he should have the record.’’

The way things look for Nellie’s Warriors right now, Lenny will have the record for a few months, maybe more, maybe until next year.

VEGAS: Boston -8.5 at Home against Atlanta

LINK

Last night the Lakers pasted the Suns by 19. The Suns, of course, are the only team Boston has lost to this season. In that game against the Suns, Boston's defense looked hapless, allowing Phoenix to shoot 54% from 3 and 50% overall. Against the Lakers, the Suns shot 36% overall, including 34% from three. So LA's convincing win over Phoenix last night has to sting a little bit. At least I hope it does.

Tonight we play the Atlanta Hawks at home. Last year we swept the regular season series against the Hawks, much in the same way we did the regular-season series the year before, though last year's contests were a bit closer. Of course, there was the matter of that dramatic seven game playoff series between the Hawks and Celtics in between.

Atlanta will undertake another exercise in self-validation this evening, seeking to become the little engine that could among the NBA's elite. Their goal, no doubt, will be to keep the game close for 45 minutes, and then maybe steal a W at the end. Meanwhile, the Celtics will be out to prove that there 7-1 record is no fluke. The Lakers dusted the Hawks in LA earlier this season, winning by 8 without Pau Gasoft. Can the Celtics post a more decisive victory tonight at full-strength?

Meanwhile, the dreaded Fakers play Denver at McNichols (er, I mean the Pepsi Center, aka The Can), and the Nuggets are actually favored by 1. Should be interesting. I'll take the Zen Mistress and his Hollywood Band of Muss-and-Fussers plus the points.

LINK

Ain't No Back Flip from the Youngins

Really, I can’t make that comparison now because we are only about 8 or 9 games deep into the season, but this team definitely has the potential to be one of those great teams. We have young guys, they are willing to learn, they don’t give you no back flip and they don’t think they know everything. And then the veteran guys, of course, I don’t have to say too much about them. Everyone here, they want to win, they’re willing to win, they’re willing to learn how to win and no one places their ego in front of the team.

How important is it to you personally and the team as a group to be the best defensive team in the NBA? It’s real important. One of my things is defense wins championships, offense sells tickets. I don’t think we’re having any problems with trying to sell tickets with the guys on the team, so defense is definitely going to win championships.

--Sheed

The Love-In for Sheldoon Continues

Despite earning Rookie of the Month honors and leading all rookies in double-doubles during his first year in the league, he did not live up to the standards many had set for a lottery pick out of Duke. Now Williams is focused on helping the team that has given him another shot at establishing himself. He is averaging a career-high 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game with the Celtics.

“Honestly, [it's] just me going back to just going back being me. Hustle plays, running the floor, rebounding the basketball, playing defense, taking opportunities that are given to me and not just overdo things, overthink things, or try to do too much of anything,” he said. “It's more of a structured system [in Boston],” he added. “It's similar to being back at Duke. Things are run a certain way, things are expected to be run a certain way. Here everything is very structured. When anybody comes in, you know what your job is and what you have to do and it kind of makes everything else pretty much simple.”

Needless to say, this is a new experience for the 6-9 forward. “It's the most appreciated I felt in my four-year career,” he said.

LINK

Fitch Goes with 9-Man Rotation to Defeat Great 8

Game 4: Celtics 110, Lakers 95

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

January 30, 1983

Bill Fitch seems to think less is more. The Celtics have beaten two good teams (Phoenix Friday and LA yesterday) and the Boston coach used only nine players in each game (Robert Parish, Larry Bird, Cornbread Maxwell, Tiny Archibald, Danny Ainge, Kevin McHale, Quinn Buckner, ML Carr, and Gerald Henderson). Granted, Rick Robey is returning from back problems and will need time to get ready, but Scott Wedman and Charles Bradley haven't played a minute since the Bullets left Boston last Wednesday.

The Lakers are a good example of this system at its best. LA came to town with a seven-game winning streak and a 34-8 record, and coach Pat Riley will tell you that the toughest decision he's had to make all year is his commitment to using only eight of his 12 players.

Playing time in Boston has been a big question mark since the acquisition of Wedman earlier this month, but the situation will resolve itself if certain people never rise fromthe pine. Wedman is making more money than anyone on the team, and it's unlikely Fitch will get any grief from the 30-year-old veteran. Bradley isn't in a very good position to argue, either. Fitch insists that all 12 can contribute, but it is clear that a few people are going to pile up some DNP's unless injuries hit the team.

MISC
When Parish walked toward his cubicle after yesterday's victory, Kevin McHale announced to the assembled masses: "Right there is the best center in all of basketball." . . . M. L. Carr ended the first half yesterday with a crowd-pleasing steal and dunk to push the Celtics to a 60-50 lead . . . The Celtics outrebounded the Lakers, 53-43, and took 106 shots to LA's 88 . . . Jabbar scored 16 in the first half, but was held to one rebound . . . Bird had five steals to go along with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Meanwhile, Magic had 14 points, 2 steals, 9 rebounds and 10 assists. Also, Bird caused only one turnover compared with Magic's eight. Parish blocked three shots . . . It was the 98th consecutive sellout at the Garden .

Parish and Jabbar Renew Rivalry

Game 4: Celtics 110, Lakers 95

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

January 30, 1983

When the smoke cleared, neither Robert Parish nor Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could claim a clear-cut victory after waging war in the trenches. But each had a direct bearing on the Celtics' 110-95 victory over the Lakers. When 7-foot-4 Jabbar was throwing in skyhooks in the first half, the Lakers seemed awesome even though their running game wasn't smooth. Jabbar scored 16 of his game- high 27 points in the half.

Boston, however, took the lead and ran away in the second half because Parish, who finished with 24 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, performed in ways that don't always fit neatly in the box score. "Parish didn't have a particularly good game against me today," said Jabbar. "But the thing that I think makes him an outstanding center is that he fits in so well and plays well with the people around him.

"He's very aggressive and makes you work for your shots. He ran very well, especially in the transition game, and did a good job of rebounding. Night after night, he is one of the better centers in the NBA." Parish, then, was a cog in the Celtics' offense and defense. But Jabbar, who has been throwinto the NBA in 1969 as Lew Alcindor with Milwaukee, was a mixed blessing for Los Angeles. For, once again, when what is a running club has to go inside to the big guy, it played half-court basketball.

Said Laker coach Pat Riley: "We missed a lot of easy opportunities. Seven, eight layups that we normally make. We're a running team and a finesse team; and a lot of times most of our offense is two options before we go to Kareem. They (the Celtics) did a good job. They're one of the best defensive teams in the league. It was their game, not ours."

The Parish- Jabbar rivalry was worth the price of admission. They faced each other regularly when Parish played at Golden State before coming to Boston. He called yesterday's meeting with Jabbar "seven years of flashbacks." "Kareem is still the best in the business," said Parish. "After 14 years in the NBA, he may be up in age, but when he gets it rolling, he's still unstoppable. The only thing you can do is push him farther out on the floor each time and hope he misses. You make a mistake and he gets position, and he's awesome.

"He really had a good game going early and was running, too, which surprised me, because I was helping out on the rebounds. I had to stop helping out so much and, fortunately, we got more pressure from our guards that helped take them out of their game. Kareem began to miss some of those hook shots, and that helped," added Parish.

At halftime, Jabbar had only one rebound and Parish had eight. Kurt Rambis (seven rebounds) had taken up the slack inside for Los Angeles. A 12-4 blitz in the final 3:40 of the first half accounted for the 60-50 Celtic lead. "They pressured everybody," said Jabbar. "We weren't getting any cuts to the lane. We flew all day to get here after playing Friday in LA. But we can't dwell on that. They played well and they won."

The Celtics, in fact, won in a breeze. In the second half, Parish was a tower of strength in the middle, while the Lakers stumbled and eventually fell behind by as much as 24 points in the third quarter. Boston's aggressive defense, particularly in the passing lanes, not only halted the Lakers' running game but rendered Jabbar's devastating hook ineffective.

"We did a good job of running in the second half," said Parish. "And against Los Angeles, you have to control the boards, because if you don't, they'll run right past you. While it's true we play them only twice, it's good that we won today. We play them again in two weeks, and we definitely wanted to leave them with an impression."

Parish broke into a big smile when it was suggested that his performance yesterday proved he had, at last, become the best center in the NBA. "A lot of people think I'm the No. 1 center. But that depends mainly on who is doing the choosing. Remember, there's a fellow name Moses Malone who also has to be considered," said Parish.

Larry v. Magic: Celtics Dominate the So-Called Great 8

Game 4: Celtics 110, Lakers 95

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

January 30, 1983

As a warmup for You Know What, it was better than watching "Three Dialogues On Nuclear War" (Ch. 2), "Follow The Boys" (Ch. 25), or "Antiques in America" (Ch. 36).Granted, it wasn't as close as the folks at CBS would have liked, and several of the predicted dream matchups failed to materialize, but local folks found nothing lacking in the Celtics 110-95 thrashing of the world champion Los Angeles Lakers yesterday at the Garden.

Many conclusions will be drawn and every detail will be magnified and dissected. Hoopologists nationwide will nod sagely and surmise that Boston now will have an edge should the Celtics and Lakers meet in the championship final. It will be noted that Robert Parish (24 points) outrebounded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 18-6; Larry Bird outscored Magic Johnson, 21-14, and Boston's bench outscored the LA's, 33-22.

However, when all of the above is forgotten, the single lasting effect of this game may be the resurrection of Tiny Archibald as Boston's explosive, if not totally content, substitute point guard. He scored only seven points yesterday, but his play pushed the Celtics to a 24-point, third-quarter lead. Let's put it this way: With Tiny on the floor, the Celtics outscored the Lakers, 85-56. When Tiny wasn't playing, LA beat Boston, 39-25. He handed out a season-high 15 assists and took away LA's greyhound transition game. Parish, Bird, Kevin McHale (16 points, 11 rebounds), Cedric Maxwell (16 points) and Danny Ainge (12 points) all played well.

But, when it was over, everyone knew that Tiny was The Man. After watching his floundering teammates give numerous transition layups, Archibald came in with 2:34 left in the first quarter with the Celtics trailing, 23-20. Everything clicked after that. Archibald dished off six assists, Maxwell came off the bench to score 12 in the second quarter, and M. L. Carr shut down Jamaal Wilkes (20 points) as the Celtics went on a 10-2 run before the half to take a 60-50 lead at intermission.

Archibald started the second half (a rare departure from Bill Fitch's guard platoon system), and the Celtics blew out to a 91-67 lead. Bird (21) scored 15 in the third quarter."We played pretty good defense on them and didn't allow them to get into their transition game," said Archibald. "Plus, I thought they were a little fatigued by then (Pat Riley used only eight players)." The thrill was gone by the fourth quarter. The Lakers never got closer than 12 (102-90 with 4:01 left), and Archibald came back to eat up the clock in the closing minutes. Archibald bouquets were flying in both locker rooms.

Bill Fitch: "Tiny's job is so important, you know, running the show and so forth, and he withstood the pressure really well. Have you ever gone to Las Vegas and known you had loaded dice and were waiting for the right time to get to the table? That's the way I feel with Tiny."

Larry Bird: "It was one of the best games I've seen Tiny play. He was waiting for the defense to commit before throwing it to the open man. When you do that, you can destroy a team. It's good to see him back and confident."

Pat Riley: "Tiny's just a great player. He's got a heart as big as the Grand Canyon. He can play as long as he wants. He certainly had a big impact on this game."

Magic Johnson: "He makes the defense do one thing or another, and whatever you do is wrong."

The 34-year-old Archibald hasn't started since spraining his thumb in the eighth game of the season. He won't say he's happy coming off the bench, but has seemed much more comfortable with the substitute role in the last week. He had only two assists in 66 minutes against Chicago and Cleveland, but has come back with strong games against Washington, Phoenix and LA. He has the potential to be Fitch's biggest headache, or the Celtics' second-half secret weapon.

Asked about his reserve role, he said: "I don't think anyone is comfortable in the reserve role. "I'd like to be starting, but I'm adjusting . . . In the long run, maybe it will help me become a better coach. I watch the guys at the start, and I watch the flow of the game."

Larry v. Magic: NBA Still Struggling for a National Audience

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

Preview for Game 4

January 30, 1983

It's Super Sunday, Lakers-Celtics and the NBA on CBS . . . finally.

It's nice that the network will showcase two of the league's centerfold teams today, but it hurts to note that after today's telecast, the NBA on CBS will virtually vanish until playoff time. The network has determined that Sunday pro basketball is not what the public wants in these months between the end of football and the beginning of baseball.

Ouch. It's scary to think that the network might be right. This may be a classic case of not giving the people what they don't want. Cable and local outlets satisfy the needs of rabid fans in Boston, Seattle, Portland, LA and other NBA hotbeds. Meanwhile, here's what they'll get in Dubuque: Celtics-Lakers today; the All-Star game in LA on Feb. 13; Philadelphia at New Jersey, March 6; Seattle at LA, April 15, and Philadelphia at Boston, April 17. From there, the network is committed to televising 22 playoff games.

Also, it appears that the network still thinks the NBA is full of Not Ready For Prime Time Players. CBS expects to air the championship series live, but as many as seven Wednesday and Friday night playoff games are scheduled for 11:30 EST, which means either West Coast games or tape delays. This is the first year of a four-year, $22 million contract between the NBA and CBS. It should be pointed out, however, that the $5.5 million that will be paid in the 1985-86 season is the same dollar figure that was paid for the 1981-82 season. And we're all too familiar with what happens to a dollar over five years.

"We're not at all unhappy with the contract," insists David Stern, right- hand man to commissioner Larry O'Brien and the NBA's liaison with CBS. "We're satisfied with it." "By next year," Stern points out, "we expect 20 of 23 franchises to be tied into some kind of regional cable deal. I think it's fair to say that the NBA is the pro sport most intensely involved with cable."

Cable is nice for those who follow the league and can afford the product, but it won't do anything to promote the league nationally. Only network TV can reach masses of impressionable sports fans in non-NBA, noncable towns. A pro league needs a network to attract and maintain future generations of fans and remain in the national spotlight

Larry v. Magic: Celtics have a Date with the So-Called "Great 8"

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

Preview for Game 4

January 29, 1983

At long last, a legitimate glamour game. When the Celtics take the floor in front of the usual 15,320 (and a rare national television audience), there'll be no faceless Pacers, no boring Bulls and no dissonant Jazz cluttering the visitors' bench. The NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers play their only regular-season game in Boston today (1 p.m., Ch. 7). The guys in royal purple and gold need little introduction. The same star-studded unit that steamrolled to the NBA title (12-2 in the playoffs) last spring is off to a 34-8 start.

Far West fans have taken to calling these Lakers the Great Eight. This is in reference, of course, to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes, Kurt Rambis, Bob McAdoo, Michael Cooper and James Worthy - arguably the greatest collection of basketball talent ever assembled. Phoenix Suns coach John MacLeod, whose team owns two victories over the Lakers this season, said Friday: "The most impressive thing about the Lakers is that . . . they sacrifice their individual wants for the sake of the team. When you have that, you've got a bear on your hands."

The Lakers have won 61 of their last 75 regular-season and postseason games. Either Johnson or Nixon (no relation to the two who ran for vice president in 1960) can lead the break and orchestrate from the point; Wilkes is still Mr. Silkience; Rambis is the prototype unselfish up-front banger, and Abdul-Jabbar is still Kareem after all these years. Larry Bird knows what Cooper can do; McAdoo is a one-time Celtic, three-time scoring champ who has found his niche, and Worthy has been a sensational rookie.

The Lakers beat the Celtics, 119-113, in Boston last February, but the Celtics won in the Inglewood Forum, 108-103, a week later. Will the outcome of this game mean anything if these teams meet in the playoffs? "By then, anything you had in mind is forgotten," says Lakers coach Pat Riley. "You've changed things, and they've changed things." Which is not to say this will be just another afternoon in the interminable NBA regular season. "Let's make it a hell of a game," Riley says. "Why not? Let's make it a great game for a lot of people.

"Boston's size and inside game have done us in in the past," says Riley. "I think we do have an advantage in the backcourt, but they can go to their bench to (M.L.) Carr and (Charles) Bradley." . . . Neither Bradley nor Scott Wedman played in Friday's 111-104 victory over the Suns . . . Robert Parish played 43 minutes against Phoenix - his longest stint of the season . . . Since a curious two-game stretch in which he had only two assists in 66 minutes, Tiny Archibald has handed out 21 assists in three games . . . The Celtics have won 12 of 14.

There’s very little on this team that surprises Garnett. But then there’s the case of Shelden Williams, who continues to make the most of his ninth man role. Last night, Williams had six points, six rebounds and a block. He’s also second to Paul Pierce [stats] in attempted (31) and made (27) free throws. He’s second only to Ray Allen with a .871 free throw percentage. Eddie House is shooting 1.000, but has taken only four free throws.

“I don’t think anybody anticipated his work ethic, and how he’s able to keep rebounding and (producing) within the small minutes he plays,” said Garnett. “He’s rebounding, he’s keeping balls alive, he’s perfect for this team. He’s that livewire we need, especially with Glen (Davis) being out. He came in and filled the void that was lost for a second.”

LINK

Celtics Keep Rolling (7-1)

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 126, Pistons 118
Record: 7-1
11/12/1983

BOSTON

You can find flaws if you look hard enough. The Celtics refuse to bury opponents. They have a philanthropic streak that inspires them to let beaten teams back into ballgames. They also have yet to score 140 points or hold an opponent under 60. While we're at it, let's mention that Brooke Shields could use a few pounds, and that it would be nice if Michael Jackson would learn the slide trombone.

The Green Team's giddy glide through November continued at Boston Garden last night. On the strength of a 39-point performance by Larry Joe Bird, the Celtics beat the Detroit Pistons, 126-118, avenging their opening night beating in the Silverdome and extending their winning streak to seven games. They did all of this on the strength of a 45-31 first quarter in which they vaporized the visitors, hitting 19 of 24 floor shots.

The margin was down to 12 at the half, and Detroit actually took a one- point lead in the third, but Bird, Robert Parish (28, 12 rebounds) and Kevin McHale (23, 12 rebounds) refused to crumble to the Detroit wheels this time. Boston's treetop trio combined for a whopping 90 points and 32 rebounds while hitting 35 of 52 floor shots (67 percent). "They played like they want to win a world championship," said Detroit coach Chuck Daly. "Bird had a classic game, and they just ran it down our throats. They had revenge on their minds."

Bird was particularly accurate. Playing both forward and guard, he had 16 in the first quarter, 22 at halftime and 33 after three periods. When Kelly (Scarface) Tripucka (26 points) led the Pistons back into it, Bird and his sidekicks, Parish and McHale, were there to answer. "When you get in trouble, you want to go with your power, especially down the stretch," said Celtic coach K.C. Jones. "That's why we went with Larry in the backcourt and kept trying to get the ball down low." The fourth-quarter surge should have been for the benefit of Greg and Carlos Clark. Boston's first-half explosion should have buried the Pistons.

Gerald Henderson scored 11 in the first six minutes as the Celtics burst to a 27-12 lead. Think about that: 27 points in six minutes would mean 216 points in 48 minutes. When the quarter was over, the Celts led, 45-31, and already had three players in double figures. "All around, I'd say it was our best quarter of the season," said Parish. Detroit's Isiah Thomas (27, eight assists) didn't get untracked until the second quarter. His running mate, Tripucka, waited until the second half, but had an excuse. He suffered a 10-stitch cut Tuesday and wore goggles throughout the first quarter. Tripucka was no Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with goggles. His game improved markedly when he discarded the protection.

A Scott Wedman jumper before halftime gave the Celtics their biggest lead, 67-50. Detroit trimmed the deficit to a dozen by intermission and roared to a short-lived lead in the third quarter. The Celtics were at their giveaway worst in the opening minutes of the third. Boston players stood around and admired Thomas and Co. for six minutes after halftime. In that stretch, Detroit outscored Boston, 21-9, and when Tripucka hit a jumper from the left corner, Detroit had its only lead, 80-79, with 6:03 left in the third.

Parish got the lead back on a followup, the start of a 6-0 Celtic run. A jumper out top by Bird made it 85-80. With Bird and Parish taking charge, the Celts went on another roll and managed to push their lead back to 102-89 by the end of the quarter. In the fourth, Detroit got to within six with 3:48 left, but McHale responded with three consecutive baskets to give the Celtics a 122-110 lead and the ballgame. "We've been losing leads like this all season long," noted Bird, who had 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks to go along with his 39 points. "Hopefully we won't keep doing it in the future. "If we were playing a team like Philadelphia, Milwaukee or New York, we wouldn't be so lucky," he said. "It seems that when we have a lead, we have lapses on defense and they come back on us."

8-1: Celtics 105, Jazz 86

Jazz 86, Celtics 105

Recap Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart Photos Conversation

	1	2	3	4	T
UTH (3-5)	23	21	18	24	86
BOS (8-1)	28	26	30	21	105

Final

7:30 PM ET, November 11, 2009

TD Garden

Boston, MA

UTAH JAZZ
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Andrei Kirilenko, F	35	6-13	0-1	0-0	4	0	4	2	1	0	3	0	-11	12
Carlos Boozer, PF	27	5-7	0-0	0-0	0	2	2	3	0	1	4	4	-20	10
Mehmet Okur, C	25	3-8	0-1	3-4	2	1	3	2	2	1	4	3	-16	9
Deron Williams, PG	33	5-11	0-2	3-5	4	3	7	4	0	0	3	1	-21	13
Ronnie Brewer, SG	36	6-14	0-3	1-3	0	1	1	3	1	0	2	1	-18	13
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Paul Millsap, PF	23	3-8	0-0	3-4	5	8	13	0	1	0	1	4	-5	9
Wes Matthews, G	25	2-6	0-3	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	-9	4
Eric Maynor, PG	15	3-7	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	4	0	0	2	1	+2	6
Kyrylo Fesenko, C	15	1-2	0-0	2-2	0	4	4	0	1	1	2	4	+1	4
Kosta Koufos, C	6	3-3	0-0	0-0	2	2	4	0	0	0	0	1	+2	6
Kyle Korver, SG	DNP LEFT KNEE SURGERY
Ronnie Price, PG	DNP SPRAINED LEFT BIG TOE
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		37-79	0-10	12-18	17	22	39	18	7	3	21	20		86
		46.8%	00.0%	66.7%
Fast break points: 2 Points in the paint: 46 Team TO ( points off ): 21 (25) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Kevin Garnett, PF	26	7-10	0-1	4-4	0	4	4	1	2	0	0	3	+13	18
Paul Pierce, SF	32	4-7	3-5	2-2	2	4	6	6	3	0	2	2	+18	13
Kendrick Perkins, C	26	4-9	0-0	2-2	3	5	8	2	0	0	2	1	+17	10
Ray Allen, SG	32	6-8	1-3	2-2	0	0	0	4	0	0	2	1	+21	15
Rajon Rondo, PG	31	7-11	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	11	2	0	4	0	+20	14
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Rasheed Wallace, FC	22	5-12	2-7	0-0	1	0	1	1	0	1	0	1	+6	12
Eddie House, PG	18	2-7	1-2	0-0	0	2	2	1	0	1	3	3	+1	5
Marquis Daniels, SG	21	3-5	0-0	4-6	1	2	3	3	0	0	0	1	+3	10
Shelden Williams, PF	20	2-5	0-0	2-2	4	2	6	1	0	1	2	4	+4	6
J.R. Giddens, SG	4	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bill Walker, SG	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-4	0
Lester Hudson, G	6	1-2	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	-4	2
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		41-77	7-19	16-18	12	21	33	30	7	3	15	17		105
		53.2%	36.8%	88.9%
Fast break points: 12 Points in the paint: 52 Team TO ( points off ): 15 (16)

Boston -12

With four losses against the spread in their last five, the Boston Celtics will return to the pay window at home on Wednesday night when they host the Utah Jazz. Our Tuesday night NBA selection is on the Boston Celtics minus the points on their home court over the Utah Jazz.

Paul PierceThe Celts opened the season with three straight wins and covers, by an average victory margin of 22.3 points, and an average cover of 16.8 ppg. But Boston has dropped four of its last five ATS, including three in a row. That trend should reverse itself tonight, as Boston has had the last three days off, and the Celtics are 30-20 ATS their last 50 with at least three days' of rest.

Doc Rivers' crew is playing incredible defense, and Boston leads the league in points allowed at 84.4 ppg. Utah is a poor 44-70 ATS its last 114 on the road, including 22-45 ATS vs. a foe that's not off a SU/ATS loss. Lay the points with Boston.

LINK

McHale Thriving in 6th Man Role

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 6-1
11/11/1983

The smile on Kevin McHale's face says a lot. His contract hassles are a thing of the past. He no longer feels inhibited in a Celtics offense that is imaginative and allows him to take advantage of all his skills. McHale seems to be having a ball coming off the bench for the Celtics, either as backup center to Robert Parish or backup power forward to Larry Bird. Backup, perhaps, isn't the right word. For, what McHale is doing is a reincarnation of the traditional Celtics "sixth man" principle, with a slight twist that has given the concept a new meaning.

The role was made famous by legendary Celtics Frank Ramsey and John Havlicek, both swingmen who could play either guard or forward with equal dexterity. In the '70s, the Celtics hung the tag on inside players Don Nelson and Paul Silas, because they also could play two positions. But both had liabilities no matter where they played. Nelson, a guard-forward, could shoot but not jump. Silas, a forward-center, could hold his own underneath against anybody, but some nights needed radar for a layup.

McHale is a combination of Nelson and Silas, but taller. His current role is ideal, with his college training and overall talents. McHale played forward for two years at the University of Minnesota because the Gophers had Mychal Thompson, now with the Portland Trail Blazers, playing center. McHale then shifted to strictly a center, until he became a swingman in his senior year because of Randy Breuer, now a reserve center with Milwaukee. The fact that McHale stands 6 feet 10, weighs 225 pounds and is willing to gallop with the Celtics' greyhounds fits in with what coach K. C. Jones wants to accomplish on both offense and defense.

Ramsey and Havlicek created mismatches with their size and speed. McHale accomplishes the same thing inside. He is strong enough to overpower many forwards who cannot stop his hook shots and other inside moves. Because he is basically a finesse player, big centers can muscle McHale. But he makes them pay for it, because he can also hit the jump shot, particularly the fade-away variety that only the pure shot blockers can reach, because of his unusually long arms.

"He's just like Ramsey and Havlicek" said Jones, "in that he can play two positions and score and play defense in both of them. But he gives us an added dimension in that he is a shot blocker and intimidator. "The thing I like most about him is that he gives us options. Coming off the bench, I can use him in various combinations, either with (Larry) Bird or (Robert) Parish."

McHale has been itching to play this kind of role for the Celtics since he arrived. But it was not possible as long as the Celtics had a legitimate backup center in Rick Robey. As a rookie, McHale averaged only 20.6 minutes. The next year, he averaged 28.4 minutes, alternating mostly with Cedric Maxwell at forward. Last year, he played 28.5 minutes a game, as former coach Bill Fitch began to use Robey less. Jones eliminated the middle man, and McHale is averaging 29 minutes for the first seven games. Rookie Greg Kite, the other center, has been in only one game.

"I do feel I can do more with my game," said McHale. "In the past, I've been inhibited somewhat by what we were trying to accomplish, but now I can go either inside or outside, depending upon the situation. I feel real comfortable. "I know it sounds corny, but I can't do any of this without my teammates. None of us are one-on-one players, and we need help to get a shot off. They're pressing and working hard to get the ball up the court. They make sure I get it in a position from which I can score."

McHale's thought reflects a basic philosophy, which he says is a return to a style of play that the club used often in winning the NBA title in 1980. "We fast break a lot because of the pressure," said McHale. "And that's where we get so many of our points. It's up to us big men to get out and run and get in position. That way, even if the break doesn't go, we're in a spot to do some damage."

MISC

The Celtics will be seeking their seventh straight victory and a measure of revenge tonight (7:30) in facing the Detroit Pistons at the Garden. The Pistons (3-3) handed Boston (6-1) its only defeat in the season opener in Detroit. Wednesday night, the Pistons stunned defending champion Philadelphia at home, 120-116. "We've got to be ready," said Jones. "They'll come here confident after beating us three times last year, and once already this year in Detroit. They ought to be feeling pretty good after beating Philadelphia. We've got our work cut out for us." . . . M.L. Carr has been in 500 NBA games, but he says he should also be credited for the 74 games he played in the old ABA with St. Louis.

Rondo Needs to be Boston's D.Wade

I've been holding off on posting this piece for a few days, mostly to let the dust settle after the Celtics last couple of games, but also to digest what various members of Gang Green have had to say about themselves and the team. What I'm hearing is this: age will occasionally be a factor this season (when lots of games are played over a short period), and so will motivation (because the playoffs don't start for a long time). Both problems will manifest themselves in sluggish performances, which, in turn, will mean a few losses here and there.

Whatever. I've only got two regular season games circled on my calendar, and my only other goal is to stay healthy. Well, I do have one other goal, and I'd say it's kind of important. I want Rajon Rondo to start playing like he's D.Wade.

Some of you, no doubt, will reply that this is the most ridiculous thing I've written, and given the number of ridiculous things I've posted on this site, that would take some doing. But I like this idea. Really.

Sure, Rajon Rondo can't shoot very well from outside, and D.Wade can. I'm not denying this. But, you know, Rajon does shoot well from outside occasionally, and when he does, he should shoot even more. Even when he's suffering a poor shooting night, I want him to stay aggressive on the offensive end. Rondo may not be a shooter, but he's definitely a scorer, a scorer who's shooting .594 for the year. Rondo should start each game thinking that he needs to wreak havoc on both ends of the floor. On offense this means, driving the lane, crashing the boards, and moving without the ball.

Rondo should presume the Celtics need the maximum possible effort from him every game. If we take a huge lead in the first quarter, he can ease off the accelerator a bit. But if Rondo playing the instigator and the igniter are the only things separating the Celtics from another lethargic performance in which we fall behind early and play ugly-ball for three and a half quarters before attempting to steal victory from the jaws of defeat, then Rondo needs to be prepared to put it into overdrive from the git-go.

A couple of potential problems I see with my idea.

OBJECTION #1: The starters won't be able to keep up with Rondo for four quarters. Possible. Three of the starters are getting long in tooth. On the other hand, Rondo's elevated level of play might just energize the senior members, which is exactly the outcome I want.

OBJECTION #2: Rondo might wear himself out before the playoffs. At age 23 and in the best physical condition of his career, Rondo should be ready to go balls to the walls for a good 36 minutes every night. No need to pace himself, a la Paul Pierce.

The one thing I do know for sure is that Rondo has a good-sized ego, and one way to placate it is by performing like an All-Star as frequently as possible. So Rondo should welcome the opportunity to kick it up a notch, unless, of course, he doesn't have another gear, which brings me to the next possible problem with my idea.

OBJECTION #3: Rondo can't play in another gear consistently. His stellar play only comes in fits and spurts. I'm not buying this retort. From what I've gathered, the only thing holding back Rondo is Rondo. He gets a little too down on himself when things aren't going well, and thereby takes himself out of a leading role during important junctures of important games or during important junctures of unimportant games.

Rondo seems to me the classic superstar, a player who can turn it on at will. If anything, Rondo appears to struggle attempting to conform his greatness to the team concept. I don't think we'll have to wonder about this too long, though, as I expect to see more and more of Rondo asserting himself as November turns to December, and Doc finds that as Rondo goes so goes the team.

I'm looking forward to it.

Walton Gets the Night Off

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 129, Clippers 122
Record: 6-1
11/10/1983

Bill Walton was on the bench for San Diego, but don't get the idea that he is hurt again, or happy about the fact he wasn't playing against the Celtics last night. Walton's night off is all part of a plan that the Clippers hope will get them into the expanded NBA playoffs this year. Walton did not play because last night was the second of back-to-back games. San Diego has 19 such pairings, seven in November.

James Donaldson, acquired from Seattle, started at center and had 13 points and three rebounds. Jerome Whitehead was the backup and had 16 points and eight rebounds. Clippers coach Jim Lynam made the move because he isn't sure Walton's oft- injured feet can take the pounding of games on usccessive nights yet. But he feels if San Diego gets to a playoff, it will be because Walton would have played in 60 games, something he has done only once - when he led Portland to the NBA title in the 1976-77 season.

Walton approves of the plan, even though he wanted to play in the Garden. He said his left foot, which has been a question mark for the last two years, does not bother him at all, and surgery seems to have corrected the problems he had last season with his right foot. "Right now," said Walton, "I feel very good. Last year, I didn't even know if I could play basketball, coming out once or twice a week. This year, I know I can play, and will be in 3-4 games a week."

MISC

Former Celtic Don Chaney returned to the Garden as an assistant to Lynam, who is also no stranger to this parts, having coached college ball at Fairfield . . . Veteran forward M. L. Carr played in his 500th career game . . . Clippers forward Terry Cummings was dynamite. "He has a lean-back jumper that couldn't be stopped, and if you play him tight, he'll go around you and dunk," said Jones.

Fourth-Quarter Run Propels Celts (6-1) over San Diego

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 129, Clippers 122
Record: 6-1
11/10/1983

If the pieces fall together just right, they should finally be able to join the elite of the NBA's Pacific Division. With or without Bill Walton, the San Diego Clippers have a blend of talent capable of running with the very best around. But they still must learn to pay the price of excellence that enabled the Celtics to break away in the fourth quarter and roll to their sixth straight victory, 129-122, last night before another sellout crowd at the Garden.

The Clippers got a 37-point night from second-year man Terry Cummings. But they found out a one-man show could not overcome the superior depth of the Celtics, as Kevin McHale (27 points) and Larry Bird (25) led a stampede of players in double figures. Gerry Henderson had 18 points to go along with Robert Parish's 16 and Cedric Maxwell's 15. San Diego scrapped and fought against the Celtics for three quarters to trail by only six points, 96-90. But at the start of the fourth period, the Celtics put on a defensive blitz, spearheaded by Quinn Buckner and Maxwell, and the Clippers never recovered from a 14-4 run that put them behind by 16 points.

Only a fourth-quarter lapse by Boston, as San Diego forced turnovers and cut the lead to five points (125-120), made the final score close. "That's the way it is with a club like Boston," said San Diego coach Jim Lynam. "Their big men keep coming after you time after time. Their big men run the court consistently and wear you down by paying the price. I'll bet Robert Parish ran the floor 25 times and only got the ball once. But all their big men run and their guards always seem to look for them." The fourth-quarter spurt started with two Buckner baskets. After a layup by Bird, Maxwell had a run of six points, four on layups. No one Celtic seemed to rattle the Clippers. But everyone seemed to be a part of the pressure defense that can be devasting.

"It starts with the guards," said Bird. "They put on the pressure to us (forwards), and we try to force whoever has the ball down to Robert. When we can do that, it's easy, because he's so tough inside. All we have to do is rebound. "We're playing good defense right now. But we could be better. We still make too many turnovers. We get up by 14-16 points and then let down. What we'd like to do is get up by 20-25 points and then bury a team."

The Clippers, sans Walton - who is not playing on consecutive nights and sat on the bench in street clothes - had no intention of being buried by the Celtics. In fact, San Diego led in the first period by six points twice, 14-8 and 26-20, before trailing at the quarter, 37-31. It seemed a good sign when McHale came off the bench and went on a 12- point binge that kept the Celtics ahead early in the second period. But backup center Jerome Whitehead was even tougher to defend than the suddenly tenacious James Donaldson, who replaced Walton as the starter.

Whitehead scored 14 of his 16 points in the second period. San Diego tied the game at 57-57 and pulled to within two points at 65-63 before Parish sank two free throws to give Boston a 67-63. Play got a little meaner in the third period, as substitute officials Tommy Wood and Mike Krom had to blow their whistles often to prevent bloodshed. San Diego fell behind by nine at 86-77, but pulled to within 96-90 after three quarters.

But after that, the Celtics' defense made the outcome academic. It didn't hurt their cause that they shot 45 free throws and sank 36, compared to 18 of 24 for San Diego. But that's another price teams pay when they come to the Garden. "When you play good defense and have people inside who can take advantage of the other team," said Celtics coach K.C. Jones, "either you do it or you stay home. We got the job done tonight, but I'm impressed with San Diego. They're a new club and they run the fast break better than most teams in the league right now."

Walton Iffy for San Diego Game

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 5-1
11/9/1983

The San Diego Clippers are headed for Boston, which means that Norm Nixon and Terry Cummings make their only 1982-83 Garden appearance tonight. Bill Walton played against the Bullets in Wasington last night, so you probably won't see him on the parquet tonight. The big redhead doesn't usually play two games in two days. He wanted to play in Boston rather than Washington, but coach Jim Lynham decided the Clippers had a better chance of beating the Bullets. Even though he is unlikely to play, Walton has been medically cleared to play two straight nights if he desires.

Celtics assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers was in Washington scouting the Clippers. "We know they're running like hell with (Norm) Nixon leading the way," said K. C. Jones. "Walton is one of the greatest I've ever seen. If he does play, hopefully he'll be very tired. Cummings has been taking some wild shots, but they're going in. Max (Cedric Maxwell) will probably be on him. It's going to be tough, because we haven't had time to prepare and they had a couple of more hours sleep than we did."

KG Making Most of Limited Minutes

KG's Rookie Year
November 30, 1995

A bench manned by four rookies and two veterans contributed a season-high 49 points in the Timberwolves' 121-98 victory over Vancouver on Tuesday. Guard Micheal Williams led the subs with 18 points, and the reserves, as a group, sparked a dominant final quarter in which the Wolves outscored the Grizzlies 38-18. After losing nine of their first 10 games, the Timberwolves finally have their first winning streak.

Minnesota shot 60 percent Sunday, and the past two games are the only times the Wolves have made at least as many shots as they missed. The 121 points are a season-high, surpassing Sunday's 105 total. The Timberwolves started clicking in the second quarter when Laettner scored six points and rookie Kevin Garnett came off the bench for five points, plus a couple of rebounds, two steals, a block and one assist during his short first-half stint. Minnesota headed to the locker room with a 59-52 lead. Garnett finished the game with nine points and seven rebounds.

Celtics (5-1) Edge Pacers on Parish Buzzer-Beater

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 99, Pacers 97
Record: 5-1
11/9/1983

Once more a winner in his Hoosier Hoop Holy Land, Larry Bird embraced Robert Parish the way baseball pitchers jump into catchers' arms after the final out of the World Series. Could this have been merely a November victory over the Indiana Pacers? Indeed. With time running out and the score tied, 97-97, Kevin McHale missed his patented turnaround jumper. Parish fought for the rebound, and shoveled the ball into the basket. The buzzer sounded and the Celtics were 99-97 winners. Bird looked like Rick Dempsey, leaping into Parish's arms while a numbstruck 14,935 watched in silent fury.

"I was fighting their guy (Steve Stipanovich) for it," said Parish (16 points, 11 rebounds). "I tipped it, then he tipped it, then I was able to come up with the ball. I wasn't even trying to make the shot. I just threw it up on the glass and it kind of hung there for a while before it fell through." The dramatic final seconds somewhat obscured another virtuoso Indiana performance by Bird, not to mention Herb Williams' 32-point (14 in the final period) effort for the Pacers.

Their fifth straight triumph gave the Celtics the best record in basketball and reaffirmed the suspicion that for all the wealth and fame his game has brought him, nothing makes Larry Joe Bird happier than playing well for the folks back home. "It means more to me to win here," admitted Bird. "I think I want the ball more and the guys know that. It's just a great feeling to play well here. I definitely don't want to let anybody down."

He didn't. In addition to seven assists and nine rebounds, Bird scored 26 points, including 14 in the pivotal third quarter when it looked like the Celtics had put away the pesky Pacers. Remember that Bird averaged 32 in five games against Indiana last year (including a 53-point game for the ages) and had 31 in last Friday's Garden party against Indiana.

The game had been tied 18 times in the first half, when neither team had led by more than four. Then Bird led the Celts to a 30-16 third-quarter advantage. He scored four quick ones and had two steals and two assists as the Celts opened the third with a 10-2 run to take a 60-52 lead. The Pacers closed to within six, before Bird resumed his show. Sir Larry canned two free throws and two more bombs, then fed Gerald Henderson for a bucket to complete an 8-0 run that made it 70-56. The 14-point lead held up through three (80-66) when Bird found Danny Ainge underneath before the buzzer.

With Williams doing a reasonable impersonation of Elgin Baylor, Indiana worked its way back into the ballgame at the start of the fourth. As Bird turned cold, Williams took charge, scoring 10 straight and 12 of 14 for the Pacers. The Celtics' lead melted. Williams hit a jump hook over McHale with 1:29 left, pulling Indiana to within one (96-95). With 1:02 left, the Celts called time. After the pause, Bird missed a bomb, Williams rebounded, but Clark Kellogg (22 points) was called for traveling with 42 seconds left.

McHale was fouled by Williams and missed his first free throw. He made the second to make it 97-95, and the Pacers called time with 32 seconds left. Kellogg tied it with a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left. It was the first tie since 50-50 at the half. Boston called time. The final play set up McHale's errant turnaround. "Mine was supposed to go in," said McHale, laughing. "Actually, it was an easy shot for me." It missed, but Parish was there to do the rest. When the ball went in, Bird did his World Series re-enactment.

ML Carr's Career may be Near the Final Crossroads

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 4-1
11/8/1983

I want to know why I'm being overworked!"- M. L. Carr

Throughout his tenure as a Celtic, veteran M. L. Carr has been known for two things - his sense of humor, and his uncanny ability to come off the bench and play superb defense. It has been that way for Carr ever since he signed with Boston as a free agent in August 1979, and won the hearts of the Celtic faithful with his ability to function at forward or guard. And it made little difference to him if he was a spot starter or the sixth, seventh or eighth man.

But five games into the 1983 season, it is clear that Carr's career has reached that final crossroads, and his role under new coach K. C. Jones will be quite different than anything he has experienced in the past. Carr has appeared in only one game, for a total of three minutes, and there is no promise that things will change tonight when the Celtics play the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.

No one understands this better than Carr, who through good and bad years has remained one of the club's more popular players. At 32, he knows that his playing time at forward will be limited, given the presence of of Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale and Scott Wedman.

Former coach Bill Fitch liked to throw Carr in the gap occasionally as a "stopper" on defense and usually at guard, where his 6-foot-6 frame can be intimidating. But with the arrival of Dennis Johnson, the need for such a guard has diminished, and in fact, the Celtics defensive heir apparent is not Carr but rookie Carlos Clark, who also hasn't had much of a chance to show his stuff since the exhibition season.

None of this bothered Carr last summer when he signed his second free agent contract with the Celtics. None of this bothers him now. "That's bacause I knew exactly what was happening this summer," he said. " I had other options. I could have gone to Cleveland and played 30 minutes a game. I talked it over with K. C. and Red (Auerbach) and it was made clear that my role with the club would be limited.

"But we also talked about some specific times when a guy is going very well, or one of our guys is not having a good night, I might come in to cool somebody down. My role is to be the glue. Red reminded me, as one of the old- timers on the team, it's my job to be one of the leaders in terms of the intangibles.

"I went through training camp playing all forward," he said. "The first time I went into a game, it was at guard. K. C. didn't tell me to expect the unexpected. I have no problem with that. It's like it was in the past (under Fitch). I've got to swing. Do I have a preference? Yes. It's up front because I know big guys just aren't going to run with me consistently. That's my forte, running."

Carr feels that if this is truly his final season, he wants to end his career as a Celtic. Due to his TV experience on Channel 4 on the "Ask M. L. Show", he has credibility in New England, which would be hard to quickly establish elsewhere. "It's all about doing it one more time before I take my final bows," he said with his usual wide grin. "I wanted to be here. I wanted to finish up here because I want to live here eventually. To go away and come back would present a problem.

"It wasn't an easy decision. In fact, I had to go away to make it. Everybody in the street was trying to make a decision for me. I kept hearing, You'd be a fool to leave', Don't leave' . . . things like that. After talking to K. C., I knew exactly where he was coming from, and that helped make up my mind."

Jones says he expects to see more of Indiana's passing game tonight, as it was very successful in the second half Friday night. He also expects rookie center Steve Stipanovich to shoot more. "It's something to see a guy 7 feet tall getting a pick 18 feet away from the basket and shooting," he said. "It reminds me of Ralph Sampson and Rudy Tomjanovich. Steve has a nice touch."

The Berlin Wall 20 Years On

“OF ALL places it was in divided Berlin in divided Germany in divided Europe that the cold war erupted into an east-west street party,” this newspaper observed 20 years ago. Even to those who had been confident of the eventual triumph of the West, the fall of the Berlin Wall was surprisingly accidental. When 200,000 East Germans took advantage of Hungary’s decision to open its borders and fled to the West, their communist government decided to modify the travel restrictions that imprisoned them. Asked about the timing, the unbriefed propaganda minister mumbled: “As far as I know, effective immediately.” When that was reported on television, the Berliners were off. Baffled border guards who would have shot their “comrades” a week earlier let the crowd through—and a barrier that had divided the world was soon being gleefully dismantled. West Germany’s chancellor, Helmut Kohl, was so unready for history that he was out of the country.

The destruction of the Iron Curtain on November 9th 1989 is still the most remarkable political event of most people’s lifetimes: it set free millions of individuals and it brought to an end a global conflict that threatened nuclear annihilation. For liberals in the West, it still stands as a reminder both of what has been won since and what is still worth fighting for.

--The Economist

Some things transcend life. This was one of them. I thought in Tiananmen Square we were witnessing another triumph of freedom over totalitarianism. But instead the world was reminded of what George Orwell once described as "a boot stomping on a human face, for ever." While the path of liberty knows no certain course, it is a path that humans will continue to forge until the fact of freedom becomes so widespread that the act of liberation is no longer necessary for entire cultures of peoples.

Cornbread Helps C's to 4-1 Start

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 4-1
11/7/1983

It seems that the natural order of things has returned. The NBA season is only five games old, but the Celtics and 76ers are tied for the top spot in the Atlantic Division with 4-1 records. Is this the way it's going to be all year? Have the temporarily wayward Celtics returned to their 1979-82 plateau? Are the Celtics and Sixers going to be eyeball to eyeball for these next six months?

"I think so," says Cedric Maxwell, who has been through more Boston-Philly wars than any active Celtic. "I think we're going to be a good team. As long as we're healthy and have the kind of attitude we have now, I don't see why we can't win it all. Our talent is as good as Philadelphia, and we're one of the few teams that's been able to play them head to head. "But," he cautions, "it's still too early. You can't divide five into 82 and get any kind of measure of what kind of a year we're going to have. I think cautious optimism' is a good expression for what we have right now.

"We have a lot of room for improvement. We've had big leads and let teams come back. But we are more relaxed under K.C. (Jones) and it shows on the court. When we make mistakes we don't get down on ourselves, and K.C. doesn't get down on us." The Celtics played solid basketball for three quarters in Saturday night's 120-117 victory over the Bullets. In the final period, Washington rookie Jeff Malone exploded for 15 points and the Celtics watched a 22-point lead dwindle to three by the time the buzzer sounded.

The victory was Boston's fourth straight. Only once in those four games have the Celtics trailed - when Washington held a 2-0 lead Saturday. "In the last three games, we've played the way we want to play," says Jones, who was happy about his triumphant return to the scene of his 1976 firing. "We've been getting out fast with the break and all of our defensive work has paid off. We've missed some shots and had some turnovers, but overall, the guys are sharing and picking up the load."

Quietly, Maxwell has been doing a lot of the sharing and picking up. He hit five of six shots from the floor, nine of 10 from the line and had 19 points Saturday. In five games he has averaged 33 minutes, 13 points and 6.4 rebounds while hitting 63 percent (17-27) from the floor and 76 percent (31-41) from the line. He's done all this while shutting down Cleveland's Cliff Robinson, Milwaukee's Marques Johnson (only 7 points vs. the Celtics) and most other rival small forwards.

"I probably had those same numbers at this time last year," says Maxwell. "People feel I'm happier this year, and that is reflected in my play. Basically, I always have the same role. Some nights I'm going to score a lot of points and some nights I'm not. Defensively, every game I'm picking up the other team's toughest forward. There hasn't been an easy one yet."

C's Down Bullets, Post 4th Straight Win

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 120, Bullets 117
Record: 4-1
11/6/1983

LANDOVER, MD.

NBA teams hate playing here. It's like putting up the storm windows, rotating your tires or cleaning the oven. It's a tough job and you know it can be done, but some days you just don't feel like working that hard. Last night, the Celtics worked. They ran. They pressed. They reduced the feared Beef Brothers (Jeff Ruland and Rick Mahorn) to a dried up heap of Beef Jerky. With dogged determination and an effective game plan, Boston built a 22-point fourth-quarter lead before letting the Bullets roar back to within striking distance.

No problem. When the buzzer finally sounded, the Celtics were 120-117 winners. It was Boston's fourth-straight victory and elevated the Celtics to their rightful place - tied for first with the Philadelphia 76ers. If the NBA is anything, it's predictble. Most teams are only five games into the season, and already the Atlantic Division is in order. Beating the Bullets has to be K.C. Jones' proudest moment of the early season. After all, this is where Jones was unceremoniously dumped after compiling a .630 winning percentage as head coach. And need we mention that the Bullets smoked the Celtics three times in six tries last year, including twice in three games at the Capital Centre?

For three quarters, it looked like the Celtics were finally going to get a breather in suburban Maryland's chamber of horrors. The Celtics shot a scalding 66 percent (27-41) in the first half while shutting down foul-plagued Mahorn (zero points and one rebound) and Ruland (six points and four rebounds). Washington's Ricky Sobers (20 points) opened the evening's scoring with a jumper from out top. The basket broke a week-long Celtic streak: In victories over Cleveland, Milwaukee and Indiana, Boston had never been behind.

The deficit didn't last. Cedric Maxwell (19 points) posted up for two, and when Larry Bird (28 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists) followed with a jumper from the right corner, the Celtics went ahead to stay. Boston led, 12-6, when Mahorn picked up his third personal foul. He was replaced by Tom McMillen while the Celtics were in the middle of a 10-0 run that produced an 18-6 lead. Gerald Henderson (10 of his 16 in the first quarter) scored 6 of the 10 on a drive, a fastbreak layup and a jumper from the left corner. Bird capped the spurt with a fallaway from out top, his fourth consecutive conversion.

"In the first half, we got our offense going and we played good defense," said Bird. "The shots were falling for Robert (Parish) and me, but everybody did the job on the offensive end." The Celtics led, 32-23, after one. Washington cut it to seven briefly in the second quarter, but after Bullets coach Gene Shue called time with the Celtics leading, 47-32, Boston ripped off eight straight points to take a whopping 55-32 lead with five minutes left in the half.

Ruland still hadn't scored. He broke up his shutout with two minutes left in the half, but it would prove to be too late for the Bullets. Parish and Bird each had hit seven of nine floor shots in the half and Boston led, 65-48, at intermission. The margin was 20 (97-77) after three and 22 when Scott Wedman opened the fourth period with a basket. Sobers and Mahorn led an 8-0 run to cut the Bullet deficit back to 14. Then Washington rookie Jeff Malone (11 for 19, 24 points) went into his Andrew Toney imitation and got some help from Greg Ballard (14). The Celts supplied the rest of the help by standing around under the basket and missing six of seven free throws during a crucial stretch.

"Our guards weren't hitting the shots," said Jones. "We got in foul trouble and Malone started hitting, and they got back in the ballgame." "They're a tough team to go lights out on," added Kevin McHale (15), who hit a crucial turnaround as he was fouled by Mahorn with 1:06 left. He made the free throw to give the Celtics a 116-108 lead. That was enough. "They are a very stubborn ballclub," said a sore Parish. "They are physical and present problems for us inside." True, but last night Parish, Maxwell, Bird and McHale combined for 85 points while Mahorn was held to six and Ruland scored only 13.

Unspoken Lethargy

I was just thinking about how long we can keep this game and stretch this game and then make a run in the fourth quarter.

--Doc

So when the Boston Celtics appear to be sleepwalking through games, waiting for the fourth quarter to see if they can steal a win at the end, well, that's exactly what they're doing. My question is whether this is openly discussed or just kind of a shared, but unspoken mental state? I doubt the players say, "yeah, I just don't know if I can play four quarters tonight. So let's keep it close for as long as possible and try to win it at the end."

Instead, an overall lethargy among the team is probably palpable enough to make words unnecessary.

Remember Steve Stipanovich?

1983-84 Boston Celtics
November 5, 1983

In other years, he might have been just another talented rookie sitting on the bench. But Steve Stipanovich won't have that luxury this year for the Indiana Pacers. That's because Pacers coach Jack McKinney thinks the University of Missouri product has not only the talent to step right into the NBA as a center, but is smart enough to make up for whatever shortcomings he might have with hard work and intelligence.

Stipanovich, a 7-footer, was the second player chosen in the draft this year behind Virginia's Ralph Sampson. Right now, says McKinney, there is a gap between the two men in talent, not to mention salary. But he doesn't think it will take Stipanovich - who scored 16 points and had five rebounds last night - long to close the distance. "Steve has the potential to be a good NBA center," said McKinney. "Not a great one, yet. But a very good one. When we played Houston the other night, you had a chance to compare their talents, and Sampson was ahead in the numbers. He had something like 21 points and 18 rebounds to 12-8 for Steve.

"But Steve showed that he has skills in other areas. He can be intimidating and is a good outside shooter. He helps out on defense and other things that might not show up in box score." McKinney feels no qualms about force-feeding Stipanovich to the NBA lions, because of his intelligence and the fact that his defensive skills are much better than advertised. Against Sampson, Stipanovich blocked a shot from behind and effectively cut off Sampson's inside game.

Stipanovich says he is just glad to be able to play and to learn what the NBA is all about. It's a good situation for me," he said. "We're a young team and we've got a chance to grow together. The pro game is different from the college game in a lot of ways. I had a little trouble with Parish at the end. But he's beaten a lot of centers with his jump shot."

7-1: Celtics 86, Nets 76

Celtics 86, Nets 76

Recap Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart Photos Conversation

	1	2	3	4	T
BOS (7-1)	18	21	20	27	86
NJN (0-7)	19	21	21	15	76

Final

7:30 PM ET, November 7, 2009

IZOD Center

East Rutherford, NJ

BOSTON CELTICS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Kevin Garnett, PF	33	3-13	0-0	3-3	0	13	13	4	3	0	1	1	-4	9
Paul Pierce, SF	32	5-8	0-0	6-7	0	0	0	7	2	1	2	4	+2	16
Kendrick Perkins, C	24	3-5	0-0	3-6	1	7	8	1	0	1	2	4	+6	9
Ray Allen, SG	41	5-13	0-3	2-2	1	3	4	4	0	0	2	0	+7	12
Rajon Rondo, PG	30	8-11	0-1	0-2	0	4	4	3	5	0	1	1	-5	16
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Rasheed Wallace, FC	24	3-10	0-4	3-3	0	4	4	0	4	1	1	2	+4	9
Eddie House, PG	18	0-3	0-1	2-2	0	1	1	0	2	0	0	0	+14	2
Brian Scalabrine, PF	20	2-3	1-1	0-0	0	0	0	1	3	0	1	3	+11	5
Shelden Williams, PF	15	2-3	0-0	4-4	1	2	3	1	0	0	1	0	+15	8
J.R. Giddens, SG	3	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	0	0
Lester Hudson, G	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Marquis Daniels, SG	DNP PERSONAL REASONS
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		31-69	1-10	23-29	3	34	37	21	20	3	12	16		86
		44.9%	10.0%	79.3%
Fast break points: 14 Points in the paint: 34 Team TO ( points off ): 12 (15) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
NEW JERSEY NETS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Bobby Simmons, SF	34	3-6	2-3	2-2	0	5	5	2	0	0	2	3	+1	10
Josh Boone, C	37	4-10	0-0	0-0	4	8	12	1	1	0	3	3	+1	8
Brook Lopez, C	41	10-16	0-0	3-3	2	5	7	1	0	2	3	4	-5	23
Rafer Alston, PG	44	7-16	3-6	3-4	0	1	1	7	1	1	6	3	-2	20
Trenton Hassell, SF	37	1-7	0-0	1-2	1	3	4	1	1	0	2	5	-20	3
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Eduardo Najera, PF	12	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	1	1	2	2	0	2	3	-13	0
Sean Williams, PF	5	2-2	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	1	1	1	-1	4
Terrence Williams, G	30	4-14	0-1	0-3	1	8	9	2	1	0	4	2	-11	8
Devin Harris, PG	DNP STRAINED GROIN
Yi Jianlian, PF	DNP STRAINED MCL
Courtney Lee, SG	DNP STRAINED GROIN
Chris Douglas-Roberts, SG	DNP FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		31-72	5-11	9-14	9	31	40	16	6	4	23	24		76
		43.1%	45.5%	64.3%
Fast break points: 5 Points in the paint: 30 Team TO ( points off ): 24 (19) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.

Celtics Seek to Stop Slippage against the Nets

They can see the slippage. We’ve showed it on film. We talked about it. [Maybe] it's easier for them to believe you after an ‘L.’But it’s tough to do something about it until you can get some real practice time, and we’ll get that on Monday.

--Doc

Let's not wait until Monday, Gang-0-Green. Let's get 'er done tonight in Brooklyn, er, I mean New Jersey.

Celtics Subdue Pacers (3-1)

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 121, Pacers 105
Record: 3-1
11/5/1983

BOSTON, MA

Say all you want about the new defensive notions of the Celtics this year. What they still do best is overwhelm you with the toughest inside game in the National Basketball Assn. The Indiana Pacers found out the hard way last night as victims of a three-pronged attack, suffering their 17th-straight road loss in falling to the Celtics last night, 121-105. Robert Parish led the Celtics' big front line with 34 points, 29 in the second half. That was only a little ahead of Larry Bird, who finished with 31. For good measure, Kevin McHale came off the bench and added 20 points.

The victory was the third in four games this year for Boston, which has now won six in a row from Indiana at the Garden. The Pacers had a strong inside game themselves, with Herb Williams and Clark Kellogg each with 21 and rookie Steve Stipanovich adding 16. But their bench was no match for the Celtics, who built up a 17-point lead in the third quarter and fought off every charge by Indiana after that.

The Celtics began the night very leery of the rejuvenated Pacers, whom they beat four of five times last season. The loss was 130-101 March 29. Boston was coming off a 119-105 victory over Milwaukee in its home opener Wednesday night. The Pacers lost their first two games but beat Houston last Tuesday, 116-108. It didn't take long to figure out that Indiana would have a long night if they couldn't find a way to stop Bird. Boston shot to a 12-6 lead in the first five minutes, with Bird scoring eight of the first 12. He did it with a variety of jump shots and a delicious lefthanded hook after a steal. Indiana stayed close mainly on Stipanovich's inside shooting.

Bird gave Boston a 14-7 lead by hitting his fifth shot in six attempts. Then the Celtics fast break started to cook, with Bird and Dennis Johnson scoring the next six points as Boston's lead grew to nine points, 20-11. Indiana again stayed close behind with baskets by Stipanovich and Williams. When Jim Thomas drove the middle with three minutes left, the Boston lead was cut to five points at 23-18.

At this point, both clubs decided to go to the benches, and here, the Celtics edge was obvious from the moment McHale and Quinn Buckner entered the game. Boston went on a 14-6 tear, led by McHale and Parish. Bird chipped in with a three-pointer, giving him 18 for the first quarter, and Boston a 34-22 lead. The quarter ended on a three-point play by Parish, and Boston leading, 37-24. Parish had seven rebounds in the period. Bird hit seven of nine shots.

In the second period, it was McHale's turn to lead the Celtics charge. With Boston leading, 37-26, he threw in three straight baskets to widen the gap, 43-28. McHale also scored three of the next five Celtics points to give his team the biggest lead of the night at 46-30. But slowly, Indiana began to inch back, and, behind Butch Carter and Kellogg, pulled to within 11 points with 4:26 left in the period, 48-37.

Bird returned and helped Boston to a 52-37 lead. But then the Pacers spurted and, with 2:20 left, trailed by 10 points, 52-42. The Celtics then a got a break as McHale was fouled, and he sank two free throws. Then Pacer coach Jack McKinney was called for a technical foul, and Boston led by 15 points again, 57-42. Indiana outscored Boston the rest of the way, but the Celtics led 59-48 at halftime.

After a sluggish start, Boston picked up right where it left off in third period, with Bird and Parish combining for the first 11 points, seven by Parish, as Boston took a 17-point lead at 70-53. But then the Pacers ran off six straight points and made it a 70-59 game with 6:50 to go in the third. When Carter hit a layup and George Johnson followed with a basket, the Pacers completed a 10-point run and trailed by only seven points, 70-63. The Boston drought of 3 minutes, 8 seconds ended when Buckner, in for Henderson, hit a jumper with 5:20 left. With 4:30 left, Parish completed a three-point play, and Boston's lead grew to 11 points, 76-65.

Fatigue and foul trouble began to catch up with the Pacers, who somehow managed to stay close. Indiana sprinted to within seven points, 82-75, but a few minutes later trailed by 11 points, 88-77. After three quarters, Boston led, 90-80.

NOVEMBER	OPPONENT	TIME (ET)	TV	LOCAL TV	RESOURCES
Sat, Nov 7	@ New Jersey	7:30 PM		CSNN	Tickets | Travel
Wed, Nov 11	Utah	7:30 PM		CSNN	Tickets | Travel
Fri, Nov 13	Atlanta	8:00 PM		CSNN	Tickets | Travel
Sat, Nov 14	@ Indiana	7:00 PM		CSNN	Tickets | Travel
Wed, Nov 18	Golden State	7:30 PM		CSNN	Tickets | Travel
Fri, Nov 20	Orlando	8:00 PM		CSNN	Tickets | Travel
Sun, Nov 22	@ NY Knicks	1:00 PM		CSNN	Tickets | Travel
Wed, Nov 25	Philadelphia	7:30 PM		CSNN	Tickets | Travel
Fri, Nov 27	Toronto	7:30 PM		CSNN	Tickets | Travel
Sun, Nov 29	@ Miami	6:00 PM	NBA TV		Tickets | Travel

6-1: Suns 110, Celtics 103

Suns 110, Celtics 103

Recap Box Score Play-By-Play Shot Chart Photos Conversation

	1	2	3	4	T
PHO (5-1)	29	28	28	25	110
BOS (6-1)	27	24	32	20	103

Final

7:30 PM ET, November 6, 2009

TD Garden

Boston, MA

PHOENIX SUNS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Grant Hill, SF	24	4-9	1-1	3-3	0	4	4	2	0	0	1	4	-4	12
Amare Stoudemire, PF	33	8-13	0-0	6-6	0	7	7	2	0	1	1	4	-9	22
Channing Frye, C	37	3-7	1-4	1-2	0	5	5	2	2	0	1	3	+5	8
Steve Nash, PG	36	5-11	3-6	3-4	1	2	3	12	0	0	6	3	-7	16
Jason Richardson, SG	38	10-16	6-7	8-11	1	9	10	2	1	0	2	2	+7	34
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Louis Amundson, PF	18	3-4	0-0	0-2	3	2	5	0	0	1	1	2	+10	6
Jared Dudley, SF	31	3-6	2-5	2-2	1	1	2	3	2	0	0	1	+14	10
Goran Dragic, PG	15	1-4	0-1	0-0	1	2	3	3	2	0	2	0	+12	2
Earl Clark, F	7	0-4	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2	+7	0
Jarron Collins, C	DNP COACH'S DECISION
Alando Tucker, SF	DNP COACH'S DECISION