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Celtics, Sixers Heading in Opposite Directions
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 102, Sixers 98
Record 34-9
January 27, 1984
With the four day All-Star cease-fire in effect, the Celtics and 76ers have a lot of time to digest the first half of the 1983-84 regular season. The 34-9 Celtics own a healthy five-game lead over the 29-14 defending world champions. After Wednesday's 102-98 Garden victory over the Moses Malone-less Sixers, Celtic guard Dennis Johnson said, "We really wanted to win so we'd go five games up. That gives us a little cushion, which will be nice to have after the All-Star break."
"Being up by five is very important for us," added coach K.C. Jones. "We still have to make the West Coast trip, and Philly's already done that." Boston's midseason lead is a bit deceiving. The Celtics are playing well, but not much better than they were at this time last year. Boston has won five straight, 11 of 12 and 25 of 29, yet the 34-9 record is only one game better than it had after 43 games last year.
The Sixers, however, are eight games behind their torrid pace of 1982-83. "Last year, we were on a mission, but we're not this year," admitted Bobby Jones. Wednesday's loss was Philly's third straight. The Sixers hadn't lost three in a row since March 21-25, 1982. In '82-83, Philadelphia averaged 16.3 offensive rebounds. They're down to 13.9 this year. Malone and Andrew Toney have been turning the ball over. Prior to his ankle injury in New York Tuesday, Malone committed 11 turnovers in a 66-minute span. Toney averaged one turnover every 4.6 minutes in the last three games, and shot only 36 percent in his last four. Maurice Cheeks has been up and down. He's averaging 8.3 assists when the Sixers win, but only 3.6 when Philly loses.
Meanwhile, it's hard to find any holes in the Celtic situation. A second- half collapse and playoff fold seem unlikely this time around. Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale are having All-Star seasons, and Cedric Maxwell is playing his best basketball since the '82 playoffs. Boston's ever-controversial backcourt situation has stabilized and produced beyond all expectations. DJ is everything he was when he was playoff MVP for the SuperSonics, and Gerald Henderson is hitting 56 percent of his shots in 43 starts.
If that isn't enough, Quinn Buckner and Danny Ainge have suddenly jelled into an effective and speedy second unit. Both are getting more minutes, and they worked extremely well together against the Cavaliers and Sixers this week. Since his embarrassing DNP (Did Not Play) against Washington, Ainge has played 128 minutes in nine games and committed only one turnover. He has no turnovers in his last 76 minutes. Before the Sixers left Boston, Philly coach Billy Cunningham freely admitted, "The Celtics are playing the best ball of anyone in this league."
MISC
In four games against Philadelphia, Bird is shooting only 39 percent (35-91). He's still hitting a white-hot .887 from the free throw line this year . . . Boston's contingent in Denver includes Parish, Bird, McHale, coaches Jones, Chris Ford and Jimmy Rodgers, plus player reps M.L. Carr and Buckner . . . The Celtics are 10-1 in January, 18-3 at home and 16-6 on the road . . . Boston has outrebounded the opposition by 50 in the last five games . . . Since the start of the 1979-80 season, the Celtics and Sixers have met 47 times in regular-season and playoff competition. Philly leads, 24-23. If you think that's parity, check this out: In 59 regular-season meetings since 1976-77, the Celtics have outscored the Sixers, 6153-6150.
Celtics 102, Sixers 98
Record 34-9
January 27, 1984
With the four day All-Star cease-fire in effect, the Celtics and 76ers have a lot of time to digest the first half of the 1983-84 regular season. The 34-9 Celtics own a healthy five-game lead over the 29-14 defending world champions. After Wednesday's 102-98 Garden victory over the Moses Malone-less Sixers, Celtic guard Dennis Johnson said, "We really wanted to win so we'd go five games up. That gives us a little cushion, which will be nice to have after the All-Star break."
"Being up by five is very important for us," added coach K.C. Jones. "We still have to make the West Coast trip, and Philly's already done that." Boston's midseason lead is a bit deceiving. The Celtics are playing well, but not much better than they were at this time last year. Boston has won five straight, 11 of 12 and 25 of 29, yet the 34-9 record is only one game better than it had after 43 games last year.
The Sixers, however, are eight games behind their torrid pace of 1982-83. "Last year, we were on a mission, but we're not this year," admitted Bobby Jones. Wednesday's loss was Philly's third straight. The Sixers hadn't lost three in a row since March 21-25, 1982. In '82-83, Philadelphia averaged 16.3 offensive rebounds. They're down to 13.9 this year. Malone and Andrew Toney have been turning the ball over. Prior to his ankle injury in New York Tuesday, Malone committed 11 turnovers in a 66-minute span. Toney averaged one turnover every 4.6 minutes in the last three games, and shot only 36 percent in his last four. Maurice Cheeks has been up and down. He's averaging 8.3 assists when the Sixers win, but only 3.6 when Philly loses.
Meanwhile, it's hard to find any holes in the Celtic situation. A second- half collapse and playoff fold seem unlikely this time around. Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale are having All-Star seasons, and Cedric Maxwell is playing his best basketball since the '82 playoffs. Boston's ever-controversial backcourt situation has stabilized and produced beyond all expectations. DJ is everything he was when he was playoff MVP for the SuperSonics, and Gerald Henderson is hitting 56 percent of his shots in 43 starts.
If that isn't enough, Quinn Buckner and Danny Ainge have suddenly jelled into an effective and speedy second unit. Both are getting more minutes, and they worked extremely well together against the Cavaliers and Sixers this week. Since his embarrassing DNP (Did Not Play) against Washington, Ainge has played 128 minutes in nine games and committed only one turnover. He has no turnovers in his last 76 minutes. Before the Sixers left Boston, Philly coach Billy Cunningham freely admitted, "The Celtics are playing the best ball of anyone in this league."
MISC
In four games against Philadelphia, Bird is shooting only 39 percent (35-91). He's still hitting a white-hot .887 from the free throw line this year . . . Boston's contingent in Denver includes Parish, Bird, McHale, coaches Jones, Chris Ford and Jimmy Rodgers, plus player reps M.L. Carr and Buckner . . . The Celtics are 10-1 in January, 18-3 at home and 16-6 on the road . . . Boston has outrebounded the opposition by 50 in the last five games . . . Since the start of the 1979-80 season, the Celtics and Sixers have met 47 times in regular-season and playoff competition. Philly leads, 24-23. If you think that's parity, check this out: In 59 regular-season meetings since 1976-77, the Celtics have outscored the Sixers, 6153-6150.
Sixers in Limbo without Moses
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 102, Sixers 98
Record 34-9
January 26, 1984
It was like trying to break the sound barrier in a balloon. Moses Malone, the 76ers' human pneumatic drill, was in Philadelphia last night. As a result, his teammates were in limbo, headed directly for oblivion. While Malone nursed a sprained left ankle suffered in New York 24 hours earlier, the Sixers attempted to compensate for the 23 points, 13.6 rebounds and incalculable intimidation that they'd left home with him.
Not surprisingly, they'd have had as much success playing in Boston Harbor as they did in Boston Garden. After absorbing a 102-98 loss to the Celtics, the Sixers staggered into the All-Star break at the bottom of a five-game canyon that now separates them from their Atlantic Division archenemies. When it was over, coach Billy Cunningham looked forlornly at the 6-foot- 10, 255-pound void in the middle of his frontcourt and assessed the absence of Malone thusly: "The guy's been MVP two of the last three years. I think that answers the question of how much we missed him in itself."
For elaboration, all one had to do was consider the plight of Malone's replacements, Clemon Johnson and Marc Iavaroni. Johnson and Iavaroni are serviceable role players, but their primary role is not to play much. They were up against Robert Parish, the heir to Malone as the starting East center in the All-Star game. Call an ambulance. Johnson and Iavaroni were two lemmings against Parish, who profited from this gross mismatch to the tune of 24 points and 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, Johnson could muster only six points and eight rebounds in 39 minutes, almost twice as much playing time as his normal workday. Iavaroni was worth nine points and six rebounds in 21 minutes, most of them spent at power forward.
"I was trying to keep the ball out of (Parish's) hands, to front him, because he had 4 or 5 inches on me," said Johnson, who is in fact only 2 inches shorter than Parish but is dwarfed by the Boston center in talent. "When you've got a 220-pound power forward like myself playing backup center," said Iavaroni, "it leaves you with a lack of depth." And without a prayer. The chasm at center was graphically evident in the final quarter, when Boston obliterated an 88-87 deficit with a 14-5 run that Philly never dented. During the final 12 minutes, the Sixers hit only 3 of 19 field goals; when Malone is around to smother the boards, they usually don't miss 16 shots in a game, let alone a quarter.
"The difference was down the stretch," said Julius Erving, the other half of the Sixers franchise. "That's his bread-and-butter time. Having him on the boards and on offense means a lot. We could've used his muscle. That's his time of the game." Last night it was the Sixers' time to fold.
Celtics 102, Sixers 98
Record 34-9
January 26, 1984
It was like trying to break the sound barrier in a balloon. Moses Malone, the 76ers' human pneumatic drill, was in Philadelphia last night. As a result, his teammates were in limbo, headed directly for oblivion. While Malone nursed a sprained left ankle suffered in New York 24 hours earlier, the Sixers attempted to compensate for the 23 points, 13.6 rebounds and incalculable intimidation that they'd left home with him.
Not surprisingly, they'd have had as much success playing in Boston Harbor as they did in Boston Garden. After absorbing a 102-98 loss to the Celtics, the Sixers staggered into the All-Star break at the bottom of a five-game canyon that now separates them from their Atlantic Division archenemies. When it was over, coach Billy Cunningham looked forlornly at the 6-foot- 10, 255-pound void in the middle of his frontcourt and assessed the absence of Malone thusly: "The guy's been MVP two of the last three years. I think that answers the question of how much we missed him in itself."
For elaboration, all one had to do was consider the plight of Malone's replacements, Clemon Johnson and Marc Iavaroni. Johnson and Iavaroni are serviceable role players, but their primary role is not to play much. They were up against Robert Parish, the heir to Malone as the starting East center in the All-Star game. Call an ambulance. Johnson and Iavaroni were two lemmings against Parish, who profited from this gross mismatch to the tune of 24 points and 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, Johnson could muster only six points and eight rebounds in 39 minutes, almost twice as much playing time as his normal workday. Iavaroni was worth nine points and six rebounds in 21 minutes, most of them spent at power forward.
"I was trying to keep the ball out of (Parish's) hands, to front him, because he had 4 or 5 inches on me," said Johnson, who is in fact only 2 inches shorter than Parish but is dwarfed by the Boston center in talent. "When you've got a 220-pound power forward like myself playing backup center," said Iavaroni, "it leaves you with a lack of depth." And without a prayer. The chasm at center was graphically evident in the final quarter, when Boston obliterated an 88-87 deficit with a 14-5 run that Philly never dented. During the final 12 minutes, the Sixers hit only 3 of 19 field goals; when Malone is around to smother the boards, they usually don't miss 16 shots in a game, let alone a quarter.
"The difference was down the stretch," said Julius Erving, the other half of the Sixers franchise. "That's his bread-and-butter time. Having him on the boards and on offense means a lot. We could've used his muscle. That's his time of the game." Last night it was the Sixers' time to fold.
Celts Mow Down Mosesless Sixers
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 102, Sixers 98
Record 34-9
January 26, 1984
It wasn't quite the same. Beating the 76ers when they don't have Moses Malone is like winning Olympic hockey gold without playing the Russians or attending a Pips concert without seeing Gladys Knight. Still, the Celtics' fandom had to be happy with Boston's ragged, grinding 102-98 victory over the world champs last night. The win pushed the Celtics into a whopping five-game Atlantic Division lead and assured a comfortable All-Star break for K.C. and the Sunshine Band.
This wasn't an epic like the first three Boston-Philadelphia games this season. In a bumbling fourth quarter, the Celtics outscored the Sixers, 15-12, while the two teams shot an aggregate 25 percent (10 for 40). If it had been Cleveland vs. Indiana, folks would have asked for their money back. Since it was Boston and Philadelphia, it made you wish we could dispense with the 82-game formalities and get on with the Eastern Conference finals.
Malone's absence tarnished the evening. Without him in the game, you had a feeling that the Celtics would be able to control down the stretch. Sixers coach Billy Cunningham kept tossing sandbags named Sam Williams (a presence with 12 points and eight rebounds), Marc Iavaroni and Clemon Johnson into the surf, but in the end, he couldn't hold off the Green Tide. As always, the fourth quarter dictated the outcome. In a memorable display of offensive strangulation and ineptitude, the Sixers went six minutes without a basket, and made only 3 of 19 shots (.157) in the final 12 minutes. The scariest part was that the Sixers were actually able to mount a comeback in the process.
Asked to explain Philly's Big Chill, Dennis Johnson said: "I'd like to say it was all us, but they might have had a little to do with it." Andrew Toney went 3 for 12 from the floor and scored only 14; Malone's backup, Clemon Johnson, was 3 of 13; Julius Erving missed 6 of 12 free throws. "That's something that shouldn't happen," admitted the Doctor. "As long as I've been around, I'll have to take the demerit." Larry Bird was another rim clanger, making only 5 of 18 shots. The Celtics were led by heroic Robert Parish, who came through with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. Kevin McHale added 17 points (8 of 11) and 11 rebounds, and Quinn Buckner and Danny Ainge played like starters.
It was 31-31 after one. The second quarter featured 16 lead changes and ended with the Celtics leading, 60-58. In the third period, Boston looked as if it might put it away when it went ahead, 76-64. The Celtics capped a 16-6 drive when Gerald Henderson stripped Iavaroni and fed Bird, who found McHale for an easy layup. The Garden rocked, the Celtics led by 12 with 5:21 left, and Cunningham called for time. Boston's euphoria was short-lived. After a pause, Clint Richardson (10 points in 3:40) led a 14-4 Philly run that closed the gap to 80-78 with 2:01 left in the third.
The Sixers tied it at 82-82, and again at 86-86, but one free throw by Buckner with three seconds left gave the Celtics a scary 87-86 lead after three. DJ, Buckner, Cedric Maxwell (6 of 7 from the floor) and Clemon Johnson all had four fouls when the fourth quarter started. Parish pushed the Celtics to a 95-88 lead early in the fourth quarter. Erving brought the Sixers back to within three (95-92), before the Celtics effectively put it away with a 6-1 run. The fourth quarter's only surge started when Parish blocked Clemon Johnson's shot. Then McHale followed up a DJ miss, and Ainge (eight points and no turnovers in 22 minutes) hit from the top of the key after an Erving free throw. While wearing Bobby Jones, Bird canned one from the top of the key with 3:30 left to make it 101-93. It was Boston's final basket.
It was 101-94 when, with 2:15 left, the Sixers started their final comeback. They cut it to four and had Erving at the line with 48 seconds left. Again, Doc missed one of two. After a hideous turnover (Henderson's pass to a not-looking McHale flew out of bounds), Parish blocked Johnson's shot and came up with the loose ball. The Celtics led, 101-98, only 27 seconds remained, and the game was finally safe.
Celtics 102, Sixers 98
Record 34-9
January 26, 1984
It wasn't quite the same. Beating the 76ers when they don't have Moses Malone is like winning Olympic hockey gold without playing the Russians or attending a Pips concert without seeing Gladys Knight. Still, the Celtics' fandom had to be happy with Boston's ragged, grinding 102-98 victory over the world champs last night. The win pushed the Celtics into a whopping five-game Atlantic Division lead and assured a comfortable All-Star break for K.C. and the Sunshine Band.
This wasn't an epic like the first three Boston-Philadelphia games this season. In a bumbling fourth quarter, the Celtics outscored the Sixers, 15-12, while the two teams shot an aggregate 25 percent (10 for 40). If it had been Cleveland vs. Indiana, folks would have asked for their money back. Since it was Boston and Philadelphia, it made you wish we could dispense with the 82-game formalities and get on with the Eastern Conference finals.
Malone's absence tarnished the evening. Without him in the game, you had a feeling that the Celtics would be able to control down the stretch. Sixers coach Billy Cunningham kept tossing sandbags named Sam Williams (a presence with 12 points and eight rebounds), Marc Iavaroni and Clemon Johnson into the surf, but in the end, he couldn't hold off the Green Tide. As always, the fourth quarter dictated the outcome. In a memorable display of offensive strangulation and ineptitude, the Sixers went six minutes without a basket, and made only 3 of 19 shots (.157) in the final 12 minutes. The scariest part was that the Sixers were actually able to mount a comeback in the process.
Asked to explain Philly's Big Chill, Dennis Johnson said: "I'd like to say it was all us, but they might have had a little to do with it." Andrew Toney went 3 for 12 from the floor and scored only 14; Malone's backup, Clemon Johnson, was 3 of 13; Julius Erving missed 6 of 12 free throws. "That's something that shouldn't happen," admitted the Doctor. "As long as I've been around, I'll have to take the demerit." Larry Bird was another rim clanger, making only 5 of 18 shots. The Celtics were led by heroic Robert Parish, who came through with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. Kevin McHale added 17 points (8 of 11) and 11 rebounds, and Quinn Buckner and Danny Ainge played like starters.
It was 31-31 after one. The second quarter featured 16 lead changes and ended with the Celtics leading, 60-58. In the third period, Boston looked as if it might put it away when it went ahead, 76-64. The Celtics capped a 16-6 drive when Gerald Henderson stripped Iavaroni and fed Bird, who found McHale for an easy layup. The Garden rocked, the Celtics led by 12 with 5:21 left, and Cunningham called for time. Boston's euphoria was short-lived. After a pause, Clint Richardson (10 points in 3:40) led a 14-4 Philly run that closed the gap to 80-78 with 2:01 left in the third.
The Sixers tied it at 82-82, and again at 86-86, but one free throw by Buckner with three seconds left gave the Celtics a scary 87-86 lead after three. DJ, Buckner, Cedric Maxwell (6 of 7 from the floor) and Clemon Johnson all had four fouls when the fourth quarter started. Parish pushed the Celtics to a 95-88 lead early in the fourth quarter. Erving brought the Sixers back to within three (95-92), before the Celtics effectively put it away with a 6-1 run. The fourth quarter's only surge started when Parish blocked Clemon Johnson's shot. Then McHale followed up a DJ miss, and Ainge (eight points and no turnovers in 22 minutes) hit from the top of the key after an Erving free throw. While wearing Bobby Jones, Bird canned one from the top of the key with 3:30 left to make it 101-93. It was Boston's final basket.
It was 101-94 when, with 2:15 left, the Sixers started their final comeback. They cut it to four and had Erving at the line with 48 seconds left. Again, Doc missed one of two. After a hideous turnover (Henderson's pass to a not-looking McHale flew out of bounds), Parish blocked Johnson's shot and came up with the loose ball. The Celtics led, 101-98, only 27 seconds remained, and the game was finally safe.
23-8: Suns 116, Celtics 98
Celtics 98, 
Suns 116
9:00 PM ET, December 30, 2009
US Airways Center
Phoenix, AZ
| BOSTON CELTICS | ||||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Rasheed Wallace, C | 31 | 3-11 | 0-4 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -11 | 6 |
| Ray Allen, SG | 35 | 4-13 | 1-5 | 6-6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -12 | 15 |
| Kendrick Perkins, C | 30 | 6-11 | 0-0 | 1-5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -17 | 13 |
| Tony Allen, SG | 32 | 3-8 | 0-0 | 6-6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 5 | -8 | 12 |
| Rajon Rondo, PG | 32 | 5-12 | 0-2 | 3-3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -21 | 13 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Eddie House, PG | 22 | 7-13 | 5-7 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -8 | 19 |
| Brian Scalabrine, PF | 23 | 0-3 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | -14 | 0 |
| Shelden Williams, PF | 19 | 4-8 | 0-0 | 6-10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 14 |
| J.R. Giddens, SG | 8 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 4 |
| Bill Walker, SG | 3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
| Lester Hudson, G | 5 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +5 | 2 |
| Kevin Garnett, PF | DNP SORE RIGHT KNEE | |||||||||||||
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | ||
| 35-83 | 6-21 | 22-30 | 13 | 25 | 38 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 26 | 98 | |||
| 42.2% | 28.6% | 73.3% | ||||||||||||
Fast break points: 20 Points in the paint: 46 Team TO ( points off ): 15 (13) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court. | ||||||||||||||
| PHOENIX SUNS | ||||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Grant Hill, SF | 22 | 1-3 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | +19 | 3 |
| Amare Stoudemire, PF | 23 | 11-14 | 0-1 | 4-6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | +12 | 26 |
| Channing Frye, C | 40 | 9-15 | 6-10 | 2-2 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | +26 | 26 |
| Steve Nash, PG | 30 | 4-8 | 0-2 | 3-3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +15 | 11 |
| Jason Richardson, SG | 22 | 4-10 | 0-2 | 4-4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +21 | 12 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Jarron Collins, C | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| Leandro Barbosa, SG | 23 | 5-13 | 1-5 | 6-7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| Louis Amundson, C | 14 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +9 | 4 |
| Jared Dudley, SF | 24 | 1-5 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Goran Dragic, PG | 20 | 2-4 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Robin Lopez, C | 14 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -6 | 6 |
| Earl Clark, F | 5 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -5 | 2 |
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | ||
| 40-79 | 9-25 | 27-32 | 12 | 30 | 42 | 21 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 21 | 116 | |||
| 50.6% | 36.0% | 84.4% | ||||||||||||
Fast break points: 11 Points in the paint: 40 Team TO ( points off ): 15 (13) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court. | ||||||||||||||
Technical Fouls: PLAYERS: 2 BOSTON ( K Perkins 1, S Williams 1 ) - TEAMS (def3sec): None - COACHES: None
Officials: Curtis Blair , Monty Mccutchen , Zach Zarba
Attendance: 18,422
Time of Game: 02:18
Suns by 3.5
LINK
| Gameday Matchup | |||||||
| W-L | PF | PA | HOME | ROAD | STK | L10 | |
| BOS | 23-7 | 100.5 | 91.9 | 10-4 | 13-3 | L2 | 7-3 |
| PHO | 20-12 | 109.8 | 106.0 | 12-2 | 8-10 | W1 | 5-5 |
| Last 5 Games | |
| BOSTON (ET) | PHOENIX (ET) |
| Dec 28 @GS Loss 103-99 Dec 27 @LAC Loss 92-90 Dec 25 @ORL Win 86-77 Dec 22 IND Win 103-94 Dec 20 MIN Win 122-104 | Dec 28 LAL Win 118-103 Dec 26 @GS Loss 132-127 Dec 25 LAC Win 124-93 Dec 23 OKC Loss 117-113 Dec 21 CLE Loss 109-91 |
| Depth Chart | ||
| POS | BOSTON (PPG) | PHOENIX (PPG) |
| PG | ||
| SG | ||
| SF | ||
| PF | ||
| C | ||
| · View full depth chart · Team rosters: Boston | Phoenix | ||
| Team Stat Leaders | ||
| BOSTON | PHOENIX | |
| Points | P. Pierce 18.2 | A. Stoudemire 20.3 |
| Rebounds | K. Perkins 8.0 | A. Stoudemire 8.5 |
| Assists | R. Rondo 9.7 | S. Nash 11.3 |
| Steals | R. Rondo 2.7 | J. Richardson 1.1 |
| Blocks | K. Perkins 2.0 | C. Frye .9 |
| · Team stats: Boston | Phoenix | ||
DJ Adds New Dimension to Old Rivalry
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record 33-9
January 25, 1984
At a recent practice at Hellenic College, Celtics' legend Red Auerbach tipped his cigar ashes into a paper cup, blew smoke and said, "You know what I think the big difference is? It's No. 3. He's the big difference between this year and last."
Dennis Johnson wears No. 3.
In this emotional joy ride through the first half of the 1983-84 regular season, intangible elements of happiness, harmony and chemistry have been cited as the primary causes of Boston's early success. But while everybody is admitting a preference for the K.C. Jones soft shoe over the Bill Fitch goose step, the addition of Dennis Johnson is often overlooked. As the Celtics prepare for to night's fourth regular-season scrum with the hated Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Garden (7:30), DJ represents the crucial new wrinkle in this five-year long war.
The addition of Johnson was the only major personnel changemade by the Celtics or Sixers in the offseason. Philadelphia is starting the same five players it did in the championship season of 1982-83. On the pine, Sam Williams, Sedale Threatt and Leo Rautins (currently on the injured list) sit where Reggie Johnson, Mark McNamara and Earl Cureton sat last year. In Boston, Rick Robey and Charles Bradley have been replaced by Greg Kite and Carlos Clark, but instead of Tiny Archibald the Celtics have Dennis Johnson starting at guard.
"He gives us something we didn't have," says Auerbach. "He does all the things we hoped Charles Bradley would eventually do. But instead of working on his shot, Charles was admiring his body." Backcourt matchups have been Boston's biggest problem against the Sixers. In DJ, the Celts picked up a four-time All-Star and a five-time member of the NBA's All-Defensive team. When the Celtics play the Sixers, Johnson is asked to contain Boston strangler Andrew Toney while providing new problems for the Sixers on defense.
Toney has scored 19, 18 and 28 points while hitting 50 percent (25 for 50) in three games against the Celts this season. DJ wasn't on the floor at the end of regulation when Toney's three-pointer forced an overtime in the Garden Dec. 4. However, two weeks ago in the Spectrum, when the 76ers trailed by one with 18 seconds left, Philly set up a shot for Julius Erving rather than Toney, who was being guarded by DJ.
"DJ hasn't shut Andrew down, but I don't think anyone is capable of stopping him altogether," says Celtics assistant coach Chris Ford. "Before, there was always an aura of us being leery. We wondered if anybody could contain Andrew. Now, we think we have that. Our players have confidence in DJ, plus he's able to take Toney down low and post him up and maybe get him in foul trouble."
Johnson made his name in the NBA by playing defense, but the Celts see his offensive potential as a critical new weapon against the Sixers. "DJ can really hurt them on the offensive end," notes M.L. Carr. "He gives us another guy that can put pressure on them." Johnson scored 11, 11 and 17 points in the first three Boston-Philadelphia matches, and hasn't been bashful about taking the open jumper or driving to the basket. Both teams figure to be tired tonight. The Celtics traveled from Cleveland to Boston this morning, while the Sixers arrived from last night's game in New York. "Any time these two teams play it's a knock-down, drag-out battle," says Carr. "Down there, Doc (Erving) said they wanted to establish some dominance over them. Now, it's our chance. We want a dominant win."
Record 33-9
January 25, 1984
At a recent practice at Hellenic College, Celtics' legend Red Auerbach tipped his cigar ashes into a paper cup, blew smoke and said, "You know what I think the big difference is? It's No. 3. He's the big difference between this year and last."
Dennis Johnson wears No. 3.
In this emotional joy ride through the first half of the 1983-84 regular season, intangible elements of happiness, harmony and chemistry have been cited as the primary causes of Boston's early success. But while everybody is admitting a preference for the K.C. Jones soft shoe over the Bill Fitch goose step, the addition of Dennis Johnson is often overlooked. As the Celtics prepare for to night's fourth regular-season scrum with the hated Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Garden (7:30), DJ represents the crucial new wrinkle in this five-year long war.
The addition of Johnson was the only major personnel changemade by the Celtics or Sixers in the offseason. Philadelphia is starting the same five players it did in the championship season of 1982-83. On the pine, Sam Williams, Sedale Threatt and Leo Rautins (currently on the injured list) sit where Reggie Johnson, Mark McNamara and Earl Cureton sat last year. In Boston, Rick Robey and Charles Bradley have been replaced by Greg Kite and Carlos Clark, but instead of Tiny Archibald the Celtics have Dennis Johnson starting at guard.
"He gives us something we didn't have," says Auerbach. "He does all the things we hoped Charles Bradley would eventually do. But instead of working on his shot, Charles was admiring his body." Backcourt matchups have been Boston's biggest problem against the Sixers. In DJ, the Celts picked up a four-time All-Star and a five-time member of the NBA's All-Defensive team. When the Celtics play the Sixers, Johnson is asked to contain Boston strangler Andrew Toney while providing new problems for the Sixers on defense.
Toney has scored 19, 18 and 28 points while hitting 50 percent (25 for 50) in three games against the Celts this season. DJ wasn't on the floor at the end of regulation when Toney's three-pointer forced an overtime in the Garden Dec. 4. However, two weeks ago in the Spectrum, when the 76ers trailed by one with 18 seconds left, Philly set up a shot for Julius Erving rather than Toney, who was being guarded by DJ.
"DJ hasn't shut Andrew down, but I don't think anyone is capable of stopping him altogether," says Celtics assistant coach Chris Ford. "Before, there was always an aura of us being leery. We wondered if anybody could contain Andrew. Now, we think we have that. Our players have confidence in DJ, plus he's able to take Toney down low and post him up and maybe get him in foul trouble."
Johnson made his name in the NBA by playing defense, but the Celts see his offensive potential as a critical new weapon against the Sixers. "DJ can really hurt them on the offensive end," notes M.L. Carr. "He gives us another guy that can put pressure on them." Johnson scored 11, 11 and 17 points in the first three Boston-Philadelphia matches, and hasn't been bashful about taking the open jumper or driving to the basket. Both teams figure to be tired tonight. The Celtics traveled from Cleveland to Boston this morning, while the Sixers arrived from last night's game in New York. "Any time these two teams play it's a knock-down, drag-out battle," says Carr. "Down there, Doc (Erving) said they wanted to establish some dominance over them. Now, it's our chance. We want a dominant win."
5,000 People Watch C's Win Laugher, Leading 101-67 after 3
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 118, Cavs 97
Record 33-9
January 22, 1984
RICHFIELD, Ohio
The game was played before a tiny (5,038), silent crowd in the suburban nowhere land of northeast Ohio, against a presumably hungry underdog, and on the eve of another duel to the death with the Philadelphia 76ers. In other words, all of the upset ingredients were present when the Celtics took the floor against the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. In another year, the cocky Celtics might have been upended, or at least scared, but this is the winter of content and conviction. Accordingly, in a complete and sometimes arrogant display of dominance and precision, the Celtics vaporized the hapless Cavaliers, 118-97, befoe a disgraceful gathering of 5830 neighbors and friends at the Richfield Coliseum.
The 48-minute scrimmage was the kind of game that is always possible but rarely materializes when social register teams clash with NBA doormats. The Celtics led by six after one, by 23 at the half, and held an embarrassing 101-67 margin at the end of three quarters. The final minutes were played for the benefit of Mr. Kite and Carlos Clark. Boston's 36-19 second quarter put the blowout in motion. The Celtics' bench was responsible for turning a respectable game into garbage time before intermission. Danny Ainge and Quinn Buckner were chief architects of smoke city. They scored 19 second-quarter points (9 of 13 from the floor) and ran the Cadavers into submission.
The starters came back for showtime in the third quarter. Larry Bird (24 points) canned some hideous fallaways and Robert Parish hung around long enough to compile 13 points. A 17-2 run midway through the quarter turned a 78-55 lead into an obscene 95-57 bulge. The 38-point lead was Boston's biggest. Parish and Bird were both on the pine before the third period ended. While the shoulder-to-shoulder throng screamed at K.C. Jones for piling it on, Greg Kite came into the game with 8:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. Clark appeared 55 seconds later. With four minutes to play, fans were screaming: "Come on K.C., put (trainer Ray) Melchiorre in."
The Celtics never trailed. Boston led by as many as nine in the first period, and took charge with a 36-19 second-quarter that resulted in a whopping 65-42 halftime advantage. While Lonnie Shelton slept, Bird (10 in the first period) canned four straight outside jumpers as the Celtics bolted to an 18-10 lead midway through the opening quarter.Meanwhile, Cedric Maxwell and Dennis Johnson shut down Cliff Robinson and World B. Free, and the rest of the inept Cavaliers stopped themselves. Accordingly, the Celtics had little trouble maintaining a comfortable lead.
Buckner came in for Gerald Henderson and Kevin McHale replaced Maxwell late in the first period. Scott Wedman, the only Celtic who didn't play against Milwaukee Sunday, appeared with 1:08 left in the period. Parish, who turned his left ankle in practice Monday, played the entire quarter, scored nine points and showed no signs of the injury. In the first period, the Celtics forced eight Cleveland turnovers, outrebounded the Cavaliers (14-8) and took 30 (count 'em, 30) shots. Parish was still in the game when the second quarter began. But he immediately picked up his third foul and was replaced by Maxwell.
The Celtics' shock troops proceeded to blow the Cavaliers away. Boston's second unit had great success with the running game and ripped off nine in a row to stretch the lead to 13 (38-25). While Cleveland coach Tom Nissalke displayed a stubborn aversion to timeouts, the Celtics kept running and burst to a 45-27 lead. The artistic 16-2 surge was orchestrated by backup guards Buckner and Ainge. Buckner had nine in the period, Ainge eight, as they ran with dazzling efficiency. Bird, Maxwell, and McHale went to the free throw line late in the half and stretched the Celtics' lead to 23 (63-40) with 1:11 left.
By then, Kite and Clark were salavating at the end of the Boston bench.
Celtics 118, Cavs 97
Record 33-9
January 22, 1984
RICHFIELD, Ohio
The game was played before a tiny (5,038), silent crowd in the suburban nowhere land of northeast Ohio, against a presumably hungry underdog, and on the eve of another duel to the death with the Philadelphia 76ers. In other words, all of the upset ingredients were present when the Celtics took the floor against the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. In another year, the cocky Celtics might have been upended, or at least scared, but this is the winter of content and conviction. Accordingly, in a complete and sometimes arrogant display of dominance and precision, the Celtics vaporized the hapless Cavaliers, 118-97, befoe a disgraceful gathering of 5830 neighbors and friends at the Richfield Coliseum.
The 48-minute scrimmage was the kind of game that is always possible but rarely materializes when social register teams clash with NBA doormats. The Celtics led by six after one, by 23 at the half, and held an embarrassing 101-67 margin at the end of three quarters. The final minutes were played for the benefit of Mr. Kite and Carlos Clark. Boston's 36-19 second quarter put the blowout in motion. The Celtics' bench was responsible for turning a respectable game into garbage time before intermission. Danny Ainge and Quinn Buckner were chief architects of smoke city. They scored 19 second-quarter points (9 of 13 from the floor) and ran the Cadavers into submission.
The starters came back for showtime in the third quarter. Larry Bird (24 points) canned some hideous fallaways and Robert Parish hung around long enough to compile 13 points. A 17-2 run midway through the quarter turned a 78-55 lead into an obscene 95-57 bulge. The 38-point lead was Boston's biggest. Parish and Bird were both on the pine before the third period ended. While the shoulder-to-shoulder throng screamed at K.C. Jones for piling it on, Greg Kite came into the game with 8:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. Clark appeared 55 seconds later. With four minutes to play, fans were screaming: "Come on K.C., put (trainer Ray) Melchiorre in."
The Celtics never trailed. Boston led by as many as nine in the first period, and took charge with a 36-19 second-quarter that resulted in a whopping 65-42 halftime advantage. While Lonnie Shelton slept, Bird (10 in the first period) canned four straight outside jumpers as the Celtics bolted to an 18-10 lead midway through the opening quarter.Meanwhile, Cedric Maxwell and Dennis Johnson shut down Cliff Robinson and World B. Free, and the rest of the inept Cavaliers stopped themselves. Accordingly, the Celtics had little trouble maintaining a comfortable lead.
Buckner came in for Gerald Henderson and Kevin McHale replaced Maxwell late in the first period. Scott Wedman, the only Celtic who didn't play against Milwaukee Sunday, appeared with 1:08 left in the period. Parish, who turned his left ankle in practice Monday, played the entire quarter, scored nine points and showed no signs of the injury. In the first period, the Celtics forced eight Cleveland turnovers, outrebounded the Cavaliers (14-8) and took 30 (count 'em, 30) shots. Parish was still in the game when the second quarter began. But he immediately picked up his third foul and was replaced by Maxwell.
The Celtics' shock troops proceeded to blow the Cavaliers away. Boston's second unit had great success with the running game and ripped off nine in a row to stretch the lead to 13 (38-25). While Cleveland coach Tom Nissalke displayed a stubborn aversion to timeouts, the Celtics kept running and burst to a 45-27 lead. The artistic 16-2 surge was orchestrated by backup guards Buckner and Ainge. Buckner had nine in the period, Ainge eight, as they ran with dazzling efficiency. Bird, Maxwell, and McHale went to the free throw line late in the half and stretched the Celtics' lead to 23 (63-40) with 1:11 left.
By then, Kite and Clark were salavating at the end of the Boston bench.
Exactly How Important was Cornbread?
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record 32-9
January 22, 1984
RICHFIELD, Ohio
Max. Max. Max.
When Robert Parish scores 22 points and pulls down 15 rebounds, he says "Max is the key to this ballclub." When Larry Bird fires in 27 with 11 assists, he talks about Max. When K. C. Jones is asked to comment on the Celtics' team defense or a fourth-quarter turnaround, he starts with "Max was the difference . . . "
Cedric Maxwell knows the sacrifices and contributions he's made, and he knows that his teammates understand. Accordingly, there's a collective sense of guilt among the Celtics which prompts them to think of Max any time the credit is being doled out. Parish, Bird and Kevin McHale are going to the All-Star game. All three, plus Dennis Johnson are averaging more points per game than Maxwell. They do the things that attract headlines, mini-cams, and All-Star votes, while Max does the dirty work.
Maxwell's game is as flexible as his elastic torso. He always guards the opposition's big-scoring forward. He is asked to shut down the Marques Johnsons of the world, crash the offensive boards, and occasionally make a move to the basket. When Bird is injured, cold, or foul-plagued, Maxwell reverts to his old offensive game of ball movement and post-ups. "There aren't a lot of players in this league who can stop him down low," says assistant coach Chris Ford.
Maxwell's summation of his adjustable role is, "I do whatever it takes to win." It's no coincidence that when Bird sat out two games with a knee injury in December, Maxwell scored 17 and 22 points. When Bird rested during a cold- shooting stretch Sunday, Maxwell led an 18-2 surge which destroyed the Bucks. On the heels of his 13-point, 10-rebound, 9-assist game in Hartford Friday, Maxwell had 15 points with 11 rebounds and 4 assists Sunday.
"He's asserted himself more on offense in the last couple of games," adds Ford. "He's not going to be called upon to score a lot of points, but it doesn't really bother him. He still does the things that generally go unnoticed." Tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he'll try to shut down Cliff Robinson and let Bird and Parish take care of the offense. If circumstances dictate a different role, Max will be ready. He's been adjusting his pro game for seven years.
"My first year with the Celtics I had to adjust to playing defense. Tommy Heinsohn and Satch Sanders felt I was a detriment on defense. The next year, I led the team in scoring and rebounding because Dave (Cowens) wanted me to score more points. When Bill (Fitch) came, my game went from scoring to defense. My role changed tremendously when we got Larry. I took a secondary role; then we got Robert, and I dropped another notch. Then Kevin starting scoring a lot of points, and I dropped another notch to where I wasn't even a secondary threat."
What type of person does one have to be to accept such changes? "Not being conceited helps," says Max. "It's been my personality all along. From the time I started playing basketball, I've been able to adjust." In 41 starts, Maxwell is averaging 31.3 minutes, 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He's shooting .544 (156-287) from the floor and .734 (188-256) from the line. "He playing the way he should be playing," says GM Red Auerbach. "Max is one of the best offensive rebounders in the league."
Maxwell will be a free agent at the end of this season. His agent, Ron Grinker, and Auerbach have talked informally about a new deal, but no one seems to be in a hurry. Both insist Maxwell will be a Celtic next year. "If I went anywhere else, I'm sure I'd score more points," he says, "but I've had a good career and to go somewhere else for personal glory is not really what I want."
MISC
Parish sprained his left ankle in practice yesterday but is expected to play tonight. He's still averaging a whopping 37 minutes per game . . . Scott Wedman, who did not play Sunday, had a short meeting with Auerbach after practice . . . Gerald Henderson has missed six of his last seven three-point efforts and is down to .437 (14-32) for the year . . . Since his 0-8 clanger in Milwaukee, McHale has converted 61 percent (23-38) of his floor shots . . . Bird is hitting 88 percent (178-202) from the line . . . The Celtics had a whopping 42-rebound advantage in their last three games.
The Cavs have lost three straight since winning three of four. World Free is scoring 24.3 points per game and is the only non-All-Star among the league's top 12 scorers. His starting partner in the backcourt will be either Geoff Huston or John Bagley. Huston missed the last two games with back spasms and Bagley filled in with a combined 24 points and 14 assists. Rookie Roy Hinson (66 blocked shots) or Jeff Cook will start at center and Lonnie Shelton (10.6 points, 5.1 rebounds) and Robinson (18, 10.1) will be the starting forwards.
Record 32-9
January 22, 1984
RICHFIELD, Ohio
Max. Max. Max.
When Robert Parish scores 22 points and pulls down 15 rebounds, he says "Max is the key to this ballclub." When Larry Bird fires in 27 with 11 assists, he talks about Max. When K. C. Jones is asked to comment on the Celtics' team defense or a fourth-quarter turnaround, he starts with "Max was the difference . . . "
Cedric Maxwell knows the sacrifices and contributions he's made, and he knows that his teammates understand. Accordingly, there's a collective sense of guilt among the Celtics which prompts them to think of Max any time the credit is being doled out. Parish, Bird and Kevin McHale are going to the All-Star game. All three, plus Dennis Johnson are averaging more points per game than Maxwell. They do the things that attract headlines, mini-cams, and All-Star votes, while Max does the dirty work.
Maxwell's game is as flexible as his elastic torso. He always guards the opposition's big-scoring forward. He is asked to shut down the Marques Johnsons of the world, crash the offensive boards, and occasionally make a move to the basket. When Bird is injured, cold, or foul-plagued, Maxwell reverts to his old offensive game of ball movement and post-ups. "There aren't a lot of players in this league who can stop him down low," says assistant coach Chris Ford.
Maxwell's summation of his adjustable role is, "I do whatever it takes to win." It's no coincidence that when Bird sat out two games with a knee injury in December, Maxwell scored 17 and 22 points. When Bird rested during a cold- shooting stretch Sunday, Maxwell led an 18-2 surge which destroyed the Bucks. On the heels of his 13-point, 10-rebound, 9-assist game in Hartford Friday, Maxwell had 15 points with 11 rebounds and 4 assists Sunday.
"He's asserted himself more on offense in the last couple of games," adds Ford. "He's not going to be called upon to score a lot of points, but it doesn't really bother him. He still does the things that generally go unnoticed." Tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he'll try to shut down Cliff Robinson and let Bird and Parish take care of the offense. If circumstances dictate a different role, Max will be ready. He's been adjusting his pro game for seven years.
"My first year with the Celtics I had to adjust to playing defense. Tommy Heinsohn and Satch Sanders felt I was a detriment on defense. The next year, I led the team in scoring and rebounding because Dave (Cowens) wanted me to score more points. When Bill (Fitch) came, my game went from scoring to defense. My role changed tremendously when we got Larry. I took a secondary role; then we got Robert, and I dropped another notch. Then Kevin starting scoring a lot of points, and I dropped another notch to where I wasn't even a secondary threat."
What type of person does one have to be to accept such changes? "Not being conceited helps," says Max. "It's been my personality all along. From the time I started playing basketball, I've been able to adjust." In 41 starts, Maxwell is averaging 31.3 minutes, 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He's shooting .544 (156-287) from the floor and .734 (188-256) from the line. "He playing the way he should be playing," says GM Red Auerbach. "Max is one of the best offensive rebounders in the league."
Maxwell will be a free agent at the end of this season. His agent, Ron Grinker, and Auerbach have talked informally about a new deal, but no one seems to be in a hurry. Both insist Maxwell will be a Celtic next year. "If I went anywhere else, I'm sure I'd score more points," he says, "but I've had a good career and to go somewhere else for personal glory is not really what I want."
MISC
Parish sprained his left ankle in practice yesterday but is expected to play tonight. He's still averaging a whopping 37 minutes per game . . . Scott Wedman, who did not play Sunday, had a short meeting with Auerbach after practice . . . Gerald Henderson has missed six of his last seven three-point efforts and is down to .437 (14-32) for the year . . . Since his 0-8 clanger in Milwaukee, McHale has converted 61 percent (23-38) of his floor shots . . . Bird is hitting 88 percent (178-202) from the line . . . The Celtics had a whopping 42-rebound advantage in their last three games.
The Cavs have lost three straight since winning three of four. World Free is scoring 24.3 points per game and is the only non-All-Star among the league's top 12 scorers. His starting partner in the backcourt will be either Geoff Huston or John Bagley. Huston missed the last two games with back spasms and Bagley filled in with a combined 24 points and 14 assists. Rookie Roy Hinson (66 blocked shots) or Jeff Cook will start at center and Lonnie Shelton (10.6 points, 5.1 rebounds) and Robinson (18, 10.1) will be the starting forwards.
Celtics Down Nellie and the Bucks
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 109, Bucks 98
Record 32-9
January 22, 1984
If you weren't invited to a Super Bowl Brunch or a press conference at which somebody announced a candidacy for the Senate, the Celtics and Bucks offered a nice early afternoon alternative yesterday. On the one-week anniversary of the nationally televised Mauling at the Mecca, the Celtics struck back, beating the Bucks, 109-98, at the Garden. Let the record show that the key drive in this impressive victory came while Larry Bird was seated with Carlos Clark, Greg Kite, Ray Melchiorre and the rest of the Celtics' sideline gang.
It was 70-70 with 5:47 left in the third quarter when the floundering Bird (7 for 16) sat down to see what his teammates could do against the ever- ready Bucks. They did it all. As the antique Bucks sputtered, the Celtics outscored Milwaukee, 18-2, to take an 88-72 lead after three quarters. Cedric Maxwell, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Quinn Buckner and Dennis Johnson were Boston's fun bunch in the crucial stretch.
Parish (22 points, 15 rebounds), started the surge wih a finger roll in the lane. Then came a play that the Bucks thought was crucial and unfair. Paul Pressey scored on a power drive, but the goal was nullified when Jim Capers, standing at midcourt, ruled that Bob Lanier had touched Pressey's shot inside the cylinder. "I didn't touch it," said Lanier. "If I did, I'd tell you. That was a big call."
The Celtics didn't score immediately, but a DJ steal led to a Parish fast break slam. Buckner followed with a transition jumper, and when Maxwell (seven offensive rebounds) converted a DJ miss off the break, it was 78-70, and Bucks coach Don Nelson was calling for a 20-second timeout. The party wasn't over. After the pause, McHale scored off the break from Buckner, and Parish delivered a yo-mama dunk after taking a pass from Maxwell. Then Marques Johnson (a herioc 26 points) was tagged with an offensive foul, and McHale canned a turnaround from the left baseline to make it 14 straight, 84-70.
Fresh off the cover of "GQ," Paul Mokeski dumped in a hook-shot to interrupt Boston's blitz. McHale came back with a follow-up, and Buckner hit a left-handed half-jumper to make it 88-72 after three. The only question left was, "Raiders or 'Skins?" Remember, these were the same Bucks who tap-danced on the Celtics' foreheads, while America watched last Sunday.
"We were shocked last Sunday," said Parish, who is playing center better than anyone in basketballl at the moment. "Today, we did a much better job on their inside people in the second half. We opened the game up and got our running game going." Maxwell was the catalyst. He wound up with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. According to Nelson, "He absolutely destroyed us. He hurts us in almost every way." "Max has been the key to this ballclub since he's been here," said Parish. "He just doesn't get the ink for it."
Said K. C. Jones: "Max played a total game. He played with total determination and ferocity - playing great defense, banging the boards, getting those second chance points. I don't know what's gotten into him, but I'm not going to change it."
Maxwell had eight points and five rebounds in the third period. The Celtics outrebounded Milwaukee, 20-7, in the third quarter, and by a whopping 60-37 overall. "The way we went to the boards was big thing," said Maxwell. "We were getting second and third shots all through the second half."
The Bucks could get no closer than 12 points in the fourth period. Bird and McHale (20 points) each had eight in the period, and Jones kept his horses on the floor. Victory cigars Kite and Clark didn't appear until the final 36 seconds. Events leading to the 70-70 tie were relatively dull. The Celtics tried to run early and took advantage of Milwaukee's obvious matchup problems. When the Bucks double-teamed underneath, the Celtics kicked it back out and took jump shots. Boston never trailed after 26-25, led, 34-29, after one, and, 58-56, at the half. Sidney Moncrief was on his way to an eight-shot, 12-point performance (credit DJ), and the Bucks weren't the same team when Lanier (10 points, with only three rebounds in 25 minutes) was resting his wounded knees.
Celtics 109, Bucks 98
Record 32-9
January 22, 1984
If you weren't invited to a Super Bowl Brunch or a press conference at which somebody announced a candidacy for the Senate, the Celtics and Bucks offered a nice early afternoon alternative yesterday. On the one-week anniversary of the nationally televised Mauling at the Mecca, the Celtics struck back, beating the Bucks, 109-98, at the Garden. Let the record show that the key drive in this impressive victory came while Larry Bird was seated with Carlos Clark, Greg Kite, Ray Melchiorre and the rest of the Celtics' sideline gang.
It was 70-70 with 5:47 left in the third quarter when the floundering Bird (7 for 16) sat down to see what his teammates could do against the ever- ready Bucks. They did it all. As the antique Bucks sputtered, the Celtics outscored Milwaukee, 18-2, to take an 88-72 lead after three quarters. Cedric Maxwell, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Quinn Buckner and Dennis Johnson were Boston's fun bunch in the crucial stretch.
Parish (22 points, 15 rebounds), started the surge wih a finger roll in the lane. Then came a play that the Bucks thought was crucial and unfair. Paul Pressey scored on a power drive, but the goal was nullified when Jim Capers, standing at midcourt, ruled that Bob Lanier had touched Pressey's shot inside the cylinder. "I didn't touch it," said Lanier. "If I did, I'd tell you. That was a big call."
The Celtics didn't score immediately, but a DJ steal led to a Parish fast break slam. Buckner followed with a transition jumper, and when Maxwell (seven offensive rebounds) converted a DJ miss off the break, it was 78-70, and Bucks coach Don Nelson was calling for a 20-second timeout. The party wasn't over. After the pause, McHale scored off the break from Buckner, and Parish delivered a yo-mama dunk after taking a pass from Maxwell. Then Marques Johnson (a herioc 26 points) was tagged with an offensive foul, and McHale canned a turnaround from the left baseline to make it 14 straight, 84-70.
Fresh off the cover of "GQ," Paul Mokeski dumped in a hook-shot to interrupt Boston's blitz. McHale came back with a follow-up, and Buckner hit a left-handed half-jumper to make it 88-72 after three. The only question left was, "Raiders or 'Skins?" Remember, these were the same Bucks who tap-danced on the Celtics' foreheads, while America watched last Sunday.
"We were shocked last Sunday," said Parish, who is playing center better than anyone in basketballl at the moment. "Today, we did a much better job on their inside people in the second half. We opened the game up and got our running game going." Maxwell was the catalyst. He wound up with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. According to Nelson, "He absolutely destroyed us. He hurts us in almost every way." "Max has been the key to this ballclub since he's been here," said Parish. "He just doesn't get the ink for it."
Said K. C. Jones: "Max played a total game. He played with total determination and ferocity - playing great defense, banging the boards, getting those second chance points. I don't know what's gotten into him, but I'm not going to change it."
Maxwell had eight points and five rebounds in the third period. The Celtics outrebounded Milwaukee, 20-7, in the third quarter, and by a whopping 60-37 overall. "The way we went to the boards was big thing," said Maxwell. "We were getting second and third shots all through the second half."
The Bucks could get no closer than 12 points in the fourth period. Bird and McHale (20 points) each had eight in the period, and Jones kept his horses on the floor. Victory cigars Kite and Clark didn't appear until the final 36 seconds. Events leading to the 70-70 tie were relatively dull. The Celtics tried to run early and took advantage of Milwaukee's obvious matchup problems. When the Bucks double-teamed underneath, the Celtics kicked it back out and took jump shots. Boston never trailed after 26-25, led, 34-29, after one, and, 58-56, at the half. Sidney Moncrief was on his way to an eight-shot, 12-point performance (credit DJ), and the Bucks weren't the same team when Lanier (10 points, with only three rebounds in 25 minutes) was resting his wounded knees.
Celtics Will Try to End Bucks' Dominance
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record 31-9
January 22, 1984
The Milwaukee Bucks have beaten the Celtics in seven of the last nine playoff and regular-season meetings between the two teams. It is a curious dominance, one that the Celtics are tired of being asked about. Before last weekend, it was easy to dismiss the 1983 playoff sweep as ancient history, but then the Celtics staggered through another nationally televised (106-87) humiliation at the Mecca last Sunday.
Words won't do it anymore. Larry Bird knows it doesn't matter what he says, so when asked about Milwaukee he slumps into automatic pilot: "They're a better team than we are right now. That's what you have to say from the way we've played against them." "I don't think anybody here cares about what people say or what people think; it's what we think that matters. We know we can beat anybody in the league. We just had a bad game against them. But the next game is a different story."
Today's Super Sunday special (1 p.m., Channel 4) features two of the league's hottest teams. The Celtics own basketball's best record and have won eight of nine. The Bucks shrugged off a losing streak with five consecutive wins, including last Sunday's stomping of the Celtics and a 133-103 rout of the Bullets Friday night. "The Bucks seem to play well against the good teams," noted Quinn Buckner, who spent six years in Milwaukee. "When somebody gets hurt, they rally the wagons and pull together."
The Bucks are still playing without Tiny Archibald, but they have been getting a lot of bench production from Kevin Grevey . . . The Celtics are 31-9, and today marks the midpoint of their 1983-84 regular season. They were 31-10 after 41 games last season.
Record 31-9
January 22, 1984
The Milwaukee Bucks have beaten the Celtics in seven of the last nine playoff and regular-season meetings between the two teams. It is a curious dominance, one that the Celtics are tired of being asked about. Before last weekend, it was easy to dismiss the 1983 playoff sweep as ancient history, but then the Celtics staggered through another nationally televised (106-87) humiliation at the Mecca last Sunday.
Words won't do it anymore. Larry Bird knows it doesn't matter what he says, so when asked about Milwaukee he slumps into automatic pilot: "They're a better team than we are right now. That's what you have to say from the way we've played against them." "I don't think anybody here cares about what people say or what people think; it's what we think that matters. We know we can beat anybody in the league. We just had a bad game against them. But the next game is a different story."
Today's Super Sunday special (1 p.m., Channel 4) features two of the league's hottest teams. The Celtics own basketball's best record and have won eight of nine. The Bucks shrugged off a losing streak with five consecutive wins, including last Sunday's stomping of the Celtics and a 133-103 rout of the Bullets Friday night. "The Bucks seem to play well against the good teams," noted Quinn Buckner, who spent six years in Milwaukee. "When somebody gets hurt, they rally the wagons and pull together."
The Bucks are still playing without Tiny Archibald, but they have been getting a lot of bench production from Kevin Grevey . . . The Celtics are 31-9, and today marks the midpoint of their 1983-84 regular season. They were 31-10 after 41 games last season.
Fitch and Parish Trade Shots
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record 31-9
January 22, 1984
Ex-Celtics Coach Bill Fitch bristled when he read Robert Parish's statement, "Last year it was a dictatorship, this year it's a democracy." Fitch fired back with, "I don't like to get into personalities, but Parish needed somebody to get him up off his butt. Without some discipline to wake them up, the Celtics would have been the same team that lost 53 games two years before." Fitch was steaming again Thursday when Ralph Sampson skipped practice to fly to Chicago for a Puma footwear appearance. "It won't happen again," snapped Big Brother Bill .
MISC
This may hurt, but Elvin Hayes is closing in on John Havlicek's 1270-game record. The Big E should tie the mark in Washington Feb. 7 and break it in Philadelphia the next night . . . The other Big E, Eric Fernsten, is wowing them in New York. He is getting a fair number of minutes and blocked four shots in three games last week . . . He probably would have said no anyway, but it would have been nice if Bill Russell had been asked to participate in the Star Old-Timers' game . . . Kevin McHale claims no bad feelings toward All-Star teammate Kelly Tripucka, even though Tripucka said McHale was "not really an athlete." Said McHale, "We were on a touring team together after college.thing in the paper was no big deal."
The Celtics are 0-2 in Hartford. They've beaten Denver and Indiana at the Civic Center, but neither was a sellout and both victories were tarnished by things that wouldn't have happened if they'd played the games in Boston. As everybody knows, Larry Bird slipped on the Hartford floor in early December and missed two games with strained ligaments in his right knee. The floor was fine for Friday's game with the Pacers, but on the way home, the Celtics' bus broke down in the middle of Rte. 86. They were stranded for an hour before being rescued by a commercial bus driver who was taking 12 passengers from Baltimore to Boston. Most of the players got off at Howard Johnson's near Rte. 128 and arranged rides home. M.L. Carr and Dennis Johnson hooked up with a stranger who was on his way home from HoJo's. No one got home earlier than 2 a.m. (yesterday's practice was at 11 a.m.) and if they'd waited for the backup bus coming from Lynn, they'd have arrived home at around 5 a.m. "There you have it," said Carr. "That's the glamour life of the Boston Celtics." Added Gerald Henderson: "I'm just glad it was a bus that broke down instead of a plane."
It's a big grudge week for the world champion Philadelphia 76ers. On Tuesday, the Sixers return to New York - where they were beaten by 38 points Jan. 9. Then Dr. J & Co. will be at the Garden Wednesday night to see if they can make up for Boston's 105-104 victory in the Spectrum nine days ago. Billy Cunningham is getting great play from his backcourt. After a slow start in the assist department, Maurice Cheeks had 10, 12 and 10 in three games this week . . . World B. Free had this to say about Reggie Theus' plight in Chicago: "The Bulls miss Reggie Theus, especially with a game on the line. I have the experience to make a move on a young player, and so does Reggie. He could do the same thing for the Bulls, and I can't figure out why he's not in there for them." Free must have been even more perplexed the next night when Tom Nissalke benched him after the first two minutes of the second half against Philly. With Free on the pine, the Cavaliers went the final 19:45 without a turnover . . . Speaking of turnovers, Magic Johnson had an embarrassing triple-double against Phoenix Thursday - 14 points, 12 assists and 10 turnovers. Magic has been turning the ball over once every 9.5 minutes, which ranks him among the league's sloppiest point guards, along with Ennis Whatley (1 per 8 minutes), Alan Leavell (1 per 9.6), Ray Williams (1 per 9.8) and Larry Drew (1 per 10.9).
Rev. Jesse Jackson showed up when the Hawks' front office held a going-away party for assistant general manager Steve Funk. Jackson's entourage just happened to be passing through the Omni, but Jackson took time out to press the flesh with Armond Hill and friends. What can Jesse Jackson do about getting the Kings out of Kansas City? KC drew just over 9000 for the Lakers, then attracted only 11,478 for the Celtics Tuesday . . . Going into last night's game in New York, the Hawks were 19-4 at home, 2-16 on the road. Atlanta's Dominique Wilkins is up to 7.5 rebounds per game and scored 30 or more in four of six games recently. He's a bit hurt about not making the All- Star team and is expected to perform dramatic feats at the Slam Dunk contest Saturday. Mark Landsberger, picked up off the wire by the Hawks, is averging 20.4 rebounds per 48 minutes for Atlanta. Ex-Hawk John Drew is averaging 41.4 points per 48 minutes for the Utah Jazz.
Record 31-9
January 22, 1984
Ex-Celtics Coach Bill Fitch bristled when he read Robert Parish's statement, "Last year it was a dictatorship, this year it's a democracy." Fitch fired back with, "I don't like to get into personalities, but Parish needed somebody to get him up off his butt. Without some discipline to wake them up, the Celtics would have been the same team that lost 53 games two years before." Fitch was steaming again Thursday when Ralph Sampson skipped practice to fly to Chicago for a Puma footwear appearance. "It won't happen again," snapped Big Brother Bill .
MISC
This may hurt, but Elvin Hayes is closing in on John Havlicek's 1270-game record. The Big E should tie the mark in Washington Feb. 7 and break it in Philadelphia the next night . . . The other Big E, Eric Fernsten, is wowing them in New York. He is getting a fair number of minutes and blocked four shots in three games last week . . . He probably would have said no anyway, but it would have been nice if Bill Russell had been asked to participate in the Star Old-Timers' game . . . Kevin McHale claims no bad feelings toward All-Star teammate Kelly Tripucka, even though Tripucka said McHale was "not really an athlete." Said McHale, "We were on a touring team together after college.thing in the paper was no big deal."
The Celtics are 0-2 in Hartford. They've beaten Denver and Indiana at the Civic Center, but neither was a sellout and both victories were tarnished by things that wouldn't have happened if they'd played the games in Boston. As everybody knows, Larry Bird slipped on the Hartford floor in early December and missed two games with strained ligaments in his right knee. The floor was fine for Friday's game with the Pacers, but on the way home, the Celtics' bus broke down in the middle of Rte. 86. They were stranded for an hour before being rescued by a commercial bus driver who was taking 12 passengers from Baltimore to Boston. Most of the players got off at Howard Johnson's near Rte. 128 and arranged rides home. M.L. Carr and Dennis Johnson hooked up with a stranger who was on his way home from HoJo's. No one got home earlier than 2 a.m. (yesterday's practice was at 11 a.m.) and if they'd waited for the backup bus coming from Lynn, they'd have arrived home at around 5 a.m. "There you have it," said Carr. "That's the glamour life of the Boston Celtics." Added Gerald Henderson: "I'm just glad it was a bus that broke down instead of a plane."
It's a big grudge week for the world champion Philadelphia 76ers. On Tuesday, the Sixers return to New York - where they were beaten by 38 points Jan. 9. Then Dr. J & Co. will be at the Garden Wednesday night to see if they can make up for Boston's 105-104 victory in the Spectrum nine days ago. Billy Cunningham is getting great play from his backcourt. After a slow start in the assist department, Maurice Cheeks had 10, 12 and 10 in three games this week . . . World B. Free had this to say about Reggie Theus' plight in Chicago: "The Bulls miss Reggie Theus, especially with a game on the line. I have the experience to make a move on a young player, and so does Reggie. He could do the same thing for the Bulls, and I can't figure out why he's not in there for them." Free must have been even more perplexed the next night when Tom Nissalke benched him after the first two minutes of the second half against Philly. With Free on the pine, the Cavaliers went the final 19:45 without a turnover . . . Speaking of turnovers, Magic Johnson had an embarrassing triple-double against Phoenix Thursday - 14 points, 12 assists and 10 turnovers. Magic has been turning the ball over once every 9.5 minutes, which ranks him among the league's sloppiest point guards, along with Ennis Whatley (1 per 8 minutes), Alan Leavell (1 per 9.6), Ray Williams (1 per 9.8) and Larry Drew (1 per 10.9).
Rev. Jesse Jackson showed up when the Hawks' front office held a going-away party for assistant general manager Steve Funk. Jackson's entourage just happened to be passing through the Omni, but Jackson took time out to press the flesh with Armond Hill and friends. What can Jesse Jackson do about getting the Kings out of Kansas City? KC drew just over 9000 for the Lakers, then attracted only 11,478 for the Celtics Tuesday . . . Going into last night's game in New York, the Hawks were 19-4 at home, 2-16 on the road. Atlanta's Dominique Wilkins is up to 7.5 rebounds per game and scored 30 or more in four of six games recently. He's a bit hurt about not making the All- Star team and is expected to perform dramatic feats at the Slam Dunk contest Saturday. Mark Landsberger, picked up off the wire by the Hawks, is averging 20.4 rebounds per 48 minutes for Atlanta. Ex-Hawk John Drew is averaging 41.4 points per 48 minutes for the Utah Jazz.
Cornbread Posts 9 Dimes in Win
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 132, Pacers 125
Record 31-9
January 21, 1984
In a lackluster but very physical game, the Celtics wore down the aggressive Indiana Pacers, 132-125, last night before 13,134 at the Civic Center. Three Celtics hit for 20 or more points, with Larry Bird showing the way with 27, followed by Robert Parish and Kevin McHale with 22 each. But equally impressive with his unselfish play was Cedric Maxwell, who consistently fed his teammates, accumulating nine assists to go along with his 13 points.
For the Pacers, it was their seventh straight defeat and their 18th loss in their last 19 road games this season - not to mention 33 of their last 34 games away dating back to last year. Little wonder that the rumor factories have been working overtime suggesting that coach Jack McKinney will soon join the unemployed ranks. The only bright spots for the Pacers were Clark Kellogg, who made good on 14 of 18 field-goal attempts while chalking up a game-high 32 points, and Steve Stipanovich added 23 points.
What made the Celtics' win possible was the ability of the team to respond to every challenge made by the Pacers, who on several occasions pulled to within four points of Boston, only to repeatedly falter. Their last serious threat occurred wih less than four minutes remaining when Herb Williams hit on a power layup to cut their deficit 105-100. But the Pacers began to push their brawn around, and the Celtics increased their lead to 110-100 after Dennis Johnson and M.L. Carr combined for five free throws. McHale then dropped the lid on fading Indiana by popping in a shot from inside the lane followed by one of his patented hooks from the right side. That shot the Celtics ahead, 114-105, and the rest was academic.
The big difference in the stretch for the Celtics was the effectiveness of the five players who were left on the floor by coach K.C. Jones for the final 12 minutes. The unit was comprised of Bird, Parish, McHale, Carr and Johnson. During that span, they posted up six times in a row, which resulted in six points, and an eventual spurt for a seven-point lead (118-111) at a vital stage of the game. In his postgame analysis, Jones said he felt that although the Celtics were cruising along, the Pacers "had the knack of making the most of the turnovers we made." In discussing the fine all-around play of Maxwell, Carr said all the players wanted him to go for the triple-double. And the Rubber Man just barely missed, finishing out the game with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists.
"He (Maxwell) can do anything he puts his mind to do," said Carr. Whatever the encounter lacked in finesse, it more than made up in rough and tumble body contact that caused tempers to flare, including that of Celtics assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers, whose anger with the officiating earned him a third-period eviction from referee Bennett Salvatore. Rodgers said he became upset when Quinn Buckner appeared to getting the worse of it during a wild scramble for a loose ball. His objections were duly recorded by Salvatore, who wasted little time slapping two quick technicals on him, hence the automatic removal from the game.
This game was a mixed bag. The first half saw the Celtics and the Pacers playing careless and lethargic basketball during the early stages before they began heating up in the second period with an improved tempo and better shooting. After Kellogg hit on a layup to give the Pacers an 8-6 lead, the Celtics jumped ahead to stay for the remainder of the first half when Bird hit a running righthander and DJ drove the lane for a 12-10 lead. Neither team established a consistent all-round floor game in the first two periods, and as bad as the Pacers were in shooting (they shot a puny 40.7 percent), the Celtics were worse with a 36 percent (9-of-25) field-goal average. In spite of their bricklaying, the Celtics built a 24-22 advantage going into the second quarter. The Pacers did come back wih a mild flurry just before the first half ended but never really challenged after the break.
Celtics 132, Pacers 125
Record 31-9
January 21, 1984
In a lackluster but very physical game, the Celtics wore down the aggressive Indiana Pacers, 132-125, last night before 13,134 at the Civic Center. Three Celtics hit for 20 or more points, with Larry Bird showing the way with 27, followed by Robert Parish and Kevin McHale with 22 each. But equally impressive with his unselfish play was Cedric Maxwell, who consistently fed his teammates, accumulating nine assists to go along with his 13 points.
For the Pacers, it was their seventh straight defeat and their 18th loss in their last 19 road games this season - not to mention 33 of their last 34 games away dating back to last year. Little wonder that the rumor factories have been working overtime suggesting that coach Jack McKinney will soon join the unemployed ranks. The only bright spots for the Pacers were Clark Kellogg, who made good on 14 of 18 field-goal attempts while chalking up a game-high 32 points, and Steve Stipanovich added 23 points.
What made the Celtics' win possible was the ability of the team to respond to every challenge made by the Pacers, who on several occasions pulled to within four points of Boston, only to repeatedly falter. Their last serious threat occurred wih less than four minutes remaining when Herb Williams hit on a power layup to cut their deficit 105-100. But the Pacers began to push their brawn around, and the Celtics increased their lead to 110-100 after Dennis Johnson and M.L. Carr combined for five free throws. McHale then dropped the lid on fading Indiana by popping in a shot from inside the lane followed by one of his patented hooks from the right side. That shot the Celtics ahead, 114-105, and the rest was academic.
The big difference in the stretch for the Celtics was the effectiveness of the five players who were left on the floor by coach K.C. Jones for the final 12 minutes. The unit was comprised of Bird, Parish, McHale, Carr and Johnson. During that span, they posted up six times in a row, which resulted in six points, and an eventual spurt for a seven-point lead (118-111) at a vital stage of the game. In his postgame analysis, Jones said he felt that although the Celtics were cruising along, the Pacers "had the knack of making the most of the turnovers we made." In discussing the fine all-around play of Maxwell, Carr said all the players wanted him to go for the triple-double. And the Rubber Man just barely missed, finishing out the game with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists.
"He (Maxwell) can do anything he puts his mind to do," said Carr. Whatever the encounter lacked in finesse, it more than made up in rough and tumble body contact that caused tempers to flare, including that of Celtics assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers, whose anger with the officiating earned him a third-period eviction from referee Bennett Salvatore. Rodgers said he became upset when Quinn Buckner appeared to getting the worse of it during a wild scramble for a loose ball. His objections were duly recorded by Salvatore, who wasted little time slapping two quick technicals on him, hence the automatic removal from the game.
This game was a mixed bag. The first half saw the Celtics and the Pacers playing careless and lethargic basketball during the early stages before they began heating up in the second period with an improved tempo and better shooting. After Kellogg hit on a layup to give the Pacers an 8-6 lead, the Celtics jumped ahead to stay for the remainder of the first half when Bird hit a running righthander and DJ drove the lane for a 12-10 lead. Neither team established a consistent all-round floor game in the first two periods, and as bad as the Pacers were in shooting (they shot a puny 40.7 percent), the Celtics were worse with a 36 percent (9-of-25) field-goal average. In spite of their bricklaying, the Celtics built a 24-22 advantage going into the second quarter. The Pacers did come back wih a mild flurry just before the first half ended but never really challenged after the break.
23-7: Warriors 103, Celtics 99
Celtics 99, 
Warriors 103
10:30 PM ET, December 28, 2009
ORACLE Arena
Oakland, CA
| BOSTON CELTICS | ||||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Kevin Garnett, PF | 31 | 7-14 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | +1 | 16 |
| Ray Allen, SG | 44 | 10-21 | 1-7 | 3-5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | +1 | 24 |
| Kendrick Perkins, C | 28 | 4-5 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | +3 | 8 |
| Tony Allen, SG | 28 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +7 | 6 |
| Rajon Rondo, PG | 46 | 11-18 | 1-3 | 7-9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 30 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Rasheed Wallace, C | 21 | 2-5 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 6 |
| Eddie House, PG | 24 | 2-6 | 1-4 | 1-1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -14 | 6 |
| Brian Scalabrine, PF | 6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -9 | 0 |
| Glen Davis, PF | 10 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | -6 | 3 |
| Shelden Williams, PF | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| J.R. Giddens, SG | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| Bill Walker, SG | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | ||
| 40-80 | 5-19 | 14-21 | 10 | 34 | 44 | 28 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 24 | 99 | |||
| 50.0% | 26.3% | 66.7% | ||||||||||||
Fast break points: 21 Points in the paint: 36 Team TO ( points off ): 26 (31) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court. | ||||||||||||||
| GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS | ||||||||||||||
| STARTERS | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Corey Maggette, SF | 32 | 4-9 | 0-1 | 5-6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -4 | 13 |
| Anthony Randolph, PF | 24 | 7-15 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -9 | 18 |
| Andris Biedrins, C | 14 | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -5 | 0 |
| Monta Ellis, SG | 48 | 15-26 | 1-3 | 6-8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | +4 | 37 |
| Stephen Curry, PG | 11 | 0-4 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -16 | 0 |
| BENCH | MIN | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Vladimir Radmanovic, SF | 18 | 3-8 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +11 | 6 |
| Ronny Turiaf, C | 26 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 1-5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | +9 | 5 |
| Chris Hunter, F | 2 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -5 | 0 |
| Anthony Morrow, SG | 28 | 5-7 | 2-3 | 1-1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +15 | 13 |
| C.J. Watson, PG | 37 | 4-8 | 1-3 | 2-4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +20 | 11 |
| Devean George, SF | DNP COACH'S DECISION | |||||||||||||
| Mikki Moore, C | DNP BONE SPURS IN RIGHT HEEL | |||||||||||||
| TOTALS | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | ||
| 40-87 | 4-13 | 19-29 | 14 | 29 | 43 | 21 | 12 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 103 | |||
| 46.0% | 30.8% | 65.5% | ||||||||||||
Fast break points: 20 Points in the paint: 44 Team TO ( points off ): 18 (13) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court. | ||||||||||||||
Technical Fouls: PLAYERS: 2 GOLDENST ( R Turiaf 1 ) BOSTON ( K Perkins 1 ) - TEAMS (def3sec): GOLDENST (1), BOSTON (1) - COACHES: None
Officials: Derrick Stafford , Gary Zielinski , Brian Forte
Attendance: 19,259
Time of Game: 02:29
Boston by 6
LINK
| Gameday Matchup | |||||||
| W-L | PF | PA | HOME | ROAD | STK | L10 | |
| BOS | 23-6 | 100.6 | 91.5 | 10-4 | 13-2 | L1 | 8-2 |
| GS | 8-21 | 107.2 | 112.3 | 5-7 | 3-14 | W1 | 2-8 |
| Last 5 Games | |
| BOSTON (ET) | GOLDEN STATE (ET) |
| Dec 27 @LAC Loss 92-90 Dec 25 @ORL Win 86-77 Dec 22 IND Win 103-94 Dec 20 MIN Win 122-104 Dec 18 PHI Loss 98-97 | Dec 26 PHO Win 132-127 Dec 23 @NO Loss 108-102 Dec 22 @MEM Loss 121-108 Dec 18 WAS Loss 118-109 Dec 16 SA Loss 103-91 |
| · Complete Schedule: Boston | Golden State | |
| Depth Chart | ||
| POS | BOSTON (PPG) | GOLDEN STATE (PPG) |
| PG | ||
| SG | ||
| SF | ||
| PF | ||
| C | ||
| · View full depth chart · Team rosters: Boston | Golden State | ||
| Team Stat Leaders | ||
| BOSTON | GOLDEN STATE | |
| Points | P. Pierce 18.2 | M. Ellis 25.2 |
| Rebounds | K. Perkins 7.8 | A. Biedrins 7.3 |
| Assists | R. Rondo 9.5 | M. Ellis 5.2 |
| Steals | R. Rondo 2.7 | M. Ellis 2.4 |
| Blocks | K. Perkins 2.0 | A. Randolph 1.5 |
| · Team stats: Boston | Golden State | ||
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