Larry v. Magic: Game 12 (Part 10)

1984 NBA Finals Game 5

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

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

GARDEN HEAT COOKED THE LAKERS' FAST BREAK

Years from now, nobody will remember the score. Only the heat. The oppressive heat that made your clothes cling like they do on those dead-of- August days at Hampton Beach. Only the heat. The ferocious heat that reached 97 degrees and made sweat pour like raindrops.

Boston Garden will be forever remembered as The Living Sauna. It sapped the Lakers, whose fast break was virtually nonexistent against a team it had overrun by 33 points only last Sunday. It made the smog in Los Angeles feel like a breezy blessing from Mother Nature. The Boston Garden on a steamy June night is no fit place for man or beast or an NBA playoff game.

"I suggest you go to the local steam bath with all your clothes on," said the Lakers' Kareem Adbul-Jabbar when asked to describe what it felt like in layman's terms. "First, try to do 100 pushups. Then run back and forth for 48 minutes.

"The chance factors have been decisive at times in this series. The heat tonight. The wrong bounce at another time. It could have been over one time, and it isn't. Who knows?"

Who knows, indeed, what it would have been like last night if the Lakers and Celtics could have met in Game 5 under "ideal" conditions? But the timing of this game was set by CBS and the moguls who still think playoff basketball in June is as much fun as it is in Seattle in March.

It wasn't fun last night, neither for the fans nor the players. It was pretty good basketball, but it was hardly fun. One referee, Hugh Evans, became dehydrated and was forced out of the first game in his career. He was replaced by alternate John Vanek.

"I've worked games here before when it was hot," said Earl Strom, who went the entire 48 minutes, "but this was the worst. I can't ever recall it being this hot. I've seen guys have to leave because of injuries, but never heat."

The Celtics weren't bothered by the heat as much as the Lakers. They waved cold towels and had ice packs ready for every substitution. The towel-waving that has been criticized as showboating finally had medicinal value.

"We're used to it," said Cedric Maxwell. "It's not like in LA where it's air-conditioned. It's hot and muggy and it drains you. But it's not all that bad. Sunday games are worse. I'm glad we weren't playing here on Sunday afternoon."

The heat factor at the Boston Garden is not new. With no air-conditioning it made no difference that the temperatures were 81 degrees outside. Hell, it was 95 degrees in the Celtics' locker room before the game, and the only cooling came from two small fans you can get on sale at Lechmere for $16.95. The Celtics knew this, and didn't change a beat in their game plan.

But it was different for the Lakers, who need to fast-break to create enthusiasm and new energy. Most nights when the pace slows down, they can pound the ball into Abdul-Jabbar, whose sky hook is unstoppable; they can play tight defense and take advantage of every mistake.

But not last night, not in the heat.

"They all got back," said Abdul-Jabbar. "We weren't getting up there quick enough to create openings. I didn't feel fatigue. I just didn't have that je ne sais pas. It wasn't happening."

Added Laker coach Pat Riley: "You have to give both clubs credit for enduring a 48-minute steam bath. It was extremely hot; both teams were affected. But Boston showed up better than we did. I think the home crowd had something to do with that. It gave them some adrenaline.

"We didn't get the ball out and run and we didn't get back ourselves. We're a little quicker on the break. But they also run it very hard. With these conditions, neither team ran well and it was more of a half-court game. We didn't run our half-court offenses very well."

When the Lakers do run their half-court offenses well, it means the ball is going inside to Abdul-Jabbar and his passes to the James Worthy and Bob McAdoo are equally lethal. But Abdul-Jabbar hit only 7 of 25 shots with just four assists. Worthy had 22 points, McAdoo 18. But they had to work for it.

Abdul-Jabbar and a couple of other Lakers resorted to using oxygen masks, but it didn't help. Nothing did.

"To get this far you have to be a great team," said Abdul-Jabbar. "But it helps when you're great and you're lucky. So far the Celtics have been a little big luckier. But that's not to say that they aren't a great team. They've got the better of the breaks.

"I look forward to the next game. If we play the type of defense that we can play, it will make things very difficult for them. We didn't have a bad effort tonight. But Larry Bird had an exceptional game. And there is nothing we can do about that."

Or the heat.