Bird's Rookie Year: December 16, 1979

December 16, 1979

CELTICS STEAL ONE FROM KNICKS, 99-96

The Designated Saviour scored 31 points and hauled in 13 rebounds. The Captain again gave a demonstration of how to shoot 3 for 19 while playing otherwise fabulous basketball. The Playmaker submitted a valuable 19 points and 7 assists. And - get this - The Bench shot a collective 11 for 12. And, oh, yes, two steals in the final 23 seconds provided the star- struck Celtics with a 99-96 triumph over the amazingly self-destructive New York Knicks last night before a sellout crowd in Madison Square Garden. It was, in other words, just another routine evening in the life of the NBA's most lovable team.

What ultimately mattered were the final two New York possessions, when Ray Williams managed to turn a 96-95 Knick lead into the final score by twice losing the ball to the alert, aggressive Celtics. Steal No. 1 was a collaboration of Chris Ford, who tipped a Williams pass and M.L. (aka "One Wrist") Carr, who grabbed the loose ball. This duo had trapped Williams deep in the far corner underneath the New York basket. Carr fed the ball to Don Chaney, and The Duck, who played a superb eight minutes which included sinking two necessary long jumpers, laid the ball in with 23 seconds left for the 22d lead change in this exhausting game.

Steal No. 2 resulted when Williams, careening around in the Knick frontcourt like a runaway baby carriage, headed into the forest of green jerseys along the right baseline. Many Celtic hands went up, and Ford came out with the ball. He passed to Chaney, who was fouled in the frontcourt. He sank both, and the Celtics had only to sweat out a 30-footer by Michael Ray Richardson (it hit the rim) before beginning the celebration of their 24th victory of the season and fourth in a row. Boston also increased its Atlantic Division lead to two games over the Philadelphia 76ers, 112-96 losers to the Atlanta Hawks.

"We're just so confident right now," said Ford, whose consecutive game streak of three-pointers ended at 12, "that we always feel that somehow, some way, we can pull it out." Added Red Auerbach, "They're always scratching and clawing, and yet they keep their poise. They don't play panic basketball."

There never really were panic situations for the Celtics, only crucial ones. They trailed, for example, by a 90-84 count with 5:54 left, but Bird started Boston on the road to recovery with a stop-and-popper in the lane to make it 90-86. And it would be Bird with another very big basket, this one a three-pointer (his third of the game) from the left corner to bring the Celts within one at 92-91 with 3:57 left.

A steal and 3-on-1 layup by the invaluable Rick Robey (5 for 5 on a night when they needed everything anyone could give) put Boston ahead at 93-92, with 3:01 to play, but for the next three minutes there would be nothing but lead swapping until the 30-second mark when referee Bernie Fryer called Ford for an up-and-down violation, giving New York the ball with that 96-95 lead.

Coach Bill Fitch would have needed the proverbial dozen red roses were he to bestow a posey upon the star of the game. He could have started, perhaps, with Bird, who opened up the game by back-dooring Toby Knight so artfully that tears might have welled up in Pete Carril's eyes, and who stuck in many clutch hoops and pulled in many big rebounds before fouling out with 1:11 left (covering up for a teammate, incidentally).

Then he could have thought about Cowens, whose shooting slump (17 for 67 in three games) belies the spectacular all-around basketball he is playing. He could have selected Archibald, whose relentless pressure created problems all night long for New York. He could have gone for Chaney ("This is exactly what we hoped he'd do" - Auerbach), or any of the bench people, all of whom made their contributions.

Or he could have given it to himself, for switching up the defensive assignments in order to give New York a new look (Cowens on Larry Demic, Cedric Maxwell on Bill Cartwright, Archibald on Richardson, Ford on Williams, etc.).

And, incidentally, was there some sort of poetic justice that on the night they retire Walt Frazier's number the Knicks lose because of a guard's inablility to handle pressure? Just a thought.