December 15, 1979
Could it be? Could it possibly be? Could Chris Ford have made three more three-pointers, and could the third one have come with time running out, a 25- foot running onehand banker high off the glass on an in-bounds play? Could Chris Ford have pulled out an implausible 97-94 victory for the Celtics over the Bucks, a triumph they did not deserve by virtue of their atrocious game- long play? The answer to all these questions is Y-E-S.
The Celtics had blown an 11-point lead with 10:04 remaining by scoring just one field goal in the next 8:02. It wasn't until Dave Cowens, at that moment a 3-for-19 shooter who had missed all 10 second-half attempts, canned a jumper to pull them within two at 90-88 with 2:02 remaining that the Celtics broke the basket drought.
The climactic situation had come about when Ford sank two foul shots with 25 seconds left to tie the game at 94-94, and Brian Winters missed a long jumper for Milwaukee. The ball was knocked out of bounds and awarded to Boston with three seconds left. Naturally, the Celtics called time out.
Cedric Maxwell (27 points) threw the ball in and Ford advanced along the right sideline. With about one second left, he left fly with a long runner. The ball hit the glass and dropped plainly through as the traditional weekly Celtic on-court celebration took place.
Neither coach could have been especially pleased about his team's play during a dismal first half. When the 24 minutes were complete, the Celtics had a 51-45 lead, but you can bet your autographed picture of Connie Simmons that Bill Fitch wasn't nominating any of his players for the Hall of Fame.
For openers, the Celtics did not get one basket on the fast break during the entire half. All they had to show for a half of play were three free throws, one by Nate Archibald and two by Cedric Maxwell, the first-half high scorer with 15 points. They only misfired or threw the ball away six times, which indicates how well the Bucks defensed the break.
So how did Boston manage to accumulate its lead? Simple. No matter what Boston did, the Bucks were able to do it worse. A Boston turnover would be followed by a Milwaukee shot bouncing over the backboard, an offensive foul, or some such abomination. The Bucks were truly wretched in this half, so trailing by six really wasn't so bad from their standpoint.
The Celtics stood around as Milwaukee jumped into a 6-0 lead in the game's first 49 seconds, but the home team regrouped and took a lead at 15-14 on a nice driving three-point play by Maxwell. This came in the midst of a modest 8-0 run covering 2:22, and for the rest of the period the teams would take turns seeing who could set the game of basketball back further. For the record, it was 28-21, Boston, after one period, the Bucks having scored just seven points in the final 8:26 and still trailing only by seven. Great game, huh?
Boston was forced to move into a 15-point (40-25) lead 3:38 into the second period, as the Milwaukee malaise continued. Finally, an 8-0 Bucks' run got them back into the game. The Celtics stopped yawning long enough to move back ahead by 14 (47-33) with 4:37 remaining, but true to the spirit of this first half of terrible play, they never scored another basket, settling for a pair of free throws each by Don Chaney and Jeff Judkins.
The only thing the Celtics did well during the first half was pass. They continued in the spirit of Wednesday's impressive triumph over New Jersey, wherein they gave the fans a suitable imitation of their October selves. They came out overpassing again last night in half-court situations, but they were neither handling the ball very well in general nor making good long passes on fast breaks. An example of the mutual mistreatment of the basketball: In the first period the two teams came dangerously close to posting a combined 2-1 ratio of field goals attempted (38) to turnovers (18). This is just plain bad basketball.
About the only consistent individual bright spot for Boston was Maxwell, who moved well without the ball to ring up his point total. Larry Bird had one brief flurry when he dropped in successive bombs, the first from the deep left corner and the second from far out on the right wing, and he did pass well (what else is new?), but he was injured with 2:53 left in the half, at a time when Boston could have used his offense. Kent Benson had blocked a Bird shot and, in so doing, apparently kicked Bird.
The Bucks could not be said to have been led by anyone. They just kind of stumbled along until the Celtics finally succeeded in falling to their level of play. By all rights, they should have reset the scoreboard to 0-0 and started the third quarter from that point.
About Me
Bird's Rookie Year: December 15, 1979
December 15, 1979
The amazing, astounding, stupendous, improbable Chris Ford three-point saga rolls on. In addition to his game-winning bomb last evening, Ford tossed in two other three-pointers in six attempts, increasing his consecutive-game streak to 12 and raising his success rate during that span to 57 percent (25-44).
Said Brian Winters of the winning basket, "I was kind of on the side of him, and Bennie (Milwaukee's Kent Benson) was coming at him. He had to loft it up over Bennie. It was the kind of shot you wanted him to take" ... Dave Cowens has been around long enough to know that even though he was 0 for 10 in the second half and 3 for 19 in the game, he had to take an open 18- footer which brought the Celtics to within two at 90-88. Bill Fitch surely wasn't afraid to see Dave take the shot, which came after a Boston timeout. "I told them during that timeout that this was as tough a situation as we've faced all year, especially at home," Fitch related .
The Bucks arrived here without center Harvey Catchings (bruised hip) and with a flu-weakened Benson and a damaged Marques Johnson (sore right shoulder and pulled hamstring). Benson contributed little, but Johnson shot 14-for-22 and scored 30 points, prompting Larry Bird to say, "If he plays that way unhealthy, I hope I never meet him healthy" ... Milwaukee defended the Boston fast break so well that the Celtics only had three fast-break baskets all evening (two coming 24 seconds apart in the third quarter) while attempting to push it but 19 times ... Boston won the second-chance point battle, 18-8 ... Fitch had words of praise for Cowens and Ford, but as for the rest he said, "All I can say is that they did well enough for us to win" ... Ford had five assists, all on the spectacular side.
Don Chaney played another good game for the Celtics on Wednesday, and was due to see some significant action against the Bucks ... The sellout crowd of 15,320 was the eighth Garden bangout in 15 games, and it raised the average Celtic attendance to 13,645 a game ... The club is playing to 96-percent capacity among the unobstructed seats ... Only a few tickets remain for next Wednesday's confrontation with the 76ers, but better seats are available for next Friday's game with San Antonio, an affair not included in the half-season ticket plan ... The Celtics will play two games later this season in the rebuilt Hartford Civic Center, which will open on Jan. 17 with a Whaler game ... Boston has been very good with a lead. The Celtics were 19-0 in games in which they had led or tied at the end of the third quarter.
Larry Bird had shaken his four-game shooting slump (when he was 18 for 59) by shooting .532 (41 for 77) from the floor in his four previous games. Bird leads the team in scoring (19.0) and rebounding (10.4), while placing second in assists with 4.6 a game ... Tiny Archibald continues to pace the NBA with 8.8 assists a game ... Milwaukee had been having rebounding problems. Regular starting center Kent Benson was only pulling in 5.8 a game (in an average of 24 minutes of playing time). Johnson led the Bucks with 8.2 a game from the forward position ... For the third straight weekend, the Celtics are involved in three games in three nights, having managed to win two out of three apiece the first two times around.
The amazing, astounding, stupendous, improbable Chris Ford three-point saga rolls on. In addition to his game-winning bomb last evening, Ford tossed in two other three-pointers in six attempts, increasing his consecutive-game streak to 12 and raising his success rate during that span to 57 percent (25-44).
Said Brian Winters of the winning basket, "I was kind of on the side of him, and Bennie (Milwaukee's Kent Benson) was coming at him. He had to loft it up over Bennie. It was the kind of shot you wanted him to take" ... Dave Cowens has been around long enough to know that even though he was 0 for 10 in the second half and 3 for 19 in the game, he had to take an open 18- footer which brought the Celtics to within two at 90-88. Bill Fitch surely wasn't afraid to see Dave take the shot, which came after a Boston timeout. "I told them during that timeout that this was as tough a situation as we've faced all year, especially at home," Fitch related .
The Bucks arrived here without center Harvey Catchings (bruised hip) and with a flu-weakened Benson and a damaged Marques Johnson (sore right shoulder and pulled hamstring). Benson contributed little, but Johnson shot 14-for-22 and scored 30 points, prompting Larry Bird to say, "If he plays that way unhealthy, I hope I never meet him healthy" ... Milwaukee defended the Boston fast break so well that the Celtics only had three fast-break baskets all evening (two coming 24 seconds apart in the third quarter) while attempting to push it but 19 times ... Boston won the second-chance point battle, 18-8 ... Fitch had words of praise for Cowens and Ford, but as for the rest he said, "All I can say is that they did well enough for us to win" ... Ford had five assists, all on the spectacular side.
Don Chaney played another good game for the Celtics on Wednesday, and was due to see some significant action against the Bucks ... The sellout crowd of 15,320 was the eighth Garden bangout in 15 games, and it raised the average Celtic attendance to 13,645 a game ... The club is playing to 96-percent capacity among the unobstructed seats ... Only a few tickets remain for next Wednesday's confrontation with the 76ers, but better seats are available for next Friday's game with San Antonio, an affair not included in the half-season ticket plan ... The Celtics will play two games later this season in the rebuilt Hartford Civic Center, which will open on Jan. 17 with a Whaler game ... Boston has been very good with a lead. The Celtics were 19-0 in games in which they had led or tied at the end of the third quarter.
Larry Bird had shaken his four-game shooting slump (when he was 18 for 59) by shooting .532 (41 for 77) from the floor in his four previous games. Bird leads the team in scoring (19.0) and rebounding (10.4), while placing second in assists with 4.6 a game ... Tiny Archibald continues to pace the NBA with 8.8 assists a game ... Milwaukee had been having rebounding problems. Regular starting center Kent Benson was only pulling in 5.8 a game (in an average of 24 minutes of playing time). Johnson led the Bucks with 8.2 a game from the forward position ... For the third straight weekend, the Celtics are involved in three games in three nights, having managed to win two out of three apiece the first two times around.
Bird's Rookie Year: December 14, 1979 (part 4)
CELTICS, BUCKS: DRIVE OPPOSITE LANES
December 14, 1979
They both began the NBA season with more hope than talent. At one point, the Celtics and Bucks ranked 1-2 as the surprise teams of the year in their respective divisions. And both continue to hold either the lead or a share of first place.
But when they meet tonight (7:30 p.m., WBZ) at the Garden in the rematch of their mini-series, it will be like two ships passing in the night. For Boston is seemingly in high gear, coming off a 116-102 victory over New Jersey Wednesday, and has a 13-1 record at home. Milwaukee has lost five in a row and hasn't won a game since Dec. 4.
It is ironic that coach Don Nelson and his Bucks should show up in town at the same time his old buddy, Dave Cowens, and his Celtics are muscling teams around the way they did when Nelson and Cowens were Celtic teammates. The resurgence of Cowens does not surprise Nelson one bit. The Celtics beat the Bucks in Milwaukee on Sunday, 113-108, with Cowens contributing 23 points and 11 rebounds.
"He looked like the same old Dave to me," says Nelson. "I know he played a great game against us. He can always intimidate you in the middle. He doesn't block shots as some guys do, but he intimidates with his body. Really, it doesn't make any difference if he gets the job done. Jack Sikma does it for Seattle the same way and is very successful."
The Bucks, who had a 12-3 record a month ago, are now 19-13 but are still in first place in the NBA's Midwest Division, where a year ago they finished tied for fourth at 38-44, 10 games behind Kansas City. The Celtics, who had a 10-3 record a month ago, are now 22-7. Boston won only 29 games all season, just 27 with Cowens as player-coach.
"When Dave took the job as head coach last year," said Nelson, "I had a feeling it was an impossible job for him, and it was. It's just not an easy job; he's happier now."
Nelson concedes that the Bucks, plagued by injuries, have their work cut out for them. Marques Johnson, their all-star forward, played only 17 minutes Wednesday night in a 112-91 loss at Philadelphia. In the same game, Harvey Catchings came down hard on the floor. Both are questionable for tonight, according to Nelson.
In Milwaukee, the Bucks had a particularly difficult time with the Celtic fast break, led by Tiny Archibald, and with the front line of Cowens, Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell, which can erupt at any moment.
"We've got good people who can play," said Cowens. "Bird can put it in from anywhere on the floor. You know if you get the ball to Max (Cedric Maxwell) inside, something is going to happen. Tiny (Archibald) does an excellent job of moving the ball up the floor quickly. We're capable of keeping pressure on teams from all three positions. The only thing we have to work on is being consistent."
December 14, 1979
They both began the NBA season with more hope than talent. At one point, the Celtics and Bucks ranked 1-2 as the surprise teams of the year in their respective divisions. And both continue to hold either the lead or a share of first place.
But when they meet tonight (7:30 p.m., WBZ) at the Garden in the rematch of their mini-series, it will be like two ships passing in the night. For Boston is seemingly in high gear, coming off a 116-102 victory over New Jersey Wednesday, and has a 13-1 record at home. Milwaukee has lost five in a row and hasn't won a game since Dec. 4.
It is ironic that coach Don Nelson and his Bucks should show up in town at the same time his old buddy, Dave Cowens, and his Celtics are muscling teams around the way they did when Nelson and Cowens were Celtic teammates. The resurgence of Cowens does not surprise Nelson one bit. The Celtics beat the Bucks in Milwaukee on Sunday, 113-108, with Cowens contributing 23 points and 11 rebounds.
"He looked like the same old Dave to me," says Nelson. "I know he played a great game against us. He can always intimidate you in the middle. He doesn't block shots as some guys do, but he intimidates with his body. Really, it doesn't make any difference if he gets the job done. Jack Sikma does it for Seattle the same way and is very successful."
The Bucks, who had a 12-3 record a month ago, are now 19-13 but are still in first place in the NBA's Midwest Division, where a year ago they finished tied for fourth at 38-44, 10 games behind Kansas City. The Celtics, who had a 10-3 record a month ago, are now 22-7. Boston won only 29 games all season, just 27 with Cowens as player-coach.
"When Dave took the job as head coach last year," said Nelson, "I had a feeling it was an impossible job for him, and it was. It's just not an easy job; he's happier now."
Nelson concedes that the Bucks, plagued by injuries, have their work cut out for them. Marques Johnson, their all-star forward, played only 17 minutes Wednesday night in a 112-91 loss at Philadelphia. In the same game, Harvey Catchings came down hard on the floor. Both are questionable for tonight, according to Nelson.
In Milwaukee, the Bucks had a particularly difficult time with the Celtic fast break, led by Tiny Archibald, and with the front line of Cowens, Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell, which can erupt at any moment.
"We've got good people who can play," said Cowens. "Bird can put it in from anywhere on the floor. You know if you get the ball to Max (Cedric Maxwell) inside, something is going to happen. Tiny (Archibald) does an excellent job of moving the ball up the floor quickly. We're capable of keeping pressure on teams from all three positions. The only thing we have to work on is being consistent."
Bird's Rookie Year: December 14, 1979
CELTICS PLAY FLIP-THE-SWITCH
December 13, 1979
They turned it on. They turned it off. They turned it on. They turned it off. But the Boston Celtics, as much as they may have aggravated coach Bill Fitch, were always in control last night as they defeated the New Jersey Nets, 116-102, before 9145 at the Garden.
The second smallest crowd of the season watched a thoroughly enjoyable first period before settling back to watch the Celtics play a basketball variation of the old wallt-on-a-string trick. On three occasions after zooming to a 34-17 lead in the first quarter, the Celtics allowed the visitors to think they were back in the game. And on each occasion the Celtics just went out and blew the Nets away.
The key spurt came after the Nets had closed to a 75-71 state with 2:27 remaining in the third period. Larry Bird (21) went one-on-one for a 13-foot leaner, Dave (MVP) Cowens dropped in two free throws and, following an Ed Jordan banker, the amazing Chris Ford bombarded the nets for the first of two successive three-point field goals (he would later add a third as he increased his streak to 11 straight games with three-pointers) . Ford's second bomb and a powerful three-point followup play by Bird meant that the Celtics had outscored New Jersey, 13-4, in the final 2:27 to take an 88-75 lead after three periods. There was little suspense in the fourth quarter, as the closest New Jersey could come was 11 points.
The Celtics failed to capitalize fully on their most imaginative period of basketball in over a month and wound up holding a slim 58-53 lead at the half.
Boston had parlayed some outstanding rebounding, passing and shooting into such first-period leads as 30-14 and 34-17, but it was unable to hold the lead in the face of some strong performances by such New Jersey subs as Robert Smith, Rich Kelley, Cliff Robinson and Winford Boynes. The Nets sliced into the lead twice, reducing the first-period margin to seven at 36-29 and again coming back in the second period when they changed a 46-35 game with 7:41 remaining in the half into a 50-49 affair 3:26 later.
The first period was a spectacular crowd pleaser, with Boston ripping off 17 fast-break points involving the type of clever passing which had raised so much attention during the first few weeks of the season. The Celtics were executing the long pass to perfection, and they were making the one extra pass to the trailer or late cutting man, with the result that New Jersey was in danger of being closed out before the game was eight minutes old. Kevin Loughery was forced into momentum-stopping timeouts at 15-6 and 30-14, the latter juncture coming on the heels underneath for a lefthanded shovel shot; (2) a subsequent in-bounds steal and flying stuff by Cedric Maxwell.
Ford was a central figure in some nice plays, the big one being a long pass to a streaking Maxwell for what could only be described as Boston's answer to Ron Jaworski-to-Harold Carmichael. Max gathered the pass in over the heads of two smaller defenders and laid the ball in to give the Celtics a 34-17.
into momentum-stopping timeouts at 15-6 and 30-14, the latter juncture coming on the heels underneath for a lefthanded shovel shot; (2) a subsequent in-bounds steal and flying stuff by Cedric Maxwell.
Ford was a central figure in some nice plays, the big one being a long pass to a streaking Maxwell for what could only be described as Boston's answer to Ron Jaworski-to-Harold Carmichael. Max gathered the pass in over the heads of two smaller defenders and laid the ball in to give the Celtics a 34-17.
New Jersey first began to get back in the ballgame when Loughery substituted three men at that 30-14 timeout. He brought in Smith, Boynes and Kelley, and Smith was an immediate spark, scoring seven points in the remaining 4:30 of the period to become New Jersey's leading scorer in the first period. Before the half was over, Boynes would have a little six-point run, as would Robinson, and Kelley would make his contributions, as well.
Much has been said about Boston's bench woes lately, but for a while last evening it appeared that things had turned around. A quintet of Rick Robey, M. L. Carr, Cowens, Gerald Henderson and Chaney managed to play well enough in a 4-minute stint at the beginning of the second period to turn over a 46-36 lead with 7:17 left in the half to some regulars. However, the Celtic effort peaked right there, as New Jersey rode the alternating offensive spurts of Robinson.
December 13, 1979
They turned it on. They turned it off. They turned it on. They turned it off. But the Boston Celtics, as much as they may have aggravated coach Bill Fitch, were always in control last night as they defeated the New Jersey Nets, 116-102, before 9145 at the Garden.
The second smallest crowd of the season watched a thoroughly enjoyable first period before settling back to watch the Celtics play a basketball variation of the old wallt-on-a-string trick. On three occasions after zooming to a 34-17 lead in the first quarter, the Celtics allowed the visitors to think they were back in the game. And on each occasion the Celtics just went out and blew the Nets away.
The key spurt came after the Nets had closed to a 75-71 state with 2:27 remaining in the third period. Larry Bird (21) went one-on-one for a 13-foot leaner, Dave (MVP) Cowens dropped in two free throws and, following an Ed Jordan banker, the amazing Chris Ford bombarded the nets for the first of two successive three-point field goals (he would later add a third as he increased his streak to 11 straight games with three-pointers) . Ford's second bomb and a powerful three-point followup play by Bird meant that the Celtics had outscored New Jersey, 13-4, in the final 2:27 to take an 88-75 lead after three periods. There was little suspense in the fourth quarter, as the closest New Jersey could come was 11 points.
The Celtics failed to capitalize fully on their most imaginative period of basketball in over a month and wound up holding a slim 58-53 lead at the half.
Boston had parlayed some outstanding rebounding, passing and shooting into such first-period leads as 30-14 and 34-17, but it was unable to hold the lead in the face of some strong performances by such New Jersey subs as Robert Smith, Rich Kelley, Cliff Robinson and Winford Boynes. The Nets sliced into the lead twice, reducing the first-period margin to seven at 36-29 and again coming back in the second period when they changed a 46-35 game with 7:41 remaining in the half into a 50-49 affair 3:26 later.
The first period was a spectacular crowd pleaser, with Boston ripping off 17 fast-break points involving the type of clever passing which had raised so much attention during the first few weeks of the season. The Celtics were executing the long pass to perfection, and they were making the one extra pass to the trailer or late cutting man, with the result that New Jersey was in danger of being closed out before the game was eight minutes old. Kevin Loughery was forced into momentum-stopping timeouts at 15-6 and 30-14, the latter juncture coming on the heels underneath for a lefthanded shovel shot; (2) a subsequent in-bounds steal and flying stuff by Cedric Maxwell.
Ford was a central figure in some nice plays, the big one being a long pass to a streaking Maxwell for what could only be described as Boston's answer to Ron Jaworski-to-Harold Carmichael. Max gathered the pass in over the heads of two smaller defenders and laid the ball in to give the Celtics a 34-17.
into momentum-stopping timeouts at 15-6 and 30-14, the latter juncture coming on the heels underneath for a lefthanded shovel shot; (2) a subsequent in-bounds steal and flying stuff by Cedric Maxwell.
Ford was a central figure in some nice plays, the big one being a long pass to a streaking Maxwell for what could only be described as Boston's answer to Ron Jaworski-to-Harold Carmichael. Max gathered the pass in over the heads of two smaller defenders and laid the ball in to give the Celtics a 34-17.
New Jersey first began to get back in the ballgame when Loughery substituted three men at that 30-14 timeout. He brought in Smith, Boynes and Kelley, and Smith was an immediate spark, scoring seven points in the remaining 4:30 of the period to become New Jersey's leading scorer in the first period. Before the half was over, Boynes would have a little six-point run, as would Robinson, and Kelley would make his contributions, as well.
Much has been said about Boston's bench woes lately, but for a while last evening it appeared that things had turned around. A quintet of Rick Robey, M. L. Carr, Cowens, Gerald Henderson and Chaney managed to play well enough in a 4-minute stint at the beginning of the second period to turn over a 46-36 lead with 7:17 left in the half to some regulars. However, the Celtic effort peaked right there, as New Jersey rode the alternating offensive spurts of Robinson.
Bird's Rookie Year: December 14, 1979
CHRIS FORD: 3-POINT SHOOTER EXTRAORDINAIRE
December 14, 1979
Whenever Chris Ford's phenomenal three-point-shooting string ends, one thing is certain: He may have set a record that will stand for a very, very long time.
Entering last night's game, the Celtic guard had connected on at least one three-pointer in his previous 10 games, a span in which he had shot 19 for 32 from beyond the extra-point arc. The odd thing is that prior to this binge, he had made infrequent use of the maneuver. In only one of his first 18 games did he make more than one three-pointer, that being a game in New York when he shot 2 for 3. After making NBA history of sorts by becoming the first player in league history to sink a three-pointer (in the first period of the opener back on Oct. 12), he didn't make another until that night in New York, misfiring on his next eight attempts.
The three-pointers either have directly won or definitely altered the course of at least four Celtic games, which is ironic considering Red Auerbach's opposition to the rule. But what can safely be said is that making a three-pointer in as many as 10 consecutive games will be a difficult record to break.
Larry Bird certainly has come bouncing back nicely from that four-game, 18-for-59 shooting dip. In his last four games, Bird has shot 52 percent (41 for 79) while scoring 19 points a game. In addition, the all-around games he played against Phoenix and Milwaukee drew the praise of opponents for their fundamental soundness. The big thing recently, however, has been his forcefulness on offense when the occasion merits. He had been reluctant to shoot while in tht shooting slump. Against Milwaukee, he moved well and always seemed to make the right shoot-pass decision, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and many clutch plays.
Despite having been belted, 122-85, by Atlanta in their most recent game, the New Jersey Nets had won four of their last six games and were playing much better basketball than earlier in the season. Mike Newlin has found his shooting eye, thereby bringing an end to the trade talk that was raging two weeks ago ... Jersey won't be here again until Sunday, March 30 ... The Celtics report that better-than-average tickets are available to the single- game customer for the San Antonio game of Dec. 21 because that game is not included in the half-season ticket plan ... Gerald Henderson had scored but four points (2-16) since looking very sharp against Denver back on Nov. 28. He and Jeff Judkins each logged their first DNPs of the season in Milwaukee as Bill Fitch employed Tiny Archibald for 48 minutes, the little guy's first route-going effort in over six years.
December 14, 1979
Whenever Chris Ford's phenomenal three-point-shooting string ends, one thing is certain: He may have set a record that will stand for a very, very long time.
Entering last night's game, the Celtic guard had connected on at least one three-pointer in his previous 10 games, a span in which he had shot 19 for 32 from beyond the extra-point arc. The odd thing is that prior to this binge, he had made infrequent use of the maneuver. In only one of his first 18 games did he make more than one three-pointer, that being a game in New York when he shot 2 for 3. After making NBA history of sorts by becoming the first player in league history to sink a three-pointer (in the first period of the opener back on Oct. 12), he didn't make another until that night in New York, misfiring on his next eight attempts.
The three-pointers either have directly won or definitely altered the course of at least four Celtic games, which is ironic considering Red Auerbach's opposition to the rule. But what can safely be said is that making a three-pointer in as many as 10 consecutive games will be a difficult record to break.
Larry Bird certainly has come bouncing back nicely from that four-game, 18-for-59 shooting dip. In his last four games, Bird has shot 52 percent (41 for 79) while scoring 19 points a game. In addition, the all-around games he played against Phoenix and Milwaukee drew the praise of opponents for their fundamental soundness. The big thing recently, however, has been his forcefulness on offense when the occasion merits. He had been reluctant to shoot while in tht shooting slump. Against Milwaukee, he moved well and always seemed to make the right shoot-pass decision, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and many clutch plays.
Despite having been belted, 122-85, by Atlanta in their most recent game, the New Jersey Nets had won four of their last six games and were playing much better basketball than earlier in the season. Mike Newlin has found his shooting eye, thereby bringing an end to the trade talk that was raging two weeks ago ... Jersey won't be here again until Sunday, March 30 ... The Celtics report that better-than-average tickets are available to the single- game customer for the San Antonio game of Dec. 21 because that game is not included in the half-season ticket plan ... Gerald Henderson had scored but four points (2-16) since looking very sharp against Denver back on Nov. 28. He and Jeff Judkins each logged their first DNPs of the season in Milwaukee as Bill Fitch employed Tiny Archibald for 48 minutes, the little guy's first route-going effort in over six years.
Bird's Rookie Year: December 14, 1979
THE OLD WALLET-ON-A-STRING TRICK
December 14, 1979
They must have played this game, oh, 700 times during the '60s. The Old Celtics used to tease opponents like this all the time, blowing a team out early and then employing the old wallet-on-a-string trick during the rest of the game before finally reeling in the old billfold in the final period.
And yet it was not boring in any way, and not just because New Jersey three times got somewhat back into the game. The reason is that in certain spurts the Celtics appeared to have recaptured the magic that had so enthralled Garden patrons back in October and early November. The fact is that this 116-102 triumph over the Nets was a reasonably high artistic achievement.
Take, for example, the first period. Kevin Loughery, coach of the Nets, certainly would if he could. He had to sit and watch the Celtics defend, rebound, run and pass their way to glittering leads of 30-14 (after 7:30) and 34-17 (with just under three minutes remaining), and even though New Jersey would scrap back within one (50-49, 52-51) and four (75-71) points later, Loughery's team never was able to extricate itself fully from that first- period hole.
The Nets gave it a good shot, though, but they were done in with a 13-4 Boston run in the final 2:27 of the third period, a run highlighted by back- to-back three-point field goals by (yes, him again) Chris Ford, aka the Little Ol' Game Breaker. Ford's second bomberoo gave the suddenly revived Celtics a 10-point lead at 85-75, and when efficient Larry Bird (21 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 8-for-14 shooting) powered in for a three-point followup, the Celtics had a comfortable 88-75 lead to sustain them in the final period.
Further discussion of this game without mention of its dominant personality would be an egregious faux pas, so let us pause to salute The Captain, Dave Cowens. His stats make for good enough reading (24 points, 10 rebounds), but the sheet fails to convey the majesty of his performance, a display so awesome and so much in keeping with the old Cowens tradition that both Loughery and assistant Bob MacKinnon were wondering if they had not stumbled into a 1974 playoff game by mistake. Cowens was an absolute snarling, flailing, whaling, maniacal SOB out there. It was as if a Boston defeat would mean that the entire city of Boston would have to answer to him.
"That's the best I've seen him in years," lauded MacKinnon. "He did things he never did last year, such as block a dunk shot, drive twice to the basket righthanded and really go on the floor for loose balls."
It was a typical Cowens dive, in fact, which had set up Ford for his second third-period three-pointer. Cowens went into a pile and rolled up flipping the ball to Nate Archibald. Archibald, in turn, sent the ball to Ford on the left wing, and Christopher Longshot bombed home his 24th three-pointer of the season. It was a definite back-breaking shot, as Loughery would later attest.
Among the other pleasant happenings was the rediscovery of Gerald Henderson, who when last seen was sitting not on the bench but in downtown Topsfield. Fitch called upon his rookie guard in the first period (after not using him at all against Milwaukee), and the youngster responded with 12 points and some aggressive all-around play. "Take away four errors," said Fitch, "and he had a perfect game." Take away 35 pounds and Liz Taylor is still a beauty queen, too, but Fitch really was pleased with the kid.
New Jersey (having just scored eight straight points) was still as close as 99-88 with 7:02 left, largely due to the strong bench efforts of rookie Cliff Robinson (20) and second-year man Winford Boynes (16), both of whom worked over the offensive boards, an area also mined well by Rich Kelley. But Fitch called a timeout to remind his troops about the Battle of Pontiac, not to mention Truman over Dewey. When play resumed, the Celtics went to work. Bird threw in a 20-footer. Archibald fed Rick Robey (don't ask how, because nobody knows) for a second-chance layup. Cowens returned at 103-90 and settled things for good with a foul-line jumper and a righthanded rumble-in from the high post which made it 107-92 with 4:34 left. It was time to call in the dogs and set the table.
And when it was over, Fitch was announcing that there would be no practice today, and that he was basically content. "I've got to be happy," he said. Savor those words, boys. You may not hear them again until Washington's Birthday.
December 14, 1979
They must have played this game, oh, 700 times during the '60s. The Old Celtics used to tease opponents like this all the time, blowing a team out early and then employing the old wallet-on-a-string trick during the rest of the game before finally reeling in the old billfold in the final period.
And yet it was not boring in any way, and not just because New Jersey three times got somewhat back into the game. The reason is that in certain spurts the Celtics appeared to have recaptured the magic that had so enthralled Garden patrons back in October and early November. The fact is that this 116-102 triumph over the Nets was a reasonably high artistic achievement.
Take, for example, the first period. Kevin Loughery, coach of the Nets, certainly would if he could. He had to sit and watch the Celtics defend, rebound, run and pass their way to glittering leads of 30-14 (after 7:30) and 34-17 (with just under three minutes remaining), and even though New Jersey would scrap back within one (50-49, 52-51) and four (75-71) points later, Loughery's team never was able to extricate itself fully from that first- period hole.
The Nets gave it a good shot, though, but they were done in with a 13-4 Boston run in the final 2:27 of the third period, a run highlighted by back- to-back three-point field goals by (yes, him again) Chris Ford, aka the Little Ol' Game Breaker. Ford's second bomberoo gave the suddenly revived Celtics a 10-point lead at 85-75, and when efficient Larry Bird (21 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 8-for-14 shooting) powered in for a three-point followup, the Celtics had a comfortable 88-75 lead to sustain them in the final period.
Further discussion of this game without mention of its dominant personality would be an egregious faux pas, so let us pause to salute The Captain, Dave Cowens. His stats make for good enough reading (24 points, 10 rebounds), but the sheet fails to convey the majesty of his performance, a display so awesome and so much in keeping with the old Cowens tradition that both Loughery and assistant Bob MacKinnon were wondering if they had not stumbled into a 1974 playoff game by mistake. Cowens was an absolute snarling, flailing, whaling, maniacal SOB out there. It was as if a Boston defeat would mean that the entire city of Boston would have to answer to him.
"That's the best I've seen him in years," lauded MacKinnon. "He did things he never did last year, such as block a dunk shot, drive twice to the basket righthanded and really go on the floor for loose balls."
It was a typical Cowens dive, in fact, which had set up Ford for his second third-period three-pointer. Cowens went into a pile and rolled up flipping the ball to Nate Archibald. Archibald, in turn, sent the ball to Ford on the left wing, and Christopher Longshot bombed home his 24th three-pointer of the season. It was a definite back-breaking shot, as Loughery would later attest.
Among the other pleasant happenings was the rediscovery of Gerald Henderson, who when last seen was sitting not on the bench but in downtown Topsfield. Fitch called upon his rookie guard in the first period (after not using him at all against Milwaukee), and the youngster responded with 12 points and some aggressive all-around play. "Take away four errors," said Fitch, "and he had a perfect game." Take away 35 pounds and Liz Taylor is still a beauty queen, too, but Fitch really was pleased with the kid.
New Jersey (having just scored eight straight points) was still as close as 99-88 with 7:02 left, largely due to the strong bench efforts of rookie Cliff Robinson (20) and second-year man Winford Boynes (16), both of whom worked over the offensive boards, an area also mined well by Rich Kelley. But Fitch called a timeout to remind his troops about the Battle of Pontiac, not to mention Truman over Dewey. When play resumed, the Celtics went to work. Bird threw in a 20-footer. Archibald fed Rick Robey (don't ask how, because nobody knows) for a second-chance layup. Cowens returned at 103-90 and settled things for good with a foul-line jumper and a righthanded rumble-in from the high post which made it 107-92 with 4:34 left. It was time to call in the dogs and set the table.
And when it was over, Fitch was announcing that there would be no practice today, and that he was basically content. "I've got to be happy," he said. Savor those words, boys. You may not hear them again until Washington's Birthday.
Bird's Rookie Year: December 13, 1979
THE REVIVAL OF DAVE COWENS
December 13, 1979
Dave Cowens. The name must have tumbled from the lips of friend and foe alike a thousand times last night after the Celtics had defeated the Nets by that 116-102 score. Larry Bird had played well. Cedric Maxwell had earned his coach's respect ("He played an excellent game"). Gerald Henderson had unveiled his Lazarus routine. But everyone kept coming back to Dave Cowens.
"I thought Cowens was sensational," began Kevin Loughery. "I've always been an admirer of his, but to see a veteran of I don't know how many years go diving on the floor the way he did, well, it's just good for the game. He's some leader, and a thing like that is contagious. I just love to see him playing that way. You see him out there and you start thinking you should maybe get a few calls, but the way he works, he deserves the breaks. He earns them."
Bob MacKinnon was a close observer of the Celtics' situation last year as a year-long assistant. He grew to admire Dave as a person, but he really never got a chance to see the real ballplayer. Last night vindicated his old feelings about Cowens. "I'll give you a very good illustration," MacKinnon said. "We throw a long lob pass to Winford Boynes. He's three steps ahead of Cowens, and by the time the ball bounces he deflects the ball out of bounds with his final lunge. Most guys in the league, and that means every guard, too, never touch the ball. All night long, Cowens put forth a great individual effort and it's good to see, even if it's hurting us."
Bill Fitch was no less effusive in praise of Cowens' efforts. "Many times on defense," Fitch said, "Cowens was our saving grace. Dave played a great game tonight, but I was happy about our entire front line. That's as well as Dave, Max and Bird have played together in some time."
As for Cowens himself, he said that he just felt strong. "I don't really know why," he said. "I guess it's just because I'm home. I always feel better when I'm home."
M.L. Carr's injured right wrist was X-rayed at University Hospital yesterday, and the plates reveal there is no fracture, only a severe sprain. He was very ineffective, as he was the first to admit. "I told the guys that when I had the ball to spot up so I could get them the ball in a shooting position," he explained ... The Celtics were scintillating during a first- period passing exhibition reminiscent of the San Antonio home game (14 assists in 15 baskets on that occasion). One highlight was a long pass from Chris Ford to Maxwell, with the latter peeling the ball off the ears of two defenders before wheeling in for the dunk. It looked exactly like a Jaworski- to-Carmichael TD aerial. The Nets' John Williamson did not play, a combination of a wrist injury and his present low status on the team. "We told him," said Nets' general manager Charlie Theokas, "to get in shape and when he was ready we'd start playing him." ... The Nets had 22 offensive rebounds (to Boston's 19) in this rugged game ... Chris Ford's 3-for-6 three-point shooting increased his phenomenal ICBM streak to at least one in 11 straight games (remember that Dale Long only homered in eight) during which he has shot a cool 22-for-38 from Quincy Market and like locations. He is establishing a mark which may stand up for a very long time.
Bill Fitch was no less effusive in praise of Cowens' efforts. "Many times on defense," Fitch said, "Cowens was our saving grace. Dave played a great game tonight, but I was happy about our entire front line. That's as well as Dave, Max and Bird have played together in some time."
As for Cowens himself, he said that he just felt strong. "I don't really know why," he said. "I guess it's just because I'm home. I always feel better when I'm home."
M.L. Carr's injured right wrist was X-rayed at University Hospital yesterday, and the plates reveal there is no fracture, only a severe sprain. He was very ineffective, as he was the first to admit. "I told the guys that when I had the ball to spot up so I could get them the ball in a shooting position," he explained ... The Celtics were scintillating during a first- period passing exhibition reminiscent of the San Antonio home game (14 assists in 15 baskets on that occasion). One highlight was a long pass from Chris Ford to Maxwell, with the latter peeling the ball off the ears of two defenders before wheeling in for the dunk. It looked exactly like a Jaworski- to-Carmichael TD aerial. The Nets' John Williamson did not play, a combination of a wrist injury and his present low status on the team. "We told him," said Nets' general manager Charlie Theokas, "to get in shape and when he was ready we'd start playing him." ... The Nets had 22 offensive rebounds (to Boston's 19) in this rugged game ... Chris Ford's 3-for-6 three-point shooting increased his phenomenal ICBM streak to at least one in 11 straight games (remember that Dale Long only homered in eight) during which he has shot a cool 22-for-38 from Quincy Market and like locations. He is establishing a mark which may stand up for a very long time.
December 13, 1979
Dave Cowens. The name must have tumbled from the lips of friend and foe alike a thousand times last night after the Celtics had defeated the Nets by that 116-102 score. Larry Bird had played well. Cedric Maxwell had earned his coach's respect ("He played an excellent game"). Gerald Henderson had unveiled his Lazarus routine. But everyone kept coming back to Dave Cowens.
"I thought Cowens was sensational," began Kevin Loughery. "I've always been an admirer of his, but to see a veteran of I don't know how many years go diving on the floor the way he did, well, it's just good for the game. He's some leader, and a thing like that is contagious. I just love to see him playing that way. You see him out there and you start thinking you should maybe get a few calls, but the way he works, he deserves the breaks. He earns them."
Bob MacKinnon was a close observer of the Celtics' situation last year as a year-long assistant. He grew to admire Dave as a person, but he really never got a chance to see the real ballplayer. Last night vindicated his old feelings about Cowens. "I'll give you a very good illustration," MacKinnon said. "We throw a long lob pass to Winford Boynes. He's three steps ahead of Cowens, and by the time the ball bounces he deflects the ball out of bounds with his final lunge. Most guys in the league, and that means every guard, too, never touch the ball. All night long, Cowens put forth a great individual effort and it's good to see, even if it's hurting us."
Bill Fitch was no less effusive in praise of Cowens' efforts. "Many times on defense," Fitch said, "Cowens was our saving grace. Dave played a great game tonight, but I was happy about our entire front line. That's as well as Dave, Max and Bird have played together in some time."
As for Cowens himself, he said that he just felt strong. "I don't really know why," he said. "I guess it's just because I'm home. I always feel better when I'm home."
M.L. Carr's injured right wrist was X-rayed at University Hospital yesterday, and the plates reveal there is no fracture, only a severe sprain. He was very ineffective, as he was the first to admit. "I told the guys that when I had the ball to spot up so I could get them the ball in a shooting position," he explained ... The Celtics were scintillating during a first- period passing exhibition reminiscent of the San Antonio home game (14 assists in 15 baskets on that occasion). One highlight was a long pass from Chris Ford to Maxwell, with the latter peeling the ball off the ears of two defenders before wheeling in for the dunk. It looked exactly like a Jaworski- to-Carmichael TD aerial. The Nets' John Williamson did not play, a combination of a wrist injury and his present low status on the team. "We told him," said Nets' general manager Charlie Theokas, "to get in shape and when he was ready we'd start playing him." ... The Nets had 22 offensive rebounds (to Boston's 19) in this rugged game ... Chris Ford's 3-for-6 three-point shooting increased his phenomenal ICBM streak to at least one in 11 straight games (remember that Dale Long only homered in eight) during which he has shot a cool 22-for-38 from Quincy Market and like locations. He is establishing a mark which may stand up for a very long time.
Bill Fitch was no less effusive in praise of Cowens' efforts. "Many times on defense," Fitch said, "Cowens was our saving grace. Dave played a great game tonight, but I was happy about our entire front line. That's as well as Dave, Max and Bird have played together in some time."
As for Cowens himself, he said that he just felt strong. "I don't really know why," he said. "I guess it's just because I'm home. I always feel better when I'm home."
M.L. Carr's injured right wrist was X-rayed at University Hospital yesterday, and the plates reveal there is no fracture, only a severe sprain. He was very ineffective, as he was the first to admit. "I told the guys that when I had the ball to spot up so I could get them the ball in a shooting position," he explained ... The Celtics were scintillating during a first- period passing exhibition reminiscent of the San Antonio home game (14 assists in 15 baskets on that occasion). One highlight was a long pass from Chris Ford to Maxwell, with the latter peeling the ball off the ears of two defenders before wheeling in for the dunk. It looked exactly like a Jaworski- to-Carmichael TD aerial. The Nets' John Williamson did not play, a combination of a wrist injury and his present low status on the team. "We told him," said Nets' general manager Charlie Theokas, "to get in shape and when he was ready we'd start playing him." ... The Nets had 22 offensive rebounds (to Boston's 19) in this rugged game ... Chris Ford's 3-for-6 three-point shooting increased his phenomenal ICBM streak to at least one in 11 straight games (remember that Dale Long only homered in eight) during which he has shot a cool 22-for-38 from Quincy Market and like locations. He is establishing a mark which may stand up for a very long time.
Bird's Rookie Year: December 13, 1979
FIRST PLACE CELTICS
December 13, 1979
The Celtics are playing hard and are being awarded with victories, 22 (compared with 29 all last season), good enough to be tied for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Philadelphia 76ers.
"Success breeds confidence and confidence breeds success ... if you work hard," said coach Bill Fitch after last night's 13th win in 14 games at the Garden, a 116-102 domination of the New Jersey Nets.
And no one works harder than Dave Cowens. At 31, he is scoring baskets in bunches, rebounding, playing aggressive defense and diving for loose balls like a rookie.
"I've been lucky," said Cowens. "I've played with good teams in this city for seven years and had only 1 years when it was bad. If there is a difference between this year and last it has to be the people. With some teams you can work hard and still feel you're all alone. If you work hard for this team, you're never alone."
It won't always be as easy for the Celtics as it was last night against the Nets, who fell to Boston for the third time this season. The Celtics squandered most of a 17-point lead yet wound up coasting to a convincing victory.
"We played intelligently," said Fitch. "We moved the ball like we'd been doing earlier in the season. We played defense and got out on the break. Give New Jersey some credit. They did a heck of a job just catching up."
But the Nets never entirely caught up, and that sums up the story. Good teams get over the hump and are able to win on the road, but the Nets are not a good team.
"They pressed so much that we wind up with a lot of wide-open shots because of our passing," said Cedric Maxwell. "I can't say how good I'm playing. The coach said I did well and that's his opinion. But we've won 22 games this year. I think the record of the team speaks for itself."
New Jersey was putting together a rally in the third quarter when its world collapsed. Chris Ford hit a pair of three-pointers and Boston's 79-73 lead suddenly expanded to 88-75 after three quarters.
"We're moving the ball pretty well now," said Ford. "But I think it is because we've learned the hard way. We have to be a smart team. We can't just throw up shots haphazardly. We've got to work hard and work hard together.
"Take the three-point play. There is some design to it, whenever we decide to go for one. Mike Newlin came down one time and just threw one up. He was on a fast break and tried a three-pointer for no reason at all," added Ford, who leads the NBA in three-point percentage (.472), hitting 25 of 53 shots.
Ford has contributed three pointers in 11 straight games and was 3 for 6 from that range last night.
"The ball is moving and I'm getting it in my range and at a point where I have my rhythm and timing working. That all comes from teamwork," he said.
Teamwork included five starters, plus, reserve guard Gerald Henderson, hitting double figures. Cowens led the parade with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in 42 minutes. Larry Bird had 21 points and 11 rebounds. Maxwell shot 6 for 8 from the floor, blocked 3 shots and had 4 assists. Henderson added 12 points. The Celtics had a 53-50 rebounding edge and just four more goals, 44-40, than New Jersey.
"Cowens saved us tonight," said Fitch. "He was aggressive and knocked people around like his old self. It helped us, especially when they came close in the second half, because they were killing us by getting so many second shots."
Team work is producing success and success is producing confidence, but this is a team that understands what success can bring.
"Naturally we're happy with our winning," said Maxwell. "But that will only make our job harder, not easier. A lot of people now expect us to win every night, and that's not always possible.
"The Patriots have lost. The Red Sox lost. We're the team now, and people have a good feeling about us. But all we can do is go out and play hard each night and hope we come out winners."
December 13, 1979
The Celtics are playing hard and are being awarded with victories, 22 (compared with 29 all last season), good enough to be tied for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Philadelphia 76ers.
"Success breeds confidence and confidence breeds success ... if you work hard," said coach Bill Fitch after last night's 13th win in 14 games at the Garden, a 116-102 domination of the New Jersey Nets.
And no one works harder than Dave Cowens. At 31, he is scoring baskets in bunches, rebounding, playing aggressive defense and diving for loose balls like a rookie.
"I've been lucky," said Cowens. "I've played with good teams in this city for seven years and had only 1 years when it was bad. If there is a difference between this year and last it has to be the people. With some teams you can work hard and still feel you're all alone. If you work hard for this team, you're never alone."
It won't always be as easy for the Celtics as it was last night against the Nets, who fell to Boston for the third time this season. The Celtics squandered most of a 17-point lead yet wound up coasting to a convincing victory.
"We played intelligently," said Fitch. "We moved the ball like we'd been doing earlier in the season. We played defense and got out on the break. Give New Jersey some credit. They did a heck of a job just catching up."
But the Nets never entirely caught up, and that sums up the story. Good teams get over the hump and are able to win on the road, but the Nets are not a good team.
"They pressed so much that we wind up with a lot of wide-open shots because of our passing," said Cedric Maxwell. "I can't say how good I'm playing. The coach said I did well and that's his opinion. But we've won 22 games this year. I think the record of the team speaks for itself."
New Jersey was putting together a rally in the third quarter when its world collapsed. Chris Ford hit a pair of three-pointers and Boston's 79-73 lead suddenly expanded to 88-75 after three quarters.
"We're moving the ball pretty well now," said Ford. "But I think it is because we've learned the hard way. We have to be a smart team. We can't just throw up shots haphazardly. We've got to work hard and work hard together.
"Take the three-point play. There is some design to it, whenever we decide to go for one. Mike Newlin came down one time and just threw one up. He was on a fast break and tried a three-pointer for no reason at all," added Ford, who leads the NBA in three-point percentage (.472), hitting 25 of 53 shots.
Ford has contributed three pointers in 11 straight games and was 3 for 6 from that range last night.
"The ball is moving and I'm getting it in my range and at a point where I have my rhythm and timing working. That all comes from teamwork," he said.
Teamwork included five starters, plus, reserve guard Gerald Henderson, hitting double figures. Cowens led the parade with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in 42 minutes. Larry Bird had 21 points and 11 rebounds. Maxwell shot 6 for 8 from the floor, blocked 3 shots and had 4 assists. Henderson added 12 points. The Celtics had a 53-50 rebounding edge and just four more goals, 44-40, than New Jersey.
"Cowens saved us tonight," said Fitch. "He was aggressive and knocked people around like his old self. It helped us, especially when they came close in the second half, because they were killing us by getting so many second shots."
Team work is producing success and success is producing confidence, but this is a team that understands what success can bring.
"Naturally we're happy with our winning," said Maxwell. "But that will only make our job harder, not easier. A lot of people now expect us to win every night, and that's not always possible.
"The Patriots have lost. The Red Sox lost. We're the team now, and people have a good feeling about us. But all we can do is go out and play hard each night and hope we come out winners."
Bird's Rookie Year: December 12, 1979
December 12, 1979
NETS NEXT IN LINE ON RUGGED CELTICS' SCHEDULE
To Bill Fitch, it's a tunnel, dark and lonely. He thinks there will be no light before the morning of Dec. 23.
All he can see is games, games, games. There are too many games, with not enough practices, not enough rest and not enough bench production to satisfy the mentor.
The fans may be enjoying this Celtic season, and the players may be deriving a great deal of satisfaction from it as well, and management surely likes the rustle of the green stuff as people queue up to purchase those precious pasteboards. The only person not enjoying it is Fitch.
Tonight's game at the Garden with the New Jersey Nets (WBZ, 7:20) is the 10th in a run of 16 that began Nov. 28 (a 119-97 triumph over Denver) and will conclude Dec. 22 with a game in Philadelphia. That's 16 games in 24 days, which is one thing if you're Philadelphia, which has a bench triumvirate of Bobby Jones, Steve Mix and Henry Bibby, and quite another when you're Boston and the only bench person who has played with any consistency is M.L. Carr, who currently has two bad wrists.
The Celtics are 6-3 thus far in this stretch, and are coming off one of their better performances of the season, a 113-108 victory in Milwaukee on Sunday evening. The team had not played well the night before in losing to Cleveland, but it again demonstrated its charming capacity to regroup at the first sign of communal trouble. The Celtics have lost two games in a row but once this season, a fact that hardly has escaped them. Furthermore, they have developed a macho road approach.
"That's the benefit of a good training camp," says Fitch. "They came out of camp with a strong team bond. They had worked hard, but they had done the job and they had acquired respect for each other." It is this mutual admiration that has given them the league's most vocal bench support.
To be with the Celtics on the road is to be with taller, older high schoolers. Even in Cleveland they made a lot of noise. When they came from 18 down in the third quarter to come within six with eight minutes left, the bench people were at least partially responsible. They would not concede the game.
What Fitch now needs is an on-court performance to rival the off-court enthusiasm. In order to defeat Milwaukee, for example, Tiny Archibald had to play 48 minutes for the first time in six years. While Fitch has not given up on Gerald Henderson, the coach is plainly concerned about the rookie's stagnation on offense and regression on defense.
The same goes for Jeff Judkins, who in the Milwaukee game joined Henderson in failing to play for the first time this season. Up front, Fitch wishes he could schedule Rick Robey's good games to coincide with Dave Cowens' bad ones.
The entire team realizes the importance of the upcoming four weeks, for following the remainder of the Big 16 Games there is the matter of the first West Coast trip of the season (San Diego, Los Angeles, Golden State, Houston and San Antonio). They all know there will be a seven-game home stand in January, and that if they can play, say, .600 ball before it starts they will be in excellent shape for the remainder of the season.
But that is in the dim and distant future for Fitch. Today he is thinking about Kevin Loughery's traps and zone presses and George Johnson's rejections and Eddie Jordan's penetration and Mike Newlin's shooting and, well, you get the idea. He's got all he needs to worry about today. Tomorrow he can start worrying about everything else.
NETS NEXT IN LINE ON RUGGED CELTICS' SCHEDULE
To Bill Fitch, it's a tunnel, dark and lonely. He thinks there will be no light before the morning of Dec. 23.
All he can see is games, games, games. There are too many games, with not enough practices, not enough rest and not enough bench production to satisfy the mentor.
The fans may be enjoying this Celtic season, and the players may be deriving a great deal of satisfaction from it as well, and management surely likes the rustle of the green stuff as people queue up to purchase those precious pasteboards. The only person not enjoying it is Fitch.
Tonight's game at the Garden with the New Jersey Nets (WBZ, 7:20) is the 10th in a run of 16 that began Nov. 28 (a 119-97 triumph over Denver) and will conclude Dec. 22 with a game in Philadelphia. That's 16 games in 24 days, which is one thing if you're Philadelphia, which has a bench triumvirate of Bobby Jones, Steve Mix and Henry Bibby, and quite another when you're Boston and the only bench person who has played with any consistency is M.L. Carr, who currently has two bad wrists.
The Celtics are 6-3 thus far in this stretch, and are coming off one of their better performances of the season, a 113-108 victory in Milwaukee on Sunday evening. The team had not played well the night before in losing to Cleveland, but it again demonstrated its charming capacity to regroup at the first sign of communal trouble. The Celtics have lost two games in a row but once this season, a fact that hardly has escaped them. Furthermore, they have developed a macho road approach.
"That's the benefit of a good training camp," says Fitch. "They came out of camp with a strong team bond. They had worked hard, but they had done the job and they had acquired respect for each other." It is this mutual admiration that has given them the league's most vocal bench support.
To be with the Celtics on the road is to be with taller, older high schoolers. Even in Cleveland they made a lot of noise. When they came from 18 down in the third quarter to come within six with eight minutes left, the bench people were at least partially responsible. They would not concede the game.
What Fitch now needs is an on-court performance to rival the off-court enthusiasm. In order to defeat Milwaukee, for example, Tiny Archibald had to play 48 minutes for the first time in six years. While Fitch has not given up on Gerald Henderson, the coach is plainly concerned about the rookie's stagnation on offense and regression on defense.
The same goes for Jeff Judkins, who in the Milwaukee game joined Henderson in failing to play for the first time this season. Up front, Fitch wishes he could schedule Rick Robey's good games to coincide with Dave Cowens' bad ones.
The entire team realizes the importance of the upcoming four weeks, for following the remainder of the Big 16 Games there is the matter of the first West Coast trip of the season (San Diego, Los Angeles, Golden State, Houston and San Antonio). They all know there will be a seven-game home stand in January, and that if they can play, say, .600 ball before it starts they will be in excellent shape for the remainder of the season.
But that is in the dim and distant future for Fitch. Today he is thinking about Kevin Loughery's traps and zone presses and George Johnson's rejections and Eddie Jordan's penetration and Mike Newlin's shooting and, well, you get the idea. He's got all he needs to worry about today. Tomorrow he can start worrying about everything else.
Larry v. Magic: Postscript #3
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media CoverageGame 4 in Los Angeles had been an epic - truly one of the great games in Celtics playoff history - and now the teams were arriving at Logan Airport late on a Thursday afternoon to find a very different Boston than the one they had left five days earlier.For Boston was in the grip of a heat wave.
We're talking high 90s with accompanying East Coast humidity. Logan Airport was chaotic. There were cars and taxis everywhere. There were people sweating, babies crying, miserable, angry, and frustrated people all over. If you ever saw "The Year of Living Dangerously," you know what I'm talking about.
The traffic was such a mess that the state troopers would not allow the Laker bus to get near Terminal C. And that's when I saw Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson folding themselves into the same taxi, and never mind the idea of the presi dent and vice president flying on the same plane.
"This," I remember thinking, "is not exactly what those two had in mind."
It was the eve of Game 5 in that unforgettable 1984 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, and it was a pretty good prelude for the game that took place the following night.
It was to be a very important affair, Game 5, with the teams tied at two games apiece and feelings coming to a boil. The series could easily have been an LA sweep, but a lot had happened to change the tone of the series, most notably a vicious Kevin McHale takedown of Kurt Rambis in Game 4 that would have gotten him suspended for the duration today.
The weather snippet on the far right corner of the game-day Globe said, "Hazy, humid, low 90s," but that turned out to be an understatement. By mid-afternoon it was a record-setting 96, so everyone knew it was going to be a very interesting evening of basketball because the original Boston Garden did not have that newfangled thing known as air conditioning.
There were some hot nights in that old building over the years, but there was never one like the evening of June 8, 1984. The male fans wore shorts and short-sleeved shirts. The women wore, well, as little as possible. Halter tops proliferated. There was never a day or evening in the long history of that building when there was so much exposed skin.
CBS announced a game-time temperature of 97 degrees.
The Lakers did not like it, and Kareem disliked it most of all. He was 37, and fairly cranky to begin with, and playing a Finals game in 97-degree heat was not his idea of fun. He would shoot 7 for 25 and wind up sucking on oxygen (honest).
"I suggest you go to the local steam bath with all your clothes on," he said afterward. "First, try to do 100 push-ups. Then run back and forth for 48 minutes."
Referee Hugh Evans had to leave at halftime, a victim of dehydration. Robert Parish sat out a stretch of the second half with leg cramps. But there was one player who applied mind over matter better than everyone else, one player who not only overcame the circumstances to play a good game of basketball, but who so took to the conditions that he played one of the great games of his life.
As my mother used to say, I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count
"I play in this stuff all the time back home, " sneered Larry Bird. "It's like this all summer."
He had just played 42 minutes in Kareem's sauna. He had scored 34 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and shot 15 for 20. He even blocked a James Worthy shot. The Celtics had won, 121-103, to take charge of a series they would win in seven, and the man deserving the first, second, and third stars was No. 33.
"The man who made the difference was Bird," acknowledged Lakers coach Pat Riley. "He was just awesome. He made everything work. He was the catalyst, and that's what happens when great players come to the front."
"I've never seen him as intense as he was tonight," said Kevin McHale. "Never."
The other great force that night was the crowd, which turned what could have been a negative into a complete positive by celebrating the absurd conditions. Rather than bemoaning the heat, those savvy people celebrated it, realizing that the Lakers were feeling sorry for themselves because they were used to the creature comforts of the palatial Forum.
Here was the message: Watching a game in an old, cramped, steamy building and sitting on those hard seats, why, that's what we do here in New England. We don't need your cushioned seats and we don't need no stinkin' air conditioning. We leave that stuff to you West Coast wusses. And, by the way, your team is soft.
"It was extremely hot; both teams were affected," said Riley. "But Boston showed up better than we did. I think the home crowd had something to do with that. It gave them some adrenaline."
Those great people just did what used to come so naturally. Wyc and Pags, get this: No over-the-top PA man. No ridiculously loud and unnecessary music. No Jumbotron to tell you when to cheer and how to react. No dancing girls. The fans created an atmosphere to remember all by themselves. People in those days actually knew how to cheer. They went to the game to see the game, not for a mini-concert, and not, Lord knows, to see themselves on a big screen.
On the night of June 8, 1984, 25 years ago tomorrow, we had an unscripted evening of serendipitous athletic joy. The Clippers will win a championship before we'll ever have the remotest chance of anything like it ever happening again.
Larry v. Magic: Postscript #2
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media CoverageNovember 8, 1991Section: SPORTS
FINALS CHAPTERS CLIMAXED LEGENDARY RIVALRY
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were the epicenter of the earthquake that shook the NBA in the 1980s.
Magic's Lakers and Bird's Celtics met three times in the NBA Finals, in 1984, '85 and '87. Magic's teams won the last two, but it was the first encounter, in 1984, that may have been the on-court shot of adrenaline the league needed to make the jump to "big time."
The series shattered previous TV ratings and, because of Bird and Johnson, rekindled the LA-Boston rivalry, which dominated the league for much of the decade.
Last year Magic had pined for one more Boston-LA matchup, a Glory Days revisited, if you will. Both teams were playing well and the Lakers made it. The Celtics did not. If it happens again, Magic won't be a part of it. The Lakers guard retired yesterday.
Two Celtics guards who battled Magic in those memorable playoff series reflected on the player and the individual. Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge both went head-to-head with Johnson and both felt the better for it. Ainge said he still got a kick out of playing against Magic.
"It's the ultimate challenge for me. I love playing against him. I've said it before, but I think he's the best player of all time," Ainge said. "Maybe Michael Jordan will be, but Magic has been doing it for 12 years."
Dennis Johnson said, "I've probably guarded Magic more than anyone in the league. And when you played against a guy like him, you came away with a lot more than just basketball. The happiness. The adulation. And he never said a negative word about anyone."
Magic already had two rings, and Bird one, when the Celtics and Lakers met in the 1984 NBA Finals. It was a hugely anticipated matchup in that it had been five years in the making.
Although both players entered the league in 1979, months after their memorable meeting in the NCAA final in Salt Lake City, the Lakers and Celtics somehow managed to avoid each other come playoff time until 1984. Bird had taken Rookie of the Year honors. Johnson had finished that season with his memorable 42-point, 15-rebound, 7-assist performance while playing all five positions in the Game 6 closer against the Sixers in the Spectrum.
The Celtics won the '84 series in seven games, and Magic spent a disconsolate summer trying to shed his unfamiliar image as series goat. There were three events in that series that led to the demythologizing of Magic, something that was as short-lived as it was utterly absurd.
In Game 2, the Lakers were in position to win, but Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass and tied the game. The Lakers still had time for one last possession, but Magic dribbled out the clock before LA could get off a shot. Boston went on to win in overtime.
His second gaffe came in Game 4. He had two free throws that would have put the game away but missed both. The Celtics again went on to win in overtime. In Game 7, as the Lakers were making a comeback, Magic had the ball stolen at a critical time.
Revenge came a year later, but it was a series remembered mostly for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's performance. The Lakers won in six, and for the first time, Magic was on a world champion without being the playoff MVP.
Johnson always was able to add weapons to his game. He became a 3-point threat. And because of his height, he developed an affinity for posting up smaller guards and learned the baby sky hook from Abdul-Jabbar.
That move came in handy in Game 4. The Lakers had crushed the ailing Celtics in the first two games and, save for Greg Kite, might have won Game 3. Boston built a double-digit lead into the third quarter in Game 4 and seemed destined to tie the series.
But Magic stepped forward. With the Celtics leading, 106-105, Johnson posted up and tossed in a baby hook from the lane. LA took a 3-1 lead and closed out the Celtics at home in Game 6.
Johnson also had one dramatic game-winner against Boston in the regular season. The two teams met early in the 1987-88 season, and both were struggling. The Celtics had lost three of four, and LA was on an Eastern swing, having lost to Cleveland.
Magic won the game for the Lakers at the buzzer with a banker off an inbounds pass. The Lakers then went on a 15-game winning binge and eventually won their second straight NBA title.
Ainge was on all three Boston teams, as was DJ. Ainge ran into Johnson again last year in the Western Conference finals.
"I felt we had a great team last year in Portland," Ainge said. "We won 63 games and we might have won a championship. But Magic Johnson beat us. Magic Johnson has been the roadblock to a few championship rings for me.
Larry v. Magic: Postscript #1
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game SummaryFebruary 16, 1991
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage
Section: SPORTS
HE STILL HAS MAGIC TOUCH
He remembers being shocked by the criticism leveled at Larry Bird his first few months back from heel surgery. Magic Johnson was both angry and dumbfounded.
How much can people expect? Don't they understand we are human?
The answer, he knows firsthand, is no. The curse of the
superstar is the day when he loses a step, lets down his guard for the moment.
"The price of fame is tremendous," said Johnson. "The trick is to remain constant, to do it again and again and again. But you must also remember that as fast as you can get up there, you can go the other way just as quickly."
For most of his storied NBA career, Johnson -- like Bird -- avoided the sting of criticism. Both were champions, MVPs, elite players on elite teams.
But then Los Angeles began the 1990-91 season with a 2-5 mark, and all bets were off. The Lakers were under fire, and the snipers were aiming for Magic Johnson from all sides.
"They looked at the record," he said, "and it was a reflection of me. Everything the Lakers do is a reflection of me."
Perhaps that is why, then, the Lakers have been able to post the best record in the NBA since their inauspicious start. Perhaps that also explains the 16-game winning streak, which was finally snapped Tuesday night in the final seconds by Phoenix. It was LA's second-longest winning stretch in 19 years, and its point guard was the architect.
Magic Johnson may be shooting only 47.5 percent, but he is not ready to let down his guard. Nor, he adds hastily, is his team. First-year coach Mike Dunleavy has a plan, and the Lakers are learning to implement it.
"We have a great basketball team," Johnson said. "Everything is clicking now, both offensively and defensively.
"In preseason, we had no identity. People were still making us out to be a running team, and when we weren't doing that, they said, 'Oh-oh, what's wrong with the Lakers?'
"Nothing was wrong other than adjusting to a new coach and a new style. That takes time."
Johnson had questions in the early going about Dunleavy's style; questions that were made public, and subsequently caused a furor. Yet Magic now advertises himself as a Dunleavy backer.
"We know what he wants now," Johnson said. "He's got us believing that we can't just run, run, run. Detroit has proven there are other ways.
"Mike is a player's coach. He's a guy who has been through it, and he understands what players go through.
"But that's not to say he isn't tough. We hear from him when things don't go right."
To fully appreciate the difference in the Lakers' style, you must first realize they are relinquishing only 99.3 points a game. LA and Detroit are the only teams in the league holding clubs under 100 points. In comparison, the last season they won the title, 1987-88, the Lakers gave up an average of 107.0 points a game (11th in the league), while averaging 112.8 points a game (fifth in the league).
These days LA looks vaguely familiar to the team Dunleavy came from -- Milwaukee. Like the Bucks, the Lakers are stressing defense and a controlled, ball-movement offense.
"But the difference between us and Milwaukee is we have players who can post up," said Magic. "Sam Perkins can do it, and James Worthy makes a living of it, and I have good success with it. Vlade Divac is growing more comfortable with it, too."
The names Divac and Shaw and Gamble and Perkins do not belong to original members of the LA-Boston rivalry, a battle that has lost some of its luster in recent years.
Both the game and those who played it have undergone significant changes since Bird and Magic bounded onto the scene. In the old days, people adjusted to them. Now they must be willing to make the adjustments.
"As an old man, you know you have to change," said Johnson. "You have to keep yourself going, but you can only do that for so long.
"Me? I need new things. The way we are playing now is new for me. That's what's keeping me going.
"Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is retired now. Michael Cooper is gone. I would be retired, too, if there wasn't something here to keep me interested."
The goal is no different than in any other season -- to win the NBA championship. LA is nearly three seasons removed from that now; Boston is five. Detroit and Portland have stuck their noses in, and proven there is more to the NBA than the Celtics and the Lakers.
And yet the rivalry lives on, as long as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird can breathe and run and throw look-away passes.
"Sam told me after we beat the Celtics he had never won a game in Boston Garden before," Magic said. "That was a really big thing for him. To see him enjoy that, it brought out a lot of joy in me. There are some things you never get tired of."
For Magic, beating Boston is one of those things.
Larry v. Magic: Game 37
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage
CELTICS' DAZZLE FRAZZLES LAKERS
INGLEWOOD, Calif.
Something special is happening out here. The Celtics are three time zones away and doing some eerie things while most of New England sleeps.
Last night they went into the Forum and won for the first time in five years. They got a season-high 29 points from Robert Parish, 26 from Reggie Lewis and solid defense from everyone in a 98-85 stunner before Jack Nicholson, Dyan Cannon and 17,503 others.
To give you an idea of how convincing this one was, the Lakers led for all of 22 seconds -- at 6-4 -- in the building where they had won 14 straight. Not only that, but the Lakers managed a meager 13 points on 4-for-19 shooting in the fourth quarter.
Chris Ford's reenergized juggernaut has now won six straight, including all three on this trip. Last night was only their second regular-season victory over the Lakers in their last 10 meetings and more than atoned for a 104-87 defeat to Magic Johnson & Co. on Super Bowl Sunday.
"Give them credit. They played a great game," Magic said. "The whole night, I never really thought we got into a rhythm."
To add to the strange mix, the Celtics again were without Kevin McHale (ankle), who had to restrain himself in the locker room while the surprising triumph unfolded. They are 2-0 without McHale, who quite likely won't play tomorrow in Denver.
Larry Bird had an atrocious shooting game (4 for 16) and had only one basket in the final 33 minutes. But, typically, it was a big one. He drained a trey which gave Boston a 92-81 lead and all but ended any Laker hopes. Bird managed a triple-double, getting 11s across the board in 40 minutes.
"I was tired out there, so I tried to distribute the ball as best I could," Bird said. "We just went to the hot man and kept going to him."
The hot men? Start with the Chief. Parish delivered a first quarter right out of the Chamberlain handbook. He was 9 for 10 from the field after missing his first shot, scoring a staggering 21 points. Predictably, he tailed off, but he was an inside force all night (10 rebounds and 2 blocks).
Lewis took over after a scoreless first quarter, punctuating his output with two Forum-clearing jumpers in the fourth quarter.
It was Parish, however, who set the tone, and the Celtics rarely wavered from it all game. He had the first 5 points of an early 9-0 run which erased the only Laker lead of the game.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, was resigned to looking a lot like the old Celtics. Magic (21 points, 16 assists) would dump it in to James Worthy (23 points) and the rest of the Lakers would settle into their lawn chairs and watch.
The Celtics' faced two semi-serious Laker thrusts after bolting to a 35-27 one-period lead. They went cold early in the second and LA actually tied it, 39-39, on a jump hook by an injured and ineffective Sam Perkins (7 points in 24 minutes).
But Boston regrouped and Kevin Gamble (14) and Lewis took over. They scored the final 19 of Boston's 23 second-quarter points. At the half, the Boston lead was 11.
Everyone from Malibu to Thousand Oaks could have predicted a Lakers surge in the third. They hit their first five shots and pulled to 62-57. Ford called time and Boston responded with a Lewis-led 7-1 run. The lead was back to 11.
The Lakers' last real challenge came late in the third. An A.C. Green put-back made it 75-72.
But Ed Pinckney then came up with two big plays. He rebounded one of many Bird bricks, which led to a Lewis banker. At the other end, he swallowed a Perkins drive and that led to another Lewis hoop. Gamble then finished off the mini-run -- all this happened in the final 49 seconds -- with a steal and two free throws. The lead was 81-72 after three.
Los Angeles never got closer than 6 in the fourth. It made only one basket in the final 7:32. Gamble launched a game-deciding 11-2 run with a lefty drive and the spurt included Bird's big trey and Lewis' two hoops, which gave the beautiful people the excuse they needed to leave early.
Larry v. Magic: Game 36
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage
February 19, 1990
Section: SPORTS
A RUNNING STORY: LA PREVAILS AGAIN
INGLEWOOD, Calif.
The game plan was being followed to a textbook T. Turnovers? A manageable seven at intermission, a nice complement to a half in which the Celtics shot 63 percent from the floor.
Did someone mention shooting? In the first eight minutes of the third quarter, Boston hit 90 percent of its jumpers.
And lost the lead.
The game, too.
And so it goes in the Fabulous Forum, where the Celtics acquitted themselves admirably yesterday, yet still fell, 116-110, to the league's best team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The infuriating reality is this: Boston can shoot the lights out (61.5 percent for the game) and play near perfect basketball for 40 minutes, but the Lakers will take those eight minutes when your concentration wavers and stuff them down your throat.
Consider the aforementioned stretch of the third quarter, which began with the Boys in Green on top, 58-52.
With 9:02 on the clock, Magic Johnson knocked down his first 3-pointer of the day. That seemed harmless enough, especially since Reggie Lewis (24 points on 10-of-13 shooting) countered with a slashing jumper.
No problem, right? James Worthy (25 points), who terrorized the Celtics all afternoon, knocked a drive in underneath and when Lewis hit the deck scrambling for a loose ball, he and Magic were called for a jump, which the Lakers controlled.
That turned into a Mychal Thompson bucket, which Larry Bird (20 points) answered shortly thereafter. Still no need to panic.
But the next time down, Worthy pulled up short on his jumper, Robert Parish lost a handle on the rebound,
and it was LA's ball. Byron Scott made good on the second chance, and the Lakers were within 2 (70-68).
Now the Boston bench began shifting uncomfortably. Bird walked the next time down and Scott hit a single free throw. Parish swished a rainbow, Worthy scored on a drive, Dennis Johnson nailed a perimeter jumper, and Magic pulled up for another 3-pointer.
Tie game, 74-74.
Momentarily stunned, Boston regained its composure and struck on a Lewis lob to Kevin McHale. But here came Magic again, with another pull-up 3.
When Scott stole DJ's entry pass to Parish, LA was off and running, with Scott finishing off the 3-point play, the 21-10 run and the Lakers' 80-76 advantage.
At that moment, Boston was 9 for 10 from the floor, yet somehow had lost 11 points.
"We got beat on the hustle plays," said Parish, who scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. "That's what beat us. Jump balls, second and third attempts . . . they thrive on that."
"I think the 3s took a lot out of them," said Magic, whose MVP line included 30 points and 13 assists. "That kind of run really deflates you. You play as well as you can and you still lose the lead."
Boston did forge ahead again by the end of the third (94-92) on a Kevin Gamble 3-point bomb with one tick on the clock, but it was disheartening nonetheless to shoot 79 percent in a quarter and cling to a one-basket advantage.
That lead was still in place with 9:18 left -- when another brief spell of mistakes did the Celtics in.
An Orlando Woolridge slam off a Boston turnover knotted the score at 98 and kicked off a run that staked the Lakers to a 106-100 edge with 5:34 left.
Included in that stretch was Woolridge stripping McHale of the ball (that turned into a killer Scott trey from the corner), an ill-advised McHale 3-point attempt, a Parish turnover in the post and a forced, off-balance jumper by DJ with the shot clock running down. Those were Boston's worst two minutes of the day, and they came in crunch time.
"Give them some credit," said McHale, "but we didn't move the ball well. We weren't aggressive. We fell apart."
The Celtics were outdone on the offensive glass, 13-6. Thompson, Worthy and rookie Vlade Divac accounted for the majority of those second chances.
In fact, the Yugoslavian center was the embodiment of the hustle plays Parish referred to. He scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds, but was also a defensive presence, forcing Parish and McHale to alter shots.
So it didn't matter that LA shot 47.3 percent from the floor, or that Worthy's shoulder was so sore he iced it at every timeout. The Lakers live for opportunities, and the Celtics gave them just enough to clinch it.
Larry v. Magic: Game 35
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage
Lakers Win Battle of Good v. Great
December 16, 1989
Section: SPORTS
LA'S FOURTH GEAR STALLS CELTICS
Some rivalries never die, and the Celtics vs. the Lakers may well be one of them.
Let's just say the "Beat LA" chant is terminally ill.
The Garden crowd was reduced to a whisper last night by the Lakers, who blew open the game in the fourth quarter, then cruised off the parquet with a 119-110 win.
Leading the charge was Magic Johnson, who scored 16 points, handed out 21 assists and made 6 steals, and James Worthy, the fluid forward who torched Boston for 28 points. In spite of their gaudy numbers, those two were only part of the story.
The other half included a string of perimeter jumpers from A.C. Green (8 for 12, 25 points), who normally makes his living in and around the paint, and even more outside shooting from Byron Scott (9 for 15, 21 points). In all, LA shot 54.3 percent from the floor and simply outmatched the Celtics with smarts, ball movement and quickness. The Lakers did all that without a center in their starting lineup, since Mychal Thompson was sidelined with an inflamed Achilles' tendon.
"I didn't know what to expect coming in," said Larry Bird. "But this is the first time I can honestly say they are better."
"I don't know of anyone playing better than that," said Robert Parish.
These rare admissions of Laker supremacy were with good reason. There's an overused cliche in sports, and it's called the killer instinct. It separates good teams from great teams, which these days is the same as separating Boston from LA.
What the Lakers did to the Celtics on their own floor was rip their heart out. They did it quietly and swiftly in the opening minute of the final quarter.
What happened in those first 60 seconds? The Lakers dropped a neutron bomb on the Celtics, blowing them to pieces with a back-door lob from Magic Johnson to Orlando Woolridge for a 3-point play, a trifecta from Scott with the shot clock winding down and a Vlade Divac steal, which quickly (and we stress the quickly here) turned into a fast break bucket from Worthy.
A stunned Jimmy Rodgers called time, his team suddenly down, 93-82. The way LA was playing on the defensive end, it was nearly impossible to expect the slower, more deliberate Celtics to make up the difference in the final 11 minutes.
As for the Lakers' offense, it was close to flawless when they needed it most. The visitors scored on their first five possessions of the final quarter, culminated by a Divac bucket underneath that extended that opening run to a 10-0 streak and a 97-82 cushion with 10:04 to play. Down the stretch, Magic took the ball to the hole, drew a pile of defenders, then kicked it back to a teammate on the wing for an open jumper.
In that final frame, the Lakers shot 57.1 percent from the floor. The Celtics? They checked out at 37.5 percent.
"That's how it's been going for us," said Green. "Earvin draws double-teams and we spot up. If we can hit those shots, it makes it tough to stop us."
It is particularly hard to stop a team when you turn the ball over 17 times, as Boston did. It becomes more complicated when your top gun, Bird, shoots 9 for 27 from the floor. Add a 32-13 disparity on trips to the line that favored LA, and it's clear why this game turned out the way it did.
The bad vibes were evident at halftime, when the Lakers ran off with a 60-55 edge even though the Celtics shot 62.8 percent from the floor. At that juncture, no Boston player could keep up with Worthy (16 at the break) long enough to stick a hand in his face. The goggled forward ignited an 8-0 spurt in the waning minutes of the second quarter to provide LA with its 5-point spread.
"The Lakers played tremendous," said Rodgers. "Defensively, we did everything we wanted. We got them to take the outside shot, and it seemed like they hit all of them."
That, of course, wasn't by accident. Magic moves the ball better than anyone else the league. The Lakers make better decisions than anyone else the league. They also back up their offense with active, bothersome, hands-up defense.
In short, they do everything the Celtics have been trying to do for the past two months.
"The Lakers swing the ball and get it to who they want to," said Jim Paxson. "If you take something away, they react. From a basketball perspective, that's how you want it to work.
"When we call a play, we don't switch sides often enough to make it work. We rush shots we don't have."
Good teams and great teams. There was one of each on the floor last night, and for the boys in green trim, it was a little hard to swallow.
Larry v. Magic: Game 34
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage
Celtics 36-12 Run Falls Short
February 15, 1988
Section: SPORTS
LAKERS BREAK AWAY FROM CELTICS
INGLEWOOD, Calif.
The moral of the story is: Hang around long enough, you'll see everything.
In this particular case, you'd see the Lakers impose a suffocating first-half defense that triggers a 20-point (64-44) halftime lead. Next you'd see the Celtics play a Michelangelo of a third period, wiping out the deficit with a 36-12 whomping that sends them into the final period leading by 4 (80-76). Finally, you'd see the Lakers demonstrate why they are defending champions (with the best chance to repeat in recent memory) by charging out of the fourth-quarter box with runs of 9-0 (in the first 1:44), 17-4, 20-7 and 31-11, all of which leads to a 115-106 victory in a game that will find its way high onto any list of "Oddities" in this historic rivalry.
"I have never had anything like that happen to a team of mine," said LA coach Pat Riley after yesterday's triumph. "You get 20-point leads where you might give up 12 or 16. But to have a 24-point swing in a game like this is incredible. It's a testimony to the Celtics, the fact that they never give up."
So what does it say about Riley's team, which responded to the challenge like, well, champs? "We never really panic anymore," explained Magic Johnson (22 points, 14 assists). That's from our years of being together. The key was to get a fast start in the fourth period. Once we did that, the whole momentum just changed. We got two big steals after our first basket, and that's what turned it around."
That's no lie. Mychal Thompson (12 points, team-high 11 rebounds) evaded a steal attempt and stuck in a short banker on the first LA possession of Period 4. Dirk Minniefield (3 turnovers, 1 assist) missed connections with Brad Lohaus, and Byron Scott (a first-half killer with 20 points) scored in transition. The next Boston possession was key, and it ended in disaster when Michael Cooper deflected a Larry Bird pass to Danny Ainge (Bird insisted he was fouled). Magic converted the turnover to give the Lakers a lead (82-80) they would never relinquish.
It was a bloodless coup. Without firing a shot, the Celtics handed over the parliamentary keys to the opposition.
The aforementioned momentum shift was irrevocable. The Lakers had regained their desire and ability to play stifling defense, and they were once again the free-and-easy offensive team they had been during the first half. But Boston kept battling, and with 6:17 left a Kevin McHale turnaround pulled the Celtics within 5 at 96-91. Here Scott, en route to a career-high 38 points, drilled an open three-pointer resulting from exemplary ball movement (99-91), and when Minniefield couldn't convert a drive over the long arm of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Scott converted two free throws in the subsequent transition. That made it 101-91 with 5:30 left, and the rest was for the stat man.
From a Boston viewpoint, the first half was strictly for the junk man. The Celtics led early (8-4), but that little advantage disappeared in the face of a 12-0 LA run that established the tone for the remainder of the half. Boston simply couldn't combat the superb LA team defense, which was particularly effective against Bird, whose every shot in the paint, or near it, was contested by more than one gold jersey.
"They were always there if I got the ball and spun in the middle," lauded Bird.
"The first half," agreed Riley, "was as well as we've played all year defensively. There was a hand in every face."
But what was this third-quarter thing all about? How was it that McHale outscored the Lakers in their own gym (14-12), while Bird was outrebounding them (7-6)? How was it that LA scored a season-low 12 points, at home, while shooting 24 percent (5 for 21)? How was it that the Celtics ended a sensational period's work by outscoring the champs, 16-3, in the final 3:38 while the frosty Bird (8 for 22) was enjoying the show from the bench? How was it that the Celtics accomplished all this without Robert Parish, who departed complaining of lower back pain after playing an ineffective eight minutes?
"We became very terminal," contended Riley, ever the wordsmith. "We had no motion at all."
Added general manager Jerry West, "That's what good teams do when they're on a roll. They get you standing around."
It certainly was a 12 minutes to remember, and it crested when an Ainge three-point bomb cut the lead to 1 (76-75), an illegal defense technical foul shot tied it for the first time since 8-8 and a lefty tap-in by the relentless (24 points, 11-for-14) McHale put the Celtics ahead.
But there were still 12 long minutes to play, and the Lakers excel at one-upmanship, even if the opponent is Boston.
"We had to beat them twice," said a relieved Riley. "It's hard enough to beat them once."
Larry v. Magic: Game 33
Another Last-Second Shot by Magic Secures Lakers' Victory
December 12, 1987
Section: SPORTS
MAGIC STUNS CELTICS LAST-SECOND HOOP LIFTS LA, 115-114
Is there a longer second or second and a half in sports? Team A by a point. Man from Team B lets fly with the basketball, and by the time the ball either does or doesn't go in the basket, the buzzer will have sounded and the game will be over. All control of the game passes to a higher authority. And isn't the suspense heightened when the identity of the player from Team B is Earvin (Magic) Johnson and the identity of Team A is the Boston Celtics, and the game is being played in Boston Garden?
It was a long second or so, all right, and it was an even longer walk back to the locker room for the Celtics after Johnson's borderline three-pointer (officially, uh-uh, but it sure looked like it) banked in cleanly through the cords to give the Lakers a dramatic 115-114 triumph before 14,890 instant pallbearers last night.
Magic's game-winner from the edge of the three-point line served as a fitting exclamation point to a sizzler that had far transcended the NBA norm from the opening tap-off. Each team came into the game as a loser in four of its last five outings, but this one had a Finals tinge, as befitted the build- up. In order to pull this one out, the Lakers had to come from 13 down (71-58) in the third, from 9 down (98-89) with 8:24 remaining and from 6 down (111-105) with 2:35 to go, not to mention from 3 down (113-110) with 55 seconds to go.
Pick it up right there, after Danny Ainge had rifled a pass underneath to Robert Parish for a layup. The Celtics needed one defensive stop to wrap up the game. Instead, they had a communications breakdown of some sort, because what they did was leave the menacing Michael Cooper (21) alone on the right wing for a game-tying three-pointer.
A steal by Byron Scott (21 points in perhaps his best Garden appearance ever) gave it back to Los Angeles, but the Celtics dug in and prevented the magisterial Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (23) from getting off a good shot. Stuck with the ball in the deep right corner, he missed a leaner, and Larry Bird (35 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals) rebounded. Eschewing a timeout, he initiated a fast break that culminated in an Ainge drive. Danny was fouled by Magic, stepping to the line with three seconds left and the scored tied at 113.
He made the first but missed the second, and Mychal Thompson rebounded. By the time he came down to the parquet, the ball had been jarred loose and Kevin McHale had it in his possession, but referee Mike Mathis ruled that a legitimate timeout had been called, to the anguish of the Celtics, their coaching staff and the patrons.
"Before Ainge took the free throws," Mathis said, "Michael Cooper asked me for a timeout, whether the shots were made or missed. Ainge then missed the second shot, Mychal Thompson grabbed the rebound and Cooper yelled for the timeout."
So the Lakers retained possession. The Celtics called for time after a look at the first LA setup and, when play resumed, LA had a different look, with everybody high.
"All you can ask for is to get the ball in bounds," said Lakers coach Pat Riley. "You just hope you can get some air space. Earvin made a miracle shot, granted, but he was able to get some rhythm going because he had air space."
This was an extremely painful loss for the Celtics, who blew a game in which they committed only 11 turnovers and surrendered but 6 offensive rebounds for 12 LA points. Among the wasted efforts were Bird's high-level game and a brilliant 17-point, 8-for-10 relief job turned in by Jerry Sichting, plus a gutsy big-time game by Dennis Johnson, who scored 19 points on his injured left ankle.
The ultimate reality of this game was that with 2:35 left, the Celtics were in control and they could not finish off the night's work. Riley called time after a Bird steal and coast-to-coast runner and informed his team it could win if it kept its poise on offense and dug in on defense. Accordingly, the World Champs (a salient point, is it not?) scored on five of their final six possessions while limiting the Celtics to the Parish layup and the Ainge transition free throw at the other end.
Included in the stretch run were successive inside-out foul line jumpers by Thompson (111-107, 111-109) and the Cooper crusher from Quincy Market. That, hoop fans, is clutch shooting. And throw in a prototypical second-half shooting display by the 40-year-old Kareem, a 10-for-14 shooter.
Suffice it to say that this game, while flawed, contained more graphic displays of one-upmanship and more sheer outbursts of athletic brilliance than all previous home games put together. "That," said Riley, "was a great game, hot game. Both teams were causing-and-effecting all over the place."
Last year (Game 5, remember?) Magic knifed the Celtics with a game-winning hook. This time he slit their throat with a banked runner.
"In April, all of this will be forgotten," said Abdul-Jabbar, the only person in the joint who looked bored when it was over, "but I will say they gave him the right nickname."
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage
December 12, 1987
Section: SPORTS
MAGIC STUNS CELTICS LAST-SECOND HOOP LIFTS LA, 115-114
Is there a longer second or second and a half in sports? Team A by a point. Man from Team B lets fly with the basketball, and by the time the ball either does or doesn't go in the basket, the buzzer will have sounded and the game will be over. All control of the game passes to a higher authority. And isn't the suspense heightened when the identity of the player from Team B is Earvin (Magic) Johnson and the identity of Team A is the Boston Celtics, and the game is being played in Boston Garden?
It was a long second or so, all right, and it was an even longer walk back to the locker room for the Celtics after Johnson's borderline three-pointer (officially, uh-uh, but it sure looked like it) banked in cleanly through the cords to give the Lakers a dramatic 115-114 triumph before 14,890 instant pallbearers last night.
Magic's game-winner from the edge of the three-point line served as a fitting exclamation point to a sizzler that had far transcended the NBA norm from the opening tap-off. Each team came into the game as a loser in four of its last five outings, but this one had a Finals tinge, as befitted the build- up. In order to pull this one out, the Lakers had to come from 13 down (71-58) in the third, from 9 down (98-89) with 8:24 remaining and from 6 down (111-105) with 2:35 to go, not to mention from 3 down (113-110) with 55 seconds to go.
Pick it up right there, after Danny Ainge had rifled a pass underneath to Robert Parish for a layup. The Celtics needed one defensive stop to wrap up the game. Instead, they had a communications breakdown of some sort, because what they did was leave the menacing Michael Cooper (21) alone on the right wing for a game-tying three-pointer.
A steal by Byron Scott (21 points in perhaps his best Garden appearance ever) gave it back to Los Angeles, but the Celtics dug in and prevented the magisterial Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (23) from getting off a good shot. Stuck with the ball in the deep right corner, he missed a leaner, and Larry Bird (35 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals) rebounded. Eschewing a timeout, he initiated a fast break that culminated in an Ainge drive. Danny was fouled by Magic, stepping to the line with three seconds left and the scored tied at 113.
He made the first but missed the second, and Mychal Thompson rebounded. By the time he came down to the parquet, the ball had been jarred loose and Kevin McHale had it in his possession, but referee Mike Mathis ruled that a legitimate timeout had been called, to the anguish of the Celtics, their coaching staff and the patrons.
"Before Ainge took the free throws," Mathis said, "Michael Cooper asked me for a timeout, whether the shots were made or missed. Ainge then missed the second shot, Mychal Thompson grabbed the rebound and Cooper yelled for the timeout."
So the Lakers retained possession. The Celtics called for time after a look at the first LA setup and, when play resumed, LA had a different look, with everybody high.
"All you can ask for is to get the ball in bounds," said Lakers coach Pat Riley. "You just hope you can get some air space. Earvin made a miracle shot, granted, but he was able to get some rhythm going because he had air space."
This was an extremely painful loss for the Celtics, who blew a game in which they committed only 11 turnovers and surrendered but 6 offensive rebounds for 12 LA points. Among the wasted efforts were Bird's high-level game and a brilliant 17-point, 8-for-10 relief job turned in by Jerry Sichting, plus a gutsy big-time game by Dennis Johnson, who scored 19 points on his injured left ankle.
The ultimate reality of this game was that with 2:35 left, the Celtics were in control and they could not finish off the night's work. Riley called time after a Bird steal and coast-to-coast runner and informed his team it could win if it kept its poise on offense and dug in on defense. Accordingly, the World Champs (a salient point, is it not?) scored on five of their final six possessions while limiting the Celtics to the Parish layup and the Ainge transition free throw at the other end.
Included in the stretch run were successive inside-out foul line jumpers by Thompson (111-107, 111-109) and the Cooper crusher from Quincy Market. That, hoop fans, is clutch shooting. And throw in a prototypical second-half shooting display by the 40-year-old Kareem, a 10-for-14 shooter.
Suffice it to say that this game, while flawed, contained more graphic displays of one-upmanship and more sheer outbursts of athletic brilliance than all previous home games put together. "That," said Riley, "was a great game, hot game. Both teams were causing-and-effecting all over the place."
Last year (Game 5, remember?) Magic knifed the Celtics with a game-winning hook. This time he slit their throat with a banked runner.
"In April, all of this will be forgotten," said Abdul-Jabbar, the only person in the joint who looked bored when it was over, "but I will say they gave him the right nickname."
Larry v. Magic: Game 32
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary1987 NBA Finals
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage
Lakers End Celtics Season
INGLEWOOD, Calif.
The walk to the locker room was through the celebration. The tired faces had to cut through the sea of smiles.
Down a hallway. Past the line of mini-cams. Past the room where the champagne already was being opened. Through the celebrities -- look, there's Sammy Davis -- and around a corner. Past a television set.
"Hey, Celtics, take a look at this," a young guy shouted, pointing at the picture on the 21-inch screen yesterday afternoon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar standing next to the National Basketball Association championship trophy.
"Shhhhhhh," a couple of Laker Girls, the cheerleaders for the Los Angeles Lakers, said. "That's not nice."
One by one the tired faces passed, single file, almost as if you were watching one of those World War II movies that shows all the characters in the gallant platoon one last time during the closing credits.
McHale . . . Parish . . . Bird . . . Ainge . . . Johnson . . . K.C. Jones. This was the end of the Boston Celtics' long-running story.
The dead end.
"This hurts," guard Dennis Johnson said, finally reaching the little visiting locker room at the Forum after the Celtics had been thumped, 106-93, by the Lakers in a sixth and closing game to determine the champions of the professional basketball world. "We can be proud of each other and proud of our accomplishments, but this hurts. No doubt about it."
There had been so much work -- the season extended by 23 playoff games, dragged all the way to the middle of June -- that there was an unreality to what had happened. Over? How can this be? These were the first dizzy steps after a long ride on the roller coaster. Over? What do you mean? Isn't there a seventh game Tuesday night for the entire NBA enchilada? What do you mean, "Over?"
"We shouldn't have been here," coach K.C. Jones said in his quiet voice. "That's the thing to remember. This rag-tag team with the broken feet. These guys fought, hustled, grabbed, sat on the floor, did everything they could do. That's the thing to remember."
The work had been so hard and so many people had done so many things that second prize did not seem to be enough. Oh, the Lakers deserved to be champions, running away to this clinching win in the second half, but the Celtics somehow did not deserve to be losers. They were, of course, losers, but the name seemed more harsh than it had to be. For this team.
Didn't these guys stay alive twice with wins in seventh games, situations where they either had to win or go home? Weren't two players playing with broken feet? How do you play basketball with broken feet? Wasn't there a new injury even on this final day, Danny Ainge's sprained ankle being taped and taped again so he could withstand the pain?
Losers?
"You think about how it could have been," forward Kevin McHale, the owner of the most prominent broken foot, said. "You don't take anything away from the Lakers. You just wonder. What would we have done with a healthy Bill Walton, a 7-foot-3 guy off the bench who claims he's 6-11? What would we have done with Scott Wedman off the bench? What would we have done if everyone were healthy?
"I know for me, it was like three-quarters of the year went through in a breeze and then God said, 'Oh, no, I don't think basketball's supposed to be as easy as that.' I haven't been able to practice in a month. Two months. Haven't practiced once. Just shot and played the games. How much does that hurt?"
The Lakers were better. That was the final story. The Lakers were a lot better. That was the story at the beginning. The Celtics somehow pulled and yanked and prolonged this thing to a sixth game, scared Jack Nicholson half to death, and still are one Magic Johnson hook shot away from being tied, three games to three in the series. That somehow was the best story.
At least in Boston.
"I thought when you were retired, stuff like this wasn't supposed to hurt," M.L. Carr, the former Celtic, now on television, said as he sat at a locker stall. "Doesn't it just eat at you?"
This team somehow captured hearts and minds even better than last year's world championship team did. Underdogs. When have the Boston Celtics ever been underdogs? This was what they were here. There was a ragged look to this team. An endearing team. The Celtics of 1986 went exactly where they were supposed to go. The Celtics of 1987 went further than where they were supposed to go.
"I knew we'd be here in the finals against the Lakers," star forward Larry Bird said. "I somehow always knew that we'd be in the finals, even when we had those two seventh games."
"What did you think last year?" a reporter asked. "Did you think you'd be in the finals last year?"
"Last year I knew we'd win the world championship," Larry Bird said.
The final player left in the locker room, an hour after the game ended, was McHale. He somehow was the symbol of all this, wasn't he? The broken foot. The bruise under one eye. The man who decided to play when he didn't have to play. The man who will have his foot put in a cast in the next week and will hobble for the rest of the summer.
"What can we say?" he said as he stood to leave. "We gave it a good run. The run came up short."
A reporter pointed toward McHale's locker and told the player he had forgotten a sneaker. McHale looked and saw it was the sneaker for the left foot, his good foot.
"Maybe I should take it," he said. "That's the only shoe I'll probably be wearing for a while. Then again . . ."
He swung out the door, into the hallway still filled with noise and celebration and the smell of somebody else's champagne. End of story. Dead end. Kevin McHale's shoe still sat in his empty locker in the empty room.
Larry v. Magic: Game 31
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage
1987 NBA FINALS
Game 5
Celtics Force Game 6
June 12, 1987
Section: SPORTS
CELTICS CRASH LAKERS' PARTY
This one was for the guy in the "Big Bird" suit waving the sign that said "Certified Bird Sanctuary." This one was for the kid walking around as a Celtic ghost.
This one was for the people who remember Ed Sadowski and Hank Beenders and Dickie Hemric. This one was for the people who recall that Richie Niemann was once a Celtic. This one was for the people who lay awake with a transistor radio plugged into their ear listening to Johnny Most tell them about the night in Seattle when the game had three endings and the Celtics lost at the final-final-final buzzer. This one was for all the fans who lifted the team in the last-day Atlanta game and who pulled the team through Milwaukee 7, Detroit 5 and 7 and LA 3.
Most of all, this one was for themselves. It was Boston 123, Los Angeles 108 last night at the Garden. The Lakers will drink no champagne, make no speeches or dance no victory dances in this town. There will be a Game 6. It's a 3-2 series now, and if the Lakers are to win it, they'll have to celebrate with Dancing Barry, either Sunday or Tuesday.
"We had to win this one," said Danny Ainge, whose downtown marksmanship tilted the game in Boston's favor during the third quarter. "We let it all out on this one. If you think of winning three games now against LA, it's pretty mind-boggling. But if you think of winning one game at a time, then it's not too bad."
Mark it down: This one was a registered stomping. And get this. It was Boston's biggest rout of this endless postseason. Oh, the Lakers were close on the scoreboard in the final period at 103-95, Boston, with 5:59 left, but that's as close as it came because The World's Greatest Starting Five wasn't going to let this one get away. The Lakers had started off Period 4 trailing by 19 (96-77), but by connecting on 9 of their first 11 fourth-quarter shots, they made the crowd very nervous. But their heroes didn't disappoint them this time.
When Ainge (whose four third-quarter three-pointers had cracked open this game) missed a drive, the resourceful Dennis Johnson (25 points, 11 assists) was there for a lefty tap-in (106-95). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came back with a short sneakaway hook, but Robert Parish (21) took a pass from a trapped Kevin McHale and dunked one to restore the 11-point lead. By this time, the Celtics, who had suffered through a 2-for-8 fourth-quarter start, had restarted the engine.
The decisive sequence came at 112-99. Larry Bird (23 points, 12 rebounds) pulled down a James Worthy brick, starting a fast break culminating in a fast break jumper by the irreplaceable DJ. Bird retreated and tipped away Michael Cooper's long outlet pass. Johnson came back and stuck in another transition jumper. That made it 116-99, and at that moment, Pat Riley knew he'd be playing in the Forum Sunday.
The Celtics originally broke the game open in the second quarter, taking the lead at 32-31 (there had been 10 ties before Period 1 concluded at 25-25) and expanding it to a crowd-pleasing 15 at 63-48 by the halftime buzzer when Ainge threw in a 33-foot runner.
The closing sequence was revealing, because it may have indicated exactly whose night it was or wasn't going to be. For the Lakers had come upcourt with 28 seconds left hoping to get a 12-point deficit down to 10 when Worthy (6 for 19) missed a jumper. Greg Kite hauled in the rebound, pitched out to Ainge and then watched along with 14,890 delighted patrons and 10 teammates as young Daniel launched an old-fashioned Cousyesque runner that sailed cleanly through the hoop.
But that bit of show biz was naught but the warmup act for the Ainge headliner, which turned out to be a 14-point third quarter during which he sank four more three-pointers. The first two were back-to-back jobs (72-60, 75-62). The third made it 82-71, and may have been the biggest, because LA was showing definite signs of life at the time. The fourth, with 36 seconds left, made it 94-77 and was the prelude to a delicious Celtic ending when Bird sent -- are you ready? -- Bill Walton in for a gorgeous pick-and-roll layup that capped a dazzling Boston third quarter and made it 96-77 heading into the fourth.
For the third time in as many games, the Celtics demonstrated that in the Friendly Confines of the Gah-den, they not only know how to play the Lakers, but actually are the better team. They unveiled a beautifully balanced offense that resulted in all five starters cracking the 20-point barrier, headed by Johnson, and followed by Bird (23), McHale (22), Parish and Ainge (21). They did the job on the boards (a 46-40 edge). And they even got helpful little contributions from the bench, as the likes of Darren Daye, Jerry Sichting, Walton and Folk Hero Supreme Greg Kite (whose banked free throw only added to his personal mystique) did their parts to send this series back to LA.
And all you folks wearing the "Beat LA" or "I Hate LA" T-shirts, you did indeed see what you think you saw. The Celtics not only beat the boys in purple, but they also ran them out of town. By any reasonable count (underline the word "reasonable"), the Celtics had more fast break points than the Lakers (CBS said 39-30; the Globe says 28-24).
The Lakers were left in the din and the sweat of the Garden like so many Nuggets, Nets or Washington Generals. The trick now is to get your mind off the last minute and a half of Tuesday's game and reflect on the satisfaction the team brought its fans last night.
Larry v. Magic: Game 30
1987 NBA Finals Game 4Junior, Junior Sky-Hook Dooms Boston
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage
It was a process that required almost surgical skill. Down by a point, seven seconds left. Sixteen banners above, deadwood below. Nothing could help them here, not the witches of Eastwick or even Jack Nicholson himself. Nothing but a sneak punch to the gut.
"I thought my best choice was to drive on him," said Magic Johnson, who maneuvered around Kevin McHale for a 12-foot hook with two seconds left that put the Lakers 50 yards ahead of the Celtics in the NBA Finals. "I didn't really see it go in because there was somebody in front of me."
He didn't see it go in because McHale, Robert Parish and Larry Bird all converged on the point of attack. He didn't see it go in because an entire Garden crowd dared the shot to be different.
"The release felt pretty good," said Johnson, who finished with a team- high 29 points and 8 rebounds. "But I never watched it. I'll have to see it some other time."
It was everything great finishes should be. Johnson hesitated on the left wing, decided what to do, then stutter-stepped around McHale and let his "junior, junior sky hook" go. When it fell through the hoop, the Laker bench erupted and Pat Riley pumped a fist that would have made Marvin Hagler take a second look.
"We were trying to do whatever was available," said Mychal Thompson after the game, "but if you put the ball in Magic's hands, it's going to be a great design play."
Johnson has always had the hook in his shot parade, but he never really used it until this year. Earlier in the playoffs, he beat Golden State with nearly the exact same shot. In the second period last night, he dropped a lefthanded version of his baby sky.
"I don't have the depth that Kareem has," he said. "I have to be within 7 or 8 feet."
Make that 12. Johnson's soar to the basket drove a blade through the Celtics' heart and gave them only two seconds to recover, only two seconds to score.
"I saw Larry's shot got up at the end, but I didn't think he was set," said Johnson of Bird's final attempt. "If he'd had another two seconds, I think it would have gone for him."
In Los Angeles, the memory of Johnson scoring probably will win Best Picture this year. And it wasn't even the shot Riley wanted.
"James Worthy was our first look," said the coach. "Michael Cooper had him open for one count but didn't force the pass. Magic was open for a jumper but he went back into the lane. When it licked the net, it was amazing. This is about as emotional a game as I have ever been involved in."
From the beginning of the game, Johnson showed his cheeky, cocky charm. His sixth point pulled the Lakers within 2, 17-15 and his 10 points in the second quarter made it 55-47, Celtics, at the half. Johnson had totaled 19 of LA's 47 points, the only Laker in double figures. And down the stretch, he was always murderously there. With 29 seconds left, his alley-oop pass to Kareem Abdul- Jabbar put the Lakers ahead by 1, 104-103. His running hook ended it all.
"We'd been standing around too much in the beginning of the game," he said. "We were fumbling and missing and dropping the ball. We had to calm ourselves."
They calmed themselves, all right, calmed themselves into a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Johnson said he and Bird are the type of players "who'll do whatever it takes to win, who aren't afraid to take the last shot."
Score one for the California cooler with the baby sky.
Larry v. Magic: Game 29
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary
Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage
Celtics Raise Hand from the Grave
June 8, 1987
Section: SPORTS
LAKERS UNSTOPPABLE? NOT SO FAST
They were in the strangest of positions. They were straight men and character actors, back-up singers to the stars. Window dressing. The Boston Celtics were the defending basketball champions of the world but somehow they had become so much window dressing.
Until yesterday.
"Had you ever seen so many negatives attached to this team?" guard Jerry Sichting was asked after the Celtics had changed a lot of those negatives to positives with a 109-103 win in the third game of these best-of-seven NBA Finals at the Garden.
"Not since I've been here," Sichting replied.
The series was finished. The Celtics were done. Or vice-versa. The CBS television network already had scheduled a meeting on Monday to decide how the presentation of the championship Podoloff Trophy could best be held in the tiny visitors locker room. The Lakers were too good. The Celtics were too slow, too tired, too damn hurt. No chance. They were drowning.
Until yesterday.
"Not really drowning," star forward Larry Bird replied. "Nothing feels that bad. Because I almost drowned once. I came back up for that gasp of air and there's no feeling like that."
OK, maybe this wasn't as serious as actually drowning -- 7-year-old Larry Bird in trouble in the middle of an Indiana lake, saved by an older brother as his mother laughs because she thinks the two kids are clowning -- but this definitely was a last-gasp time. The Celtics had been destroyed twice in Los Angeles. What was to stop them from being destroyed two more times in a row?
This Lakers team was the greatest team of all time. Or could be. Or should be. Something like that. If a man could read a Los Angeles newspaper or listen to a Los Angeles drive-time disc jockey, he would know that fact. Bring these Lakers into your dirt farm and they could find water, plant crops and have the largest cabbage in the county ready in time for the state fair. They could do anything. They could score from the inside, the outside, from upside-down. They could not be stopped.
Until yesterday.
"You can tell yourself that you're not going to listen to all the nice things people are saying and you can guard against it, but still sometimes reality has to come and slap you in the face before you can do it," Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley, who had worried about all the talk, said. "If you could make your players blind and deaf for the three days between games it wouldn't hurt sometimes."
The best encouragement the Celtics players received was "you guys won't let 'em sweep you, you're too good for that." Even the stories about the mystique of the Garden seemed tired and old. Yeah, the leprechaun. Yeah, the ghosts. Yeah, the crowd and the dead spots on the parquet floor and the banners on the ceiling. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How many times can votive candles be lit and prayers answered? This seemed to be asking too much.
The oddsmakers in Las Vegas had made the team 3 1/2-point underdogs at home. When was the last time that had happened? When Sidney Wicks was playing? Or was it Fat Freddy Scolari? This was science fiction, wasn't it? The Celtics never were underdogs at home.
Until yesterday.
"We're under a dark cloud," coach K.C. Jones had admitted on the evening news.
"What do you do now?" the reporter asked.
"Hope that it doesn't start raining," the coach said.
There seemed to be no place to attack the problem. The Lakers seemed too hot to touch anywhere. A kettle on the stove. Bubbling. Uncontrollable. There were none of those little stories about "if we double James Worthy, then we give up this and if we give up this, we can pick up that." Nothing. There almost didn't seem to be a strategical hope. How do you stop a tornado that comes down Main Street? Don't you simply go to the root cellar and come out later to see if the roof still is on the house?
The Lakers seemed to have every feature of the Celtics' game covered. The Celtics didn't seem to know where to begin.
Until yesterday.
"I think now we have some ideas," Larry Bird said. "I think in this game we were able to win and learn at the same time. Those other two games, they were so far out of control, we couldn't study anything. I think this game was a game you could study."
What happened? There was a sense as the game started that the people in the stands were terrified. They believed what they read and heard. They believed what their late-night television showed them from the West Coast.
The building was dead for the first few minutes. The air had been sucked in by 14,890 nervous customers and swallowed. The search was for dignity more than a championship. Death with honor. Bird noticed the strange feeling. The other players noticed the strange feeling. They never had seen the crowd this way.
Until yesterday.
"This was a very big game for the organization and the crowd was just out for a Sunday stroll," Bird said. "Until they realized we could win this thing. Then they got into it and so did we."
What happened? Greg Kite was a star with zero points and James Worthy was human with 13. The Celtics' guards were hitting every shot they took. The Lakers had two starters who combined for 6 points. One thing led to another. What happened? Wasn't this supposed to be a romp, a roll, a grand Los Angeles giggle, two games and home, an intermittent stop at Springfield to leave Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's goggles at the Hall of Fame? What happened? Wasn't this supposed to be easy for this visiting team of destiny? What happened?
"Did you have a sense the playoffs really had begun after those two games in LA?" Larry Bird was asked.
"No, I didn't," Bird replied. "This just didn't seem like a final playoff series to me."
Until yesterday.
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