10.08.2018

Parish Drops 11 in First Quarter as C's Dump Pacers

November 4, 1982
SLOW GOING AS CELTICS TOP PACERS

At 7:35 p.m., the Celtics were projected as easy winners, based on entrance polling of the usual heavy turnout of 15,320 in Boston Garden last night.

Two hours and sixteen minutes later, with all precincts in, the Celtics had backed up the pollsters with a sloppy but predictable 111-104 home-opening victory over the what's left of the Indiana Pacers.



An upset just wouldn't do. If this is to be the boffo, socko, eye-opening campaign that everybody seems to think, the Celtics couldn't start it off at home with a humiliating loss to Sam Nassi's slow Pacers.

The final score might indicate that Indiana had a shot at this one, but don't be fooled. The Celtics took charge after a bad first period and built a 17-point fourth-quarter lead (106-89) before the game deteriorated in six final slippery minutes of garbage time.

The key word is "slippery." Indian summer played a cruel part in the latter stages. In the fourth quarter, inordinately high temperatures, coupled with the body heat of the 78th straight Garden sellout, made the floor only a tad safer than the Bruins' ice below. Players were sliding in every direction and, with 1:47 left, Gerald Henderson's legs split like a wishbone and the reserve guard was escorted to the trainer's room.

It doesn't look as if the Celtics will be making any emergency calls to Chris Ford or John Schweitz. "It's a muscle strain in the hip region," trainer Ray Melchiorre said. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow. He could be fine tomorrow, but he'll probably be pretty sore."

The threat of injury and the prospect of a last-minute appearance by rookie Darren Tillis provided the only fourth-quarter suspense. Bill Fitch admitted, "With the danger spots and everything else, the game had gotten to the point where it stunk, and I just wanted to make sure we got out with a win."

Victory was never in doubt, but the well-coached Pacers made life difficult in the early going. Free agency and owner Nassi's austerity plan have stripped Indiana coach Jack McKinney of Don Buse, Johnny Davis and Louis Orr. What remains consists of George Johnson, Clark Kellog, Herb Williams, Billy Knight and a supporting cast of low-priced mediocrity.

McKinney's Gang of Four (the immortal Jerry Sichting is the fifth starter) bolted to a 10-2 lead before the Celts stopped bowing to the home crowd. Boston didn't catch the Pacers until Robert Parish (17 points, 10 rebounds) hit a foul-line jumper to make it 18-18 with 3:19 left in the quarter.

Parish, who scored 11 points in the first quarter, led a 7-0 run at the close of the period, which ended with Boston on top, 29-23. Larry Bird (23 points, 9 rebounds) kept the Celtics on top in the second period and Boston led, 52-44, at the half.

Williams (24 points) and Knight (25) got it going after the intermission and the Pacers pulled to within four (66-62) with 5:08 left in the third quarter. Before you could say Charles Bradley, Mr. Vertical Leap scored on a Bird lob pass and followed up a missed shot by Bird, and the Celtics were off on a 15-5 run that enabled them to close out the period with an 81-67 lead.

It was Slip Slidin' Away after that. En route to committing a whopping 30 turnovers, the Celtics built their 17-point margin and danced gingerly on the steamy parquet in the last quarter.

Obviously disgusted, Fitch said, "Looking around the room and not mentioning any names, in the four years I've been here, two or three guys played the worst games I've ever seen . . . I've seen floors worse. I've seen games called off due to the playing conditions. But that was probably as dangerous a floor as you can play on without getting the game called off."

1 comment:

Lex said...

that rainbow jumper was a work of art