March 23, 1983
BUCKS SLAP CELTICS, 116-108
For those who forgot why winning the Atlantic Division was so important, we present the Milwaukee Bucks.
In each of the last three springs, the second-place Sixers have assumed the exhaustive task of beating the Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinal series. This year, it'll be Boston's turn (assuming the Celtics survive a mini-series), and last night's 116-108 loss to the Bucks was a scary reminder of the rough road to Philadelphia.
Playing without the estimable and injured trio of Sidney Moncrief, Junior Bridgeman and Dave Cowens, the Bucks still had enough to beat the Celtics. Marques Johnson scored 29 for the winners, and born-again guard Brian Winters added 23.
The Celtics led for most of the first half, which ended with Milwaukee on top by three. There were 12 lead changes in the third quarter, but with scrapheap survivors like Charlie Criss (17 points), Harvey Catchings and Paul Mokeski contributing heavily, the Bucks went on a 12-2 tear at the close of the quarter to take an 89-80 after three.
With Larry Bird (20 points) and Robert Parish (18) on the pine for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, the quintet of M.L. Carr, Gerald Henderson, Scott Wedman, Cedric Maxwell and Kevin McHale kept the Bucks' lead under 10. Bird returned with seven minutes remaining, and the Celtics started to chip away.
Trailing by eight, the Celtics outscored the Bucks, 10-2, to tie the game at 104-104 with 2:37 left. Carr and Wedman each contributed four points to the surge.
The Bucks called time, then set up Winters, who hit a bomb from the top of the key. When the Celtics came down and set up, Criss slapped the ball from Carr and scored off the break to put the Bucks ahead by four. Bill Fitch called time with 1:44 left.
Wedman had a rough time after the pause. First he missed one of two free throws, then after Bird rebounded a Johnson miss, Wedman took a bad three- pointer from the top of the key. The ball was way short, barely brushing the front ofthe rim. Paul Pressey came up with the rebound and fed Johnson for a sneakaway and a 110-105 lead with one minute left.
When Wedman missed another three-point effort, Henderson was called for a loose-ball foul (his sixth), Milwaukee took over and proceeded to run down the clock. When Criss canned one from the top of the key, it was 112-105 with 25 seconds left. In other words, it was history.
Maxwell was a surprise starter. Suffering from an upper-respiratory infection, Max wasn't with the Celtics in Cleveland Sunday and as of late Monday, trainer Ray Melchiorre doubted Maxwell would make the trip to Milwaukee. Instead of another night off, Max was assigned the tough task of covering Marques (22 points-per-game) Johnson.
Bird made his first three shots and the Celtics bolted to a 12-4 lead, before Don Nelson called time and put Phil Ford at point guard in place of rookie Pressey. The Celtics were still ahead by seven before Winters scored six straight points to bring the Bucks to within one (22-21) with 4:52 left in the period. Winters was starting in place of All-Star Sidney Moncrief, who has a slight muscle tear in his right hamstring.
Bird (12 points), Maxwell (8) and Danny Ainge (8) combined for 28 points in the first quarter, which ended with Boston leading, 36-30. The Celtics hit 14 of 21 shots and Bird was 4 of 4 from the floor and 4 of 4 from the line in the first 12 minutes.
In the second period, Don Nelson went with an unlikely five of Ford, Criss, Pressey, Catchings and Mokeski. McHale immediately took Catching into the torture chamber, scoring six straight. The Celtics were able to keep the six-point lead until Johnson came back into the game. Ford, Johnson and Catching ripped off six in a row to tie it at 48-48.
Parish hit four straight free throws (the Celtics were 16 of 16 from the line in the half) to make it 52-48. The Bucks went on an 8-2 run from there, and took their first lead of the game (56-54) on a shot jumper by Criss with 2:14 left in the half. Bill Fitch called time.
Henderson was tagged with a loose-ball foul after the timeout, and two free throws by Winters made it 58-54. After a couple of more foul shots by Bird, Winters canned a three-pointer to give the Bucks a five-point lead. Parish answered with a hook and a jam, but Johnson (15 in the half) scored on a drive before the buzzer and the Bucks led, 63-60.
The highlight of the evening came at halftime, when a guy named Mike Donahue banked one in from halfcourt to win a 1983 Chevy Chevette.
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