Phil Jackson’s Fumbled Pass Among Lowlights for Nets

Phil Jackson’s Fumbled Pass Among Lowlights for Net’s

March 18, 1980

CELTICS EXPLODE - NETS EXPIRE, 117-92

A pretty good indication of the kind of game that was played here last night was the fact that Kevin Loughery spent most of his post-game interview talking about legislation to outlaw the technical foul shot. The Nets, who are going nowhere, played like they had nothing to prove. And the Celtics, who have the best record in the NBA, played in fifth gear. In fact, the Celtics went into playoff overdrive as they executed every aspect of the game well in beating the Nets, 117-92, the second-worst New Jersey loss to Boston since a 116-79 Halloween night massacre.



Just consider the first quarter, which included a variety of comedy capers on both ends, highlighted by the Nets' Phil Jackson fumbling a full court give-me when his team was desperately trying to maintain some dignity in front of a crowd that made it known from the outset that they were rooting again for the visiting team.

"You were looking at two different kinds of teams. Boston is playing great together. Their guys know if they are open they will get the ball. It makes it easy," said Nets center George Johnson, after another night of finding out you cannot play 39 games on a floor with a concrete base and not feel the pain. "And us? Well, we're just learning how to play together," said Johnson.

After a dismal first quarter in which both teams shot 30 percent, the Celtics found themselves with a 24-18 lead. And Larry Bird somehow got 10 points in the period. In the second quarter - and really the last of competition as far as the Celtics were concerned - Dave Cowens began warming up (12 points, 16 rebounds) and started becoming the enforcer on the defensive board, which quite naturally upset Mr. Enforcer, Maurice Lucas, whose brand of contact intimidation lasted less than two periods.

With 7:30 left in the half, Lucas was ejected from the game after he drew his second foul and also his second technical when he objected to referee Dick Bavetta's call that he held Rick Robey. It turned out that the Nets would be hit with six fouls in 50 seconds accounting for seven Celtic points with the game already getting away with the score at 36-26. "Shooting technical fouls is a bad rule, and I'm not just talking about tonight," said Loughery, who picked up one himself in the interim.

But, in reality, the seven points were just part of the Celtic offense that was nothing short of arrogant as it built up a 69-45 lead at the half. The Celtics outscored the Nets in every period except the last, when it was garbage time. For three quarters, with Tiny Archibald running the offense, the Celtics ran, ran and ran the Nets into a transition-game frenzy. The only highlight for New Jersey in the second half was rookie Cliff Robinson (22 points) practicing his hesitation turnaround.

"Dave (Cowens) and Rick (Robey) are playing with confidence," said Archibald. "Dave was the enforcer and Rick was scoring. They were playing excellent ball," said Archibald, who dished out 15 assists. The exhibition was so one-sided that the crowd demanded more from the Celtics and got it in the third period, which included a Pete Maravich-to-Ar chibald-to-Bird (on a drop-back pass)-to-Robey relay for a jump hook he put in on the third try.

"I think if anything about our offense that I'm pleased with, it's how well we've been playing on the road," said Archibald. Last night's offensive contributions included some sound ones from the bench. Robey had 20 points and eight rebounds, Jeff Judkins (15 points) went 6-for-10 from the field, and Maravich also shot 6-for-10, while logging 17 minutes. M.L. Carr, who started for Chris Ford (disabled list), had only 2 points but was part of the lineup that blew the game open. A delighted Bill Fitch summed up last night's events simply: "These were two teams in two different situations."