6.23.2019

Cornbread Drops 30, while Bird and Parish Combine for 34 Caroms

November 16, 1984

CELTICS RIP BULLS, 125-105

In the best of NBA circles, the "Wolf Ticket" is still the one thing that can provoke the most violent reaction. Most teams know the worst place to try to beat the Celtics is in the newspapers and on the airwaves.



Thus it's easy to understand why Boston took a particular delight in stomping the upstart Chicago Bulls here last night, 125-105. They read the papers, saw that the Bulls weren't giving the defending NBA champions much respect. The response was devastating as Boston won its eighth game in nine outings.

For one thing, the Celtics unveiled the Max Factor. Cedric Maxwell scored 30 points in the kind of performance he says he normally saves for the playoffs. Kevin McHale added 25 and Larry Bird and Robert Parish each had 17 rebounds.

Dennis Johnson, guarding Chicago rookie sensation Michael Jordan, had 21 points. Every time the Bulls went after the Celtic guards, who were minus Danny Ainge (right knee), Johnson would wind up on the baseline in perfect position for a pinpoint pass. "It's never a good idea to sell 'Wolf Ticket'," said Quinn Buckner. "Those are the kinds of words you have to back up and, believe me, against this team the price is too high.

"It becomes a challenge, and I've never seen a team that responds to it the way the Celtics do. It was a little like New Jersey tried to do after they won 14 in a row last year, and said all kind of things in the paper. It's not a good idea."

The Bulls had won seven of their first nine games and a crowd of 17,753, lured by the graceful Jordan, and in part by some inflammatory newspaper quotes by the Bulls, hoped to see a preview of the Eastern Conference showdown.

But Maxwell had read the same papers, and his response is one of the reason the Celtics seem to win those big games.

"We didn't appreciate what they were saying," said Maxwell. "It was challenge." Said Bird: "We couldn't wait to get to the bus at the hotel before this one," he said. "Especially Max. He finally came to play, and when he does, you know we're going to have some success. We're the world champions. And we know what to do."

The proof came in bits and pieces at first. Chicago, with Jordan, is explosive. The hype around their early success is impressive, and the pregame ceremony was right out of the Michael Jackson handbook.

But it was the Celtics who showed their class when the game got down to nuts and bolts. The game was tied five times in the first quarter before Boston emerged with a 28-25 lead. In the second period, the Celtics' inside domination enabled them to push the lead to 47-29. But Jordan led a comeback that brought the Bulls to within seven points at half, 59-52.

That was the highlight of the night for Chicago fans, and the beginning of a solid performance by Maxwell, who scored the first six points of the second half. From there, the Celtics built up a lead that ranged from 12 to 17 points. Chicago's front line got into foul trouble, and it was the Celtics who were going right after the new kids on the block.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Boston had another lapse and Chicago came charging back to within eight points at 95-87. But McHale took over where Maxwell left off, and with Boston dominating the boards, 56-40, it was no contest down the stretch.

"We had their big men in trouble," said coach K.C. Jones. "Larry was having an off game from outside. So I told our guys to go right at them down the middle. We either scored or passed off to an open man.

"They pressed us and got close because Larry had four fouls and wasn't in there. But we moved the ball well, and once Dennis broke loose down the baseline, we knew we were in good shape."

Bulls Coach Kevin Loughery said his young club learned a valuable lesson, and the difference was mostly experience.

"They're a very good club and come at you with their first five and then bring McHale off the bench," he said. "Maxwell is just tough inside. I was hoping to be able to keep Michael out in the third period because he had foul fouls. But when the Celtics started to take charge, I had to get him back in there. Boston controlled the boards and didn't let us get into our running game. That's why they're the champs."

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