6.24.2019

Parish and McHale Make Warriors Green with Envy

November 22, 1984

CELTICS FEAST, 135-91

Today is a day of thanks.

Before passing the cranberry sauce to your brother-in-law, be thankful that you are not a Golden State Warriors season-ticket holder. Give thanks for Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, who came to Boston when the Warriors wanted Joe Barry Carroll. As always, thank Red Auerbach for drafting Larry Joe Bird a year before anyone else thought of it.



The bird you carve today is lunchmeat compared with the turkey featured at the Boston Garden last night. In one of the most savage beatings inflicted by the Celtics during the Bird era, Boston shot 68 percent and defeated the Warriors, 135-91.

How bad was it? We're talking Rich Gossage vs. Bob Bailey, Marvin Hagler vs. Caveman Lee, Ronald Reagan vs. Walter Mondale.

From 6-5, Boston ripped off 10 in a row en route to a 34-15 cushion at the end of one quarter. It was 64-39 at the half, 78-45 early in the third and 129-87 with less than two minutes to play. The final margin was the largest - and came on a thundering dunk by M.L. Carr. A lot of folks were gone by then. This was a night when North Shore commuters were able to catch the tail end of rush hour.

"I've seen worse and I've been on both sides of 'em," said Cedric Maxwell. "I have some sympathy for them. When you get into a situation like that, it seems like the harder you play, the worse it gets."

Golden State played without free agent Carroll and Mickey Johnson (knee injury), but coach John Bach would have needed Rick Barry, Nate Thurmond and Wilt Chamberlain to avert embarrassment. On the 10th anniversary of their NBA title, the Warriors appear to have bottomed out.

"It's bad when you look at them and consider what they were and what they are now," noted Maxwell.

"I thought we were intimidated and very much in awe of them," admitted Bach.

The Celtics took full advantage of Golden State's abject funk. Eight Bostonians scored in double figures. Danny Ainge scored 16 and hit his first seven shots. Parish hit seven of eight for 18 and played with revenge in his heart. Bird scored 17 while doing everything except stirring the gravy, and Dennis Johnson continued to play like the NBA's best guard.

Overall, the Celtics shot an eye-popping .679 (55 for 81; the league's best is San Antonio's 53-75, .707 in '83) and outrebounded the Warriors, 44-29. Every Celtic scored, played at least 10 minutes and made more than half his shots.

Boston's first quarter was as close to perfection as you're likely to see in an imperfect world. The Celtics shot 76 percent (16 for 21), forced 10 turnovers, and scored 10 fast-break points. Assists were credited on 13 of Boston's 16 baskets. Bird's 12-minute masterpiece included eight points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Meanwhile, the Celtics exploited a seemingly endless string of Warrior mistakes. Bach started the inconsistent guard tandem of Sleepy (aptly named last night) Floyd and Lester Conner. It was just as bad when Bach went with Othell Wilson and the immortal Mike Bratz. Golden State's masons had the Garden glass rattling for 48 minutes (44 percent, seven of 20 in the first quarter).

"They just came out flat," said Ainge. "It was a pretty boring game, but it's good for us to have a game like that once in a while."

The Celtics scored the first four points of the second period and led by the laughable count of 38-15 before the Warriors started to fight back. Purvis Short (59 against New Jersey Saturday) started to find his way around the parquet. Short finished with 18, all in the first half.

Boston cooled off, hitting only 57 percent (12 for 21) in the third. It was 98-69 after three and K.C. Jones cleared his bench early in the fourth. Folks who stayed got a long look at Carlos Clark, Greg Kite, and Rick Carlisle.

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