December 10, 1984
MCHALE, BIRD DO IN HAWKS
They call it "Tap City," a tiny part of the world above the rims at Boston Garden, and woe be to any visitor whose hopes for victory rest on a ball bouncing there with the game on the line.
"Tap City" used to be the private domain of one Bill Russell, and when he left it was inherited by a couple of fellows named Dave Cowens and Paul Silas. Now it belongs to Kevin McHale, whose dramatic tip-in with one second to play gave the Celtics a 128-127 victory over the Atlanta Hawks last night before a sellout crowd of 14,890.
This was no lucky bounce or fluke shot. McHale was in perfect position and finished off a play begun with five seconds left. Larry Bird, who turned in a marvelous 48-point effort, missed a 15-footer with two seconds left, but McHale took advantage of the fact that Cliff Levingston, who was guarding Bird, had popped out to stop a possible layup.
Position and execution. That's all it took, and the Celtics not only remained unbeaten at home this year, but have now won eight in a row from Atlanta.
"It's just basic," said McHale, who had 20 points. "When Levingston went after Larry, I just rolled to the hole and got position under the basket. I didn't expect Larry to miss. But when he did and the ball came right at my hand, all I had to do was tap it back."
McHale's tip-in was the final straw on a night in which the Hawks played almost flawlessly, relying heavily on 47 points from Dominique Wilkins (18- for-31 shooting) and 23 from Glenn (Doc) Rivers. For this youthful team to lose a game it seemingly had won in the closing seconds will not sit well for a few days.
Their hopes looked good until the final eight seconds. Then, Rivers missed two free throws and failed to come up with a loose ball right in front of him after the second miss. Bird got it and called time with five seconds left.
Bird, on one of his incredible rolls (20 for 32 from the floor, 14 rebounds), triggered the winning play. With Danny Ainge on the bench after fouling out, Bird was playing guard, and Rivers was the man who was supposed to cover him. Bird had no trouble getting the ball to Robert Parish in the middle of the floor, and Parish gave the ball back. Bird missed, but McHale didn't. The Hawks probably deserved a better fate.
"Maybe they did," said Parish, who was second-high Celtic with 21 points. "But a game like this will let them know they can't just come into our building and win a game because there are only five seconds left. They played well, and give them credit; they are definitely better than their record. But you've got to earn a victory in this building. I think they know it now."
Added Bird: "Actually, it didn't matter who took the shot. I was satisfied with a 15-footer, which is a good shot for me. It didn't go in, but Kevin was right there for the easy basket."
The Hawks and energetic coach Mike Fratello should be praised. They went after the Celtics, who were playing on the second straight night, in classic schoolyard fashion, and stayed in contention with a run-and-gun attack that would have made fans of the Continental Basketball Assn. blush.
The Hawks, who averaged but 107.1 points going into the game, answered every Celtics surge with one of their own. And the show that Wilkins and Bird staged may turn out to be the highlight of the regular season.
Normally, the Celtics wear out teams in the third period. But this was a night in which the game was tied 17 times before the Hawks went ahead, 102-101, in the fourth quarter. Bird had 28 points in the first half, mostly at the expense of Wilkins, who had all sorts of problems every time Bird took him inside. Boston overcame an early five-point deficit (32-27) for a 65-61 lead at halftime, with a commanding 27-14 rebounding edge.
But when Atlanta came out and tied the game at 67-67 on six straight points by Wilkins, you knew this would be no blowout. And then Walker Russell scored at the end of a four-on-one fast break to give the Hawks a 90-86 lead.
Bird was dragging noticeably and went to the bench for the final 1:23 of the third period. When he returned at the start of the fourth quarter, with Boston trailing, 98-95, the Celtics got just the spark to keep them close until the final seconds. Bird did it almost by himself, scoring three straight baskets, the last a layup. But the trapping and pressing that had gotten Atlanta ahead stopped, and Boston seemingly had the game locked up, 120-113, with 4:16 left.
Instead, it was the Hawks who went on a run and took a 127-126 lead with 35 seconds left on two free throws by Wilkins. But an Atlanta win was not to be, even though Boston tried hard to give the game away. Dennis Johnson threw the ball away with 25 seconds left, and all Atlanta had to do was run out the clock. Two free throws by Rivers would have done it. But he missed, and it was strictly "Tap City" after that.
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