Bird and McHale Showing Some Early Signs of Chemistry

Larry Bird and rookie Kevin McHale combined for some last-minute magic last night to lift the Boston Celtics to a gutty 101-99 victory over the Bullets.

A Capital Centre crowd of 11,718, the second largest of the season, was treated to everything they could hope to see in a basketball game, but in the final analysis, it was two big shots and a block by the 6-foot-10 McHale and a great steal and a pair of baskets by Bird that made the difference.

Kevin McHale: Greatest Sixth Man Ever (well, until Bill Walton came along)

June 1984

Kevin McHale feels fortunate. His role as the Celtics' sixth man might not be understood or even appreciated in another city. But in Boston, it is a tested path to greatness, and he enjoys the benefits it brings.

Certainly one of the keys to the Celtics' championship was their bench strength, anchored by the 6-foot-11 McHale. His ability to play forward or center gave Boston extreme flexibility in its inside game. It didn't matter if he replaced Robert Parish, Cedric Maxwell or Larry Bird. Good things happened whenever Kevin McHale took the floor.

And that's what being a sixth man is all about.

"It's a unique role," McHale said. "I like it. You feel important in this city, especially, because people understand the role more than other cities.

"In other cities, if you're not on the court when the whistle blows, you're considered a scrub, a benchwarmer. Here, you're considered an integral part of the team. People say, Gee, just wait until our bench gets in there. We got a good bench. McHale is the sixth man.' There's enthusiasm about it from everyone; that's always nice."

Still, he was appreciated widely enough to receive the NBA's Sixth Man Award.

The increased responsibility given McHale this year by K.C. Jones is actually a continuation of a move last season by Bill Fitch, who liked what he saw so much he broke up a front line that in 1980 had helped win an NBA title.

McHale, the No. 3 overall pick in the 1979 draft, figured to spend his whole career in Boston as a forward, because Boston had Robert Parish and a good backup in Rick Robey.

But M.L. Carr got hurt early in 1982, which forced Fitch to make some adjustments. Also, McHale was continuing to develop, and playing him at two positions would help solve the problem of getting him adequate playing time.

During McHale's rookie season, he was the fourth option, as the plays then were geared around Bird, Parish and Tiny Archibald. Now, McHale is often central to the Celtics' success - on offense, with his jump hooks and rebounding; and on defense, with his long arms and shot-blocking ability.

"What happened to me was kind of a stroke of luck," McHale said. "I was in the right place at the right time. He (Fitch) started playing me at both forward positions and the center spot. Things started happening for me real quickly. I got into games early a lot.

"But I'm not surprised. Anytime you're No. 3 in the draft, you must be capable of doing something right.

"It's funny," he said. "Most places, when you go third in the draft, there is a big whoop-de-doo about it. But I came to a team that had the best record in the NBA the year before and had Bird and Parish and Archibald. I kind of fell into the background.

"But that's fine with me today, because I liked being low key."

McHale is enjoying this championship season and the increased responsibiliti es - and rewards - created by his sixth-man status. "I felt I was a part of it in 1980," said McHale. "The guys accepted me real well, and I ended up playing a lot. But anytime you become more involved with a team, it's just as much fun, if not more fun.

"This year was sweeter because the final opponent was a team of extremely high caliber. When we played Houston in 1980, I was kind of waiting for the games to be over with. Just kind of wondering when the thunder was going to strike and we were going to be there. The series did go six games, but it didn't seem like it went six games. It seemed like we could win it at any time.

"Winning this year is a great thrill. The biggest thrill of that year was beating Philadelphia."

Black Hole Still Lookin' Like Herman Munster, No?

Bird Sits, Newcomers McHale and Parish Takeover

December 13, 1980

The star of Larry Bird Poster Night at Boston Garden spent 20 of the game's first 24 minutes on the bench with foul troubles tonight. By that time, his supporting cast had given the Celtics a 51-42 halftime lead against the New Jersey Nets.

McHale Thriving in 6th Man Role

11/11/1983

The smile on Kevin McHale's face says a lot. His contract hassles are a thing of the past. He no longer feels inhibited in a Celtics offense that is imaginative and allows him to take advantage of all his skills. McHale seems to be having a ball coming off the bench for the Celtics, either as backup center to Robert Parish or backup power forward to Larry Bird. Backup, perhaps, isn't the right word. For, what McHale is doing is a reincarnation of the traditional Celtics "sixth man" principle, with a slight twist that has given the concept a new meaning.

The role was made famous by legendary Celtics Frank Ramsey and John Havlicek, both swingmen who could play either guard or forward with equal dexterity. In the '70s, the Celtics hung the tag on inside players Don Nelson and Paul Silas, because they also could play two positions. But both had liabilities no matter where they played. Nelson, a guard-forward, could shoot but not jump. Silas, a forward-center, could hold his own underneath against anybody, but some nights needed radar for a layup.

McHale is a combination of Nelson and Silas, but taller. His current role is ideal, with his college training and overall talents. McHale played forward for two years at the University of Minnesota because the Gophers had Mychal Thompson, now with the Portland Trail Blazers, playing center. McHale then shifted to strictly a center, until he became a swingman in his senior year because of Randy Breuer, now a reserve center with Milwaukee. The fact that McHale stands 6 feet 10, weighs 225 pounds and is willing to gallop with the Celtics' greyhounds fits in with what coach K. C. Jones wants to accomplish on both offense and defense.

Ramsey and Havlicek created mismatches with their size and speed. McHale accomplishes the same thing inside. He is strong enough to overpower many forwards who cannot stop his hook shots and other inside moves. Because he is basically a finesse player, big centers can muscle McHale. But he makes them pay for it, because he can also hit the jump shot, particularly the fade-away variety that only the pure shot blockers can reach, because of his unusually long arms.

"He's just like Ramsey and Havlicek" said Jones, "in that he can play two positions and score and play defense in both of them. But he gives us an added dimension in that he is a shot blocker and intimidator. "The thing I like most about him is that he gives us options. Coming off the bench, I can use him in various combinations, either with (Larry) Bird or (Robert) Parish."

McHale has been itching to play this kind of role for the Celtics since he arrived. But it was not possible as long as the Celtics had a legitimate backup center in Rick Robey. As a rookie, McHale averaged only 20.6 minutes. The next year, he averaged 28.4 minutes, alternating mostly with Cedric Maxwell at forward. Last year, he played 28.5 minutes a game, as former coach Bill Fitch began to use Robey less. Jones eliminated the middle man, and McHale is averaging 29 minutes for the first seven games. Rookie Greg Kite, the other center, has been in only one game.

"I do feel I can do more with my game," said McHale. "In the past, I've been inhibited somewhat by what we were trying to accomplish, but now I can go either inside or outside, depending upon the situation. I feel real comfortable. "I know it sounds corny, but I can't do any of this without my teammates. None of us are one-on-one players, and we need help to get a shot off. They're pressing and working hard to get the ball up the court. They make sure I get it in a position from which I can score."

McHale's thought reflects a basic philosophy, which he says is a return to a style of play that the club used often in winning the NBA title in 1980. "We fast break a lot because of the pressure," said McHale. "And that's where we get so many of our points. It's up to us big men to get out and run and get in position. That way, even if the break doesn't go, we're in a spot to do some damage."

MISC

The Celtics will be seeking their seventh straight victory and a measure of revenge tonight (7:30) in facing the Detroit Pistons at the Garden. The Pistons (3-3) handed Boston (6-1) its only defeat in the season opener in Detroit. Wednesday night, the Pistons stunned defending champion Philadelphia at home, 120-116. "We've got to be ready," said Jones. "They'll come here confident after beating us three times last year, and once already this year in Detroit. They ought to be feeling pretty good after beating Philadelphia. We've got our work cut out for us." . . . M.L. Carr has been in 500 NBA games, but he says he should also be credited for the 74 games he played in the old ABA with St. Louis.

McHale Dominates Pistons

12/18/1983

There are nights when Kevin McHale is the ultimate weapon, a Nike Ajax missile interjected into conventional warfare. As he has done so many times since he decided not to eat spaghetti in 1980, McHale took over a game for the Celtics last night. He scored eight straight and 10 of 12 in a devestating, 18-4 fourth-quarter Celtics run that turned a two-point Boston deficit into a 12-point lead.

When it was over, Boston had a 129-115 victory, and Mchale had 30 points and 16 rebounds. Thirteen of McHale's season-high total came in fourth-period crunch time. He has scored 107 points in four games against the Pistons this year. "He's a big problem for us, obviously," said Pistons center Bill Laimbeer (27 points, 15 rebounds). "He destroys us every time we play them. He has that good jump hook, which is difficult to block, and a fallaway that you can't even get close to."

Boston had a small lead through most of the night, but Kelly Tripucka (26), Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas (16 points, 12 assists) brought the Silver Bullet Band back, and the game was tied six times in the first six minutes of the fourth period. The last tie was at 103. Then came McHale's vaporization job on the Pistons. First, he scored over Kent Benson to put the Celts ahead (105-103) for good. Then he rebounded at the defensive end, came back down and hooked over Benson. After a basket by John Long, McHale buried a hook and a fallaway to make it 111-105.

Long cut the Celtics' lead to four with one last bomb, but Parish (a not- so-incidental 24 points and 19 rebounds) answered with a turnaround. Then McHale rebounded a Tripucka miss and canned another turnaround make it 115-107. That sent 24,318 out into the Michigan's chilly suburban tundra, although most of them will be back today to see if Billy Simms can run the Lions into the National Football League playoffs. The Pistons, meanwhile, will try to devise a way to stop Mchale before the teams meet again. Benson was humiliated last night; Detroit coach Chuck Daly would have been better off with George Benson at center. When Kent was mercifully excused, Laimbeer moved over to guard McHale, but that left 6-7 Terry Tyler on Parish.

"Over the night, we probably had five or six different guys on him," Pistons coach Chuck Daly said with a sigh. "He gets it so easy, and we have to work hard for those same things." "I got the ball in good position," said McHale, who had 16 of the Celtics' whopping 68 rebounds (tops in the league this year). "Sometimes you're up against a guy you feel you can score on, but when you get it going, you feel like it doesn't make any difference who's on you." "Credit their defense, too," added Daly. "They toughened their defense at the end, and we did not get good shots."

The Celts held Detroit to 22 points and 30-percent shooting (8-27) in the fourth quarter. Remember, these were the same Pinball Pistons who came out on top in Tuesday's historic 186-184 triple-overtime shootout in Denver. Celtics fans might also be encouraged to note that the victory came on a night when Larry Bird was struggling through one of his Silverdome nightmares. Starting his second game since his knee injury, Bird made only 5 of 18 shots, although he (naturally) contributed 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Parish sparked an early 10-3 run that helped Boston to a 22-15 lead in the first quarter. The Celtics got a lot of second shots, dominated the boards (20-12 in the quarter), and led, 35-34, after one. The Celtics pushed their margin to 48-40 midway through the second, but Laimbeer and Triucka brought the Piston back, and Long delivered a game-tying (56-56) jam with three minutes left in the half. Gerald Henderson (20 points) got the running game going, and three fastbreak baskets gave Boston a 67-64 halftime lead.

MISC

Bird was 3-9 at intermission and missed three straight to start the third. Meanwhile, Isiah Thomas was taking advantage, scoring two baskets and handing out four assists to lead a 14-10 run in the first five minutes of the second half. Later, the Celtics got a little careless with the ball, and Detroit ran off six in a row to take an 87-80 lead with 4:22 left in the third. But Boston tightened its defense, took advantage of Earl Cureton (in for Laimbeer), and scored nine straight. Detroit answered with four straight at the end of the period and led, 93-91, at the end of three. At the start of the fourth, Tripucka scored Detroit's first eight points as the teams traded baskets. With 7:05 left, referee Earl Strom (remember him?) tagged Cedric Maxwell with his sixth personal foul. It didn't matter. K.C. Jones still had McHale. Against Detroit, that's all he needs.

McHale Not Much of an Athlete

12/19/1983

As the Celtics were sifting through the Detroit newspaper's sports section during breakfast yesterday, they read this comment by Piston Kelly Tripucka: "(Kevin) McHale is just so big, with those long arms. He's not really an athlete, he just does some things really well. McHale's teammates loved it. Morale makes a big difference in a six-month season, and it's important that everyone experiences a little humbling now and then. McHale has been on a roll and was due for a some chop-busting. Tripucka provided ample ammunition.

McHale, Celtics Dismantle Nellie, Bucks

Game 2
1984 Eastern Conference Finals

Like an earthquake, it didn't last long but when it was through shaking (and in this case baking) irreparable damage had been done.

It lasted just 3 minutes, 15 seconds and, as so often happens, it came early while most of Milwaukee slept. But when it was finished there was nothing left of the proud Bucks but ruins.

Celtics Big Three Outscore Pistons Frontline 74-18, Outrebound them 38-11

Celtics Big Three Outscore Pistons Frontline 74-18, Outrebound them 38-11

April 29, 1985

After the Boston Celtics had struggled to eliminate the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, their real front line reappeared today and helped overwhelm the Detroit Pistons, 133-99, at Boston Garden.

Parish, McHale Too Much as C's Take 3-1 Lead Over Bullets

Parish, McHale Too Much as C's Take 3-1 Lead Over Bullets

May 3, 1982

Before Bill Fitch, the coach of the Boston Celtics, would impart any thoughts to reporters about his team's 103-99 overtime victory over Washington at the Capital Centre today, he had one question for them.

McHale Bank Shot Downs Lakers, as C's move to 33-6

McHale Bank Shot Downs Lakers, as C's move to 33-6

January 17, 1985

It was cold in Boston tonight, but for Celtic fans it was June in January, a time to relive the past.

The Los Angeles Lakers were in town for their first meeting with Boston since last June 12, when the Celtics won their 15th National Basketball Association championship.

The outcome at Boston Garden tonight was the same as it was last spring, the Celtics won - this time by 104-102 - but the hero was different. Instead of Cedric Maxwell and Larry Bird, it was Kevin McHale.

Kevin McHale Speaks from the Gut

“There’s something special about being a Celtic,” he said. “At the end of the day, when I see people, that’s who I am. I’m Kevin McHale who played for the Boston Celtics. And that supersedes Kevin McHale from Hibbing High School, Kevin McHale from the University of Minnesota, Kevin McHale the father, Kevin McHale the husband, Kevin McHale the whatever.

Wow.

I'm sure there are some fans out there who think to themselves, "well, duh."

I'm not one of them.

Sure, Kevin McHale isn't alone.

He stands near the end of a long line of athletes who are largely remembered for having played a sport for a particular professional team.

Then again, what he said is quite profound.

McHale's Sense of Humor was the Glue

June 6, 1986

    An intangible but unmistakable strength of the Boston Celtics is their great camaraderie, usually expressed in the form of irreverent, biting humor. Personal fouls are a way of life with the Celts, and the No. 1 hatchetman, the jolliest and nastiest of green giants, is forward Kevin McHale.

McHale Reincarnating Familiar Role in Beantown

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 6-1
11/11/1983

The smile on Kevin McHale's face says a lot. His contract hassles are a thing of the past. He no longer feels inhibited in a Celtics offense that is imaginative and allows him to take advantage of all his skills. McHale seems to be having a ball coming off the bench for the Celtics, either as backup center to Robert Parish or backup power forward to Larry Bird. Backup, perhaps, isn't the right word. For, what McHale is doing is a reincarnation of the traditional Celtics "sixth man" principle, with a slight twist that has given the concept a new meaning.

McHale Retires

  January 30, 1994
Section: SPORTS

MCHALE FIT CELTICS' MOLD \ HE CAME TO PLAY ALL THE TIME
To some who know him best, the most lasting memory of former Celtics star Kevin McHale won't be his long arms or his unstoppable low-post moves. It will be his happy-go-lucky attitude.

"He's a comedian," said Celtics center Robert Parish. "That's what I'll remember most, how easy-going he was. He's a very fun-loving guy. He never took things too seriously.

AINGE SHOOTS SELF INTO CELTICS' PLANS

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 2

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

Over? Hardly.

Boston guard Danny Ainge says the NBA Championship Series has only just begun as it heads into tomorrow afternoon's nationally televised Game 3 (Channel 10, 3:30) at the Forum.

Ainge certainly showed signs of coming back to life Thursday night, scoring 12 points and contributing five assists as the Celtics tied the best-of-seven series at one game apiece with a 124-121 overtime victory at the Boston Garden.

Ainge became an important factor in Boston's most recent success story, shooting 6-for-10 from the field and giving the Celtics perimeter firepower against a team that was whistled down for three zone violations in the first half.

''I kind of felt this was going to be a good night for me,'' Ainge said after the game. ''But you have that kind of feeling lots of nights and nothing happens.

''The Lakers have been giving us the outside shot in this series and I don't think they're going to change their game plan at this point. I guess that's why Scott Wedman and I got more time than usual.''

Ainge played 25 minutes. Wedman, a 6-7 shooting forward, played 18 minutes and was on the floor long enough to sink the Lakers with a 15-foot baseline jumper that was the deciding field goal in overtime.

Both players basked under an unfamiliar spotlight. Wedman, a one-time all-star with the Kansas City Kings, was acquired by the Celtics from Cleveland last January. He is making more than $800,000, but had not been worth anything close to that amount this season, playing in just one of three previous playoff games. Ainge is a highly publicized All-America guard from Brigham Young University who played a year of baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays before switching pro sports in 1982. He had been mediocre at best with Boston, losing his starting job this year after the Celtics acquired defensive whiz Dennis Johnson from the Phoenix Suns.

Ainge's biggest contribution to the Celtics' success before Game 2 against LA was the forearm blow he delivered to Darrell Walker in the Knicks' series.

Ainge was trying to stop Walker, a 6-4 rookie guard, from driving to the basket. Instead, he nearly started World War III, setting off a bench-clearing brawl at the Boston Garden. For that blow, Ainge was tagged with the unglamorous nickname, ''Danny Mainge,'' by the New York media.

''In the last few games I was just going to give DJ (Johnson) a rest,'' Ainge said. ''I didn't take any shots. I wasn't really in long enough to take any shots. I think what hapened to us in our previous few series was not good for us.

''Sunday's game woke us up to the fact that we should be running. And, of course, when we are running, it's to my advantage. When we're playing a halfcourt game, the ball is designed to go to our inside guys. I'm allowed to shoot off the break. If the shot is there, I'm going to take it.''

On the surface, Ainge looks too slow to play effectively in this series. But all six of his field goals came off fastbreaks, a good sign for ardent Celtics' fans. Ainge had four field goals when Boston built a 24-20 lead to 35-22 late in the first quarter. He had two more in the third period before retiring to the bench for the night when Jones started searching to find players with more size and quickness to cover Lakers guards Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper and Byron Scott.

''I always feel I can shoot,'' Ainge said. ''I hit my first couple and I was able to stay in there a little longer. He (Jones) didn't feel he had to go to anybody else.'

1984 NBA Finals: Celtics Bit Players Stop Showtime

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 2

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

The bit players emerged from the shadows at Boston Garden and stopped the National Basketball Association's premier show.

That's one of the things that will be remembered about Game 2 of the championship series - a drama-drenched overtime game in which the Boston Celtics, teetering on the precipice, fought back for a 124-121 victory over the error-prone Los Angeles Lakers, thereby gaining a 1-1 split going into tomorrow afternoon's game on L.A.'s home court.

Suddenly, the title series that was simplistically labeled as a contest between the Lakers' Magic Johnson and the Celtics' Larry Bird has taken on a new dimension.

Johnson, dribbling away almost all of the last 13 seconds of regulation time before setting up a shot by Bob McAdoo that failed to beat the buzzer, turns out to be a human being, after all.

Bird, shooting only 8 for 22 from the floor, turns out to be human, too.

The nature of this beast has changed drastically, not only because of the failings of Bird and Johnson, but because of the rise of guys like Scott Wedman. And Gerald Henderson. And Danny Ainge.

So going into Game 3, it might be well to forget Bird for a while if you can. And forget some of the other more prominent Celtics - Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, Cedric Maxwell.

Instead, look to the shadows, from where the real heroes of Game 2 came, and consider the possibility that this entire best-of-seven show could come down to plays made by people like the rarely used Wedman, whose 14-foot jump shot with 14 seconds left in overtime gave Boston the game, or Henderson, whose steal and layup at the end of regulation and three-point play in overtime helped doom the Lakers.

Or it might come down to another defensive play by Robert Parish, whose relative invisibility in Game 1 had prompted one Boston newspaper to ask sarcastically: "Is Parish Burning?"

Apparently he is not, as he demonstrated in the final seconds of overtime Thursday, when he stripped McAdoo of the ball to preserve Boston's victory.

Or what about Ainge, who hit his shots in clusters and who almost single handedly kept the Celtics from folding in the face of the onrushing Lakers in the fourth period?

L.A. coach Pat Riley, for one, is convinced that that was no mirage out there on the parquet floor.

Before his team's flight here yesterday, he was asked about Wedman.

"I've always respected Scott," he said. "He's a smart, veteran player. He sat most of the year, but he had the presence of mind and the attitude to give his team help when called upon. A lot of guys can't do that.

"We doubled on Bird to make him give up the ball," said Riley, discussing the play on which Wedman hit his game-winning basket. "We made the next guy (Henderson) give it up. Finally, it went to Wedman, and he buried it."

And Ainge?

For the third-year guard out of Brigham Young, this has been a difficult season. He lost his starting job under the new regime of coach K. C. Jones, saw his shot disappear and saw his playing time vanish to next to nothing.

Yet he pumped in six field goals Thursday, the first four coming in a first half in which the Celts rocketed to a pair of 13-point leads. He hit his other two field goals - the second coming on a lean-in flyer off a fast break - in the waning moments of regulation, when Boston was on the edge of defeat.

"I always feel I can shoot," Ainge said before the Celtics' practice yesterday afternoon. "I hit my first couple, so I was able to stay in there a little longer. He (Jones) didn't feel he had to go to anybody else."

And Parish?

After his dismal Game 1, he not only made the game-clinching steal, he shot 9 for 14 from the floor.

1984 NBA Finals: Ainge Decides to Crash the Party

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 2

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

A Wall Street type thinker might not consider either Danny Ainge or Scott Wedman prudent long-term investments, but for at least one playoff game the Celtics were able to forget about how much more they have always expected from either of these two oft-frustrated athletes.

The fact is that without their contributions last night the Celtics could not have defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, by any score. There has been perpetual yelping during the last several years over the Celtics' desperate need for some outside shooting to balance their famed inside game. In this vital 124-121 overtime triumph over LA, Messrs. Ainge and Wedman provided that marksmanship.

Ainge bunched his six field goals in two key Celtic runs, the first four coming in the first half and the other two at the end of the third period, after the Lakers had taken their first lead of the night. Most were in transitions, beautiful stop-and-poppers that passed softly through the net. It was the Danny Ainge of the UCLA massacre, as well as the Danny Ainge for whom the Celtics went to trial with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Danny Ainge in whom they have invested a lot of money.

Wedman, whose year-and-a-half Celtic tenure has been extremely unsatisfying for all parties, added five field goals, including the biggest of the game, a 13-footer from the left baseline with 14 seconds remaining in OT that merely gave Boston the victory.

Wedman was one half of an offense-defense shuttle with Cedric Maxwell at the time, and when he received the ball he didn't hesitate. "We had played great defense," said LA coach Pat Riley. "We had doubled on (Larry) Bird to make him give up the ball. We made the next guy (Gerald Henderson) give it up. Finally it went to Wedman, and he buried it.

"I've always respected Scott," Riley continued. "He's a smart veteran player. He sat most of the year, but he had the presence of mind and the attitude to give his team help when caled upon. A lot of guys can't do that."

It was the precise sort of contribution envisioned when the Celtics acquired Wedman from the Cavaliers a year ago January. It's not as if Wedman, a one-time All-Star, was some sort of NBA secret weapon.

"We wondered what the Celtics were doing at the time," said Jamaal Wilkes. "Bird hadn't yet signed his new deal, so possibly they wanted Scott as some kind of insurance. That's pretty heavy insurance."

This is true. Wedman was making over $800,000 when he came here, and that's serious money (even if a lot of it is being paid by the other team) for a man who can't scare up too many minutes of playing time on a team with Bird, Maxwell and Kevin McHale at the forward slot.

As for Ainge, this has not exactly been the Year of the (Ex)-Cougar, either. It was assumed in some circles that Ainge would benefit greatly by the Celtics' coaching change, but instead he lost his starting job - however ceremonial it was - and played no larger role under K.C. Jones than he had under Bill Fitch. His playoff function has been that of a subordinate who gives regulars a quick blow.

But when he entered the game last night he was ready. He connected on his first three shots as the Celtics were expanding their lead to as many as 13 (33-20, 35-22), as he stayed on the floor long enough to stick in another second-period jumper. It was a scene reminiscent of the famous Milwaukee Game 2 of a year ago when he went insane during the first half.

It's obvious Ainge feels his big problem is simply playing time. "I always feel I can shoot," he said with a shrug. "Tonight I hit my first couple so I was able to stay in there a little longer. He (K.C.) didn't feel he had to go to anybody else."

Of course, every player who has ever lived feels his only need is some more "PT." And there are always people moaning about Wedman's lack of playing time.

"Yes," said Riley, "they found something to do with him at a very appropriate time, didn't they?"

1984 NBA Finals: Wedman Saves Celtics from Date with Finals Futility

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 2

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

Just when the Boston Celtics were on the verge of making NBA history -- for futility -- reserve forward Scott Wedman came to the rescue Thursday night.

Wedman hit a 12-foot baseline jumper with 14 seconds left in overtime to lift the Celtics to a 124-121 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, tying the NBA championship series at 1-1.

Boston narrowly avoided becoming the first team in the 37-year history of the NBA finals to lose the first two games at home. Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-seven series will be played Sunday and Wednesday at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

Wedman, who doubled his regular-season average with 10 points, gave the Celtics a 122-121 lead with his clutch basket.

"It was a double-pick with Larry Bird on one side and myself on the other," Wedman said. "I was open for the shot and it felt good when I let it go."

The Lakers were unable to get off a final shot, turning the ball over twice in the closing seconds, the last time when Boston center Robert Parish slapped the ball away from Bob McAdoo with six seconds left.

Bird, who finished with 27 points, added two free throws with two seconds remaining for the final margin.

Boston guard Gerald Henderson had forced the overtime session when he stole a James Worthy pass with 13 seconds left in regulation and drove in for an uncontested layup to tie the score at 113.

"Anytime you're in that situation, you have to go for the steal," Henderson said. "We had to have that steal. We had to have something at that point, and Worthy just lofted the ball."

Los Angeles took the ball out at midcourt after a timeout, but Magic Johnson dribbled away the last nine seconds without getting off a shot.

Johnson scored four of the Lakers' first five points in overtime to give Los Angeles a 118-115 lead. Henderson then took a lead pass from Bird and converted a three-point play to tie the score with 2:15 left.

After the teams exchanged baskets, McAdoo hit a 12-foot jumper with 1:25 remaining to give the Lakers their last lead, 121-120.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar missed a sky hook with 26 seconds left that would have given the Lakers a three-point lead, and Wedman followed with his game-winning shot.

Worthy paced the Lakers with 29 points and Johnson added 27.

Celtics' Coach K.C. Jones was relieved to get out of Boston with a split.

"We got ourselves in trouble, we let our momentum slide, but we had heroic efforts from different people," Jones said. "That's what 'team' is all about."

Unlike the first game, the Celtics broke quickly from the gate. They jumped to a 7-0 lead, reversing the early minutes of Game 1, when Los Angeles took a 22-7 lead en route to a 115-109 victory.

Johnson, who had 14 of Los Angeles' 26 first-quarter points, hit four consecutive long jumpers to cut Boston's lead to 13-10. But Danny Ainge, who had played only two minutes Sunday without scoring, came off the bench to hit three long jumpers in an 11-2 stretch that gave the Celtics a 33-20 lead.

Boston maintained a comfortable advantage for most of the half, using a 17-4 edge in free-throw attempts build a 57-44 lead with 4:32 remaining.

The Lakers finally got their fast break working at that point. Worthy had nine points and Jamaal Wilkes six during a 15-4 run that cut their deficit to 61-59 at halftime. Worthy made four layups and Wilkes hit two corner jumpers during the spurt.

Worthy had 11 points in the third quarter, when Los Angeles shot 68 percent. The Lakers took their first lead of the game when Jabbar, who had 20 points, hit a pair of sky hooks to finish a 7-0 spurt that put Los Angeles ahead, 66-65, with 9:26 left in the period.

Late in the fourth quarter, Abdul-Jabbar completed a three-point play to score his 4,000th career playoff point.

Parish hit a long baseline jumper to give Boston a 101-97 lead, and the teams swapped baskets until Bird hit three of four free throws with 1:30 left to give the Celtics a 111-108 advantage.

Worthy tied the score on a driving three-point play and Johnson added two foul shots with 35 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a 113-111 advantage. After a Henderson jumper fell short, Kevin McHale was fouled by McAdoo on an offensive rebound with 20 seconds left.

McHale missed both free-throw attempts, setting the stage for Henderson's steal of Worthy's looping cross-court pass.

The Celtics' victory marked the ninth consecutive time in NBA history that a home team lost the opening game of a championship series and followed with a victory in Game 2.

The 61-Game Exhibition Schedule

March 11, 1987
Bob Ryan

So how'd you like the 61 game exhibition season?

Now that Bill Walton is back, Phase II, the real season, can begin. He didn't contribute much to the cause last night -- if anything, he was a major impediment -- but at least people connected with the Celtics no longer must answer the question, "When is Bill Walton coming back?"

He's back.

The Celtics won. But is winning the key anymore?

No.

The issue now is the nurturing of Bill Walton. Those first 61 games were nice, but what he does in these these last 20 will help determine whether or not the Celtics will have the kind of summer they like and not the kind where they have to keep saying, "Guess we'll have to do better next year."

LINK

I remembered this article being from 1988. Guess I was off by a year. It makes a difference, though. In 1987 the Celtics still had a shot at a championship. 1988? Not so much. Walton made a comeback attempt in 1988, too. Again, Celtics fans got excited, but it never really came to fruition. The 1987 comeback was also disappointing. While the Mountain Man did return to the court that year, he was largely ineffective.

This year, the Celtics have played 58 games, 37 up and 21 down. The entire team hasn't been healthy for one game the entire season, and it sounds like Danny Ainge isn't done tinkering with the roster yet. So is there reason for Celtics fans to get excited in 2010 like Bob Ryan did in 1987?

Perhaps.

I said it two days ago and Kevin McHale said it last night. What this team needs is to make a statement in the final 20 some games. They need to post a gaudy win-loss record over this stretch, and start administering some beatings. Most importantly, they need to show they can still play shut-down, inside-the-opponent's-jersey defense for long stretches of games. They need to rebound. They need to do all this not just to send a message, but for their own psychological well-being.

Can they make another step in the right direction tonight?