Pat Riley Appreciated the Bird-Magic Rivalry

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 1

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

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

"HERE, look at this," the Los Angeles Lakers' coach, Pat Riley, said one recent afternoon as he sat in his bright and spacious office at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. He handed his visitor a large black-and-white photograph. "Isn't it something?" he asked.

1988 NBA Playoffs: The Life of Riley

5/9/1988

In "Showtime," coach Pat Riley of the Los Angeles Lakers submits a classic version of the hoop coach as New Age technocrat.

He's hip.

He's handsome.

He wears those deuce Polo threads, yet above all, the guy is together, man, a classic manager/motivator for the service-sector economy of the late '80s. He talks "team culture." He "does" video. He says "teamwork is the essence of life," and that "There are two possible states of being in the NBA: winning and misery." When there's no greater winning to aspire to, he invents some, which incidentally might be the purpose of this whole exercise. In that mode, as after the great championship of last year, Riley makes like a personnel manager at Digital and develops "our Career Best Season program," by which computers track "rebound effort charts," "shot chart analysis," "plus and minus ratings" so players can tell "exactly and irrefutably" their "production numbers" "just as salespeople always see where they stand." Then, Riley sounds like Gary Hart without infidelity, or Mike Dukakis with cools: He pushes and pushes, demanding of his charges an "emotional commitment" to "our next major breakthrough": winning consecutive championships.

And frankly, even diehard Celts fans might find inspiration here. Here, one thinks, stands a bulwark against the Japanese, the Russians, whomever. If America were run as well as the Lakers, we'd all be better off.

But then, that's only one way to read this little volume. Another way finds a fascinating confusion more revealing of an entire ethos than of anything the book intends to suggest directly. In that sense, "Showtime" makes a strange read indeed.

Produced with an "assist" from Byron Laursen (who nevertheless goes uncredited on the cover), it really does take its cue from "Iacocca" and "Trump," volumes in which hyper-successful corporation men hire a ghost to tell how they did it. The problem is, though, the book never gets straight whether it's in fact a management blueprint, a typical "year with the Lakers" sports book, an intrasquad psyche job or just an all-around morality sermon.

In that connection, the book wanders around wildly. It begins elucidating the "lessons" of "our championship season" (i.e., selflessness, "mental toughness," "positive attitude"), then quickly veers into challenging the Lakers themselves to win another title. After that it goes personal: We hang out with Pat and his wife Chris decompressing by hitting the Bahamas after last year's "pressure cooker final series" with the Celts, on which vacation Riley appears digging Kenny G. tapes and reading John Gregory Dunne's "The Red, White and Blue" while Chris studies, interestingly, "Men Who Hate Women and the Women who Love Them."

Shortly thereafter comes a monotonous account of the Lakers' championship season, and pages decrying the Lakers' "Show Time image": that myth Riley says sportswriters promote of the "superficial, sensitive Lakers" with their natural athleticism and no-look passes contrasted against Celtic "Blood, Guts and Courage." Later, Riley even launches a sharp fusillade against the churlishness of Boston Celtic fans ("the lowest common denominator") and about Celtic management ("low-rent attitudes. . . . uncooperative. . . . the Klingons of the NBA"). Those pages set the stage nicely for Riley's final effort, which appears aimed at certain 12 very tall Angelenos. He wants them to repeat the championship, to "become a team for all ages and era." To that end, Riley appears to offer his book as a subtle bit of motivational propaganda.

And yet, what's finally most interesting is something else: how a book dedicated the grit behind the La-La Land glitz nevertheless becomes an entertaining account of a team perfectly expressive of its ethos, the sleek Los Angeles of systems planning and psychology. For it's unmistakable. "Showtime" immortalizes pure California, pure L.A. "Beneath the glitter, the players bring a fanatical depth of preparation to every game," writes the dashing head coach, yet even so, the work ethic at issue is not that of hardscrabble Olde Boston but the So-Cal service sector. What Riley unfolds turns out not Celtic blue-collarism but New Age mind-work, an 82-game quest for "spiritual" efficiency that slides through a glorious round of posh restaurants, regular season blow-outs, and Santa Barbara training hideouts.

Seen in this light, Pat emerges as a classic systems-oriented, psycho-babbling Californian, improved and actualized and human potentialed by the best computers and New Age love-speak available. After the Houston playoff debacle two years ago, Riley tells the Lakers he loves them for who they are and not how they played. At training camp the team shares videos about "joy and victory and love." Later, driving back to the Forum, he tells how "I constantly review motivational literature, looking for pearls," then snaps in a cassette of Wayne Dyer reading from his book, "Choosing Your Own Greatness."

"Attitude is an inner concept," intones Dyer's voice, to which Riley murmurs, "For the Lakers this year, I'd never heard truer words said." And with that, it's clear again how truly the difference between Celtics green and Laker gold amounts to the clash of day and night, old and new. Once more, one can hardly wait for the finals.

1988 NBA Playoffs: Lakers Hold Jazz to 8 First-Quarter Points

5/9/1988

The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers spent three days practicing defense. They needed just 12 minutes to use it and embarrass the Utah Jazz.

The Lakers won Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series, 110-91, yesterday by holding the Jazz to just 8 points in the first quarter, the worst output in a first period in playoff history.

"Our offense has always been our forte, with our transition game, but our defense dictated the outcome of the ballgame for us," said Lakers forward James Worthy, who scored 23 points.

"And we had better enthusiasm in rebounding, which eliminates second shots."

After posting the NBA's best regular-season record (62-20), the Lakers had a minicamp at Santa Barbara. They then eliminated San Antonio in three straight games in the first round of the playoffs, winning the series last Tuesday.

The Jazz, meanwhile, didn't wrap up their first-round series with Portland until Friday night.

"I think that the three days we had to prepare, and the fact that they came off an emotional game, meant that we had a great advantage," said LA coach Pat Riley.

"Ever since Santa Barbara, we've emphasized basketball and improving our overall defense. Having time to look at them against Portland helped. The defense was as good as we've had in a long time. In rebounding, we had a 10-1 edge early."

The Lakers outscored Utah, 24-8, in the first quarter. The previous lowest first quarter was 12 points, by seven teams. It was the fourth time in playoff history that a team has been held to single digits in a quarter.

The all-time playoff low was six points by Atlanta in a 1986 playoff game against Boston.

The Lakers took an 8-0 lead, with Worthy, Kurt Rambis and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all scoring off offensive rebounds. In the second quarter, Los Angeles went on a 17-7 run over five minutes, ending with Magic Johnson's three-point play for a 43-22 lead.

It wasn't until then that Utah's Karl Malone, the league's fifth-leading scorer in the regular season with a 31.5 per game average, hit his first bucket. The Lakers led, 55-31, at halftime.

"Defensively, they really helped out and denied us our best spots," Malone said. "They bumped us. It was very physical.

Los Angeles, trying to become the first team to repeat as NBA champions since the 1969 Celtics, play host tomorrow night in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series.

Byron Scott finished with 18 points and Abdul-Jabbar 16 for the Lakers.

Malone, held to just three points in the first half, ended with a game-high 29. Thurl Bailey had 23 for the Jazz.

"This was the worst we can expect to be," Utah coach Frank Layden said. "We haven't had the advantage Pat had in getting his team ready.

"They're a far superior team to us. I hope we can make the series more competitive than it was today, but I'm not sure we can. I don't think we can beat the Lakers."

But Worthy said: "They really have all the excuses they need. They flew over here yesterday and played today. As with the Portland series, they will probably watch the films and be mad at themselves."

The Jazz lost the first game of their series with Portland before winning the last three.

Bill Simmons: The 2009-10 Los Angeles Lakers will be Historically Great

That reminds me, in the “Greatest Teams” chapter, I wrote that no modern team could crack the top-10 all-time because of the restrictions of today’s salary cap and luxury tax. I was wrong. The 2009-10 Lakers are going to be historically great. Nobody is going to touch them this season. I have already made room in the paperback for them. This is not a reverse jinx.

--Billy Boy Simmons (Bullet 8)

Well, whaddya say, now, Billy Boy, 80 regular season games later?

Phhf.

What a joke.

Even if the purple somehow manage to get out of the first round, second round, WCFs, and into the NBA Finals, ain't now way, no how they're gonna beat Bron Bron. Not this year. But let's be honest. El Fakoes won't get that far. You'll have to trust me on that one for now.

When the Fakers Flop, we can compare them to another time a La La Land based group of hoopsters was deemed an historically great and untouchable team, and see that the result was largely the same.

Lakers Lose Round 1 Warm-Up

1984 NBA Finals: How Can a Team that Shot 46% Beat a Team that Shot 57%?

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 2

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

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

Check these numbers: Although the Celtics couldn't come close to LA's floor percentage, Boston outrebounded the Lakers, 50-41, and had 20 offensive boards to LA's 9 The Celtics scored 32 points on second shots, compared with 8 for LA. (The Celtics have 59 second-shot points in two games, LA has 18). The Lakers also committed 25 turnovers, eight more than the Celtics.

Meanwhile, the Celtics scored 33 points off the break, 11 more than the run-and-gun Lakers. Boston stopped the Los Angeles running game. LA did not score off the break in the fourth quarter or overtime.

Larry Bird is hitting only 39 percent (15 for 39) in the series, but has 27 rebounds and 51 points. Bird played 49 minutes Thursday . . . LA's James Worthy is hitting 66 percent (37 for 56) in four regular-season and playoff games against Boston . . . Dennis Johnson played only 28 minutes in Game 2. DJ picked up three fouls in 44 seconds in the second half and fouled out in the fourth. He also got into a slight beef with Pat Riley after colliding with Worthy, and didn't seem too happy with his playing time . . . The Celtics missed 9 of 20 free throws in the fourth quarter . . . Boston owns a two-game, 97-83 rebounding edge . . . Danny Ainge hit six shots Thursday, five off the transition . . . Cedric Maxwell was a force at both ends and did a nice defensive job on Magic Johnson in the late stages . . . It was K.C. Jones' first coaching victory in an NBA championship series.

Robert Parish did not meet the press after scoring 18 and coming up with a crucial steal in the closing seconds. Parish had five steals . . . The Celtics had the day off yesterday, and flew to California early in the evening . . . Celebrities in attendance Thursday: actors Jack Nicholson and Timothy Hutton, plus Rams coach John Robinson, who sat with Laker owner Jerry Buss. Look for all the stars to come out for tomorrow's Game 3 in the Forum (3:30 p.m., Ch. 7).

1984 NBA Finals: Celtics' Fans Cherish Game 2 Win

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 2

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

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

It was a night/morning when New Englanders paused from pumping water out of their basements to enjoy a basketball jewel - emerald green, of course.

Moments after the clock struck 12, a full house filed out of Boston Garden into the early morning rain, while folks at home went to bed, secure in the knowledge that the Celtics were flying West with a fighting chance at world championship No. 15.

Thursday's pulsating, 124-121 overtime victory knotted the best-of-seven title series with the Los Angeles Lakers, 1-1, and cost untold man hours in factories and think tanks from Bangor, Maine, to Bristol, Conn.

The last time this many local sports fans stayed up so late was when Carlton Fisk clanged a Pat Darcy pitch off the left field foul pole at Fenway Park in the sixth game of the 1975 World Series.

It didn't matter where you went yesterday. In bait-and-tackle shops on Cape Cod, drugstore coffee counters in Groton, and high-rise offices on State Street, the dominating topic of conversation was The Game. The Olympics are tarnished and the Red Sox are hopelessly lost . . . so the Celtics have become Boston's Boys of Summer.

The most casual fans agreed that Thursday night's (a/k/a Friday morning's) game was flawed. The Lakers committed 25 turnovers and kicked the game away at the finish. The Celtics blew a 13-point lead, missed nine free throws in the fourth quarter, and shot a lowly 46 percent.

Nobody cared. With one minute left in regulation, the score was tied, and Laker fan Jack Nicholson, seated in section 30 of the loge, was recreating his R.P. McMurphy character. Meanwhile, WNEV-TV was close to a local record for the largest 11:30 p.m. audience in history. There were no refrigerators opening or toilets flushing.

Two free throws by Magic Johnson gave the Lakers a 113-111 lead with 35 seconds left. Boston's Kevin McHale had a chance to tie it with 20 seconds remaining, but missed two free throws.

Hearts sank when Magic rebounded McHale's second miss and called time. The Garden was quiet. Boston sports fans know the smell of defeat and disappointment the way Liz Taylor knows divorce proceedings.

Enter Gerald Henderson, an unlikely (6 feet 2) hero in this matchup of mastadons. Six seconds after the smug and secure Lakers inbounded, Henderson intercepted a lazy crosscourt lob by James Worthy and drove to the basket for a game-tying layup. Henderson's steal was etched in local sports folklore before his shot went through the basket.

Nineteen years ago, John Havlicek attained immortality with a steal of a Hal Greer-to-Chet Walker pass at the close of an Eastern Conference clinching victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. "Havlicek Stole the Ball" became a best- selling album and a local catch phrase - Boston's athletic equivalent of "The British Are Coming."

"Henderson Stole the Ball," doesn't have the same ring, but Havlicek, who was in attendance Thursday night/Friday morning, said yesterday, "Both steals were equally important, I think. Both steals were done well."

The game wasn't over. LA took a timeout with 13 seconds left and designed a a final play. They wound up with Magic dribbling out the clock and passing to Bob McAdoo as the buzzer sounded. Magic said he wanted to pass inside to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but couldn't.

Overtimes are often anticlimactic, but this one had its memorable moments. After midnight, Scott Wedman, much maligned in his two-year stint of inactivity with the Celtics, buried a 13 footer from the left corner to give Boston a one-point lead with 14 seconds left.

The Lakers kissed away their final chance when Robert Parish slapped the ball from McAdoo, setting up two free throws by Larry Bird.

Friday was four minutes old when Bird inbounded to Cedric Maxwell, who hurled the ball toward 14 championship flags as the buzzer sounded. The flags barely fluttered as legions swarmed the floor and the Celtics ducked into the halfcourt runway.

1984 NBA Finals: Reliving the Golden Fleece

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 2

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

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

It will become part of his identity - like a shaved skull, a winning megabucks ticket or an Academy Award.

Celtics guard Gerald Henderson will forever be the man who made The Steal. He is condemned to a lifetime of recounting how he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by intercepting a lazy crosscourt pass by James Worthy in the closing seconds of what appeared to be a decimating defeat for Boston on Thursday night.

"I explained it a couple of hundred times last night," Henderson says. "You really don't know the importance of something like that until the next day. It's just exploded all the more today."

John Havlicek knows what Henderson is feeling. In the waning seconds of the seventh game of the 1965 Eastern Conference finals, Havlicek preserved a 110-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers by stealing Hal Greer's inbounds pass to Chet Walker.

. . . Havlicek stole the ball. The album version knocked the Beatles off the charts in the late '60s.

"I really don't tire of talking about it," says Havlicek. "It came up a lot when I was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and I'm being asked about it now. It's like Willie Mays' catch or Bobby Thomson's home run.

"People are going to be reminding Gerald of it for a while. If this had been the last game it would have been much different, but he definitely won the ballgame with that steal. He not only made the steal, he made the basket. That's double duty."

Havlicek and Henderson will always be special to Bill Russell and Kevin McHale. Havlicek bailed out Russell, who had lost the ball by tossing it off a wire support moments before Hondo's saving steal. Henderson rescued McHale, who missed a pair of free throws with the Celtics trailing by two and 20 seconds left in regulation.

"I remember Russell saying, I'm glad you stole the ball, because I was wearing the goat horns,' " recalls Havlicek.

"Kevin really didn't mention it," says Henderson. "But I just heard him say what a great play it was about 20 times."

Details of Henderson's grand theft were a little hazy immediately after the Celtics' series-tying 124-121 overtime victory. Henderson thought Cedric Maxwell had been covering Magic Johnson (Larry Bird was), and almost everybody thought Magic had inbounded to Worthy.

Here's the setup:

Down, 1-0, in the best-of-seven championship final, the Celtics trailed by two and had surrendered the ball when Magic rebounded McHale's second free throw miss with 20 seconds remaining. LA called time.

Worthy, who was guarded by McHale, inbounded from the left sideline in the backcourt. He passed to Magic, who was guarded by Bird. Magic was immediately double-teamed by McHale. He couldn't advance the ball over midcourt, because Maxwell had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar covered. On the far side of the backcourt, Danny Ainge was chasing Byron Scott and Henderson was with Bob McAdoo.

Worthy was the only man open when McHale came over to double up on Magic. Magic passed the ball back to Worthy. Ainge left Scott and came over to take Worthy. McAdoo broke toward midcourt andHenderson started with him. Worthy saw Scott unattended and lofted a crosscourt lob toward him. Anticipating the pass, Henderson had already started streaking toward Scott. He picked it off in stride and went in for two.

The Lakers failed to get a shot off in the final 13 seconds, and Scott Wedman hit the winning jumper in overtime, securing Henderson's spot in Boston sports history.

"I don't think Byron saw me coming," says Henderson. "Nobody saw me coming. I couldn't wait for the pass to be released. I had to be in a position to steal it. I'm sure Worthy thought he was wide open. I couldn't understand why he just sort of threw it soft.

"I'll tell you this - If Byron Scott had stepped in, it would have been a helluva collision. I had tunnel vision for that ball."

Henderson says the Celtics were optimistic before the big play. "We've been in situations like this before and we just decided we had to get a steal. We didn't want to foul McAdoo or Magic. We knew we had to put pressure on the ball and apply full-court pressure. I kept telling myself that I had to come up with a steal. It had to happen and it did."

Henderson took a long look at the play on his home video machine at 2 a.m. "I couldn't get to sleep till 5 in the morning after that. I tossed and turned for a couple of hours, thinking about the replay and how it happened, and where we'd be if it hadn't happened.

"I got to thinking about Scotty's big shot and Robert (Parish, who also had a big steal in the late moments). I hope this picks him up. And I thought about the big game Max had. I hope this sends us on our way."

1984 NBA Finals: Game 2 Riddled with Blunders

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 2

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

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

It was a finish filled with heart-pounding thrills worthy of a championship series. But it was lacking in championship caliber basketball.

Helped by four Laker mistakes, Boston survived its own errors to erase deficits in the last 20 seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime. That victory will make today's flight to Los Angeles "a little easier," said Celtic hero Scott Wedman.

Boston's 124-121 victory here Thursday night evened the best-ofseven final round, 1-1, with Games Three and Four in Los Angeles Sunday and Wednesday night.

The major miscues began with 20 seconds left in regulation time and the Lakers leading 113-111. At that point, Kevin McHale missed two free throws for Boston, which had squandered a 13point first-half lead.

"You want to help the guy and say O'it's all right,' but really, you feel, O'Charlie Brown, you blockhead,' " said Celtic forward Cedric Maxwell.

After a timeout, the Lakers' James Worthy marred a game-high 29-point performance when he lofted a poor cross-court pass. It was picked off dramatically by Gerald Henderson, who streaked in for a game-tying layup.

"I never thought we'd turn it over," said Los Angeles' floor leader Earvin ''Magic" Johnson. "We let it slip out of our hands. But we'll be back Sunday."

The Lakers' second mistake came when Johnson, facing a strong defensive effort, dribbled the ball too long before the buzzer in regulation and they were unable to get off a shot.

In overtime, Wedman's jumper from the left baseline put Boston on top 122-121 with 14 seconds to play. The ball then went to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had it slapped away by Boston center Robert Parish. But the Celtics lost that opportunity when the ball went out of bounds off Larry Bird with 8 seconds to go.

The next time, the ball went to Bob McAdoo. Again, the Lakers couldn't hold on as Parish knocked it loose. Bird picked it up, was fouled, and made two free throws to end the scoring and finish with a team-high 27 points.

"We did play great team defense, and that's what it's going to take to beat the Lakers," said Henderson.

"We had a chance but didn't execute," said Abdul-Jabbar, whose 20 points gave him exactly 4,000 playoff points in his career. Former Laker Jerry West, with 4,457 points, is the only other player to reach that milestone.

"We played hard but we didn't play well," said Bird. "They had just as good an opportunity as we did, but we can't play 15 minutes of good basketball and expect to win."

Was Maxwell surprised by all the miscues?

"Not when you're playing with this much intensity and that much on the line," he said. The end "was like being on death row, waiting for time to tick down, tick down, and waiting for the governor's reprieve."

Laker Coach Pat Riley expects the intensity to continue.

"All the games are going to be competitive," he said. "It's what everyone wanted and it's what everyone is going to get."

The Celtics cringed at the idea of becoming the only team in 37 years of NBA championship series to drop the first two games at home. Now they go to Los Angeles with renewed spirit.

"We're going to be very confident knowing L.A. doesn't play well at home," said Henderson. "If we can go in and get one game -- we're going for two -- but if we can get one we'll be OK."

A split would restore the homecourt advantage for Boston, where Game Five will be next Friday night.

Los Angeles had only the 13th best home record in the NBA's regular season, while Boston was the top road team. But the Lakers are 7-1 at home in the playoffs.

DJ Adds New Dimension to Old Rivalry

January 25, 1984

At a recent practice at Hellenic College, Celtics' legend Red Auerbach tipped his cigar ashes into a paper cup, blew smoke and said, "You know what I think the big difference is? It's No. 3. He's the big difference between this year and last."

Dennis Johnson wears No. 3.

In this emotional joy ride through the first half of the 1983-84 regular season, intangible elements of happiness, harmony and chemistry have been cited as the primary causes of Boston's early success. But while everybody is admitting a preference for the K.C. Jones soft shoe over the Bill Fitch goose step, the addition of Dennis Johnson is often overlooked. As the Celtics prepare for to night's fourth regular-season scrum with the hated Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Garden (7:30), DJ represents the crucial new wrinkle in this five-year long war.

The addition of Johnson was the only major personnel changemade by the Celtics or Sixers in the offseason. Philadelphia is starting the same five players it did in the championship season of 1982-83. On the pine, Sam Williams, Sedale Threatt and Leo Rautins (currently on the injured list) sit where Reggie Johnson, Mark McNamara and Earl Cureton sat last year. In Boston, Rick Robey and Charles Bradley have been replaced by Greg Kite and Carlos Clark, but instead of Tiny Archibald the Celtics have Dennis Johnson starting at guard.

"He gives us something we didn't have," says Auerbach. "He does all the things we hoped Charles Bradley would eventually do. But instead of working on his shot, Charles was admiring his body." Backcourt matchups have been Boston's biggest problem against the Sixers. In DJ, the Celts picked up a four-time All-Star and a five-time member of the NBA's All-Defensive team. When the Celtics play the Sixers, Johnson is asked to contain Boston strangler Andrew Toney while providing new problems for the Sixers on defense.

Toney has scored 19, 18 and 28 points while hitting 50 percent (25 for 50) in three games against the Celts this season. DJ wasn't on the floor at the end of regulation when Toney's three-pointer forced an overtime in the Garden Dec. 4. However, two weeks ago in the Spectrum, when the 76ers trailed by one with 18 seconds left, Philly set up a shot for Julius Erving rather than Toney, who was being guarded by DJ.

"DJ hasn't shut Andrew down, but I don't think anyone is capable of stopping him altogether," says Celtics assistant coach Chris Ford. "Before, there was always an aura of us being leery. We wondered if anybody could contain Andrew. Now, we think we have that. Our players have confidence in DJ, plus he's able to take Toney down low and post him up and maybe get him in foul trouble."

Johnson made his name in the NBA by playing defense, but the Celts see his offensive potential as a critical new weapon against the Sixers. "DJ can really hurt them on the offensive end," notes M.L. Carr. "He gives us another guy that can put pressure on them." Johnson scored 11, 11 and 17 points in the first three Boston-Philadelphia matches, and hasn't been bashful about taking the open jumper or driving to the basket. Both teams figure to be tired tonight. The Celtics traveled from Cleveland to Boston this morning, while the Sixers arrived from last night's game in New York. "Any time these two teams play it's a knock-down, drag-out battle," says Carr. "Down there, Doc (Erving) said they wanted to establish some dominance over them. Now, it's our chance. We want a dominant win."

DJ in 1985-86: The NBA's Best Big Game Guard?

K.C. Jones was the best basketball coach on the planet yesterday. While Riley inexplicably buried Maurice Lucas (six minutes, none in the second half), Jones went to his second unit and found ways to build a lead with folks named Jerry Sichting, Rick Carlisle and David Thirdkill on the floor. Boston's coach could not miss.

The Celtics' outside shooters were equally torrid. With McHale on the shelf and Parish in foul trouble, the Celtics abandoned their post-up game and kicked the ball around for a succession of wide-open jumpers. DJ (23 points), Scott Wedman, Sichting and Carlisle made LA pay for its sagging defense.

"They do a lot of doubling down low," said Sichting, who drilled four jumpers in the first half. "They gamble and leave guys open. If you've got good ball movement, and you're careful with your passing, you can exploit that."

DJ carried the Celtics in the first quarter. Parish went out after picking up his second foul in the sixth minute, but DJ scored 12 points and gave Boston a 30-29 lead with a short jumper at the end of the period. LA never led the rest of the way.

Carlisle (10 points in 11 minutes) and Wedman shot the Celtics to a five- point lead early in the second. Parish played less than two minutes of the period before picking up his third foul, but it didn't matter. Walton (10 points, 7 rebounds in 26 minutes) was there.

A flurry of ugly incidents marred the second period. First, Byron Scott cracked Sichting wih a forearm shiver. Scott picked up a technical. Then Greg Kite bear-hugged Mike McGee as McGee attempted a layup. James Worthy and Magic gave Kite some lip service before things calmed down.

"It didn't surprise me," said the ever-persecuted Abdul-Jabbar. "They're known as a cheap-shot team."

A buzzer-beating tap-in by Bird gave Boston a 58-55 halftime lead.

DJ (the sport's best big-game guard?) drove the visitors to a 71-59 lead early in the third before Parish picked up two fouls in four seconds and returned to the bench. The Celts closed the quarter with four subs on the floor, and took an 86-80 lead on a three-point play by Thirdkill.

Everything worked for Boston. By the time the fourth quarter started, it was obvious that the dazzling Worthy (35 points) was LA's only offensive threat. Abdul-Jabbar (only two points in the final period) was unable to do anything with Walton, and failed to exploit Parish when the Chief finally reappeared.

Boston led by 10 after Carlisle swished a hideous shot-clock-beating fallaway from the left corner. "It would have been a three-pointer, but my feet are too big (15 1/2) for me to be outside the three-point line and still stay inbounds," joked Carlisle. "I learned the shot from DJ."

LA trimmed the lead to four (100-96) with 3:52 left, but DJ answered with a line-drive jumper from the right corner. Then the Lakers decomposed. They missed 10 consecutive shots, turned it over twice and failed to inbound within five seconds. Is it any wonder that the Forum front-runners fled?

"There's no excuse," said Magic. "They are the better team right now. We've got to get our game together before the play-offs, but right now Boston is a much better team."

Dennis Johnson: The Neutralizer

The Boston Celtics acquired Dennis Johnson with Philadelphia 76er guard Andrew Toney in mind. Toney, known as the "Boston Strangler" for the number of times his offensive performances sealed the coffin on another Celtics defeat, was, at times, more difficult for Boston to defend than Doc Erving, Moses Malone, or anyone else on the 76er teams of the early and mid-1980s.

Very quickly, DJ reduced Toney's thunder to a dull roar.

But what I remember most about DJ is how helped turn the 1984 championship series around, effectively neutralizing Magic Johnson.

I liked to call him the "Laker Killer."

Bob Ryan described DJ as "Lawrence Taylor in gym shorts."

This video bears out both descriptions.

The look on Pat Riley's face after the DJ game-ending shot in the Finals is priceless (2:50 of the above video).

Just Like Old Times: C's Win, L's Lose!

Spurs	100
(47-29, 19-18 away)
Lakers	81
(55-22, 33-6 home)

• Final

Spurs 100, Lakers 81

Box Score » Play‑By‑Play » Photos » Conversation »

Last Play:

			1	2	3	4		T
Spurs			22	26	19	33		100
Lakers			24	16	19	22		81

	Spurs		Lakers
PG	Hill	12.6	Fisher	7.5
SG	Ginobili	16.4	Bryant	27.2
SF	Jefferson	12.2	Artest	11.2
PF	Duncan	18	Odom	10.7
C	McDyess	5.8	Gasol	17.5

	Spurs		Lakers
Pts	Ginobili	32	Gasol	32
Reb	Duncan	11	Odom	13
Ast	Ginobili	5	2 tied	6

1984 NBA Finals: SOMEHOW, THE CELTICS ARE ALIVE

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 2

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

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

The time is 12:04 in the morning. Cedric Maxwell has taken the final inbounds pass from Larry Bird, and there isn't a Los Angeles Laker in sight.

The time has gone down to zero seconds on the big cube in the middle of the Boston Garden. The noise is everywhere. Maxwell has thrown the ball backward over his left shoulder.

Take this one home, darling. Take it home and save it in a special place.

The Celtics are alive somehow, anyhow, tell me how. They defeated the Lakers in a 124-121 overtime grinder Thursday night that they lost a half-dozen times and won a half-dozen more.

No, make that seven more. They won it the final time, too, didn't they?

The play to remember was Gerald Henderson's steal and layup with 13 seconds left in regulation time. Play to remember? Tell me what Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most was saying. Was he still on his feet at the end of his description? Tell me now. Save me the money when the record is pressed -- Henderson Stole The Ball!

"Somebody has to do a story on James Worthy," my sports editor was saying in my ear at the moment that play was made. "Somebody else has to do a story on the fact the Celtics are out of it now, overpowered by the Lakers. Somebody else . . .

"What?"

This was a play to tack onto the wall with all the other storied plays in Celtics history. Havlicek stealing the ball. Sam Jones pounding home that strange shot. Don Nelson, the other strange shot in L.A. Frank Selvy missing the layup that could have won the game.

The situation was as dire as could be for the Celtics. Dire? They were gone, dead, finito.

The Lakers had a 113-111 lead that looked as big as a 14-0 pounding at Fenway Park going into the ninth. Kevin McHale had missed two straight foul shots -- both back-rim jobs -- and Worthy had grabbed the rebound. The Lakers had the lead and the ball with 20 seconds left when they called the timeout.

What did tht did they have to do? Prance a little? Dance a little? They didn't even have to shoot. They could wait for the inevitable foul shots and go home with the victory. People were leaving the Garden and a certain Academy Award winner in a black shirt and sunglasses was screaming terms of endearment from the loge seats at his favorite team from Los Angeles.

What kind of chance did the Celtics have? None, until . . .

The Lakers' Magic Johnson passed inbounds to James Worthy and James Worthy passed to . . . oops, Gerald Henderson.

There he was, a water sprite on the move, anticipating the pass as if it were ticked out in advance in Morse code. Here he came on the fly.

"A big part of the play was Cedric Maxwell," Henderson said. "He put good pressure on the inbounds pass, forcing Magic to throw it to Worthy. You always want to put the ball in the hands of the big guy in that situation.

"He threw the ball high. It was hung out there for me."

The pass was as good as any fast-break pass the Celtics had thrown all night. The little guard zipped to the basket and dropped in the layup with 13 seconds left. The spectators who were on their way out suddenly had to turn around and find a seat somewhere in the middle of bedlam.

The Lakers, of course, had a chance to win the game now. They had a timeout, a tie score and the ball. And 13 seconds of time to operate.

They never took a shot. They weren't able to throw the ball into Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the leading scorer of all time and all of that. They weren't able to shake anyone free as the Celtics pressed everywhere. Magic Johnson only had stopped his dribble as the horn sounded. His pass and Bob McAdoo's attempted shot were late.

"Change the story," I heard in my ear from the sports editor. "Scratch Worthy. Scratch the Celtics in trouble. Scratch the new Lakers' dynasty story."

The overtime? How many times can the Celtics climb out of the grave? Dead again, trailing by three points -- 118-115 -- with Kareem churning into his big hook shot. Down by five? Nope, Kareem misses, Larry Bird grabs the rebound and there is Henderson again, flying away.

He scores the basket, is fouled on the play, makes the shot. Tie game. The Celts are alive again.

Go from there to the finish. The finish! The Celtics are dead again. They are trailing, 121-120. There are 14 seconds left. Scott Wedman has the ball in the corner, 13 feet from the basket. Scott Wedman? He hits the jumper.

Tell me this. What did Johnny say about that shot? Was he still standing? How about Robert Parish's steal at the other end as Bob McAdoo tried to drive with eight seconds? Tell me about that, Johnny. Say the words. Robert Parish, bending down, a 7-foot man knocking away a dribble. Robert Parish Stole The Ball! Tell me again, so I don't have to buy the record.

There are finishes . . . and there are finishes. This was one to fold between the covers of the old Celtics' annual. This was one to hang on the wall.

This was one to put on the ark when the nearby river comes by the house at any moment. This was a saver.

1984 NBA Finals: Magic's Misjudgment Paves Way for Celtics Win

1984 NBA Finals

GAME 2

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

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

Since Earvin (Magic) Johnson unveiled his passing ability for pro basketball audiences five years ago, his name has become synonomous with court sense.

But in the final 13 seconds of regulation play Thursday night at Boston Garden, Johnson showed little of his basketball smarts as his magical hands dribbled the ball too long before passing it. The mistake paved the way for a 124-121 overtime victory by the Boston Celtics over the Los Angeles Lakers and sent the teams to California yesterday tied at 1-1. Game 3 will be tomorrow afternoon.

Johnson's misjudgment was not the only one by the Lakers in the closing seconds of regulation play. James Worthy, whose 3-point play tied the game at 111- 111 with 72 seconds remaining, also made a mistake, only his involved passing the ball too soon.

Two free throws by Johnson with 35 seconds left gave the Lakers a 113-111 advantage. Fifteen seconds later, Kevin McHale of Boston was fouled, then missed both free throws and a chance to tie the game. Those were the eighth and ninth foul shots missed by the Celtics in the period, and that appeared to seal a Laker victory.

Worthy Pass Picked Off

Los Angeles called time, and when play resumed, Johnson inbounded the ball to Worthy, who attempted a foolish cross- court pass to Byron Scott. Gerald Henderson picked off the pass and drove in for the tying basket.

"My vision wasn't in order," Worthy explained later. "I never saw Henderson double back. He's just so quick. He was coming, and I just never saw him."

"The key to my steal," Henderson said, "was our pressure, which kept the ball out of Magic Johnson's hands. We didn't want him handling the ball or making the pass."

With the game tied and 13 seconds to go, another Laker timeout followed, this one to design a play for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to get the ball down low and shoot for the victory. The play never came off, because Johnson dribbled away 11 seconds before passing the ball to Bob McAdoo. By that time, it was too late to get off a shot.

Wedman Gets Clincher

"We were going to Kareem if we could," Johnson said, "but Parish was playing him pretty good. He was overplaying a little bit. I didn't want to take a chance on them getting the steal and then being able to get a shot off. They had the lanes closed up. The next option was to get the ball to McAdoo. I knew the clock was running down, then it finally ran out."

It ran out for good in the overtime, after the Lakers failed to hold a 121-120 lead. A corner jump shot by Scott Wedman with 14 seconds left in the five-minute period, and two free throws by Larry Bird with 2 seconds to go put the Lakers away.

Worthy, who shot 11 for 12 from the field and scored 29 points, was upset by the defeat. "We should've had this one," he said. "The game should've been ours in regulation."

Coach Pat Riley of the Lakers termed the loss "letting them out of the grave twice." Then he added: "In the five years I've been here, this has never happened to us. We just didn't handle the last 20 seconds well at all. I never remember us failing to get a shot off like that. Boston's pressure had more to do with it than our not getting the shot off. We wanted to get the last shot with about six or seven seconds left.

"But that's not the play that bothered me; the one before did." What Riley was saying was that he was more annoyed by the pass Worthy made than the one Johnson failed to make.

4,000 for Abdul-Jabbar

The 20 points by Abdul-Jabbar enabled him to reach exactly 4,000 points in N.B.A. playoff competition. He is the second player to hit that plateau. Jerry West, the Lakers' general manager, holds the mark with 4,457 points.

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.

Lakers may Face Some Competition in the Playoffs

Western Conference
WESTERN		W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
1	x - LA Lakers	53	19	.736	-	32-5	21-14	12-2	31-12	102.4	96.6	+5.8	Lost 1	7-3
2	Denver	48	25	.658	5 ½	30-6	18-19	10-4	29-15	107.2	102.5	+4.7	Won 1	6-4
3	Dallas	47	25	.653	6	25-11	22-14	7-6	25-18	101.5	99.8	+1.7	Lost 1	6-4
4	Utah	47	26	.644	6 ½	29-8	18-18	7-8	27-18	103.9	98.2	+5.7	Lost 1	6-4
5	Phoenix	46	26	.639	7	29-9	17-17	12-4	30-16	110.4	106.0	+4.5	Won 6	8-2
6	Oklahoma City	44	27	.620	8 ½	24-12	20-15	8-3	24-19	100.3	96.7	+3.6	Won 2	7-3
7	San Antonio	43	28	.606	9 ½	26-11	17-17	8-5	26-18	101.2	96.5	+4.6	Won 1	7-3
8	Portland	43	29	.597	10	24-13	19-16	6-7	27-16	98.0	94.8	+3.1	Won 1	8-2

In the best of all possible worlds, the Fakers will face-off against Portland in the first round and OKC in the second. That should live them pretty ragged for the WCFs, assuming they get that far, and I, for one, am not willing to make that assumption. OKC needs to move up a slot to make possible a second round match-up with the purple.

It may be time for Celtics fans to pull out that Kevin Durant jersey from draft day a couple years back.

Lakers 75, Thunder 91

LOS ANGELES LAKERS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Ron Artest, SF	34	1-6	0-3	0-2	2	1	3	1	2	0	3	2	-17	2
Lamar Odom, PF	33	7-16	0-2	1-2	1	6	7	0	1	0	1	2	-36	15
Pau Gasol, PF	27	3-10	0-0	3-4	3	2	5	0	0	1	2	1	-25	9
Kobe Bryant, SG	30	4-11	0-2	3-3	1	5	6	3	2	0	9	4	-22	11
Derek Fisher, PG	19	2-6	0-1	3-3	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	-15	7
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Josh Powell, C	17	4-6	0-1	0-0	2	4	6	1	0	0	1	3	+12	8
Shannon Brown, PG	26	4-10	1-2	0-0	2	3	5	1	1	0	0	2	-7	9
Adam Morrison, SF	9	2-2	0-0	2-2	0	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	+11	6
Sasha Vujacic, SG	3	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	+6	0
D.J. Mbenga, C	18	1-2	0-0	2-4	1	1	2	0	0	2	1	1	+15	4
Jordan Farmar, PG	24	1-5	1-4	1-4	0	3	3	0	0	0	1	2	-2	4
Andrew Bynum, C	DNP STRAINED LEFT ACHILLES
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		29-74	2-15	15-24	12	27	39	7	8	3	18	18		75
		39.2%	13.3%	62.5%
Fast break points: 7 Points in the paint: 30 Team TO ( points off ): 18 (21) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Jeff Green, F	36	5-15	0-4	0-0	1	5	6	2	3	1	1	2	+11	10
Kevin Durant, SF	35	9-19	1-7	7-7	1	7	8	3	1	0	3	2	+31	26
Nenad Krstic, C	22	4-5	0-0	2-2	2	8	10	1	0	0	1	2	+25	10
Thabo Sefolosha, SG	23	3-5	0-1	0-0	1	4	5	1	0	1	0	2	+17	6
Russell Westbrook, PG	28	10-13	0-0	3-5	1	0	1	6	4	0	2	0	+26	23
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Etan Thomas, C	4	0-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	-10	0
Nick Collison, PF	17	3-3	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	1	0	1	+5	6
Kyle Weaver, SG	4	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-10	0
Eric Maynor, PG	23	1-5	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	4	-9	2
James Harden, G	23	1-6	1-4	3-4	0	4	4	1	3	0	2	1	-2	6
Serge Ibaka, PF	26	1-3	0-1	0-0	1	5	6	0	1	1	0	2	-4	2
Kevin Ollie, PG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
Mustafa Shakur, PG	DNP COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		37-77	2-18	15-18	8	34	42	15	12	4	12	17		91
		48.1%	11.1%	83.3%
Fast break points: 15 Points in the paint: 44 Team TO ( points off ): 14 (10) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.

Lakers 34, Thunder 53 (Half-Time)

LOS ANGELES LAKERS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Kobe Bryant, SG	21	4-10	0-1	3-3	1	4	3	2	0	8	2	-14	11
Derek Fisher, PG	11	2-4	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	-13	4
Lamar Odom, PF	20	6-11	0-0	0-1	0	4	0	1	0	0	1	-18	12
Ron Artest, SF	19	0-4	0-2	0-2	2	3	0	1	0	2	2	-12	0
Pau Gasol, PF	18	2-7	0-0	0-0	2	3	0	0	1	0	0	-17	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Shannon Brown, PG	9	0-2	0-0	0-0	2	2	1	1	0	0	0	-4	0
Sasha Vujacic, SG	Has not entered game
D.J. Mbenga, C	5	1-1	0-0	1-2	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	-2	3
Luke Walton, SF	Has not entered game
Josh Powell, C	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1	0
Adam Morrison, SF	Has not entered game
Jordan Farmar, PG	2	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-2	0
Andrew Bynum, C	Has not entered game
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		15-40	0-5	4-8	8	17	4	6	2	11	7		34
		37.5%	00.0%	50.0%
Fast break points: 2 Team TO ( points off ): 11 (11) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Russell Westbrook, PG	16	8-11	0-0	1-1	1	1	4	4	0	2	0	+17	17
Thabo Sefolosha, SG	15	3-4	0-0	0-0	1	3	1	0	1	0	1	+15	6
Kevin Durant, SF	20	6-11	1-4	0-0	0	3	1	0	0	2	1	+16	13
Jeff Green, F	19	0-6	0-2	0-0	1	4	1	0	1	1	1	+14	0
Nenad Krstic, C	13	2-3	0-0	2-2	2	9	0	0	0	1	1	+18	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Kevin Ollie, PG	Has not entered game
Serge Ibaka, PF	7	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	3	0	1	1	0	1	-2	2
Kyle Weaver, SG	Has not entered game
James Harden, G	9	1-1	1-1	2-2	0	0	1	1	0	1	1	+6	5
Eric Maynor, PG	8	1-3	0-0	0-0	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	+2	2
D.J. White, PF	Has not entered game
Nick Collison, PF	7	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	+5	2
Etan Thomas, C	Has not entered game
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		23-41	2-7	5-5	7	25	9	6	3	7	7		53
		56.1%	28.6%	100.0%
Fast break points: 10 Team TO ( points off ): 7 (7) +/- denotes team's net points while the player is on the court.