McHale Lifts Celtics Over Pistons

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 114, Pistons 99
Record: 11-5
11/28/1983

This is why the interminable and sometimes ugly Kevin McHale contract talks were important. All that summer silliness involving John Sandquist, Dave DeBusschere, Red Auerbach and Gulf & Western paid off last night. The Celtics beat the Detroit Pistons, 114-99, and they did it because Kevin McHale was wearing a Boston Celtic uniform. Simply stated, the 6-10 Minnesota millionaire flattened the Detroit Wheels, scoring 19 of his 29 points in fourth-quarter crunch time.

Boston's 21-point second-quarter-lead had wilted to 84-78 when McHale took over. Poor Cliff Levingston was utterly vaporized. First, McHale drove the baseline for a three-point play. In rapid succession, he followed with a six- foot hook, a 14-foot baseline fallaway, a tip-in, two free throws, a 13- foot baseline turnaround, a short jump-hook, a three-point play off a perfect feed from Cedric Maxwell, and one last free throw. The 19-point vignette took only 7:55, and enabled the Celtics to outscore Detroit, 28-17, for a 112-95 lead with 1:35 left.

"When he's got that kind of touch with the jump hook and he's getting the position he had, there's not much you can do," sighed Detroit coach Chuck Daly. "It was just one of those times when K. C. (Jones) called my play and we kept going to it," said McHale. "The guys made a lot of great passes and all I had to do was put the ball in." McHale's supporting cast was a formidable one. Every member of Boston's starting five played well. Gerald Henderson hit 8 of 14 shots and had 8 rebounds to go along with his 19 points. Robert Parish had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Larry Bird had 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Dennis Johnson had 11 points and 8 rebounds. Cedric Maxwell had 15 points and did a virtuoso defensive job on Detroit's Kelly (4-12, 14 points) Tripucka. In the first quarter, the Boston starters played as if the Pistons had insulted all of the Celtic wives. K. C.'s Sunshine Band shot 61 percent (16-26) and outrebounded the visitors, 15-7, to take a 39-23 lead after one.

"That had to be the best we've played this season," said Henderson, who had 12 in the period. "We were really moving the ball well and when we do that, defenses can't get set." The Green Team scored at a pinball pace, running to a 16-6 lead with 8:09 left in the quarter, then boosting the margin to 24-10 as visions of blowout city danced in the heads of the ever-faithful. Bird (8-18 overall) broke out of his slump, scoring four baskets in the final three minutes of the initial period, including a bomb just before the buzzer.

The Celts kept running in the second and Boston's lead ballooned to 21 (49-28) when Max scored on a hook after taking a pass from Scott Wedman with 7:49 left in the half. John Long (22) tried to fight back for the visitors. He scored eight points in a 14-2 run which enabled the Pistons to close to within 14 (60-46) by halftime. Detroit shot a woeful 37 percent in the first half. The third quarter was sluggish and streaky, but the Pistons were able to make up eight points because the Celtics cooled down considerably (6-19) and Detroit rebounded from its first half ice age.

Levingston scored 10 in the period and Isiah Thomas (25 points) led a late surge to cut the margin to six after three. It was the closest Detroit had been since trailing, 9-4, in the first quarter. It was as close as they would get. K. C. Jones went with his muscle in the fourth. M. L. Carr, DJ, McHale, Larry Bird and Robert Parish strolled out of the Celtic huddle to start the final 12 minutes. "They were banging the boards and getting away with it," said Jones. "I figured if they were going to go with the physical stuff, we might as well."

Less then three minutes into the period, Carr was gone after being tagged with a flagrant foul for elbowing Detroit center Bill Laimbeer. Carr's departure coincided with McHale's takeover and the game was never in doubt again. "Kevin was the hot guy," said Jones. "Robert and the other guys said Keep it on Kevin,' and that's what put it out of reach."