The Knicks Aren't Patsies Anymore

January 10, 1980

The message seemed so simple. The Celtics would show the Knicks speed, guile and fast-break basketball that would serve as a warning to future foes. The Knicks, missing two regulars, Joe C. Meriweather (flu) and Toby Knight (whose wife is expecting), should have been overwhelmed by the Celtics for the third time this season.

But the message from last night's 112-95 Celtic triumph before a sellout crowd of 15,320 at the Garden is that the Knicks aren't patsies for anyone. And, more importantly, the Celtics are not polished enough to hang onto a lead without sticking to their game plan or without a healthy Larry Bird.

"Maybe we should go back and talk about the San Antonio game first," said Celtic coach Bill Fitch. "Shot selection hurt us then and it hurt us tonight. When we led against San Antonio we got off the shots quickly when we should have set up and run off the clock.

"Tonight, we really wanted to go after them. We wanted to push the ball up fast and take advantage. We did it in the first half. But we slowed it down in the third quarter and it let them back in the game.

It was tense at times, and not just because Bird bruised a knuckle on his right hand, or because the Knicks pulled to within one point in the third quarter (73-72).

The Celtics were reminded that nothing can be taken for granted in the NBA, especially against these Knicks. Boston and New York play two more games in the regular season, and you can expect the games to be all out war.

"I don't care if they come in here with five guys," said M.L. Carr. "You know they are going to be sky high. This is a big game. It's not like San Antonio or Cleveland. I mean, tomorrow, you can go into any bar in New York and Boston and they will be talking about this game.

"I can think of three reasons why I want to beat them. First, because it is New York and they are a team with talent. Second, because I'm playing for Boston and I almost signed with the Knicks. Third, because this is a game within the division. And you want to win all the games you play in the division," said Carr.

"We have talent. They have talent. They can blow you out if you're not careful, and we weren't in the third quarter. But we regrouped and pulled away in the fourth quarter (thanks to a 28-7 run).

The trouble after the intermission started when Bird jammed his right hand while trying to dunk a warmup shot. After his finger was taped, he played three minutes and the Celtics' 61-45 lead shrank to 63-53. Bird came back with 4:12 left in the third quarter and hit a jump shot with 3:35 left. But it wasn't until the closing seconds of the third quarter, when he connected with one of his long heaves that he displayed his special value.

He came out of a scramble and drilled a long pass to Rick Robey for a layup, giving Boston a 77-72 lead. After a New York turnover, Robey scored suddenly the Celtics regained their touch. By the time Bird sat down, with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter, the Celtics had a comfortable 96-79 lead.

"We played well enough to win," said Tiny Archibald. "They came back at us strong and showed us what they were made of. But when you play New York, you want to show who is boss. A win against any team is fine. But when we face New York, we seem to want to play harder. They do, too. That's what makes it fun."

When the Knicks made their run at the Celtics, the inside game got physical, and bodies started to fly. Dave Cowens, who had 12 rebounds to go along with his 14 points, got tough with Bill Cartwright. And the 7-foot Knick center retaliated.

"Cartwright has a little mean streak in him and that's good," said Archibald. "He's already made an impression around the league."

The rebounding didn't decide the game, according to Archibald, who pointed out New Ork's 49-47 advantage.

"It's the pace that decides games like this," he said. "When you have only eight or nine men, it is hard to sustain it when you're not used to it."

Knick coach Red Holzman said: "It happens in the NBA. There are nights when you're going to be without people. So the guys you use have to rise to the occasion and perhaps play more minutes and in a different role than they're used to."

"This is a good series, even though we've lost three of the four games," said Holzman.

"This is the first one we've been out of in the fourth quarter. But when the teams are at full strength, I think we're pretty much equal. It just wasn't our night.