MILWAUKEE - On October 31, 1971, the Lakers lost to Golden State 120-104. The loss was their second straight, dropping their record to 6-3. Surprisingly, forward Elgin Baylor announced his retirement after the game, indicating that with his decreasing skills, he felt he was hindering the team's chances of winning a championship.
Most teams would struggle after losing a hall-of-famer early in the season. The Lakers did not struggle. Led by Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Gail Goodrich - all future hall-of-famers themselves - the Lakers responded with a stretch of dominance unmatched in American sports.
The Lakers didn't lose a game in November, going 14-0 to pull away in the Pacific Division. On December 12, they beat Atlanta by nine, extending their winning streak to an NBA record 21 straight victories. On December 22, the streak reached 27, breaking the New York baseball Giants' record of 26 straight victories. The Lakers now had the longest winning streak in the history of North American professional sports.
And they weren't done. They finished December undefeated, their second straight perfect month, to stretch the streak to 30 games. They won their first three games in January, too, before a January 9 showdown in Milwaukee with the defending champion Bucks.
Milwaukee had set the winning streak standard the year before with 20 straight victories. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, they were the only team who had the talent to match the Lakers.
With the Lakers running all over their opponents, the Bucks' game plan was simple: get back as fast as possible on defense. Milwaukee was willing to give up the chance at offensive rebounds to stop the Lakers' fast break. The plan worked. With Abdul-Jabbar providing the offense, the Bucks stopped the Lakers' record streak with a 120-104 victory.
The Lakers weren't deterred. With a 39-4 record after the loss, they already had the number 1 seed virtually wrapped up for the Western Conference, so they put it in cruise control for the rest of the regular season. When the playoffs came, they fought their way past the Bucks in the Western Finals and won their first NBA championship.
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Lakers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Lakers. Show all posts
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
December 14, 1962: 63 to 50
DALY CITY, Calif. - In March of 1962, Wilt Chamberlain sent shockwaves around the NBA by scoring 100 points in a single game for the Philadelphia Warriors. It was the highlight of a season in which he averaged a jaw-dropping 50 points per game, by far an NBA record and one that will never be touched.
When the fall of 1962 rolled around, the Warriors were no longer in Philadelphia, having moved across the country to San Francisco, but Chamberlain was still a scoring machine. He would average 44.8 points per game for the 62-63 season, the second-best total of all time. While he wasn't the most popular player in the NBA because of his selfishness, it couldn't be denied that he was, for the most point, unstoppable.
Elgin Baylor also had a career high for scoring in the 1961-62 season, averaging 38 points per game. His feat is probably more impressive than Chamberlain's, considering that Baylor spent the season as a member of the Army Reserves, allowed to leave the base only on weekends. He would leave on a weekend pass, catch charter planes to wherever the Lakers were playing that day, and would play, and would play well despite not practicing all season.
The next season, back to playing a full season, Baylor's numbers dropped only slightly, establishing him as the top forward in the NBA. With the Warriors newly moved to the West Coast, Baylor and the Lakers also had a new natural rival.
It was with this backdrop that the Lakers and Warriors met on December 14, 1962, for their fourth meeting as West Coast rivals. Perhaps inspired by the the new rivalry, Chamberlain and Baylor put on a scoring show. Baylor scored 50 points for the Lakers, but Chamberlain topped him with 63. It marked the first time that two players had scored 50 points in the same game. While Baylor lost the individual scoring battle, his team won 120-118.
The Lakers got the better of the Warriors most of the season and ended up winning the Western Division, losing to the Celtics in the finals. It would be the third time that Baylor and the Lakers would lose to the Celtics in the championship series. The Lakers would go on to lose the next five times they made it to the finals, finally breaking through in 1971 - the year after Baylor retired.
When the fall of 1962 rolled around, the Warriors were no longer in Philadelphia, having moved across the country to San Francisco, but Chamberlain was still a scoring machine. He would average 44.8 points per game for the 62-63 season, the second-best total of all time. While he wasn't the most popular player in the NBA because of his selfishness, it couldn't be denied that he was, for the most point, unstoppable.
Elgin Baylor also had a career high for scoring in the 1961-62 season, averaging 38 points per game. His feat is probably more impressive than Chamberlain's, considering that Baylor spent the season as a member of the Army Reserves, allowed to leave the base only on weekends. He would leave on a weekend pass, catch charter planes to wherever the Lakers were playing that day, and would play, and would play well despite not practicing all season.
The next season, back to playing a full season, Baylor's numbers dropped only slightly, establishing him as the top forward in the NBA. With the Warriors newly moved to the West Coast, Baylor and the Lakers also had a new natural rival.
It was with this backdrop that the Lakers and Warriors met on December 14, 1962, for their fourth meeting as West Coast rivals. Perhaps inspired by the the new rivalry, Chamberlain and Baylor put on a scoring show. Baylor scored 50 points for the Lakers, but Chamberlain topped him with 63. It marked the first time that two players had scored 50 points in the same game. While Baylor lost the individual scoring battle, his team won 120-118.
The Lakers got the better of the Warriors most of the season and ended up winning the Western Division, losing to the Celtics in the finals. It would be the third time that Baylor and the Lakers would lose to the Celtics in the championship series. The Lakers would go on to lose the next five times they made it to the finals, finally breaking through in 1971 - the year after Baylor retired.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
December 9, 1977: The loudest silence you've ever heard
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - It all started as the Lakers' Kermit Washington and Houston's Kevin Kunnert battled for a rebound. This rebound battle got a little more physical than most, with elbows flying and shorts being pulled. Kunnert went after Washington, and the Lakers' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar grabbed Kunnert to pull him away. But as Abdul-Jabbar had Kunnert's arms pinned behind him, Washington landed a punch that dropped Kunnert to his knees.
Players from both teams were rushing from the other end of the court to help, with players alternatingly throwing punches and trying to break up the fight. As players were being separated, Washington noticed out of the corner of his eye that someone wearing a Houston jersey was running toward him from the other end, so he swung and punched in one motion.
Everything stopped. Abdul-Jabbar heard a sound that he likened to a watermelon being dropped on concrete. The crowd, which had been fired up for the fight, drew deathly silent. One player described the mood in the Great Western Forum as "the loudest silence you've ever heard."
And in the middle of it all, Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich was laying flat on his back, his head resting in a pool of blood.
The punch Kermit Washington threw on December 9, 1977, was one of the most devastating punches ever thrown outside of a boxing ring. Washington didn't know that Tomjanovich was running back to act as a peacemaker - he thought he was being attacked from behind, so he swung and punched with all his force. Tomjanovich was running full speed into the punch, adding to the power. The results were stunning.
As Tomjanovich lay on the floor of the Great Western Forum, he tasted something funny in his throat - it was his own spinal fluid. He had suffered a fractured face, and in fact his facial bones had partially separated from his skull. He later said that as he lay half-conscious on the floor, he thought the scoreboard had fallen on him.
That Tomjanovich survived is a minor miracle. The doctor that operated on him said that people had died from less severe head injuries, and he described the surgery as using Scotch tape to put together a cracked egg shell. Tomjanovich somehow was able to return to the court five months later and resume playing at the caliber he had been before hand. Still, he had medical problems, and successfully sued the Lakers for being unable to control Washington, winning more in damages than he had originally sought.
For Washington, the single punch came to define him. As a black man who had nearly killed a white man during a game, he received countless letters containing racial threats. He was even advised to not order room service because of the fear he would be poisoned. The Lakers didn't provide much help, distancing themselves from him as much as possible and eventually trading him after his 28-game suspension was finished. He was able to resume his career, though, playing for four more teams before retiring in 1988.
While Tomjanovich eventually became a successful head coach, Washington struggled to deal with the aftermath of his punch. While he was able to get assistant coaching jobs and was offered other positions in basketball, he made claims that he was denied better opportunities because of his involvement in that fight. Whether that's true is debatable, but there's no telling that he has been personally affected by the punch, probably even more so than Tomjanovich.
Players from both teams were rushing from the other end of the court to help, with players alternatingly throwing punches and trying to break up the fight. As players were being separated, Washington noticed out of the corner of his eye that someone wearing a Houston jersey was running toward him from the other end, so he swung and punched in one motion.
Everything stopped. Abdul-Jabbar heard a sound that he likened to a watermelon being dropped on concrete. The crowd, which had been fired up for the fight, drew deathly silent. One player described the mood in the Great Western Forum as "the loudest silence you've ever heard."
And in the middle of it all, Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich was laying flat on his back, his head resting in a pool of blood.
The punch Kermit Washington threw on December 9, 1977, was one of the most devastating punches ever thrown outside of a boxing ring. Washington didn't know that Tomjanovich was running back to act as a peacemaker - he thought he was being attacked from behind, so he swung and punched with all his force. Tomjanovich was running full speed into the punch, adding to the power. The results were stunning.As Tomjanovich lay on the floor of the Great Western Forum, he tasted something funny in his throat - it was his own spinal fluid. He had suffered a fractured face, and in fact his facial bones had partially separated from his skull. He later said that as he lay half-conscious on the floor, he thought the scoreboard had fallen on him.
That Tomjanovich survived is a minor miracle. The doctor that operated on him said that people had died from less severe head injuries, and he described the surgery as using Scotch tape to put together a cracked egg shell. Tomjanovich somehow was able to return to the court five months later and resume playing at the caliber he had been before hand. Still, he had medical problems, and successfully sued the Lakers for being unable to control Washington, winning more in damages than he had originally sought.
For Washington, the single punch came to define him. As a black man who had nearly killed a white man during a game, he received countless letters containing racial threats. He was even advised to not order room service because of the fear he would be poisoned. The Lakers didn't provide much help, distancing themselves from him as much as possible and eventually trading him after his 28-game suspension was finished. He was able to resume his career, though, playing for four more teams before retiring in 1988.
While Tomjanovich eventually became a successful head coach, Washington struggled to deal with the aftermath of his punch. While he was able to get assistant coaching jobs and was offered other positions in basketball, he made claims that he was denied better opportunities because of his involvement in that fight. Whether that's true is debatable, but there's no telling that he has been personally affected by the punch, probably even more so than Tomjanovich.
Monday, June 21, 2010
June 21, 1988: Repeat
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The confettee had barely had time to settle on the floor of the Great Western Forum in 1987 when Lakers coach Pat Riley made a bold prediction. He announced that the Lakers would repeat as NBA champions in the 1987-88 season.
After issuing that challenge to the rest of the league the Showtime Lakers took off, making a highly expected return trip to the NBA Finals. Instead of their seemingly annual matchup with the Celtics, however, the Lakers instead found themselves matched up against the upstart Detroit Pistons in the battle for the championship.
The Pistons made sure to make L.A. work, taking a 3-games-to-2 lead in the series as the teams traveled to Los Angeles for games 6 and 7. In Game 6, Detroit guard Isiah Thomas put on a classic performance, single-handedly bringing the Pistons back from a third-quarter deficit. After scoring 14 straight points in the quarter, though, Thomas rolled his ankle after stepping on a Laker's foot. Returning to the game moments later, and noticeably limping, Thomas resumed his onslaught, ending up with 25 in the quarter and giving the Pistons the lead. The Lakers fought back, though, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sank two free throws with 8 seconds left - despite TV replays showing he wasn't touched, much less fouled - to force a Game 7.
In Game 7, on June 21, Thomas' ankle was in worse shape than it was for Game 6, and he was forced to miss much of the second half. The Lakers turned a halftime deficit into a 90-75 lead in the fourth quarter and they seemed to be on their way to a repeat title. But Pistons coach Chuck Daly put in a small, fast lineup, and the Pistons used the quicker pace to cut into the lead. The final moments of the game featured the teams trading baskets, as the Pistons kept getting within range of the Lakers but couldn't get the basket they needed to take the lead.
The final 15 seconds of the game turned chaotic. After a James Worthy free throw gave the Lakers a 4-point lead (and gave him a line of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists), Detroit came down and made a 3. Needing a foul, the Pistons instead could only watch as A.C. Green dunked it home with 2 seconds left. The Lakers fans apparently thought "2" meant "0," as they stormed the floor. Meanwhile, the Pistons still had to inbound the ball. Thomas got the pass near midcourt, took a couple dribbles around some fans, and ... was knocked to the ground by Magic Johnson. The officials - possibly seeing they had no control over the game - did nothing, letting the clock run out, and the Lakers sprinted to their locker room before anybody could change their minds.
(The final 40 or so seconds are on this clip - but it takes about 10 minutes in real time. Skip to the 8:00 mark to see the chaotic final seconds)
After issuing that challenge to the rest of the league the Showtime Lakers took off, making a highly expected return trip to the NBA Finals. Instead of their seemingly annual matchup with the Celtics, however, the Lakers instead found themselves matched up against the upstart Detroit Pistons in the battle for the championship.
The Pistons made sure to make L.A. work, taking a 3-games-to-2 lead in the series as the teams traveled to Los Angeles for games 6 and 7. In Game 6, Detroit guard Isiah Thomas put on a classic performance, single-handedly bringing the Pistons back from a third-quarter deficit. After scoring 14 straight points in the quarter, though, Thomas rolled his ankle after stepping on a Laker's foot. Returning to the game moments later, and noticeably limping, Thomas resumed his onslaught, ending up with 25 in the quarter and giving the Pistons the lead. The Lakers fought back, though, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sank two free throws with 8 seconds left - despite TV replays showing he wasn't touched, much less fouled - to force a Game 7.
In Game 7, on June 21, Thomas' ankle was in worse shape than it was for Game 6, and he was forced to miss much of the second half. The Lakers turned a halftime deficit into a 90-75 lead in the fourth quarter and they seemed to be on their way to a repeat title. But Pistons coach Chuck Daly put in a small, fast lineup, and the Pistons used the quicker pace to cut into the lead. The final moments of the game featured the teams trading baskets, as the Pistons kept getting within range of the Lakers but couldn't get the basket they needed to take the lead.
The final 15 seconds of the game turned chaotic. After a James Worthy free throw gave the Lakers a 4-point lead (and gave him a line of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists), Detroit came down and made a 3. Needing a foul, the Pistons instead could only watch as A.C. Green dunked it home with 2 seconds left. The Lakers fans apparently thought "2" meant "0," as they stormed the floor. Meanwhile, the Pistons still had to inbound the ball. Thomas got the pass near midcourt, took a couple dribbles around some fans, and ... was knocked to the ground by Magic Johnson. The officials - possibly seeing they had no control over the game - did nothing, letting the clock run out, and the Lakers sprinted to their locker room before anybody could change their minds.
(The final 40 or so seconds are on this clip - but it takes about 10 minutes in real time. Skip to the 8:00 mark to see the chaotic final seconds)
Monday, May 31, 2010
May 31, 1984: Henderson's steal
BOSTON - Down by 2, 20 seconds left, at risk of going down 2-0 in the NBA Finals. And not only that, but they would have lost the first two games at home. Things weren't looking good for the Boston Celtics near the end of Game 2. They needed to get a steal, and failing that, they had to hope Los Angeles would miss its free throws.
The Lakers inbounded the ball in their own backcourt, getting the ball in Magic Johnson's hands. Knowing the Lakers didn't have to shoot, he passed it to James Worthy, who tried to pass it ahead. In swooped Gerald Henderson, coming from out of nowhere, for the steal and the game-tying basket.
It was sudden and unexpected, and it changed the course of the series. On the Lakers' next possession, Johnson inexplicably dribbled out the clock without shooting, sending the game to an overtime that the Celtics won. The Lakers won Game 3 in a rout, and if not for Henderson's steal, the series could easily have been a sweep. Instead, the Celtics won games 4 and 5, eventually prevailing in Game 7 to win the championship.
HONORABLE MENTION
May 31, 1998: CHICAGO - After running roughshod through the NBA for three years, include two straight championships and two straight offseasons of training vigorously to stay in shape, the Chicago Bulls were tired. Facing a Game 7 against a very talented Indiana team, the Bulls were in serious jeopardy of seeing their quest for a three-peat ending in the Eastern Conference finals. The shots weren't falling, the Pacers weren't missing. So Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen went into the lane. Instead of beating the Pacers with pure athleticism, they used their experience to gut out a win. Hitting the offensive boards, willing themselves to the free-throw line, and clamping down on defense, the Bulls won Game 7 88-81 despite being outshot 52 percent 38 percent. It was by no means the prettiest victory in their three title runs, but it may have been their most impressive.
The Lakers inbounded the ball in their own backcourt, getting the ball in Magic Johnson's hands. Knowing the Lakers didn't have to shoot, he passed it to James Worthy, who tried to pass it ahead. In swooped Gerald Henderson, coming from out of nowhere, for the steal and the game-tying basket.
It was sudden and unexpected, and it changed the course of the series. On the Lakers' next possession, Johnson inexplicably dribbled out the clock without shooting, sending the game to an overtime that the Celtics won. The Lakers won Game 3 in a rout, and if not for Henderson's steal, the series could easily have been a sweep. Instead, the Celtics won games 4 and 5, eventually prevailing in Game 7 to win the championship.
HONORABLE MENTION
May 31, 1998: CHICAGO - After running roughshod through the NBA for three years, include two straight championships and two straight offseasons of training vigorously to stay in shape, the Chicago Bulls were tired. Facing a Game 7 against a very talented Indiana team, the Bulls were in serious jeopardy of seeing their quest for a three-peat ending in the Eastern Conference finals. The shots weren't falling, the Pacers weren't missing. So Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen went into the lane. Instead of beating the Pacers with pure athleticism, they used their experience to gut out a win. Hitting the offensive boards, willing themselves to the free-throw line, and clamping down on defense, the Bulls won Game 7 88-81 despite being outshot 52 percent 38 percent. It was by no means the prettiest victory in their three title runs, but it may have been their most impressive.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
May 16, 1980: Point Center
PHILADELPHIA - In the quest for a championship, there are almost always tough decisions to consider, sacrifices to be made. Every team gets injuries and bad luck - the ones who best deal with them end up holding the trophy at the end of the year.
In 1980, the Los Angeles Lakers were faced with a dilemma. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, their hall-of-fame center, had been dominating the series, and the Lakers held a 3 games to 2 lead on the 76ers. However, Abdul-Jabbar had injured his ankle near the end of game 5, and though he gamely returned near the end of the game, there were questions about how effective he'd be. The Lakers made the tough decision of holding Kareem out of game 6, keeping him home in Los Angeles to get treatment, while they went to Philadelphia to play without him.
With Kareem out, the Lakers needed a center. With no true backup they could trust, they turned to their rookie point guard, Magic Johnson, and asked if he could take over for the game.
Now it might seem odd to have a point guard starting at center, but at 6-9, Magic was no traditional point guard. Plus, the only real task he had to perform as a center was taking the center jump to start the game. After that, it was simply time to play.
And did Magic ever play. Officially, Magic played every position for the Lakers in that game, but really, he simply played the game. He didn't have a set position or a set role - just lead the team. He led them to an 11-0 lead to start the game. When the Sixers took an 8-point lead in the second quarter, Magic led the Lakers back to a halftime tie. When the Sixers cut the lead to 103-101 with five minutes left, Magic led his tired team to a game- and season-closing 20-6 run to wrap up the championship.
Magic's final numbers were staggering: 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals. All from a 20-year-old rookie who was playing out of position. And while Kareem dominated the series statistically, averaging 33 points and 13 rebounds a game, Magic's game 6 performance was enough to give him the MVP award.
Game 6 also represented the day that Magic officially "arrived" in the NBA, the day that all the promise he showed in leading Michigan State to the national championship the year before came to fruition. With Magic asserting himself in 1980, and Larry Bird doing the same against the 76ers the next year, the NBA had found its pair of superstars to lead it through the rest of the decade.
In 1980, the Los Angeles Lakers were faced with a dilemma. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, their hall-of-fame center, had been dominating the series, and the Lakers held a 3 games to 2 lead on the 76ers. However, Abdul-Jabbar had injured his ankle near the end of game 5, and though he gamely returned near the end of the game, there were questions about how effective he'd be. The Lakers made the tough decision of holding Kareem out of game 6, keeping him home in Los Angeles to get treatment, while they went to Philadelphia to play without him.
With Kareem out, the Lakers needed a center. With no true backup they could trust, they turned to their rookie point guard, Magic Johnson, and asked if he could take over for the game.
Now it might seem odd to have a point guard starting at center, but at 6-9, Magic was no traditional point guard. Plus, the only real task he had to perform as a center was taking the center jump to start the game. After that, it was simply time to play.
And did Magic ever play. Officially, Magic played every position for the Lakers in that game, but really, he simply played the game. He didn't have a set position or a set role - just lead the team. He led them to an 11-0 lead to start the game. When the Sixers took an 8-point lead in the second quarter, Magic led the Lakers back to a halftime tie. When the Sixers cut the lead to 103-101 with five minutes left, Magic led his tired team to a game- and season-closing 20-6 run to wrap up the championship.
Magic's final numbers were staggering: 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals. All from a 20-year-old rookie who was playing out of position. And while Kareem dominated the series statistically, averaging 33 points and 13 rebounds a game, Magic's game 6 performance was enough to give him the MVP award.
Game 6 also represented the day that Magic officially "arrived" in the NBA, the day that all the promise he showed in leading Michigan State to the national championship the year before came to fruition. With Magic asserting himself in 1980, and Larry Bird doing the same against the 76ers the next year, the NBA had found its pair of superstars to lead it through the rest of the decade.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
May 8, 1970: "And here comes Willis!"
NEW YORK - There was a buzz in Madison Square Garden. There's always a buzz for a Game 7, but this one was different. The Knicks had never won a championship, and they were one home win away from doing just that. Anybody in the arena who didn't feel the magnitude of the moment didn't have a pulse.
So there was a buzz, but it was a different kind of buzz. It was a nervous energy, where many of the fans had to be thinking, "What if we don't win?" It was a valid question; nobody knew if the Knicks' starting center, Willis Reed, was going to play. He had torn a thigh muscle earlier in the series, an injury that had caused him to miss all of Game 6. Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain, taking advantage of Reed's absence, had unleased holy hell in Game 6, scoring 45 points to lead the Lakers to a 23-point victory. If Reed didn't play Game 7, how could the Knicks prevent a repeat of that performance?
So there was nervousness, but there was also excitement. It was Game 7, after all, and, Reed or no Reed, the Knicks were still a good team, still had three future hall-of-famers in their starting lineup. Plus, it was one game, at home. Anything can happen in one game, right?
The teams came out for the pregame warmup. The fans got louder. But there was no Reed. He had to have been far too hurt to play. Nervousness. A buzz. Excitement.
The fans started cheering, louder and louder. The announcers doing the pregame stopped mid-sentence, looking toward the tunnel leading to the locker rooms. The fans got even louder. Knicks announcer Marv Albert: "And here comes Willis!"
Bedlam.
.........
Imagine tearing a muscle in your right thigh, right at the top, near the hip. The last thing you'd want to do is move it, right? Most people would be laying in bed, not moving the leg at all - partially because of the pain, partially because it just physically couldn't move with a torn muscle. Now imagine having a torn thigh muscle, but being 6-foot-9 and weighing 250 pounds, then getting up from your chair in the locker room and walking down the tunnel to the court, dragging that useless leg behind you to join your team for warmups. Sound like a herculean task? Think that would inspire your teammates - and your team's fans - before the biggest game in franchise history?
Madison Square Garden didn't earn the nickname "The World's Most Famous Arena" lightly. It earned it. So when a poll came out asking people to name the most memorable moment in the arena's history, it carried some weight. The winner? The moment Willis Reed walked down that runway before Game 7. Not the game itself, mind you, but him simply joining his team for warmups.
...........
Reed scored the Knicks' first two baskets that game, almost literally dragging his leg down the floor to shoot a pair of jump shots. Then he came out of the game, too injured to go on. It didn't matter. Walt "Clyde" Frazier scored 36 points, Dave DeBusschere added 18, and the Knicks held Wilt to 21 on their way to a 113-99 victory. Willis Reed was named the Finals MVP. It didn't matter that he didn't play in Game 6 and only scored 4 in Game 7. He was the unquestioned MVP of that team. The moment Reed jogged onto that floor in pregame warmups, the Knicks had already won.
So there was a buzz, but it was a different kind of buzz. It was a nervous energy, where many of the fans had to be thinking, "What if we don't win?" It was a valid question; nobody knew if the Knicks' starting center, Willis Reed, was going to play. He had torn a thigh muscle earlier in the series, an injury that had caused him to miss all of Game 6. Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain, taking advantage of Reed's absence, had unleased holy hell in Game 6, scoring 45 points to lead the Lakers to a 23-point victory. If Reed didn't play Game 7, how could the Knicks prevent a repeat of that performance?
So there was nervousness, but there was also excitement. It was Game 7, after all, and, Reed or no Reed, the Knicks were still a good team, still had three future hall-of-famers in their starting lineup. Plus, it was one game, at home. Anything can happen in one game, right?
The teams came out for the pregame warmup. The fans got louder. But there was no Reed. He had to have been far too hurt to play. Nervousness. A buzz. Excitement.
The fans started cheering, louder and louder. The announcers doing the pregame stopped mid-sentence, looking toward the tunnel leading to the locker rooms. The fans got even louder. Knicks announcer Marv Albert: "And here comes Willis!"
Bedlam.
.........
Imagine tearing a muscle in your right thigh, right at the top, near the hip. The last thing you'd want to do is move it, right? Most people would be laying in bed, not moving the leg at all - partially because of the pain, partially because it just physically couldn't move with a torn muscle. Now imagine having a torn thigh muscle, but being 6-foot-9 and weighing 250 pounds, then getting up from your chair in the locker room and walking down the tunnel to the court, dragging that useless leg behind you to join your team for warmups. Sound like a herculean task? Think that would inspire your teammates - and your team's fans - before the biggest game in franchise history?
Madison Square Garden didn't earn the nickname "The World's Most Famous Arena" lightly. It earned it. So when a poll came out asking people to name the most memorable moment in the arena's history, it carried some weight. The winner? The moment Willis Reed walked down that runway before Game 7. Not the game itself, mind you, but him simply joining his team for warmups.
...........
Reed scored the Knicks' first two baskets that game, almost literally dragging his leg down the floor to shoot a pair of jump shots. Then he came out of the game, too injured to go on. It didn't matter. Walt "Clyde" Frazier scored 36 points, Dave DeBusschere added 18, and the Knicks held Wilt to 21 on their way to a 113-99 victory. Willis Reed was named the Finals MVP. It didn't matter that he didn't play in Game 6 and only scored 4 in Game 7. He was the unquestioned MVP of that team. The moment Reed jogged onto that floor in pregame warmups, the Knicks had already won.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
April 28, 1966: The last cigar
BOSTON - For years, NBA teams had been hoping to snuff out Red Auerbach's victory cigar. In a tradition that was every bit as inevitable as another Celtics championship, Auerbach would light up a cigar on the bench whenever he felt like the Boston Celtics had assured themselves of another victory. He had been doing it for years, humiliating and angering the other teams in the league, but nobody could do anything about it. Nobody had ever come back to win once the cigar had been lit.
Before the 1965-66 season, Auerbach announced he would retire at the end of the season, effectively teling the rest of teams in the NBA that they had one more shot at him. And while Boston didn't win their division, they still qualified for the playoffs and eased into the NBA finals against the Lakers.
After taking a 3-games-to-1 lead in the series, the Celtics' eighth straight championship seemed like a forgone conclusion. It didn't matter that the Lakers won games 5 and 6 - nobody had ever won a Game 7 in Boston. Game 7 started out following the script, too, with the Celtics jumping out to a big lead as the Lakers' stars struggled from the field. Even when the Lakers started coming back, most people didn't seem too worried.
With the Celtics up by 6 with 20 seconds left, Auerbach lit his last victory cigar, sure his eighth straight title was in the books. But the Lakers weren't done, and they cut the lead to 2 with 4 seconds to play, putting Auerbach's victory cigar in true jeopardy for the first time. Then, inexplicably, the Celtics fans rushed the floor, thinking the championship was over. Celtics center Bill Russell was knocked to the ground, an orange juice bucket on the Celtics bench was knocked over, and officials had to scramble to clear the floor for the final 4 seconds.
When order was restored, the Celtics were able to inbound the ball and dribble out the clock, winning their eighth straight title, a mark that is still a record for American professional sports. And Auerbach's cigar stayed lit.
Before the 1965-66 season, Auerbach announced he would retire at the end of the season, effectively teling the rest of teams in the NBA that they had one more shot at him. And while Boston didn't win their division, they still qualified for the playoffs and eased into the NBA finals against the Lakers.
After taking a 3-games-to-1 lead in the series, the Celtics' eighth straight championship seemed like a forgone conclusion. It didn't matter that the Lakers won games 5 and 6 - nobody had ever won a Game 7 in Boston. Game 7 started out following the script, too, with the Celtics jumping out to a big lead as the Lakers' stars struggled from the field. Even when the Lakers started coming back, most people didn't seem too worried.
With the Celtics up by 6 with 20 seconds left, Auerbach lit his last victory cigar, sure his eighth straight title was in the books. But the Lakers weren't done, and they cut the lead to 2 with 4 seconds to play, putting Auerbach's victory cigar in true jeopardy for the first time. Then, inexplicably, the Celtics fans rushed the floor, thinking the championship was over. Celtics center Bill Russell was knocked to the ground, an orange juice bucket on the Celtics bench was knocked over, and officials had to scramble to clear the floor for the final 4 seconds.
When order was restored, the Celtics were able to inbound the ball and dribble out the clock, winning their eighth straight title, a mark that is still a record for American professional sports. And Auerbach's cigar stayed lit.
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