BOSTON - There was chaos on the court. John Havlicek had just made a floating jumper at the free-throw line to put the Boston Celtics ahead, 111-110, near the end of the second overtime. The clock showed zeros, but the referees - and the Phoenix Suns - knew that it should show 1 second left. The fans didn't realize that, and they were storming the court, celebrating an apparent victory.
While the referees were battling with the fans - literally in one instance - and trying to get the Celtics back onto the court, Paul Westphal was thinking. Down by one, with one second left, inbounding the ball under their own basket - things didn't look good. Plus, the Suns were out of time outs, so they couldn't advance the ball to midcourt. Or could they? The punishment for an illegal time out was a technical foul, which meant one free throw for opponents. But Westphal knew that in that instance, the Suns would still be able to advance the ball. So he took the illegal time out.
The fans cleared out, finally, resigned to ringing the court in anticipation of the actual final horn. With the Celtics brought back from the locker room, Jo-Jo White made the free throw to make it a two-point game. Then the Suns inbounded the ball, and Gar Heard made an improbable turnaround jumper from the free-throw line. A third overtime loomed.
The drama at the end of the second overtime was just part of what made Game 5 of the 1976 NBA finals one of the best NBA games ever played. You had the Suns overcoming what was at one point a 22-point deficit to send the game to overtime. You had the referees miss - or ignore - an illegal timeout call by the Celtics at the end of regulation. You had questionable clock timing on a shot by Havlicek near the end of the first overtime. And you had the Suns scoring four points in the span of five seconds to take the lead in the second overtime, setting the stage for the drama at the end of that period.
Despite the game going to three overtimes, the Suns only held the lead three times all game, all three times by a single point. The Celtics just couldn't put them away, at least not until they jumped to a six-point lead late in the third overtime. Still, the Suns didn't go easily, cutting the lead to 128-126, but they couldn't get the ball back for that one final shot. The Celtics won the game to take the lead, 3 games to 2, and eventually won the title in Game 6 in Phoenix.
This video shows the dramatic end of the second overtime, from Havlicek's shot to Heard's shot. White's free throw was cut out, but the drama of the moment is still evident.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtjfiud6e2M
HONORABLE MENTION
June 4, 1987: MADRID - It had been nearly 10 years, 122 straight races, since Edwin Moses had been beaten in the 400-meter hurdles. During the streak, he broke his own world record two times and won three World Cups, two World Championships, and one Olympic gold medal. But it couldn't last forever. Nine years, nine months, and nine days after he was last beaten, Moses was beaten by fellow American Danny Harris, ending the most impressive streak in track-and-field history.
Showing posts with label Boston Celtics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston Celtics. Show all posts
Friday, June 4, 2010
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.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
May 22, 1988: "What greatness is all about"
BOSTON - Larry Bird got the pass along the sideline, smoothly went up to shoot a 3-pointer, watched it fall cleanly through the net, and ran back upcourt. The Boston Garden erupted - his 3 had given the Celtics a 112-105 lead in the fourth quarter of Game 7, effectively ending the Atlanta Hawks season.
The story, though, was happening behind him, on the Atlanta bench. After Bird made the killer 3, one Hawks player can be seen clapping, for just a moment, before catching himself. His team had just effectively been elminated, and he was clapping.
That, in a nutshell, describes how good a show Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins put on in the fourth quarter. The fans were screaming, the announcers were gushing, and even the opposing players couldn't help but clap when they saw what was happening.
Entering the fourth quarter, Boston held an 84-82 lead. Atlanta's Wilkins had been sensational, scoring 31 points through three quarters, while Bird had scored a more pedestrian 14. But then Bird caught fire. He made two straight jumpers for Boston, then on his next trip down made a lefthanded, underhanded scoop shot high off the backboard despite being fouled and knocked to the ground. The subsequent free throw gave Boston a three-point lead. But that was only the beginning.
Wilkins came down on the next possession to drain a 3, tying the game. Bird responded on the other end, helping Boston reclaim the lead. Wilkins responded. Bird answered.
The fourth quarter continued this way seemingly forever. Bird would give Boston the lead, and Wilkins would answer to tie it. Neither team could stop the other's top player. It became a duel, a two-man play, with the other eight players becoming mere props in the drama.
By the time Bird drove around Wilkins to score in the lane with 26 seconds left, giving Boston a five-point lead, he had scored 20 points in the fourth quarter alone. Brent Musburger, announcing for CBS, punctuated the night with the call "You are watching what greatness is all about."
Bird's incredible quarter gave him 34 points for the game. Wilkins had been even better - though he scored "only" 16 points in the fourth, he finished with 47 for the game. Wilkins might have single-handedly prevented Boston from winning the title that season. While the Hawks didn't knock Boston out, the tired Celtics were no match for the rested Pistons in the next round. Regardless of what happened next, though, the Bird-Wilkins duel in the Garden remains the defining game of those playoffs.
The story, though, was happening behind him, on the Atlanta bench. After Bird made the killer 3, one Hawks player can be seen clapping, for just a moment, before catching himself. His team had just effectively been elminated, and he was clapping.
That, in a nutshell, describes how good a show Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins put on in the fourth quarter. The fans were screaming, the announcers were gushing, and even the opposing players couldn't help but clap when they saw what was happening.
Entering the fourth quarter, Boston held an 84-82 lead. Atlanta's Wilkins had been sensational, scoring 31 points through three quarters, while Bird had scored a more pedestrian 14. But then Bird caught fire. He made two straight jumpers for Boston, then on his next trip down made a lefthanded, underhanded scoop shot high off the backboard despite being fouled and knocked to the ground. The subsequent free throw gave Boston a three-point lead. But that was only the beginning.
Wilkins came down on the next possession to drain a 3, tying the game. Bird responded on the other end, helping Boston reclaim the lead. Wilkins responded. Bird answered.
The fourth quarter continued this way seemingly forever. Bird would give Boston the lead, and Wilkins would answer to tie it. Neither team could stop the other's top player. It became a duel, a two-man play, with the other eight players becoming mere props in the drama.
By the time Bird drove around Wilkins to score in the lane with 26 seconds left, giving Boston a five-point lead, he had scored 20 points in the fourth quarter alone. Brent Musburger, announcing for CBS, punctuated the night with the call "You are watching what greatness is all about."
Bird's incredible quarter gave him 34 points for the game. Wilkins had been even better - though he scored "only" 16 points in the fourth, he finished with 47 for the game. Wilkins might have single-handedly prevented Boston from winning the title that season. While the Hawks didn't knock Boston out, the tired Celtics were no match for the rested Pistons in the next round. Regardless of what happened next, though, the Bird-Wilkins duel in the Garden remains the defining game of those playoffs.
Monday, May 3, 2010
May 3, 1981: Bird takes flight
BOSTON - It shouldn't have been surprising that the Celtics and 76ers took their playoff series to Game 7 in 1981. They tied for the best record in the league at 62-20 and split their regular-season series. Boston had home-court advantage for their playoff series only because they had a better record against conference opponents.
The first six games of the Eastern Conference Finals did nothing to separate the two teams. Games 4, 5, and 6 were all two-point games, leading to the highly anticipated Game 7.
Instead of a basketball game, fans were treated to a rugby match. Players were hitting the floor on every drive and after every rebound. The high-scoring pace of the first six games of the series gave way to a slugfest in Game 7. Both teams made it abundently clear that there would be no baskets in the lane.
Aside from the team aspect, this game was billed as an individual battle between the aging star, Philadelphia's Julius Erving, and the rising star, Boston's Larry Bird. As the fourth quarter started, it seemed that Erving would get the better of this matchup, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter to get to 21 points for the game. Things started to change at the 2:51 mark, when Erving fouled Bird on a dunk attempt (hitting the floor hard, of course). After Bird made the free throws, the game was tied at 89, and Bird clamped down.
There was the drive by Erving that Bird blocked, sending both to the floor. There were two more possessions where Bird didn't let Erving touch the ball. With a minute left, Erving was forced into a miss, which Bird rebounded, following by him dribbling down the court and banking home a 15-footer to give the Celtics the lead with 1:05 to play.
After a trade of turnovers, Philadelphia hit a free-throw to cut the deficit to one. Boston missed on the next possession, and Philadelphia got the rebound in time to call time out with one second left. Bobby Jones threw the subsequent in-bounds pass toward the rim, hoping to find Erving for a series-winning alley-oop dunk. Erving was open, but the pass was high, hitting the backboard, and the Celtics had their victory.
Bird's reaction was priceless. He stood at the free-throw line, putting both his hands behind his hand, jumping up and down as the fans swarmed him. He lingered on the court for a few minutes, letting the fans pound him on the back and head. He had arrived, bringing the Celtics to the NBA finals in only his second season. Eleven days later, Boston was the NBA champion. Things would only go up from there.
The first six games of the Eastern Conference Finals did nothing to separate the two teams. Games 4, 5, and 6 were all two-point games, leading to the highly anticipated Game 7.
Instead of a basketball game, fans were treated to a rugby match. Players were hitting the floor on every drive and after every rebound. The high-scoring pace of the first six games of the series gave way to a slugfest in Game 7. Both teams made it abundently clear that there would be no baskets in the lane.
Aside from the team aspect, this game was billed as an individual battle between the aging star, Philadelphia's Julius Erving, and the rising star, Boston's Larry Bird. As the fourth quarter started, it seemed that Erving would get the better of this matchup, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter to get to 21 points for the game. Things started to change at the 2:51 mark, when Erving fouled Bird on a dunk attempt (hitting the floor hard, of course). After Bird made the free throws, the game was tied at 89, and Bird clamped down.
There was the drive by Erving that Bird blocked, sending both to the floor. There were two more possessions where Bird didn't let Erving touch the ball. With a minute left, Erving was forced into a miss, which Bird rebounded, following by him dribbling down the court and banking home a 15-footer to give the Celtics the lead with 1:05 to play.
After a trade of turnovers, Philadelphia hit a free-throw to cut the deficit to one. Boston missed on the next possession, and Philadelphia got the rebound in time to call time out with one second left. Bobby Jones threw the subsequent in-bounds pass toward the rim, hoping to find Erving for a series-winning alley-oop dunk. Erving was open, but the pass was high, hitting the backboard, and the Celtics had their victory.
Bird's reaction was priceless. He stood at the free-throw line, putting both his hands behind his hand, jumping up and down as the fans swarmed him. He lingered on the court for a few minutes, letting the fans pound him on the back and head. He had arrived, bringing the Celtics to the NBA finals in only his second season. Eleven days later, Boston was the NBA champion. Things would only go up from there.
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.
Monday, April 19, 2010
April 20, 1986: "God disguised as Michael Jordan"
BOSTON - It started innocently enough, with his first points coming after a goaltending call. Every possession, it seemed, the Celtics had somebody different guarding him, but it didn't matter. He'd make triple-pump layups. He'd fake one way, spin another, fade away and drain a jumper. He'd steal a rebound from three taller players for a put-back. He'd make layups over four players.
The 1985-86 Boston Celtics are included on every short list of the greatest teams of all time. They had six hall-of-famers in their regular rotation and went 40-1 at home that year. And despite all their greatness, they had absolutely no prayer of stopping Michael Jordan in game 2 of their first round playoff series.
After missing most of the regular season with a broken foot, Jordan hadn't been expected to play at all in the playoffs for the Bulls, but, fully healed, he went out against the Celtics in round 1. Popular opinion didn't give the 30-52 Bulls a chance against Boston that year, but Jordan played anyway.
In game 1, he scorched the Celtics for 49 points, but Boston won by 19. In game 2, Jordan was even better. It became obvious early on that no matter who the Celtics threw at Jordan - or how many players at once - nothing was going to stop him from scoring. He would drive around hall-of-fame perimeter defenders, shoot jumpers over hall-of-fame centers, and score every which way imaginable.
Despite his best efforts, the Bulls were still down three when Jordan tried a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. It missed, but he was fouled, and he sank all three free-throws with no time on the clock to send the game into overtime. The two teams played a second overtime as well, and Jordan ended up with 63 points, still an NBA playoff record.
His final line looks like a misprint: 22-41 field goals, 19-21 free throws, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks. He had scored 63 points against the best team of the 80s without making a three-pointer. But despite all that, the Bulls still lost, 135-131, and Boston eventually swept the series on their way to the championship.
In the aftermath of the game, when everybody was trying to put what just happened into perspective, Boston legend Larry Bird said it best: "I didn't think anyone was capable of doing what Michael has done to us. He is the most exciting, awesome player in the game today. I think it's just God disguised as Michael Jordan."
The 1985-86 Boston Celtics are included on every short list of the greatest teams of all time. They had six hall-of-famers in their regular rotation and went 40-1 at home that year. And despite all their greatness, they had absolutely no prayer of stopping Michael Jordan in game 2 of their first round playoff series.
After missing most of the regular season with a broken foot, Jordan hadn't been expected to play at all in the playoffs for the Bulls, but, fully healed, he went out against the Celtics in round 1. Popular opinion didn't give the 30-52 Bulls a chance against Boston that year, but Jordan played anyway.
In game 1, he scorched the Celtics for 49 points, but Boston won by 19. In game 2, Jordan was even better. It became obvious early on that no matter who the Celtics threw at Jordan - or how many players at once - nothing was going to stop him from scoring. He would drive around hall-of-fame perimeter defenders, shoot jumpers over hall-of-fame centers, and score every which way imaginable.
Despite his best efforts, the Bulls were still down three when Jordan tried a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. It missed, but he was fouled, and he sank all three free-throws with no time on the clock to send the game into overtime. The two teams played a second overtime as well, and Jordan ended up with 63 points, still an NBA playoff record.
His final line looks like a misprint: 22-41 field goals, 19-21 free throws, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks. He had scored 63 points against the best team of the 80s without making a three-pointer. But despite all that, the Bulls still lost, 135-131, and Boston eventually swept the series on their way to the championship.
In the aftermath of the game, when everybody was trying to put what just happened into perspective, Boston legend Larry Bird said it best: "I didn't think anyone was capable of doing what Michael has done to us. He is the most exciting, awesome player in the game today. I think it's just God disguised as Michael Jordan."
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