[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
RE: Bird vs Russell
Yep, that was probably Larry's last "great" game. Scored 49 points
that day in front of a national TV audience. Fantastic performance.
---"Sampath, Venkatesh" <Venkatesh.Sampath@microcell.ca> wrote:
>
> Mike Dynon and Bob Miller,
> Thanks very much for those excellent posts on the Celtics' past.
> What a wonderful (and welcome) change from the pros and cons of having
> (or not having) A. Walker on the team!
> While I don't qualify as an NBA veteran, I remember one game from the
> 90s, when Bird was on his last legs as a Celtic. It was a regular
season
> game against the Portland Trail Blazers (I think the year those guys
> made it to the finals). The clock was winding down (it was the last
> possession of the game), Celts down by 3, but inbounding. Bird gets
the
> ball, dribbling to the top left-hand corner of the court, just outside
> the 3-point line, clock looking like it's going to expire any second
> now, the defender (Drexler? Cliff Robinson?) not giving an inch, oh
God,
> we are not going to make it, when Bird just ups and lets the ball go
> .....
>
> Swish! nothing but net - it's a 3-pointer!!! Game tied, we're into OT!
> Man, was his foot close to the line - referees discussing it while
> replays are being flashed on the screen. Basket counts, however.
>
> At the end of the first OT, Celts down by 2. A replay of the last few
> seconds of the fourth quarter, but this time, Kevin Gamble gets open
> right on the baseline. A long shot, come on, drop damn it before I
get a
> heart attack, and man, did he get nothing but net!! Second OT!! in
which
> the Celts run away with the game. Bird had 30+ points in the game, bad
> back and all.
>
>
> venkat
> >----------
> >From: Mike Dynon[SMTP:mdynon@ix.netcom.com]
> >Sent: 30 July 1998 22:34
> >To: Josh Ozersky
> >Cc: celtics@igtc.COM
> >Subject: Re: Bird vs Russell
> >
> >Josh Ozersky wrote:
> >>
> >> Maybe it would help if some of you veteran fans described what
> >> Russell's game was like. I've seen footage of him teaching
defense,
> >> but he was already retired. Is it true that he waited until a guy
> >> shot to leave his feet? What was he like on offense? Is there
> >> anybody today who reminds you of parts of his game? How could
> >> somebody get 55 rebounds in a game? What was his passing like?
> >> (this is one I've always wondered about)
> >>
> >> Let's hear some stories!
> >>
> >> Josh
> >>
> >Guess I qualify as a "veteran fan"--I began following the NBA in the
> >mid-60s--so here are some stories.
> >
> >I saw both Russell and Bird play in person dozens of times, and on
TV a
> >zillion times. Larry is a Legend, but Russ was the supreme winner of
> >all time. He won titles in college (2), the Olympics and the pros
(11
> >of 13). He never lost a Game 7. He wasn't a scorer, but in the 7th
> >game of the '62 finals he had 30 pts., 40 rebs. He was the first
agile
> >big man, who could outquick the strong guys and outjump the quick
guys
> >(I have a picture of him blocking Wilt's finger-roll; the ball is 6
> >inches out of Wilt's hand and Russ is stretched completely
vertical).
> >Russ was an intelligent intimidator who excelled in psyching out the
> >opposition.
> >
> >Although I grew up in Brooklyn, I was a Celtics fan from the
beginning,
> >and would go to the old Madison Square Garden on W. 50th St. whenever
> >Boston came in. I distinctly remember a game in the mid-60s where
the
> >Knicks led by 14 with 8 minutes left when the NY coach inserted
12th man
> >Dave Deutsch. Ah, but it wasn't garbage time yet. The Celts made
a big
> >comeback, and with seconds left Russell (!) made a sweeping hook from
> >the left of the lane to win it.
> >
> >In 1968, I enrolled at Boston Univ., in large part because it's in
> >Boston (hey, I had to be somewhere). It was 1968-69, Russell's last
> >season, and tickets were plentiful. I went to probably 20 reg.
season
> >games and every playoff game.
> >
> >The Celts were old that season--Russ, Sam, Bailey Howell were all on
> >their last legs--and other teams were on the rise. The Bullets had
> >ROY/MVP Wes Unseld; Philly had Cunningham, Greer and Chet Walker;
NY had
> >just traded for DeBusschere and was one year away from winning a
title;
> >and the Lakers had traded for Wilt and still had West and Baylor at
> >their peak. The Celts finished 4th in the east at 48-34, they did
not
> >have the homecourt in any series, and everyone outside Boston thought
> >the dynasty was dead.
> >
> >But Russ (as player-coach) logged more minutes that season than a
young
> >Havlicek, and averaged 20 reb/game. The Celts beat Philly in five
(with
> >three road wins), NY in six (with two one-point victories), and
against
> >the Lakers (the big favorite with their Big Three) came back from
an 0-2
> >deficit and won game 7 *in LA.*
> >
> >It's funny--Jerry West was known as "Mr. Clutch," but he never got
past
> >the Celts. Larry, Magic, Michael, Kareem, Mikan were some of the
> >biggest winners in NBA history. But NO ONE knew how to win like Bill
> >Russell.
> >--
> >Mike Dynon
> >North Kingstown, RI
> >
> >*******************************************************
> >Are you associated with women's college volleyball?
> >Click here for information about a talented prospect:
> > http://www.netcom.com/~mdynon/Diane1.html
> >*******************************************************
> >
>
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com