michaelf@ism780 (02/20/86)
I know all of you out there were waiting for further
accolades on Larry Bird so here they are. The man is simply
a genius when it comes to the game. He is the Mozart of hoops.
Pure basketball can be desribed as physical chess. Moving your
pieces in a way which best utilizes their strengths and attacking
with the right one at the right time is what it's all about.
Last night against Golden State, Bird had 36 points
12 rebounds and 11 assists. Now THAT, is a triple double. Not
like Magic's triple doubles which usually have 15 or so assists
but also only about 15 points. Last week Larry had a triple
double and scored 48 points. That includes the buzzer-beater
that won the game.
After talking up Alvin Robertson last week, he gets
a quadruple double. He had something like 22 points, 11 rebounds
10 assists and 10 steals. Last year Larry had a chance at a QuadDub
but he pulled himself in the third quarter after the Celts
had the game in the bag. At that point he had a TripDub with
9 steals. Ouch.
You will always read about the Alex English and Adrian
Dantley types scoring like madmen but they never have the
boards and assists.
I'm sure you all saw the Celtics knock off the
Lakers at the Forum on Sunday. As one local sportswriter put
it, Bill Walton has shattered the delicate balance between
the Celtics and the Lakers. When Bill goes up for a rebound,
it looks like everyone else is six feet tall. What a textbook
player when it comes to boxing out and getting a good outlet pass
off. He is why the Celtics will win it all this year.
When McHale comes back, will K.C. put Parish, McHale
and Walton in the forecourt and move Bird to guard alongside DJ?
DJ will stay play point and Bird will be a 6' 10 shooting guard.
I say it would be unstoppable. Comments?
Philly went nuts last night scoring 153 points. Moses,
the man who will never be called for an offensive foul, did most
of the damage.
The Lakers didn't look so hot beating the lowly Pacers
90-81. Byron Scott, the guy who they traded Norm Nixon for,
is now relegated to the role of fourth guard after Magic,
Michael Cooper and Mike `Point-a-Minute' McGee. Look for a couple
of losses during this little road trip they just started.
Ciao for now.