pannell@dosadi.DEC (Roger D. Pannell 229-6893 LTN1-1/D03) (06/03/85)
A lot of you LA fans insist on calling the Celts dirty players. I'm sure that
everyone agrees that NBA basketball is a very physical game whether played in
the Western Conference or the Eastern Conference. From the replays that I
have seen, it seems to me that LA is the team that is throwing the punches,
the wild elbows and just generally trying to turn the playoff series into a
boxing match. It's one thing to push for position under the boards, but it's
something else to throw a punch. It may be just my biased viewing, because
even the announcers overlook some of the junk, but there have been quite a few
times when Rambis appeared to throw a late elbow or try and connect his fist
to a head.
One other thing that has bothered me was a comment about Danny Ainge's tackle
of Tree Rollins. If you will recall, that was in retaliation to a forearm to
the head as Rollins was running down court. I doubt very seriously if anyone
in the league would have reacted any differently. When you are making a list
of dirty players why not list Rollins, but then on the other hand Rollins is
really just a dirty fighter. Hope you haven't forgotten that he bit Ainge's
finger(s) in that scuffle, I believe to the bone.
I don't think the games have been as physical as they will be.
Look for Larry Bird to have a big game in game 4. Of all the Celts, I think
he wanted to win back to back the most. So far he hasn't played up to form,
but he won't be kept down for long.
Last week I predicted the Celts in six with McHale as MVP, it now looks like
it will be seven if the Celts are to repeat. And I'll stick with Kevin as MVP.
Of course if LA wins, Jabbar will probably be the MVP.
-- Roger Pannell
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