orangecat1
500+ Posts
This was the clinching game for the Lakers, 1980, Magic's rookie year. I had never watched the game before today, probably because the game was tape-delayed. Everybody remembers this as the game Magic took over and played all five positions because Kareem was hurt.
The game was not televised live, I guess because the network couldn't justify pre-empting a regular series. If it was Friday, they would have had to justify pre-empting "Dallas", and I know that would have caused severe outrage.
In the middle of the screen the network kept displaying the fact that the game had already been played.
A few interesting bits about the game.
Dr. J. didn't look much like his highlights, played inconsistently, it looked to me.
He comitted many turnovers, like his teammates of course. Philly didn't play well at all.
Many, many bad passes by the 76ers. They played like they didn't want to be there, but eventually turned it on in the final quarter. There was a spurt in the 4th quarter when neither team missed a shot, and the teams were defiinitely playing defense. Nothing like the physical d of the 90s, but still they weren't afraid to hit somebody.
Huge problem for the 76ers was Doug Collins sitting on the bench in civilian clothes. I believe Brent said he had been out the entire series.
Darryl Dawkins nearly killed Michael Cooper on a Cooper drive to the bucket.
Dawkins gave him a forearm around the upper chest to knock him down, and then landed on Cooper. The trainers treated Cooper with smelling salts and he stayed in the game to take his free throws.
This was a very fast-paced game for most of the game. You could tell Paul Westhead's influence, Lakers, because the passes after made baskets were extremely quick, and almost every time, the first pass would get to the mid-court line.
They showed both Paul Westhead and Pat Riley on the Laker bench. I had forgotten Westhead had relieved the first coach during the season, can't remember his name.
Westhead might be the only coach to have coached an NBA champion and a WNBA champion. I saw the 30 for 30 about him recently. What an offensive genius!
I cannot figure out why Magic chose Riley over Westhead, because at the rate the Lakers were going, if the Lakers ran Westhead's system, Magic might have been the first player in NBA history to average a triple double.
The Lakers would have had so many more possessions than their opponents, that assuming Magic was physically gifted enough to make it through the game, he would have easily earned a double double, probably by halftime, and then he would have to just keep working to get that last stat and be done with that by mid-fourth quarter.
Back to the game, everybody on the Lakers stepped up their game, Jamaal Wilkes had 30+ points, and little used Jim Chones was a dynamic force in the middle. I had never seen this guy play before, and he scored a little, and rebounded a whole bunch. Chones was playing better than Philly's duo of Caldwell Jones and Dawkins, and it wasn't close. I didn't really see Magic play center in this game, I think that is an exaggeration. Norm Nixon had a very good game as well. The announcers were comparing Magic to Oscar Robertson.
Philly never had the lead in the 2nd half, after going to halftime tied at 60. There was considerable booing by the Philly locals as the Lakers blazed to a 12 point lead in the 3rd.
Musberger was in his prime in this game. He was extremely quick with his play-by-play, and no joking around. There were two analysts to to do the joking, Bill Russell and Hot Rod Hundley.
Russell was funny, making fun of the 76ers, accusing them of not knowing how to do a bounce pass, until Dr. J. finally made a successful pass "now there's a guy who knows how to make a bounce pass"
Other interesting comments, Brent told us how Magic had won a state-chamipionship in high school, college NCAA champ previous year and now would win an NBA championship. Brent said something about how he had done it all, and he was only 20, and Russell made the snide remark about missing the Olympics!
It only took, what 13 years for the USA team to use NBA players.
The game was not televised live, I guess because the network couldn't justify pre-empting a regular series. If it was Friday, they would have had to justify pre-empting "Dallas", and I know that would have caused severe outrage.
In the middle of the screen the network kept displaying the fact that the game had already been played.
A few interesting bits about the game.
Dr. J. didn't look much like his highlights, played inconsistently, it looked to me.
He comitted many turnovers, like his teammates of course. Philly didn't play well at all.
Many, many bad passes by the 76ers. They played like they didn't want to be there, but eventually turned it on in the final quarter. There was a spurt in the 4th quarter when neither team missed a shot, and the teams were defiinitely playing defense. Nothing like the physical d of the 90s, but still they weren't afraid to hit somebody.
Huge problem for the 76ers was Doug Collins sitting on the bench in civilian clothes. I believe Brent said he had been out the entire series.
Darryl Dawkins nearly killed Michael Cooper on a Cooper drive to the bucket.
Dawkins gave him a forearm around the upper chest to knock him down, and then landed on Cooper. The trainers treated Cooper with smelling salts and he stayed in the game to take his free throws.
This was a very fast-paced game for most of the game. You could tell Paul Westhead's influence, Lakers, because the passes after made baskets were extremely quick, and almost every time, the first pass would get to the mid-court line.
They showed both Paul Westhead and Pat Riley on the Laker bench. I had forgotten Westhead had relieved the first coach during the season, can't remember his name.
Westhead might be the only coach to have coached an NBA champion and a WNBA champion. I saw the 30 for 30 about him recently. What an offensive genius!
I cannot figure out why Magic chose Riley over Westhead, because at the rate the Lakers were going, if the Lakers ran Westhead's system, Magic might have been the first player in NBA history to average a triple double.
The Lakers would have had so many more possessions than their opponents, that assuming Magic was physically gifted enough to make it through the game, he would have easily earned a double double, probably by halftime, and then he would have to just keep working to get that last stat and be done with that by mid-fourth quarter.
Back to the game, everybody on the Lakers stepped up their game, Jamaal Wilkes had 30+ points, and little used Jim Chones was a dynamic force in the middle. I had never seen this guy play before, and he scored a little, and rebounded a whole bunch. Chones was playing better than Philly's duo of Caldwell Jones and Dawkins, and it wasn't close. I didn't really see Magic play center in this game, I think that is an exaggeration. Norm Nixon had a very good game as well. The announcers were comparing Magic to Oscar Robertson.
Philly never had the lead in the 2nd half, after going to halftime tied at 60. There was considerable booing by the Philly locals as the Lakers blazed to a 12 point lead in the 3rd.
Musberger was in his prime in this game. He was extremely quick with his play-by-play, and no joking around. There were two analysts to to do the joking, Bill Russell and Hot Rod Hundley.
Russell was funny, making fun of the 76ers, accusing them of not knowing how to do a bounce pass, until Dr. J. finally made a successful pass "now there's a guy who knows how to make a bounce pass"
Other interesting comments, Brent told us how Magic had won a state-chamipionship in high school, college NCAA champ previous year and now would win an NBA championship. Brent said something about how he had done it all, and he was only 20, and Russell made the snide remark about missing the Olympics!
It only took, what 13 years for the USA team to use NBA players.
