Lex Nihil Novi - 7 Celtics in Double Figures in Win over Thompson and Nuggets

March 19, 1978





Havlicek's next-to-last-year, and he still scores 27. His motor never died.
Yeah, there's Wicks-and-Rowe, two of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Bad News Barnes and Vin Baker probably being the other two), but there's also the great Dave Bing (whom we were able to get on a rental), Cowens, Kermit Washington (an excellent, excellent PF who has been forever tainted by shattering Rudy T's face), Ernie No-D (and no offense this game neither) and Cornbread.


bob


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Bob, I believe it was Havlicek's last season. I deeply resented (still do) the fact that he had to endure the Wicks/Rowe travesty. The presence of those two, plus the ages of Cowens and Havlicek made the 35-point and 39-point quarters all the more remarkable, as those guys (at least the ones who deigned to do so) could still motor. The Celts didn't get a sniff of the playoffs, but John scored 29 in his very last game (against the immortal Buffalo Braves) as Ernie D kept lobbing him downcourt passes on the break. It was the only time I saw John completely exhausted. Toward the end, he looked like a Mack truck going to the hoop. The crowd was in a frenzy for him to hit 30, and I don't believe I've heard such a combination of crying and screaming simultaneously from a basketball crowd. But he had to take himself out just one point short of 30. As it was, John, Cowens and Bing all had 20+ points in a 131-111 game.

I know others on this board also saw the great 3-4 minute tribute compiled and featured by Don Gillis on the 11-o'clock sports, with Carly Simon singing, "Nobody Does it Better" and video consisting solely of Havlicek gems. I've never seen any tribute that long or that good on the evening news. Anyone watching who didn't weep simply had no tear ducts.

Sam