Jan. 9, 1965 - Two nights ago, the world champion Boston Celtics demonstrated great ability, but tonight they came up with another ingredient — raw courage.
Bill Russell & Co., battered and weary from four games in as many nights and trailing the Lakers by 10 points with 7 minutes left, erupted like true champions to score a 107-103 victory before a stunned L.A. Sports Arena gathering of 14,949.
This was the 12th straight victory in Red Auerbach’s latest string of successes, and this one they had to do on heart.
Russell was tired, Tom Heinsohn was missing because of injury, Sam Jones was nursing a painful left elbow, and John Havlicek was plain pooped, but when the Bearded Wonder gave the word, the Celtics responded.
A 3-point play by Russell, still the greatest and getting better, started the rush, and sharpshooting by Havlicek and Jones finished it as the Lakers, suddenly completely out of gas, managed only a second-effort field goal by Elgin Baylor and a free throw in the final 7 minutes.
The Lakers have a habit of running into cold spells, but the one tonight that sent the fans home mumbling to themselves seemed to be because the players are not in shape.
“We should have won this one,” moaned coach Fred Schaus. “I don’t care how good the Celtics are, we should never blow a lead like that.”
Schaus agreed that the Lakers appeared to be tired, but he couldn’t understand it, saying the team trains “as well as any I’ve ever coached.”
“We blew it,” he went on, “because we failed to get the ball to our shooters [Baylor and Jerry West]. Part of it was their defense, but part of it was because we weren’t moving.”
Auerbach kept shaking his head and smiling.
“They did it on heart,” he said. “I can’t understand how they pulled this one out. They’re just a great group. John [Havlicek] was outstanding, and Russell, who was really tired, just kept hanging in there.”
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