Jan. 24, 1964 - The St. Louis Hawks headed to Detroit for their fifth game of the week tomorrow night, relieved at the prospect of playing the last-place Pistons after a 119-99 shellacking at the hands of the Celtics at Boston Garden tonight. “It was positively our worst game of the year,” coach Harry Gallatin said. “Everything was bad — rebounding, passing, shooting — everything. I guess in a span of 80 games, these kinds of games are inevitable. You don’t like to think so, but it happens to everyone.”
Over the first three periods, Boston shot better than 50%, with many easy shots. Tom Sanders and K.C. Jones got the Celts flying to a 31-21 lead at the end of the first quarter with six points apiece and 10 assists between them. Sanders also grabbed nine rebounds during that period. The Celtics had eight men in double figures.
The resounding defeat took the pleasure out of a milestone occasion — Bob Pettit passing the 19,000-mark in points in the NBA. Bob estimates it will take him seven or eight games to bypass Dolph Schayes and become the highest scorer in NBA history. He is 183 points behind Schayes, and since Dolph is content to coach the Philadelphia 76ers from the bench, rarely putting himself in the game, Pettit should have clear wailing to the record. “Those baskets are coming harder all the time,” Pettit said tonight. “Maybe I’m getting old, but it seems as if the men guarding me are tougher every year. Take Tom Sanders of Boston. He’s a hard man to get away from, even for an instant.” Bob is thinking of at least two more years as an NBA player. Business interests outside basketball have assured him of no money worries. “It’ll be a big thrill for me when the night comes to pass Schayes,” Pettit said. “I only hope it happens before the St. Louis fans who have been so good to me over the years — and in a victory. It’s no fun setting personal records when the team is losing.”
