Dec. 1, 1964 - “I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many things have been bothering me,” Bill Russell said with a smile after his Celtics beat the Knicks, 117-113, in overtime tonight before 7,233 at Madison Square Garden.
It was the fourth straight overtime loss for the Knicks and their third straight defeat by Boston.
There has been talk that Russell’s injuries might stop the Celtics. Russell didn’t mind that so much as the fact that one of the minor officials in the Boston Celtics management had scoffed at his ills.
“Russell’s playing about half a game,” the unnamed Celtic spokesman said. “I know he says he is anemic and is taking iron pills. But I spoke to the doctor, and he said he would take 20 people off the street, and they would have some anemia.”
Russell said: “What bothers me is that the guy could be saying that behind my back and then come around to me smiling in my face. I don’t like that, you know what I mean? He makes me sound like a psycho or something. I have missed 17 games in eight seasons with this team. He says he’ll pull 20 people off the street and fine anemia.
“Well, how many of those people are professional athletes and supposed to be in the best of shape? Most of those people are probably sitting on their butt all day.”
Tonight, the 30-year-old superstar knocked away several shots, clogged up the middle, and was more aggressive than usual in swooping into the basket to stuff the ball two-handed into the net.
“That’s the best I’ve seen him on defense since I’ve been in the league,” Knicks rookie Willis Reed said with reverence of a novice for a master.
“These rookies keep hustling all the time,” Russell said of Reed. “They haven’t learned if you can’t get the ball, you don’t jump. They don’t know how to loaf. That comes with experience.”
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