Celtics Top Lakers in Fight-Marred Contest

Feb. 7, 1965 - The “Saturday Night Fights” apparently have switched to Sunday afternoon as far as Celtics basketball fans are concerned.

A national television audience plus 6,529 at the Boston Garden saw 6-7, 220-pound Tommy Heinsohn tangle with Los Angeles rookie Walt Hazzard, a rugged 6-2, 190-pounder, with the Celtic veteran being ejected halfway through the final quarter of his team’s 101-97 victory today.

The Celtics were in front, 94-86, with 5:15 gone in the final period, when John Havlicek, a Celtic standout, intercepted to feed Heinsohn breaking under alone.

Heinsohn was rammed to the floor from the rear by Hazzard, both going to the floor. The enraged Celtic, who later admitted he was irked by his failure to hit a jumper, tackled the Laker rookie and tore into him after Hazzard had wrapped an arm around Heinsohn’s neck and then, according to Tommy, “hit me again as I was trying to get up.”

Officials Richie Powers and Joe Gushue, aided by Jerry West, Sam Jones, and Havlicek, separated the pair with Powers slapping a technical on Heinsohn and ejecting him for “throwing punches.”

“I’m sorry now that it happened,” said Heinsohn in the Celtics’ dressing room, “but I still had to go after him for the way he racked me. That’s how a player gets seriously hurt.

“The rule should be changed. Both of us should go out, not just one. What’s a guy supposed to do when he gets hit like that?

“Talk about unsportsmanlike conduct! I was under the basket for a sure two points. I jumped up for the shot and faked Hazzard out. He was already by me but reached around, grabbed me by the neck, pulled me off balance, and hit me on the way down. I was purple by the time I hit the floor.”

Referee Powers said Hazzard was permitted to remain as he “wasn’t seen throwing punches, and Heinsohn was the aggressor.” 

Hazzard, who was still a bit woozy in the visitors’ dressing room, could not give an account of the fracas, shaking his head and saying, “What happened?” Dr. John Doherty, Celtics’ team physician, described the rookie’s head cut as not serious, and the player left with his teammates.

Lakers coach Fred Schaus said, “Hazzard was only doing what any player would do when an opponent is going in alone to score.”

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