Jan. 4, 1964 - Dick Barnett, as cool in the clutch as any player in professional basketball, lifted the Lakers tonight to their finest hour since last April. With Barnett putting on a fantastic demonstration of sharpshooting, the Lakers, to the screaming approval of 15,125 L.A. Sports Arena fans, scored a 125-118 overtime victory over the Boston Celtics. Three times since whipping the Lakers in the championship series last spring, the mighty world champions had humiliated the proud Angelenos and, when Elgin Baylor slowed down in the third period, it looked as though magnificent Bill Russell and his mates would do it again. But Barnett, removed from the starting lineup in a move that coach Fred Schaus thought might stir up the Lakers, had other ideas. He was a whirlwind, dead-eye shooter in the second half, and he climaxed one of his finest efforts when he drove on the fast break with a bucket to send the game into overtime. And after tossing in 22 points in the last 16 minutes of regulation play, the 6-foot-4 Barnett had one more push in him. It came with the Lakers holding a four-point lead in the extra session. The former Tennessee State great flipped in two off-balance jumpers in a row to wrap it up for good. Barnett wound up with 30 and had much help from Jerry West, but Baylor, after a hot first half, apparently had trouble with his calcium-stricken knees, because tough Rudy LaRusso had to take charge of the boards and Barnett had to assume command of the point-making.
