SPECIAL NOTE from The Sports Time Traveler™
This has been an incredible week for me. On Tuesday I became a grandpa!
I can’t wait until I can read some of The Sports Time Traveler™ stories to my first grandson - Isaac.
Most stories you tell to little ones are fairy tales with happy endings.
So it’s quite appropriate that I have a true life fairy tale to share with you today.
The tale starts with a virtual trip to Manhattan in November, 1972, where the Milwaukee Bucks are visiting the New York Knickerbockers.
Now let’s begin the story.
PROLOGUE
Once upon a time, in the fall of 1972.
4 NBA super teams were almost too good to be true.
In the past 4 seasons each had won an NBA title.
And to start the ‘72-73 season all were playing delightful.
Here’s some background on each team that I’d like to share.
To the other 13 teams in the league they almost seem unfair.
The Boston Celtics - The perennial champs until Bill Russell retired, the Celtics last won the championship in 1969, Russell’s final season. With Dave Cowens taking over for Russell at center and John Havlicek emerging as one of the league’s top scorers, the Celtics are back as a contender. The Celtics won their first 11 games of the 1972-73 season and were 14 - 1 until they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks last night in Boston by blowing a 15 point halftime lead and being outscored 60 - 38 in the 2nd half by the powerful Bucks offense.
The New York Knicks - Winners of the 1970 NBA championship, known as the “Miracle on 33rd Street”, for the location of Madison Square Garden, the Knicks have become the hottest ticket in New York. Fans are rabid for the team’s unselfish play and focus on defense. Chants of “Dee-fense, Dee-fense” frequently rock the garden. The Knicks were 14 - 3 going into the today’s game against the Bucks in the Garden. Their captain, 1970 MVP Willis Reed, has been subpar the last two years due to injuries but will play in today’s game.
The Milwaukee Bucks - An expansion team in 1969 when they lost 55 games, the Bucks had the good fortune to select 1st in the 1969 draft and picked Lew Alcindor. In 1971, Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and changed the Bucks into NBA Champions. He also won both the 1971 and 1972 MVP awards. The Bucks are 12 - 4 coming into today’s game.
The Los Angeles Lakers - Perennial runners-up, losing 6 NBA Finals to the Celtics in the 1960s, the L.A. Lakers finally won an NBA championship in 1972. Led by Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West, the aging Lakers are 15 - 3.
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - November 18, 1972
It was a potential title matchup today between the 15 - 3 Knicks and the 12 - 4 Bucks. The game featured the winners of the last 3 MVP awards (Willis Reed in 1970 and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971 & 1972). But Reed is a fraction of himself compared to his MVP season due to nagging injuries. The Knicks however aren’t dependent on any one player. They are the ultimate team in which everyone is a contributor on offense. And they pride themselves on their defense.
For the Bucks, Abdul-Jabbar, entering his 4th season, is at the top of his game averaging nearly 30 points and 15 rebounds per contest.
1st Half
The capacity crowd of 19,694 at the Garden saw the Bucks get off to a hot start making their first 6 shots of the game to race out to a 14 - 3 lead. But the Knicks came right back to take a 23 - 22 lead at the end of the 1st quarter.
The Knicks extended the lead to 8 points in the middle of the 2nd quarter before Milwaukee came back to tie the game at 42 at the half.
Halftime: Bucks 42 - Knicks 42
3rd Quarter
The Bucks stormed into the lead after the halftime break. In the first 9 minutes of the quarter the Bucks outscored the Knicks 28 - 8 to take a 20 point lead at 70 - 50. The Knicks made up 4 points before the end of the quarter, but the Bucks were still up by 16.
End of 3rd Quarter: Bucks 74 - Knicks 58
4th Quarter
The two teams played nearly even in the first 6 minutes of the final quarter.
With 5:50 to play the Bucks had an 18 point lead. Abdul-Jabbar was leading the way with 32 points. The game appeared to be safe for Milwaukee.
5:50 to Play in the 4th Quarter: Bucks 86 - Knicks 68
The Bucks, with an 18 point lead, started to “get too cautious” according to Knicks guard Walt Frazier. “They figured they had it.”
“They didn’t”, wrote a young Tony Kornheiser in Newsday.
Clamping down on defense, the Knicks began to chip away at the 18 point lead. With about 3:30 to play, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe hit a baseline jumper to pull the Knicks within 9 points at 86 - 77.
Then seconds later Walt Frazier stole the ball in the backcourt and Monroe hit another jumper and the Knicks were within 7 points.
You can see Frazier’s sensational steal at the 25 second mark on the video below.
Frazier’s steal brought the crowd to the level of a frenzy and they effectively became the Knicks invaluable 6th man. On the court the Knicks were playing “a whole lot of what the crowd that yells at decibels bordering on the inhuman calls ‘dee-fense’”, wrote Kornheiser.
2:30 to play in the 4th Quarter: Bucks 86 - Knicks 79
Still down by 7, Dave DeBusschere hit a basket to pull the Knicks within 5.
On the next offensive possession Earl Monroe sank a mid-range jumper.
In the video below, at the 3:05 mark on the video, you can hear Marv Albert on the call with his classic, “YES!” as the Knicks pulled to within 3 points.
With 1 minute to go, Bucks legendary guard Oscar Robertson missed a shot and Willis Reed grabbed the rebound. He fed the ball to Frazier who drove to the basket and was fouled by the Bucks’ Lucius Allen.
47 seconds to play in the 4th Quarter: Bucks 86 - Knicks 83
Walt Frazier stood at the foul line with 47 seconds to go and the Bucks up 86 - 83. He sank both free throws and the Knicks were within just 1 point.
The Bucks called timeout. Before they threw the inbound pass at midcourt, Earl Monroe fouled Lucius Allen sending him to the foul line with a chance to extend the lead to 3 points with 47 seconds to go.
As Allen went to the foul line, Marv Albert commented at the 4:21 mark on the video, “He is a very good foul shooter, 91%.”
Allen missed both free throws.
Wes Moon wrote in the Asbury Park Press, “the crowd went wild.”
Marv Albert screamed “No good!” on the 2nd missed free throw.
Seconds later Walt Frazier faked a shot at the foul line and dished off to Earl Monroe who calmly sank another 15 foot shot.
The Knicks had captured the lead!
Listen to Marv Albert yell, “YES! The Knicks lead by 1!” at the 4:40 mark on the video.
35 seconds to play in the 4th Quarter: Knicks 87 - Bucks 86
The Bucks needing a basket desperately went to Abdul-Jabbar. But Willis Reed ensured the big man couldn’t get into the middle. Abdul-Jabbar took his classic sky hook from the baseline and missed.
After the game, Reed told the New York Times, “I tried to make Kareem shoot from farther out down the stretch.”
You can see the play at the 4:50 mark on the video.
26 seconds to play in the 4th Quarter: Knicks 87 - Bucks 86
Dave DeBusschere grabbed the rebound and the Knicks handled the ball carefully, trying to run down the clock. Bill Bradley dribbling near midcourt didn’t realize the shot clock was running out and a 24 second violation was called. “I guess it was because of all the excitement”, Bradley told the New York Times.
The Bucks would have one last chance with the ball.
2 seconds to play in the 4th Quarter: Knicks 87 - Bucks 86
The Bucks inbounded the ball at midcourt and were able to get it to Abdul-Jabbar down low about 10 feet from the basket.
Abdul-Jabbar took a shot to win the game.
And he missed.
Game over. Knicks win.
Knicks scored the final 19 points of the game
The score in the final 5:50 of the game was 19 - 0. It was an astonishing run to beat one of the best teams with the league’s best player. There has perhaps never been a finish quite like it.
“I give full credit to the crowd”, said Bill Bradley in The New York Times. In the New York Daily News, Bradley reiterated, “The game ball belongs to the crowd. They are the greatest.”
“You had to see it to believe it”, said Knicks back up center John Gianelli in Newsday.
Walt Frazier, also quoted in Newsday said, “We’ve shut out some teams before, but not a team that good. Kareem is the greatest offensive player ever.”
Video of the last 3 minutes of the game:
EPILOGUE
Well, that concludes this real life fairy tale. One day I’ll tell that story to my grandson, Isaac.
That Knicks team was one of the greatest teams ever with Earl Monroe onboard. It is the team all of the "old guys" keep wishing would return. They could play with anyone - and they usually found ways to beat anyone. Alas, it is a way different league now.
Congratulations! Great article!