OK, how many guys does it take to score 100 of a team’s points in a National Basketball Assn. game?
In 1962, the answer was “one.” Uncle Dippy Chamberlain, on March 2. He played the whole game, 2.8 points a minute. Wilt’s Philadelphia Warriors whipped the New York Knicks 169 to 147 at Hershey, Pa.
The game was not filmed and was sparsely attended. Nobody’s come close to that and I’m not sure anyone will do it again.
But reader Luckey Heath of Utah brings up an interesting point that re-emphasizes just what a fantastic feat Wilt accomplished. How many times have even two guys scored a combined 100 or more points in an NBA game?
I’m too lazy to labor through thousands of box scores. But I’d guess it hasn’t happened often. If one man gets 70 or more points (a number have), who else is going to score at least 30 for a century total by a tandem?
This comes mighty close. The highest-scoring game in NBA history came on Dec. 13, 1983, at Denver. The Detroit Pistons edged the Denver Nuggets 186-184, honest. Denver’s Kiki Vandeweghe scored 51 and teammate Alex English bagged 47 for a total of 98 and Dan Issel’s 28 points gave the threesome 126 in a losing cause.
For winning Detroit, Isiah Thomas scored 47 points, John Long had 41 and Kelly Tripucka got 35 for a whopping 123.
For two players, I’m not sure the Vandeweghe-English total of 98 isn’t the closest two men have come to Chamberlain’s 100.
On the night of The Dipper’s 100 stunner, four other Warriors were in double figures Al Attles with 17, Paul Arizin and Tom Meschery with 16 each and Guy Rodgers with 11. The three top men for the losing Knicks were Richie Guerin with 39, Cleveland Buckner with 33 and Willie Naulls with 31.
Chamberlain’s next highest single-game point total was 78 in 1961, and he had four more NBA games in the 70-73 range. Denver’s David Thompson got 73 in 1978, Los Angeles’s Elgin Baylor 71 in 1960 and San Antonio’s David Robinson 71 in 1994.
Chicago’s incomparable Michael Jordan? His career peak was “only” 69 in 1990.
Chamberlain still holds more than 50 NBA records. His 100 and his 1962 season with an average of 50.4 points and 25-7 rebounds won’t be topped. Neither will Oscar Robinson’s average of triple doubles (points, rebounds, assists) over his first five seasons in the NBA.
Egos of icons clash often in sports and Boston Celtics coach-administrator Red Auerbach didn’t hesitate to harpoon ex-Celtic Larry Bird in the recent furor over the firing of coach Rick Pitino.
The crusty Auerbach has never forgiven Bird for leaving the Celtic family to coach the Indiana Pacers and made it clear that as long he draws breath through his big cigars he’ll fight any attempt to bring Bird back as Celt coach.
Back to Oscar Robertson and his conflict with Hall of Famer Bob Cousy. Robertson carried the Cincinnati Royals for a long time. When Cousy was named to coach the team, Oscar made it abundantly clear he wasn’t going to knuckle under and kow-tow no matter how prestigious the coach was.
“What in the world can he teach me?” Oscar asked on one occasion. Nobody had answer.
There is only one Big O. Greg Ostertag of Kansas and the Utah Jazz is not it, no matter how the moniker-mongers tried to force it.
Kansas senior Eric Chenowith continues to draw heat for being too erratic, but he has company in 7-1 Loren Woods, the touted Arizona star who was supposed to come off an injury-plagued year and lead ‘Zona to a national title.
Arizona has had a million distractions but even so, Woods is being rapped for playing too softly, not playing smart and losing his cool in a crisis. Fortunately for Woods and Chenowith, there is plenty of time for redemption at great benefit to their teams.