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The Baltimore Sun – February 3, 1984. Hot Pistons humble Bullets.
The Detroit Pistons were as high-powered as a team with three All-Stars ought to be, but it took All-Star-caliber play by substitute guard Vinnie Johnson to beat the Bullets, 139-129, at the Capital Centre last night.
“You have to forget about the All-Star game if you’re going to beat the Beef Brothers,” said Isiah Thomas, referring to the Bullets’ rugged front-court duo of Jeff Ruland and Rick Mahorn. Thomas was the most valuable player in Sunday’s NBA All-Star game, but his performance last night was an encore to be remembered. The Detroit guard personally had a hand in 57 points – 16 assists and 25 points of his own.
Not even the brutish “Beef Brothers” could throw the Pistons off their well-tuned timing, despite 35 points and 14 rebounds by Ruland.
3 Comments
I've always wondered this, Jeff — did you find the statisticians of the 80s used to screw you out of rebounds and assists? A lot of people don't realize when you retrieve a blocked shot that it actually counts as a rebound – or a tip-fest on the offensive glass. Also the controlled volleyball tap outside didn't count as a rebound back then (Tyson Chandler popularized). Assists also piss me off – because you can make the greatest needle-thread bounce-pass or Joe Theismann outlet pass to a streaking guard — and if he gets fouled, you get UGOTZ fir that pass. Why the F in 2023 doesn't the NBA have a stat system for the hockey assist and foul shot assists with 1/2 assists? OR decent individual defensive analytics for the official stats by now?
I didn't realize Steve "Snapper" Jones was the Bullets color analyst back then??? with NBA LEAGUE PASS we had no ay of knowing. I knew Snapper as the Blazers commentator.
And thank you, sir, for this awesome upload, from the most underrated center in NBA history. BTW< do you have any full games with you matched up against the early to mid 80s NJ Nets? It's impossible to find full game footage of them. And I hear you and Mahorn vs Darryl Dawkins and Buck Williams was like a gang-fight at the Smithaven Mall in 1976.