Suns at Celtics 1/4/1989 (Highlights) – Tom Chambers 33 pts | 11 reb | 5 ast

Suns at Celtics 1/4/1989 (Highlights) – Tom Chambers 33 pts | 11 reb | 5 ast

3525 W Chambers is behind the back did you ever think in your wildest dreams I guess KJ to Chambers yeah 40 points in the first half for Tom Chambers Chambers 6 point Chambers to win the game he’s got it welcome back to Tom Chambers greatest games in this episode we go back to Chambers first season with the Phoenix Suns in 1989 with Chambers being the first ever unrestricted free agent signing the Suns had high hopes that their big investment in him would pay off facing the Boston Celtics on the road and with Phoenix not having one at the Boston Garden since 1979 Chambers and the Suns would need to bring their aame to have a chance at getting the W in the garden the Suns and Celtics would play a game of exchanging baskets keeping the score within just a few points the entire game but Chambers would shine in the fourth quarter nearly taking over the game making several clutch shots finding the open man with timely passing and staying perfect from the line behind chamber Stellar play the Suns would earn a historic win and chamber would be praised for his clutch plays and his complete game chamers statline for this game 33 Points 11 rebounds five assists three steals one for one from the three-point and a perfect 12 for2 from the line so let’s go back to January 4th 1989 the Phoenix Suns at the Boston Celtics the benches for the two clubs Steve car a great story last year in college basketball Eddie Johnson comes off that bench to the tune of about 20 points a game for Phoenix he starts firing as soon as he hits the floor good six-man to uh how about the B interesting isn’t it they trying to change that this year and they would like to forget about that trade I’m sure that was five long years ago basketball years that’s a lot of time if we can uh I’ll be curious to see if we could get a shot of Earl St down on the floor right now he along with a lot of other people in this building are cold it is very cool in this building he’s calling up the red hour back right now asking him to turn the heat up pay your bill red turn the heat up it is very nippy in the building here tonight and be curious to see the players were kidding around in the shoot rounds before the game Tim Perry of Phoenix said it was like playing outside Chambers good hustle play a kicks it out of bounds Phoenix will get first shot here as we’re underway Kevin Johnson out of the pack Chambers will get this one oh Reggie never got back to pick up Chambers in the first we’re tied at six I wouldn’t say an awful lot of Defense being played here I haven’t seen any yet M Reggie Lewis is going to pick up that foul on the drive his first and Chambers will go to the line well chamber Chambers has excellent ability to put the ball on the floor and take it by even a much smaller man and if is going to have success against him he’s got to go out and really challenge him Bend his knees get down low and challenge him on the [Music] dribble lot of people over the years have claimed that this guy is a ball hog and really isn’t a team player and I really haven’t seen him an awful lot to to make those kind of conclusions but after watching him in a couple of All-Star games and seeing him play in playoff games he has got some out standing skills DJ trying to dump it out Danny hits with three front rims it Dennis scrapping for the ball saves it picked off the floor by Parish Danny for three bounce pass Lang and Lang wow those are the ones that you kind of depend upon to get all the rebounds in the fourth quarter Chambers the pull up that’s his range he has great range doesn’t he Gilliam misses gets his own rebound tries again follow goes from chambers just too many offensive rebounds that time Chambers good double on Chambers Johnson the wide open and he hits it Johnson top Chambers eight for Kevin Johnson nice effort by Brian Shaw but the Celtics are down by nine at the end of one [Music] 3627 Chambers hits the turnaround Tom Chambers just had a strong game and he is so much bigger than Reggie Lewis that really is a great matchup for Phoenix to try and take advantage of largest lead of the night for the Suns it’s 11 right now tonight Chambers draws a foul inserted into the lineup during that trip and seemingly holding his own as Ronnie Granderson in place of uh kind of taking Brad loos’s minutes randerson not nearly as potentially an effective as an effective offensive player seemingly can do a better job against some of the big guys can move his feet perhaps a little bit better on the Press defense Jimmy Rogers again searching for the right combinations to make it happen DJ stripped doesn’t get it back Eddie Johnson over to Horn oh good play by horness Eddie Johnson excellent hands 10-point Suns lead that’s their first time in double [Music] figures Reggie penetrates nice move [Music] [Applause] 76 Kevin mccale will take it with three and hit it 16 for male first half and Boston’s going to have two seconds to get another shot off our friend Woody just poked Dennis Johnson in the eye trying to hand him the ball oh he did Kevin got it again a costly error by the Suns and we’ve got a four-point game at the half Kevin Johnson nowhere to go inside Chambers and Danny a reached in two not liking the call by Bernie frier it’s going to be a two- shot foul they say in the AC [Applause] shooting foul so top chamber steps to the line they are very alert to the fact that Reggie Lewis is defending this man who has a big height advantage uh Chambers is 610 and more like 611 and Reggie at the 66 Mark they say 67 he mentioned his play earlier in All-Star games that was a heck of a one right there GS the loose ball on the Neath Celtics can get to within two 10 minutes to go in the third picked off Chambers not very many of those Kevin Johnson hits another one Kevin Johnson six of six shooting he’s a good little player Danny rebound gilam and Chambers Chambers alone on the break gum Powers it up and hits [Music] it Johnson for two that time Reggie got rooted behind the low post player and not much he could do once the guy got the ball [Applause] DJ some room the layup sun’s not looking for DJ to penetrate that much he’s trying to take advantage of it Eddie Johnson answers quickly I’ll tell you old Eddie when he gets it burning baby it’s like the S at the Chicago Fire you don’t put it out for [Applause] days Danny knocks one down outside [Music] see what you mean Ed cartton just said Eddie go in there and get us about six quick points will you 7370 Suns by [Applause] three chambers a three L one of two of those at you uh a all game off the catch third personal fou the last [Music] minutes James was over talking not to Larry Bird but to they changed the foul now giving it to Eddie Johnson rather than Tom Chambers rookie foul right [Applause] yeah we have played three here at the Garden and we’re even 78 a piece final quarter coming up Shaw weaves his way into the four Court Paxton nice move great hard push that time by Shaw made the defense Retreat away from Paxton then he hit him right on the money Celtics biggest lead since the first period there is action out there with this very aggressive second unit making their presence felt that you must learn if you’re going to be a big man that he has no experience with from in college game M drains the fallway boy Kevin has had a very solid game here tonight right quick push Brad looks finds it hits it I tell you he wants back in that line up and he’s looking at the hoop every time he gets the ball 726 left to go Boston by six Kevin Johnson Gilliam Chambers Eddie Johnson Tyrone Corbin on the floor for the Suns LW has got Chambers Chambers good quick first step lohas that time would have been simply beaten on the play as he went out to challenge Chambers first Thomas Chambers has twoot one of the big problems for Brad lohas is really defending against quicker people out in the open court and he’s got the mobility and the foot speed to defend him he just doesn’t know how to do it yet and he doesn’t have the confidence that he knows how to do do it and also these other guys that are playing against them say hey he can’t get out there he’s leaving me an open window to get the shot off Lohan’s right up on Chambers Chambers left open good look by Chambers to find Kil him and he hits on the Baseline there’s that look little pick and roll play that the Celts are having trouble with that time two guys ended up with the guard nobody to the roll man puts on real aggressiveness in that defense in the back court Chambers nowhere to go but he got oh boy oh boy that was on the ball that was on the ball that could have been a jump ball anyhow Chambers for two halfway through the fourth 9489 but you saw that play Laos was trying to bump Chambers that’s the worst thing you can try and do to a ball player that has good mobility and is able to put it on the floor you’ve got to back off and not let that ball player feel you and get your left hand up force him to go away from make them bring the ball to you never let him get a step on you going to the hoop and if he does start to put it on the floor angle him off the [Applause] basket branderson had his left hand down and that’s all that Chambers needs is what I call the open window to get that outside shot Up and Away 4:30 to go we’ve got a timeout Boston by five Chambers puts it on the floor the runner goes down 29 for Tom Chambers little pick and roll play that time for Chambers boy and as soon as he put the ball on the floor he was to the hoop suns are back to within three Dennis Johnson and Danny AES are going to be coming in for [Applause] Boston M Shaw couple of nice moves left CED shot goes down boy did he have trouble finding the Blue Sky in this last three or four minutes of the ball game Chambers gets it boy they left him hanging out at the head of the key and on the rotation Danny had to jump him and Chambers just blew right by him 31 points and 12 rebounds for Tom Chambers here tonight looking to the inside as much as possible Kevin tries it long with it cornac off the floor with a minute to go the Suns a chance for the lead Kevin Johnson finds Eddie Johnson who buries it and has a few words for the Celtic bench on the way up the floor Boston takes a timeout 59 seconds to go the Suns leading by oneing out there to pick up Chambers who knew as soon as he had the catch that he had a clear alley right to the hoop so good ball movement that time by the Suns now the Celtics who are have taken Granderson out of the ball game to give another offensive option in the form of Reggie Lewis suns have outscored Boston 10 to2 in the last 2 minutes and 50 seconds Here Comes [Applause] DJ Danny thought about it finds Paris now Dennis looking inside for Kevin Kevin pushed out by Chambers wants to go lost the ball on the way through loose corek saves it Kevin shoot it Robert Kevin Johnson’s got the loose ball on the break hard push tripped by a great Hands by Danny a and Boston brings it up with a chance for the lead what a play that [Applause] one Dan backs in backs in Stripped by Johnson and Kevin mccale comes and commits the foul with 12 seconds to go on horack well the Cs went to their bread and butter which is supposed to be Kevin mcale at this part of the game but every team in the league knows that that’s where it’s pushing the game there are other things that you could go to but I must say this that with all the other things Jimmy Rogers has been trying to do change the style what have you this has got a rank at the bottom of his pra on his practice list he come up with another option for the last two minute of the two minutes of the game but I out that’s what’s fusing into every ball player all you know as a coach and you only can go as fast as the slowest important guy on the team is understanding what his role is here we go it comes to Dan Chambers is on him they go to Paxton and a foul is called Eddie Johnson committed it fou was on number Eddie Johnson third fou suns are over the limit so Jim Paxton will go to the line for two it’s 9 seconds to go it’s too early to miss one you want to make them both right that’s absolutely right you got to go make to both of them and then foul them immediately yourself actual fact that’s why Phoenix fouled him figuring that uh Loston have to come back and foul them and and match him on the free throw line in the first half Phenix was pretty good they were 12 for 12 I don’t know how many I’ve missed so far in this game but not many Jim got him both and Phoenix will use one of their three remaining timeouts so Celtics with no regular timeouts left but they do have a 22 timeout take the ball out under the basket yep they C they gain [Music] possession and called timeout Robert Paris to cover the inbounds pass here we go Armon gilam to make it comes into Chambers he’s immediately fouled by Dennis Johnson 1 second off the clock and Chambers who has not missed tonight at the free throw line is back there again he’s one of their best free throw [Music] shooters not 1 second off the clock now I thought they would have had to put the ball in play in at half court but uh if you call a timeout as after the ball has been inbounded which is what I think they did you must take the ball out underneath here’s the answer to your question Tom 25 of 26 in the line for the Suns Chambers is 11 of 11 and he has 32 points Tyron Corbin in for gillium who was on the court solely to make the inbounds pass Celtics have only 12 12 second timeout [Music] left little smile on the face of Chambers and he makes it here comes Brian Shaw a trying to free himself Shaw’s Over The Line and Danny is fouled immediately by hork with 2 seconds to go in the game now you got to think about missing one huh oh absolutely Celtics had all their little people in there with the exception of Robert Parish Boston will use that final 20 they have and out around the bottom of the free throw line that Circle and on the best side where you feel you have the which is Mel’s side right now the best side you think you have the advantage let M put his back on Chambers and then have the ball come to that side here it [Applause] comes and exactly what happened and it never hit the basket and the S lose possession of the ball and carton VI Simmons will use another one of his time outs here yep and he got to hit the rim with the ball and uh Fenix has elect to take the ball out near side Gilliam again will make the pass here we go into horachek and that’s going to do it Danny a got the bump no whistle and the Phoenix Suns for the first time in 10 years have won a game in the Boston Garden final score 106 Phoenix 104 [Music] Boston big reason these suns are 18 and 11 and 2 and0 on this East Coast road trip and that’s Tom Chambers well Chambers really is an excellent basketball player we kept talking about him a lot of people don’t like him but they got to love him when he makes plays like this he just knew where the opening was and knew how to get the shot and take it strong to the hoop and and a key part in the ball game you got to worry about fouling this guy because he’s an excellent foul shooter yep had a three-point shot mixed in there Tom Chambers really had a complete game for the Phoenix Suns tonight

Tom Chambers of the Phoenix Suns puts up 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists against the Boston Celtics to lead the Suns to their first win in the Boston Garden Since 1979 – showing why the Suns made Chambers the first-ever NBA unrestricted free agent signing.

This video is strictly intended for historical documentation and educational purposes. This video has been edited and modified to be in compliance with Fair Use guidelines.

Date: January 4, 1989

Box Score: https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198901040BOS.html

People in this video:
Cotton Fitzsimmons, Kevin Johnson, Jeff Hornacek, Eddie Johnson, Armen Gilliam, Mark West, Andrew Lang, Tyrone Corbin, Jimmy Rodgers, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Reggie Lewis, Ron Grandison, Brian Shaw, Jim Paxon, Brad Lohaus, Mark Acres, Larry Bird