Many teams have had their second bye already, while a few have been playing one game every two days for the past three weeks. Two weeks from today, we will conclude this stage and bid farewell to 40 NBA champions for the time being. Two of those teams accepted their fates yesterday, while the rest remain to be seen.
Today, Groups E and H return to the court after taking yesterday off, while Groups C and D return from two days off. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Here's today's slate.
Group C
@ '68 Pittsburgh Pipers 100, '81 Boston Celtics 90
The Pipers trailed by a dozen less than ten seconds into the final frame, but held Boston without a field goal for over four minutes to climb back within two. Pittsburgh would take the lead less than a minute later and never looked back en route to their third win of the tournament. Charlie Williams had 24 points and six rebounds to lead the Pipers, Art Heyman added 22 and five, and Connie Hawkins finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five steals. Larry Bird paced the Celtics with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, while Robert Parish logged 15 points, 11 rebounds, and six steals, and Nate Archibald contributed 13 points and eight assists.
Boston was more than able to keep pace atop the group standings, hitting 57.1 percent of their shots and forcing 23 turnovers while keeping the Warriors out of the top four. Seven Celtics hit double figures, led by 25 points from Ray Allen while Paul Pierce scored 20 points and Kevin Garnett did had a near quintuple-nickel of 10 points, 16 rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and four steals. Paul Arizin turned the ball over seven times for Philly, but also managed 22 points and six rebounds, while Joe Graboski added 18 points and five rebounds and Neil Johnston finished with eight and nine.
'12 Miami Heat 98, @ '00 Los Angeles Lakers 87
The Heat keep that tie atop the standings intact despite an average shooting day, but they held the Lakers to just nine free throw attempts while shooting 24 of their own. LeBron James exploded for 35 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Dwyane Wade added 20, five, and five, and Chris Bosh chipped in 15 points and 11 rebounds for Miami. Shaquille O'Neal managed 25 points and 13 rebounds for Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant had 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists, and Glen Rice scored 13 points.
'05 San Antonio Spurs 92, @ '99 San Antonio Spurs 83
The '05 Spurs jump up to third place despite shooting under 40 percent, but they hit six of 11 threes and annihilated their '99 counterparts on the glass. It also helped that '05 Tim Duncan destroyed his younger self to the tune of 30 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks, Manu Ginobili scored 14 points, and Tony Parker put up 13 points and nine assists for '05 San Antonio. '99 Duncan finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, while David Robinson had 13 points, seven rebounds, and six blocks for the '99 Spurs.
Group E
@ '82 Los Angeles Lakers 117, '77 Portland Trail Blazers 112
The Lakers led by 16 at the half, but the Blazers battled back, coming within a single possession multiple times in the final quarter, but the Lakers had an answer at every turn as they picked up their sixth win and moved into a tie with Portland for third place. Mitch Kupchak had 15 points and 16 rebounds to lead Los Angeles, Jamaal Wilkes scored 26 points, Norm Nixon dropped 23, and Magic Johnson finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Maurice Lucas led Portland with 26 points and 15 rebounds, while Bill Walton logged 14 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks, and Bob Gross finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, and four steals.
The two teams combined for 100 made field goals and 134 rebounds, but Boston's interior defense got eaten alive in their ninth loss of the tournament while the Stars grab their fifth win. Zelmo Beaty continues to impress, this time exploding for 40 points, 26 rebounds, and four blocks, while Donnie Freeman added 24 points and six assists and Glen Combs chipped in 14 and six for Utah. Bill Russell paced the Celtics with 21 points, 26 rebounds, and five assists, while Bob Cousy added 21 points and eight assists and Tommy Heinsohn added 18 points and six rebounds.
@ '60 Boston Celtics 134, '92 Chicago Bulls 108
Boston shot 51.5 percent from the floor in their best performance of the tournament to grab a huge win against the group leader. Tommy Heinsohn went off for 30 points and eight rebounds, Frank Ramsey scored 16 points off the bench, and Bill Russell finished with 12 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks for the Celtics. Michael Jordan scored 27 points and pulled down six rebounds to lead the Bulls in their second loss, while Scottie Pippen added 21 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, and Bill Cartwright finished with 15 points and six boards.
@ '15 Golden State Warriors 109, '69 Boston Celtics 87
Golden State pulls to within a game (but two wins behind) the first place Bulls behind a 45 percent day from downtown while holding the Celtics to 36.6 percent shooting. Klay Thompson went off for 34 points and six assists, Steph Curry scored 21 points, and Andre Igoudala finished with nine points, 13 rebounds, and five assists off the bench for the Warriors. John Havlicek had 15 points and eight rebounds to pace Boston while Bill Russell logged eight points and 14 rebounds and Bailey Howell contributed 15 and eight.
Group H
The Spurs missed 14 free throws, yet still won by double digits to remain in second place in Group H. It helped that Tim Duncan went off for 28 points and 20 rebounds for San Antonio, while Tony Parker scored 18 points, Malik Rose put up 11 points and eight rebounds, and David Robinson added seven points and 11 rebounds. Bob Cousy had 19 points and nine assists to pace the Celtics, Bill Sharman scored 15 points, and Bill Russell finished with five points and 11 rebounds.
'80 Los Angeles Lakers 115, @ '10 Los Angeles Lakers 107
The '80 Lakers forced 18 turnovers by their counterparts from 2010 and shot 50 percent to keep their grip on third place intact. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a quadruple-nickel of 29 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks for '80 Los Angeles, Magic Johnson added 24 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, and Jamaal Wilkes finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, and four steals. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points for the '10 Lakers, while Andrew Bynum added 19 points and 16 rebounds and Ron Artest scored 17 points.
@ '13 Miami Heat 121, '59 Boston Celtics 111
Miami remains in first place despite only hitting four of 18 threes, but they made as many free throws as Boston attempted to grab their ninth win of the tournament. Dwyane Wade carried the scoring load with 34 points along with six rebounds and five assists, while LeBron James added 28, 11, and six, and Chris Bosh logged 12, 11, and six for the Heat. Bob Cousy led the Celtics with 23 points and six rebounds, Bill Russell added 14 points and 16 rebounds, and Bill Sharman finished with 19 points and eight assists.
'71 Milwaukee Bucks 118, @ '94 Houston Rockets 85
The Bucks get out of the log jam and into sole possession of fourth place with a blowout victory thanks to a dominant performance on the glass and lockdown defense that forced 21 Rocket turnovers. Oscar Robertson put up 24 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar added 22 points and 18 rebounds and Jon McGlocklin finished with 22 points and five assists for Milwaukee. Hakeem Olajuwon led Houston with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks, while Robert Horry scored 11 points and Mario Elie netted 10.
Group D
@ '07 San Antonio Spurs 112, '63 Boston Celtics 102
The Spurs shot 53.1 percent from the floor to keep pace with Cleveland. Boston had absolutely no answer for Tim Duncan, who went off for 31 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks, while Tony Parker added 24 points and nine assists and Manu Ginobili scored 17 points for San Antonio. John Havlicek had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, Bill Russell added 12 points, 22 rebounds, and four blocks, and Frank Ramsey scored 16 points off the bench.
'78 Washington Bullets 119, @ '76 Boston Celtics 104
Washington is trying to make a late surge for the Elimination Stage with their third straight victory thanks to a solid day from beyond the arc and balanced scoring while playing solid defense, holding the Celtics under 40 percent shooting. Mitch Kupchak scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench for the Bullets, while Bob Dandridge had 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, Elvin Hayes had 12 points and 16 rebounds, and Wes Unseld put up five points, 19 rebounds, and five assists. Dave Cowens had 12 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists to lead the Celtics, while Charlie Scott scored 23 points and Jo Jo White chipped in 20 points and five assists.
@ '16 Cleveland Cavaliers 106, '09 Los Angeles Lakers 100
Channing Frye drained a three early in the fourth quarter to give Cleveland the lead, and they wouldn't look back, using a 10-3 run later in the frame to effectively put the game away and maintain their one game lead on the '07 Spurs. Kevin Love led the offense this time with 26 points and nine rebounds, LeBron James added 23 points, eight rebounds, and 13 assists, and Kyrie Irving chipped in 17, eight, and 11 for the Cavaliers. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points for the Lakers but turned the ball over seven times, while Andrew Bynum added 22 points and 10 rebounds and Pau Gasol finished with nine points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Attrition continues to claim victims in Group D, as the Celtics crashed the boards repeatedly, grabbing 28 on the offensive side to help offset a 41.5 percent shooting day and give Boston its third win of the tournament. Bill Russell had 10 points and a tournament-high (as memory serves) 30 rebounds for the Celtics, while Tommy Heinsohn added 23 and 12 and Bob Cousy added 24 points, seven assists, and four steals. Magic Johnson paced the Lakers with 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, Byron Scott added 22 points and six steals, and James Worthy finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists.
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