Read Online When the Game Was Ours by Larry Bird - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Larry Bird
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thinking," Magic admitted.
After the meeting and the lineup change, the Spartans ripped off wins in 10 of their final 11 games.
The lone loss down the stretch came when Wisconsin's Wes Matthews (who would later become Magic's NBA teammate for the 1987â88 championship in Los Angeles) connected on a wild last-second bank shot at the buzzer in the season finale, 82â80.
Initially, the last-second defeat stung the Spartans, who truly believed they were not going to lose another game. Kelser remembers that his teammates were uncommonly deflated before Magic started to work the room, pounding backs and whacking shoulders.
"It's okay, their season is over," Johnson told them. "We still have business to take care of."
Knocking off Indiana State was at the top of their list. Bird's team was the number-one overall seed in the field of 40, an astounding transformation for a school that had averaged less than 3,000 fans a game before he arrived.
Indiana State knew its fortunes had changed when the students who used to play on the courts after practice began showing up earlier and earlier. After a while, the number of people watching them work out had swelled to over 100 and Hodges was forced to close practice. That did not deter the "gym rats" from showing up anyway.
"I'd look through the windows on the gym doors, and you could see all these heads jostling to get a look," said Dr. Bob Behnke, the team trainer.
By the end of the season, fans were lining up outside the Hulman Center at 3:30 P.M. for a 7:30 game. Since the student section did not have assigned seats, when the doors opened at 6:00, there was a mad rush for the open spots. The fans were allowed into the gym in the middle level of a three-tier building. Bird and his teammates would stand in the tunnel on the first level and watch as their fellow students stampeded one another to get a better view of their beloved basketball team.
More often than not, the effort was worth it. Early in the season in a two-point game against Illinois State, Hodges called a time-out in the final seconds with the score tied and Indiana State in possession of the ball. Behnke remembered watching Hodges draw up an elaborate play on his chalkboard that involved double screens and back picks.
Nicks was assigned the task of inbounding the ball. As he and Bird walked out of the huddle and toward the court, Behnke heard Bird say to his friend, "Hey, Carl, just get it to me."
"So I did," Nicks said. "And you know what happened. Larry scored to win it."
The most titillating victory of the year, however, featured Bird in a supporting role. By February 1, 1979, Indiana State had won 18 in a row, but in a game with New Mexico State they were trailing by 2 points with 3 seconds to play. The Aggies' Greg Webb was at the line, while Bird and Nicks were stuck on the bench, having fouled out of the game.
Hodges called time-out, reminded his players to stay levelheaded,
then went about divvying up responsibilities for the final seconds. Heaton, who was in the game, waited for his assignment, but in all the confusion Hodges had neglected to tell him where to go.
As each team broke from their huddle, the partisan New Mexico State crowd leaped to its feet bellowing, "18â1! 18â1!" Slab Jones, their star, sauntered past the Indiana State bench ribbing Bird and Nicks, "Too bad your streak is over."
Heaton, unsure of where to go, hustled underneath the team's basket, then realized he was too deep and would have no time to shoot even if he did get the ball. He migrated to half-court and waited.
Webb's free throw clanged short. ISU's Brad Miley controlled the rebound and quickly relayed it to Heaton. The player Bird affectionately called "Heater" didn't hesitate: he hoisted a 50-foot bomb just before the buzzer sounded.
"I thought it was going clear over the backboard," Heaton said.
Heaton groaned. The ball started its descent and, incredibly, banked in.
The shot pulled the plug on
After the meeting and the lineup change, the Spartans ripped off wins in 10 of their final 11 games.
The lone loss down the stretch came when Wisconsin's Wes Matthews (who would later become Magic's NBA teammate for the 1987â88 championship in Los Angeles) connected on a wild last-second bank shot at the buzzer in the season finale, 82â80.
Initially, the last-second defeat stung the Spartans, who truly believed they were not going to lose another game. Kelser remembers that his teammates were uncommonly deflated before Magic started to work the room, pounding backs and whacking shoulders.
"It's okay, their season is over," Johnson told them. "We still have business to take care of."
Knocking off Indiana State was at the top of their list. Bird's team was the number-one overall seed in the field of 40, an astounding transformation for a school that had averaged less than 3,000 fans a game before he arrived.
Indiana State knew its fortunes had changed when the students who used to play on the courts after practice began showing up earlier and earlier. After a while, the number of people watching them work out had swelled to over 100 and Hodges was forced to close practice. That did not deter the "gym rats" from showing up anyway.
"I'd look through the windows on the gym doors, and you could see all these heads jostling to get a look," said Dr. Bob Behnke, the team trainer.
By the end of the season, fans were lining up outside the Hulman Center at 3:30 P.M. for a 7:30 game. Since the student section did not have assigned seats, when the doors opened at 6:00, there was a mad rush for the open spots. The fans were allowed into the gym in the middle level of a three-tier building. Bird and his teammates would stand in the tunnel on the first level and watch as their fellow students stampeded one another to get a better view of their beloved basketball team.
More often than not, the effort was worth it. Early in the season in a two-point game against Illinois State, Hodges called a time-out in the final seconds with the score tied and Indiana State in possession of the ball. Behnke remembered watching Hodges draw up an elaborate play on his chalkboard that involved double screens and back picks.
Nicks was assigned the task of inbounding the ball. As he and Bird walked out of the huddle and toward the court, Behnke heard Bird say to his friend, "Hey, Carl, just get it to me."
"So I did," Nicks said. "And you know what happened. Larry scored to win it."
The most titillating victory of the year, however, featured Bird in a supporting role. By February 1, 1979, Indiana State had won 18 in a row, but in a game with New Mexico State they were trailing by 2 points with 3 seconds to play. The Aggies' Greg Webb was at the line, while Bird and Nicks were stuck on the bench, having fouled out of the game.
Hodges called time-out, reminded his players to stay levelheaded,
then went about divvying up responsibilities for the final seconds. Heaton, who was in the game, waited for his assignment, but in all the confusion Hodges had neglected to tell him where to go.
As each team broke from their huddle, the partisan New Mexico State crowd leaped to its feet bellowing, "18â1! 18â1!" Slab Jones, their star, sauntered past the Indiana State bench ribbing Bird and Nicks, "Too bad your streak is over."
Heaton, unsure of where to go, hustled underneath the team's basket, then realized he was too deep and would have no time to shoot even if he did get the ball. He migrated to half-court and waited.
Webb's free throw clanged short. ISU's Brad Miley controlled the rebound and quickly relayed it to Heaton. The player Bird affectionately called "Heater" didn't hesitate: he hoisted a 50-foot bomb just before the buzzer sounded.
"I thought it was going clear over the backboard," Heaton said.
Heaton groaned. The ball started its descent and, incredibly, banked in.
The shot pulled the plug on
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