Where was the Defense

    One of things that we are trying to find between this blog and the website that accompanies it, We are trying to find among other things is how high can the score go in a professional basketball game. Today we going to take a look at the anniversaries of some of the higher scoring games in professional basketball history.

   Today we are going to start on February 5, 1971 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. On that very day the Carolina Cougars welcomed the Louisville Colonels to one of their three home venues.  The first half of the contest did nothing to betray what would happen in a very wild second half. After the first quarter, the Colonels held a modest 34-30 lead. In the second quater the  Cougars tried to make their move, outscoring their visitors by a score of 37-25 to take a 67-59 lead into the locker room. A 67 point half in not kind of half that typically lands a team in the record books. Fans of the offense got a nice 42-41 third quarter with the Colonels shaving a point off the Cougars lead. The Cougars seemed to control the even numbered quarters. The reeled off a 48 point final quarter to claim a 156-139 win over the Colonels. A 89 point second half is much more likely to lead a team into the recordbooks. The Cougars were lead by Joe Caldwell who had 56 points.

   Sometimes it takes a strong start to win a game was never better illustrated then by the Boston Celtics on February 5, 1982 in their game at the famed Boston Garden against the Denver Nuggets. The Celtics quickly jumped out in front with a 50 point first quarter to take a 50-27 lead. The Nuggets took the second quarter will a strong 44-35 preformance. The Celtics still had a strong 85 point first half. The Nuggets shaved even more points off the Celtics lead in the third quarter. The Celtics held off a 34-28 charge by the Nuggets to win the game by a narrow margin of 145-144. Wow!!

   On February 5, 2006 at the Whatcom Pavilion in Bellingham, Washington the latest version of the American Basketball Association got into the act. The hometown Bellingham Slam slammed a 39 point fourth quarter against the Tijuana Dragons to gain a 157-113 win. A quartet of Slam players scored 20 or more points.

   Games like these do not happen everyday but when they do look out!! Tomorrow we will look at a true American legend. Have a great Super Bowl weekend.