Things I observed:
Russell on free throws launches the ball with one hand -- reminds me of Anthony Mason.
Heinsohn lines up off center when he shoots his free throws.
Frank Selvy just chucks up a shot whenever the ball gets near him. Just a conscienceless gunner—on a team with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.
West is one of the players whose moves look modern to me -- he did a nice crossover followed by a finger roll that you could see in today’s NBA. Meanwhile Cousy, for all my love for him as a broadcaster, looks primitive -- he dribbles very high and right in front of his body (how did he not have more turnovers?), he shoots flat-footed and off balance, and even though he had some nifty passes, he has some had some out-of-control moments. And yet he was effective.
I am surprised at the lack of patience for setting up the low post. Almost every play is a high-post pick that ends with a midrange "jumper" (to the extent they jump at all). Only a few times does Russell get deep with his back to the basket and try to post up, and that was for a big, sweeping hook.
Sam Jones looks very quick, but West put him in the torture chamber a few times, killing him with a turnaround.
Auerbach from the bench at one point calls out for the defense to sag (the play-by-play guy mentions it) and all of a sudden Cousy and Sam Jones blitz the ball handler and cause a turnover --- Red being crafty!
It is surprising how quick each possession is -- no need for a shot clock-- a ten second possession was the norm. Halftime score 66-52!
Heinsohn got lots of his points on 15 footers. Twice when he drove he was called for offensive fouls that would be defensive fouls in 2020.
Havlicek gets a cut and is bleeding they don’t stop play.
Russell has no respect for the shooting of the Laker big men. He leaves Wiley and Krebs wide open for short jumpers and hangs by the basket, ready to cut off any drives. No way you'd get away with that defense today. Of course, Wiley and Krebs both throw up bricks when left unguarded, so Russell knew his business. In one possession Russell obliterates a West layup attempt by lying in wait under the basket. West beats his man but Russ is right there.
I never heard of Rudy LaRusso, but he was killing the Celtics from the wing.
Balding, pot-bellied Clyde Lovellette doesn’t play in the game, but I spotted him in the huddle during a timeout. He looks like he's there for an over-50 YMCA league.
Class move by the Laker fans to give Cousy an ovation – his last game in the NBA.
Elgin Baylor with a huge dunk in the middle of the 4th – the man was fast and strong. I think it is the only dunk of the game.
Dick Bennett (whom I associate with the Knicks) really hurts the Lakers in the end. They were coming back had closed within one point, and Bennett travels, giving up the ball, then commits a needless foul as the Celts come up the court. A potential four-point swing and the Lakers were never were able to close.
With about three minutes left, Baylor misses a jumper, and the rebound pops up, dropping through the basket. The officials don’t award the basket to anyone, and the commentator notes it will be recorded in the box score as a “no-player basket.” Yet the official stats show all 109 Laker points are credited to the various players. So after the game did someone look at the film and award that stray basket?
Heinsohn gets a huge offensive rebound to seal the game.
The play-by-play man calls a free throw a “penalty shot” a couple of times.
Red in the postgame – “God almighty, wonderful!” “I’m gonna tell you something – I hope everybody that’s been writing about those Lakers, and the fact that we were dead, I hope they know who won the world championship…”