The Eras Tribune
Vol 1, No 1, Ed 3 NBA History via MyNBA Eras Oct 28, 1983
Dawkins seals the victory with clutch block on Nique

'Nique Explodes for 51, But Dawkins' Clutch Block Seals Nets' Thrilling Win Over Hawks

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Dominique Wilkins announced his arrival as a bona fide superstar with a breathtaking, career-high 51-point eruption, but it was “Chocolate Thunder” Darryl Dawkins and the New Jersey Nets who had the last laugh, snatching a nail-biting 96-93 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in a season-opening thriller at the Meadowlands. The game was a seesaw affair from the opening tip, featuring over 20 lead changes and neither team managing to build a lead larger than eight points.

Wilkins was a man possessed, particularly in the opening and closing stanzas. The "Human Highlight Film" poured in 18 points in the first quarter and matched that output in the fourth, willing his team to stay in the fight. He was virtually unstoppable in the first half, hitting an incredible 12 of his first 13 shots en route to 26 points by intermission. Though he cooled off in the third, scoring just seven points on 2-for-7 shooting, his overall offensive onslaught was a sight to behold.

While Wilkins was putting on a one-man show, his supporting cast struggled to keep pace, especially early. In a telling first quarter, Hawks players not named Dominique shot a frigid 3-for-19 from the field. Defensively, Tree Rollins was a monster in the paint for Atlanta, grabbing an astounding 23 rebounds and swatting away 9 shots, anchoring a Hawks defense that tried desperately to contain the deeper Nets.

New Jersey, however, showcased their balanced attack and frontcourt muscle. Otis Birdsong led the Nets with a smooth 28 points, but it was the work on the glass by Buck Williams (22 rebounds) and Dawkins (15 rebounds) that truly wore down the Hawks. The Nets' big men combined for a staggering 37 rebounds, including 15 on the offensive end, leading to a dominant 34-12 team advantage in offensive boards and numerous second-chance opportunities.

The game came down to the wire, and with the Hawks trailing 92-91 in the final 30 seconds, Wilkins drove to the basket, looking for the go-ahead layup. But Darryl Dawkins, a force all night with 12 points and 4 blocks, rose to the occasion, delivering a thunderous, game-saving rejection that sent the Meadowlands crowd into a frenzy and preserved the Nets' slim lead.

Despite Wilkins almost single-handedly outscoring the Nets' starting five, the Nets' overall team play and superior bench depth proved decisive. 'Nique has unequivocally thrown down the gauntlet, signaling his readiness for superstardom. The burning question in Atlanta, however, will be whether his individual brilliance can overcome apparent concerns about the team's supporting cast and their struggles on the boards against the league's elite frontcourts.

Johnsons Vinnie and Dennis

Pistons Outlast Celtics in Opening Night Thriller; Isiah's Fourth Quarter Heroics Seal the Deal

DETROIT, MI – Isiah Thomas erupted for 16 of his 22 points in a scintillating fourth-quarter display, leading the Detroit Pistons to a hard-fought 100-94 victory over the Boston Celtics in a thrilling season opener at the Pontiac Silverdome. The game was a back-and-forth affair for nearly its entirety, with Vinnie Johnson's early fireworks and Bill Laimbeer's relentless board work setting the stage for Thomas's late-game takeover.

The Pistons came out firing, with "The Microwave" Vinnie Johnson heating up instantly, pouring in 14 first-quarter points. With Celtics superstar Larry Bird struggling to find his offensive rhythm, Detroit surged to an early 19-10 lead. However, the Celtics, buoyed by the insertion of super-sub Kevin McHale, weathered the initial storm. McHale's energy and interior presence helped Boston chip away at the deficit, closing the gap to a mere 25-24 by the end of the first period.

The intensity didn't wane in the second quarter. Johnson continued his offensive assault for Detroit, reaching 20 points by halftime, while Bill Laimbeer was a monster on the glass, already having corralled 17 rebounds by the intermission. For the Celtics, their twin towers were making their presence felt, with Robert Parish contributing 9 points and 8 rebounds, and McHale adding 8 points and 8 boards of his own by the half. Isiah Thomas, relatively quiet in the scoring column through two quarters with just 4 points, was impacting the game with his playmaking, biding his time for a second-half surge.

After the Celtics erased Detroit's initial lead, the game transformed into a classic seesaw battle. Neither team could establish a significant advantage for long stretches, with leads frequently changing hands and the score remaining tight. Every time one team seemed poised to pull away, the other would answer with a run of its own.

It was in the pivotal fourth quarter that Isiah Thomas truly stamped his authority on the game. The Pistons' electrifying point guard took over, dissecting the Celtics' defense and scoring at will, ensuring Detroit would not be denied on this opening night.

The Celtics' frontcourt fought valiantly. Robert "Chief" Parish delivered a dominant performance, scoring 23 points on an incredibly efficient 10-for-11 shooting from the field while also grabbing 20 rebounds. McHale also contributed a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. However, their efforts were not enough to overcome Detroit's balanced attack and Thomas's clutch play. Larry Bird had an uncharacteristically off night, struggling to find his shooting touch throughout the contest, particularly in the second half where he shot a frigid 3-for-16 from the field, finishing with 21 points but on a tough 9-for-34 shooting. Vinnie Johnson finished with a game-high 27 points for the victorious Pistons, while Laimbeer ended his night with an astounding 24 rebounds to go with 13 points.

For the Pistons, this opening night victory serves as an early statement as they aim to ascend into the playoff picture after several seasons of rebuilding. Meanwhile, the Celtics, with their championship pedigree, aren't likely to let one off-night of shooting derail their quest to return to the NBA's pinnacle.

Jazz Seek Playoff Breakthrough Against High-Scoring Nuggets

DENVER, CO – The Utah Jazz, a franchise still searching for its first taste of postseason action, will open their 1983-84 campaign with a stiff road test against the explosive Denver Nuggets. The Jazz possess a potentially lethal offensive core, featuring the scoring prowess of Adrian Dantley (30.7 ppg in '82-83, albeit in just 22 games), Darrell "Dr. Dunkenstein" Griffith (22.2 ppg), and John Drew (21.2 ppg in 44 games). Anchoring their defense is the towering Mark Eaton, whose 3.4 blocks per game ranked third in the league last season, while playmaker Rickey Green (14 ppg, 8.9 apg, and a league second-best 2.8 spg) orchestrates the attack. The talent is undeniably there for Utah, but the critical questions remain: can their key cogs stay healthy, and is this the year they finally transform from pretenders to legitimate playoff contenders?

Standing in their way is a Denver Nuggets squad that plays basketball at a dizzying pace. The Nuggets boast the league's top two scorers from a year ago in Alex English and Kiki Vandeweghe, a dynamic duo that combined for a staggering 55 points per contest, with both impressively playing all 82 games. Denver led the NBA with an eye-popping 123.2 points per game last season, though their generosity on the defensive end was nearly equal, surrendering a league-worst 122.6 ppg. The high-scoring attack also features the ageless Dan Issel, the franchise's all-time leader in nearly every major category, who still poured in 21.6 ppg at age 34. While defensive stalwart T.R. Dunn, an All-Defensive Second Team pick, aims to clamp down on opposing guards, the Nuggets' success will likely hinge on their ability to simply outgun their opponents, a strategy that took them to 45 wins and the conference semifinals last season.