Bird's Celtics, meanwhile, had run aground against Julius Erving and the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals and lost 4-1. Coached by Billy Cunningham, the 76ers had finished 59-23, just two games behind Boston during the regular season. They brought a strong, veteran lineup to face the Lakers for the 1980 title. Julius Erving was still at the top of his high-flying flying game. "I don't think about my dunk shots," he had said during the Boston series. "I just make sure I have a place to land." But Kareem quickly overmatched Philadelphia's centers, Caldwell Jones and Darryl Dawkins, and put L.A. in position to win the championship. In Game I in the Forum he scored 33 points, with 14 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 5 assists, to push the Lakers ers to a 109-102 win. Nixon had 23 points and Wilkes finished with 20 while doing an excellent double-team job on Erving. "Every time I caught the ball I had two people on me," the 76ers star said afterward. Magic, too, was a factor tor with 16 points, 9 assists, and 10 rebounds.
In the earlier rounds of the playoffs, Westhead had begun playing Johnson at power forward on offense, while Nixon and sixth man Michael Cooper ran the backcourt. "That's our best lineup," the coach told reporters.
Kareem scored 38 in Game 2, but Philly's team effort was impressive. They virtually shut down the vaunted Lakers fast break and did it without fouling. The 76ers led by as much as 20 in the fourth period, but the Lakers raced back, trimming the lead to 105-104 late in the game. Then Bobby Jones popped in a jumper with seven seconds left, and that was enough for a 107-104 Philly win that tied the series at one-all.
The Lakers blamed the loss on the "distractions" of Spencer Haywood, who had fallen asleep during pregame stretching exercises. Once an ABA star and now a Lakers reserve, Haywood had been disgruntled most of the season, at one point saying that Westhead's reasons for not playing him more were "lies." The Forum fans loved Haywood, and he often encouraged their affection tion by waving a towel to urge their chanting his name. Game 2 brought the final straw, however, when he picked a fight with teammate Brad Holland. Afterward Westhead suspended Haywood for the remainder of the season, which left the Lakers thin in the frontcourt just when they needed the help.
Westhead made two key defensive switches for Game 3. First, he moved Jim Chones to cover Dawkins. With only the nonshooting Caldwell Jones to worry about, Kareem parked his big frame in the lane and dared the 76ers to drive in. Then Westhead switched Magic to covering Lionel Hollins on the perimeter, which stifled Philly's outside game. The result was a 111-101 Lakers ers win. Kareem had again given the 76ers a headache-33 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 assists. And once again he got plenty of help from Nixon, Johnson, and Wilkes.
As expected, Philly lashed back for Game 4. The lead switched back and forth through the first three periods, then the 76ers took control in the fourth. Dr. J unleashed one of his more memorable moves, scooting around Lakers reserve Mark Landsberger on the right to launch himself. In midair, headed toward the hoop, Erving encountered Kareem. Somehow the Doctor moved behind the backboard and freed his right arm behind Kareem to put it in. It was pure magic, the Philly variety, and the 76ers went on to even the series at two-all with a 105-102 win.
All of which served to set up a marvelous Game 5 back at the Forum. L.A. clutched to a two-point lead late in the third quarter when Kareem twisted his left ankle and went to the locker room. At that juncture, he had 26 points and was carrying the Lakers despite an uneven performance from Magic. But the rookie took over with the captain out. He scored six points and added an assist as L.A. moved up by eight.
That was enough to buy time for Abdul-Jabbar, who limped back into the game early in the fourth period. His appearance aroused the Forum regulars, and despite the bad ankle, he acknowledged their support by scoring 14 points down the stretch. With the game tied at 103 and 33 seconds left, Kareem scored, drew the foul, and finished Philly by completing the three-point point play. L.A. won 108-103 and took the series lead, 3-2.
That next morning, Thursday, May 15, the Lakers arrived at Los Angeles International Airport for their flight to Philly and learned that Kareem wouldn't be making the trip. His ankle was so bad, doctors told him to stay home and try to get ready for Game 7. Westhead was worried about the effect the news would have on the team.
In a private meeting, the coach told Magic he would have to move to center. No problem, the young guard replied. He had played center in high school and loved challenges such as the one he was about to face.
MAGIC JOHNSON: "Paul's fear was that we couldn't match up with Dawkins and Caldwell Jones. I told him I could play Caldwell Jones, and he looked at me like, `Jesus, he's seven feet tall!' He couldn't believe that I could match up. I told him, `Coach, on the other end, what are they gonna do with us? Who's gonna guard the guys we're gonna have?' And that's what he couldn't understand. stand. Because once we got the ball, we were gone. We beat Philadelphia in the transition game because they couldn't keep up."
