Original upload date: Fri, 19 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT
Archive date: Thu, 02 Dec 2021 07:57:41 GMT
May 30, 1987 - Detroit Pistons forward Adrian Dantley averaged 24.5 points a night through the first six games of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. But with the clock winding down in the third quart
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er of Game 7, disaster struck, sending Dantley to the hospital as his team headed into the most important quarter in modern franchise history.
With eight seconds left in the period, Dantley bumped heads with teammate Vinnie Johnson, rendering Dantley unconscious. Dantley's premature departure (he'd scored 18 points up to that point) left the Boston Celtics free to guard the rest of the Pistons one-on-one, contrary to the typical double teams they'd been sending Dantley's way all series.
Pistons shooting guard Joe Dumars picked up the slack, shooting 15-of-21 and scoring 35 points in all but it wasn't enough. A late Danny Ainge 3-pointer moved the Celtics lead out of reach, culminating in a 117-114 Boston victory, eliminating the Pistons from playoff contention in the process.
Dantley was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital and was diagnosed with a mild concussion.
Story (LA Times): http://articles.latimes.com/1987-05-31/sports/sp-9422_1_boston-celtics/2
Box Score: https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198705300BOS.html
