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FLASHBACK 37: May 25, 1984


*FLASHBACKS, my irregular "lucky dip" where I just reach into my drawers of old Australian basketball stuff and transcribe whatever I find for you.

BREAKING from the usual FLASHBACK tradition here of grabbing something historical to share with you, to instead commemorate a landmark. It was today, 30 years ago to the day – May 25, 1984 – Hall of Fame guard Al Green set the NBL single-game individual point scoring record while playing for West Adelaide Bearcats against Frankston SABA Bears at Frankston. Here’s how it was reported.

 

Green's record scoring haul

AL Green has included an NBL record 71-point game in a 149-point scoring extravaganza for West Adelaide Bearcats on a three-game NBL road trip.

“Dr Dunkenstein” added 46 points against Bankstown and 32 against Melbourne but while the American superstar was an unstoppable force, the Bearcats went 0-3 on the trip.

And that has the 1982 NBL champs and 1983 runners-up on the brink of playoff elimination.

“We can mathematically make the finals but I just don’t think this year’s team is good enough,” he candidly admitted.

“If we can’t beat Frankston, Bankstown and Melbourne, then what will happen against teams like Brisbane and Geelong?

“All the guys took the losses like men. There’s no animosity among the team.

“I will go to the finals to watch and it will make me bitter that we’re not there.

“I’m going to do all I can to make sure West gets back there next season.”

For the record, Green’s 71 points against Frankston – which broke the previous mark of 63 held by Reg Biddings but set in a 40-minute game – came on 25-of-41 shooting or 61 per cent.

His tally included four three-pointers and he was 17-of- 22 from the free throw line.

He also had five assists and five rebounds.

“I felt good and the shots I was taking were going in,” he said.

“I couldn’t miss.

“It was definitely my best effort in a losing side.”

By halftime Green had managed “only” 25 points but stepped up a gear with 46 in the second half.

“We were getting embarrassed by Frankston and I had to take matters into my hands,” he said.

The Bears still won comfortably 153-125.

Green followed up with 46 against Bankstown in an 89-108 loss before his 32-point game against Melbourne Tigers at Albert Park.

Against the Tigers, who were led by Brian Goorjian’s 31-point haul, with Al Westover adding 26 and Andrew Gaze 25, Green was held to four first-half points.

But he cut loose after the interval despite West completing a hat-trick of road losses 111-127.

The highlight of that match though was Goorjian’s three-point shooting, 30 of his 31 points coming off his 10-made three-pointers, an NBL record in a weekend which started and finished with records.



May 25

Content, unless otherwise indicated, is © copyright Boti Nagy.