Notes on a Scorecard - April 25, 1991

Everything you always wanted to know about the NBA playoffs:

Portland will defeat Boston for the championship. . . .

The last game could be played as late as June 19. It was played on April 7 in 1956. . . .

Jack Nicholson-row seats at the Forum are a bargain at $475 apiece, an increase of only $25 from the regular season. . . .

Phoenix vs. Utah may be the most attractive first-round pairing ever. . . .

After the Lakers lost the seventh game of the 1962 finals at Boston, center Ray Felix told a teammate, “Don’t worry, we’ll get ‘em tomorrow.” . . .

The team with the home-court advantage won 12 of 15 series last year. . . .

Magic Johnson has more than twice as many playoff career assists as runner-up Dennis Johnson. . . .

In Sport magazine, Bob Ryan picks the 1985-86 Boston Celtics as the best team ever. Beg to differ. It was the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers. . . .

No city has ever won NBA and NHL championships in the same season. . . .

The largest crowd for a playoff game was the 41,732 that saw Detroit’s victory over the Lakers in Game 5 of the 1988 finals at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich. . . .

During the Bill Russell era, the Celtics were 108-59 in the playoffs. . . .

During the Magic Johnson era, the Lakers are 115-53. . . .

The best Western Conference opening-round matchup: John Stockton vs. Kevin Johnson. . . .

The best Eastern Conference opening-round matchup: Dennis Rodman vs. Dominique Wilkins. . . .

Jerry West holds the record for the highest scoring average in a series, 46.3 points against the Baltimore Bullets in the 1965 Western Division finals. . . .

A center hasn’t been voted MVP of the finals since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1985. . . .

The most comfortable arena is the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. . . .

The least comfortable arena is the Garden in Boston. . . .

The Clipper franchise has reached the playoffs three times in 21 years--all in a row, 1974-76. As the Buffalo Braves, they won one series, lost three and compiled a 9-13 record. . . .

The best player not in the playoffs is Bernard King. . . .

If the New York Knicks upset Chicago in the first round, 320 books will be written about them. . . .

If the Knicks are swept, the tabloids will call for new President David Checketts’ head. . . .

The Lakers need offense from Terry Teagle and defense from Vlade Divac. . . .

Commissioner David Stern will announce during the finals that the NBA has signed a marketing deal with NASA to become the first league to play on the moon. . . .

If Utah eliminates Phoenix, Jazz President Frank Layden will celebrate at the dinner table. . . .

If Phoenix eliminates Utah, Layden will drown his sorrows at the dinner table. . . .

The next time Isiah Thomas criticizes a teammate, rumors about Thomas being traded to the Clippers will resurface. . . .

When a fight breaks out, fines will be stiff, and league personnel will tell reporters off the record, “We’re doing everything we can to stay away from being the NHL in shorts.” . . .

In 1970, Jerry West’s 63-foot shot sent Game 3 of the finals between the Lakers and the Knicks into overtime at the Forum. The Knicks won, 111-108. Under current rules, West’s shot would have counted for three points, and the Lakers would have won in regulation. . . .

The Lakers three-peated in 1968-70 when they lost in the finals three consecutive times. . . .

Boston beat Philadelphia in the 1965 Eastern Division championship series despite Wilt Chamberlain’s 220 rebounds in the seven games. . . .

The best game ever was Boston’s 128-126 triple-overtime victory over Phoenix in Game 5 of the 1976 finals. . . .

The least likely rematch: Mike Dunleavy vs. Karl Malone. . . .

Herman (Red) Klotz, whose Washington Generals have had their troubles against the Harlem Globetrotters, played for the 1948 champion Baltimore Bullets. . . .

Two .500 teams, Seattle and Indiana, got into the playoffs. . . .

Public address announcer Lawrence Tanter--enthusiastic and informative but not schmaltzy--lends class to the Forum operation. . . .

Robert Parish, 37, of Boston is the oldest player in the playoffs. . . .

Shawn Kemp, 21, of Seattle is the youngest player. . . .

This is being advertised as the deepest field ever, but the number of teams that won at least 50 games in the regular season is the same as last year--nine. . . .