A program note on ‘biggest loser’

I have often thought about a game that took place in the Old Garden on the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 4, 1973. On that day, the 42-10 Celtics played the 4-53 76ers. A little background is necessary.

This was the seventh and final game of the season series. At the beginning of the season, the Celtics, coming off a 56-26 year, were expected to be good. The 76ers, who had gone 30-52 the year before, had lost Billy Cunningham to the ABA and everyone knew it would be, to be polite, a rebuilding year. But no one expected it to be a disaster year.

They did have a new coach. Roy Rubin had been a success at Long Island University, but he had no professional experience. Let’s just say he did not turn out to be an inspired pick.

The Celtics and Sixers first met in Boston on Oct. 23. The 6-0 Celtics beat the 0-5 Sixers, 105-85, prompting Rubin to say, “I’m trying to spot young players with veterans, and it’s going to take some time for us to do something.’’

It never happened.

By the time the teams met again on Dec. 1, the Celtics were 18-3 and the Sixers were 2-22. The Celtics loafed their way through a 105-99 win, making coach Tom Heinsohn very unhappy. It was an attitude that would continually resurface as the Celtics defeated the 76ers three more times, leading to a meeting in Philadelphia on the night of Feb. 3 (back-to-backs were very much in vogue in those days). The cocky, arrogant Celtics again tried to win the game by taking shortcuts, and at the end of the third period they trailed by 6. They managed to pull it out, 104-100, but Heinsohn was fuming, and never mind that John Havlicek didn’t play because of a knee injury. A 41-10 team should have its way with a 4-52 team, or so you would think.