The Old School JPS
05-12-2006, 05:21 PM
On May 13, 1976 former Kentucky player Dan Issel had 30 points and 20 rebounds in the final ABA game ever played.
It was Game6 of the ABA Championship series between Issel's Denver Nuggets and the New York Nets. New York was the home team but Denver had their way through most of the game. Isselhad 30 points and 20 rebounds in the game and his teammate David Thompson scored 42 points. The Nuggets had a 22 point lead over the Nets late in the third quarter.
The Nets,desperate to avoid a game 7 in Denver and wantingto win the series in front of their own fans, fought back latein the game. Using a zone press to shut down Denver's guards the Nets climbed back into the game and with some clutch basketspulled out a great comeback win 112-106 and won the final ABA championship. The Nets' Julius Erving was named the season and playoff Most Valuable Player; Thompsonended the season winning the final ABARookie of the Year award and was the MVP of that season's ABA All Star game. Issel was the center on the ABA All Star Second Team behind his former teammate, the Kentucky Colonels' Artis Gilmore. Denver's Larry Brown was ABA Coach of the Year.
That season, Issel averaged 23 points per game for the Nuggets, scoring almost 2,000 points in the season to go with 442 rebounds, 396 assists, 100 steals, 56 blocked shots and shooting percentages of 51.2% from the floor and 81.6% from the line.
It was Game6 of the ABA Championship series between Issel's Denver Nuggets and the New York Nets. New York was the home team but Denver had their way through most of the game. Isselhad 30 points and 20 rebounds in the game and his teammate David Thompson scored 42 points. The Nuggets had a 22 point lead over the Nets late in the third quarter.
The Nets,desperate to avoid a game 7 in Denver and wantingto win the series in front of their own fans, fought back latein the game. Using a zone press to shut down Denver's guards the Nets climbed back into the game and with some clutch basketspulled out a great comeback win 112-106 and won the final ABA championship. The Nets' Julius Erving was named the season and playoff Most Valuable Player; Thompsonended the season winning the final ABARookie of the Year award and was the MVP of that season's ABA All Star game. Issel was the center on the ABA All Star Second Team behind his former teammate, the Kentucky Colonels' Artis Gilmore. Denver's Larry Brown was ABA Coach of the Year.
That season, Issel averaged 23 points per game for the Nuggets, scoring almost 2,000 points in the season to go with 442 rebounds, 396 assists, 100 steals, 56 blocked shots and shooting percentages of 51.2% from the floor and 81.6% from the line.
