The Doctor Opens Up His Medicine Bag

Thirteen seconds after his return Erving hit with a driving double-pump jumper, which put New York ahead 111-108. Thompson promptly wiped that out with a three-point play. With 39 seconds left, the Nets called time to set up a play for—yes, The Doctor. After a quick head-fake, he drove by Jones on the right baseline and spun in a reverse left-handed layup. Nets 113-111. Before that he had blocked one shot by Jones and another by Chuck Williams. "You don't even see him," Jones said. "He comes out of nowhere."

Thompson's charging foul with 23 seconds to play cost Denver an opportunity to tie the game. But before it ended, Erving fattened his own point total (31) and the score (117-111) with two foul shots and a slashing yo-yo dunk.

Brown was bitter about the call on Thompson who, he said, was in tears. "The game was stolen from us," the coach said. "You don't have to be a genius to know that. You think Thompson gets breaks? The question is, was it a foul or not a foul? Thompson goes to the basket more and faster than anybody, and he never goes to the line. Julius goes to the basket, and you know he's got a bucket, and if he falls down they're going to call a foul. For David, never."

Erving was surprised to hear that Thompson was in tears. "He's crying because he missed a shot?" Julius said incredulously. "I missed a lot of shots my rookie year, but I didn't cry. I just went in, took the rebound and then made the shot."

Two nights later Erving resumed his usual first-quarter role (six points) and Denver got off to a 34-29 advantage, three times leading by 11. But The Doctor began his shake-and-fake routine, which seemed to mesmerize the Nuggets, and by halftime the Nets led 61-57. Then Erving really got going, scoring 12 in the third quarter and nine in the fourth. He wound up with 34 points (14 of them on dunks), 15 rebounds and six assists. The final score was 121-112, but the game was not that close.

Afterwards Erving allowed that it would be nice to win the championship at home in front of the Nets fans, as they had two seasons earlier—but if they could end it in the fifth game in Denver, the Nets would just as soon not wait. "We're going there and let it all hang out," he said, staring into a camera from ABC, which was filming a segment on him for Wide World of Sports.

He spoke easily, laughed often. The Nets were in a powerful position, and their star was enjoying it. He brushed aside a remark about the Nets being underdogs, 'We've always had a quiet confidence," he said. "We never go out and say we are a better team." He laughed. "We may think it, but we never say it. And we did wonder some in the beginning. Now we know what we can do against them. Offensively, we know we can go by them. We can get layups. The stuffs. In the regular season it was as though we just had to take the first jumper we could. But no more."

As usual when people talk to Erving, his stuff shot quickly becomes the subject. A radio broadcaster wanted to know if he always felt confident about making it.

"No. Sometimes when I start a play I never know if I will be able to do what I would like. But I always go ahead and try. I guess it's sort of like daring to be great. And if it works, fine." He shrugged. "And if it doesn't, well, the team is always behind me. The coach is behind me. Next time, I just try something else."

Another broadcaster asked if, when a play works as he planned it and he later watches his magic on film, doesn't that give him a great feeling?