ABA-NBA RIVALRY HIT A PEAK DURING PRE-SEASON MATCHUPS

[Before the 1971-72 season,] NBA and ABA teams squared off for another round of preseason interleague games. Once again, nearly all were held in neutral or ABA cities. NBA teams prevailed in 25 of the 34 contests, but 14 wins came by 10 points or less, and half of those by 5 or less. Regardless of what the players said on the surface, the games mattered. "Those NBA-ABA games were intense," recalled Boston Globe writer Bob Ryan, who remembered a specific game when Celtics coach Tom Heinsohn was assessed seven technical fouls by referee Jack Madden before being ejected. Larry Brown added "Tommy Heinsohn would say that we were playing to win and they weren't, but I'd check the box score and see that Tommy played his regulars 35 to 40 minutes, so what does that tell you?"

- Connie Kirchberg, Hoop Lore