On this day in Boston Celtics history, Hall of Fame big man Dominique Wilkins scored 43 points in a 112-109 win over the Houston Rockets back in 1994 as The Human Highlight Reel put on a show for the ages on the same day another Celtics star did three decades and a year prior to the day (more on that later).
The huge game for Wilkins came on the road against the eventual NBA Champions at The Summit, their home arena in Houston. The Paris, France native’s full stat line for the night was 43 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal, with 7 turnovers and 5 personal fouls across 41 minutes of playing time.
The Georgia product shot 16-of-27 from the floor overall, and a sizzling 5-of-6 from 3, going 6-of-9 from the charity stripe in the eighth-most points Wilkins ever scored in a game.
That other game that happened 31 years prior to the day saw legendary Celtic forward John Havlicek hang 43 on an opponent as well, in this instance the (then) Baltimore Bullets (now, Washington Wizards).
The game was played at a neutral site in New York City, New York, and Hondo scored 43 points on 18-of-34 shooting, including hitting 7 of his 8 free throw attempts.
Unfortunately for posterity, the other counting stats are lost to the sands of time, as the rest of the Ohio State alum’s production was not recorded.
Finally, it is also the birthday of former Boston big man Guerschon Yabusele.
Born this day in 1995 in Dreux, France, Yabu — as he is often called — began playing with the youth sections of Chorale Roanne Basket in 2012 for his first organized basketball. He would join the Roanne LNB Pro B in 2013, and the LNB Pro A in 2015, the best league in France, catching the eye of the Celtics.
Boston would draft Yabusele with the 16th pick of the 2016 NBA draft, and spent the next season overseas in China with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Yabu would then join the Celtics in 2017, spending much of his time over the next two seasons with the (then) Maine Red Claws (now, Celtics), Boston’s developmental affiliate. He would average 2.3 points and 1.3 boards with the Celtics between 2017 and 2019.
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