Nov. 15, 1963 - The Philadelphia 76ers overcame a 67-52 third-quarter deficit tonight behind the shooting of Hal Greer and Lee Shaffer to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 99-97, before 4,703 at Philadelphia’s Convention Hall. The loss dropped Los Angeles into a tie for the NBA’s Western Division lead with St. Louis. Elgin Baylor, who led the Lakers with 30 points, scored 12 of them in the second period as L.A. overcame a ten-point 76er lead. In the last 7 minutes of the period, the Lakers outscored Philadelphia, 24-6, and moved into a 49-41 lead. Then West started hitting, and L.A. moved out by 15 points with 6:34 left in the third quarter. It was here that Philadelphia began its move, sparked by Greer, who finished with 33 points, and Shaffer, who had 23. Shaffer’s quick-handed follow-up shot of Chet Walker’s miss with 1:34 to play whisked the 76ers into a decisive 98-95 edge, but it was Greer’s jump shot which destroyed the last of the Laker’s 15-point bulge and hustled the 76ers to their second straight home conquest. After Shaffer’s clutch shot, reserve Laker backliner Dick Barnett blew a free throw and Elgin Baylor, all but hobbling on two calcium-stricken knees, missed a jumper for the Lakers. Barnett struck back with a left-handed hook with nine seconds to go, but Paul Neumann’s free throw eight seconds later opened the ultimate two-point gap for the home team. Commented Philadelphia head coach Dolph Schayes afterward: “In other games we’ve been behind in, we panicked and took bad shots. Tonight we were terrific, waiting for the good shot and hitting the offensive boards well.” Fred Schaus, the losers’ coach, held a different view: “Your story’s not here. It’s in the officials’ room. Ask ‘em what they hell they call traveling.”
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