Dec. 20, 1963 - The Royals survived a sluggish first half, got key second-half performances from Jerry Lucas and Jack Twyman plus the usual all-around show by Oscar Robertson (pictured #14), and defeated the floundering Baltimore Bullets, 103-96, tonight at Cincinnati Gardens. Robertson tallied 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and dished out 8 assists along the way, but Twyman, with 16 of his 22 points and 13 of his 16 rebounds coming in the second half, and Lucas, getting all but 1 of his 13 points and 10 of his 15 rebounds in the same stretch, were key men in beating back Baltimore. Walt Bellamy and Terry Dischinger delivered a blistering 2-man assault for Baltimore, recording 32 and 27 points respectively, but no other Bullet scored more than 11, and the Bullets’ much-touted rookie, Gus Johnson, was held to 8. For Cincinnati, Jerry Lucas’s progress can be measured by leaps and bounds. He has already erased Maurice Stokes’s one-game rebounding record among the Royals with his sure-handed backboard retrieving. “Luke is rebounding the way I thought he would,” coach Jack McMahon said tonight, “but we’re still working on his offensive moves. He’s always been a pivot-man.” Playmaker Robertson added: “He’s got to be point-conscious. He’s got to think the way Pettit, Baylor, and the other good forward think. Jerry’s got to look for that first fast step on his man. A forward’s got to drive, especially when you’re playing in a league with Wilt and Russell. When you drive, they can’t bother you as much as they can when you’re not moving in.” Said Lucas: “I’m getting more confidence in my shooting. At first, it was tough adjusting to the forward position. I lacked that split-second timing needed to get my shots away. I’ve never played forward before. But I’m not afraid to play in this league. I never was.” “I’m enjoying basketball now more than I have ever have before,” Jerry continued. “I guess it’s because there’s no pressure of a winning streak like there was at Ohio State. There’s no studies to worry about. You don’t have that tension. I’m more settled and relaxed these days.”
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