Reusse: Celtics’ arrival and Fuzzy Zoeller’s death stir memories from 41 years ago

There were some colliding events that took place here at the end of November that served as a reminder of long-ago East Coast sports drama. First came the sadness of golf legend Fuzzy Zoeller’s death on Thanksgiving. On Saturday, it was the annual visit by the Boston Celtics to Target Center.

How do they relate?

Through the generosity of the St. Paul newspaper’s former travel budget in the spring of 1984, I was able to cover a pair of games in the Boston Garden during the fabulous Lakers-Celtics seven-game NBA Finals. And as eventful was being at Winged Foot days later for the 84th U.S. Open, when Zoeller rallied on Sunday and then drubbed Greg Norman in an 18-hole playoff Monday.

We might imagine a long-term Magic Johnson-Larry Bird championship rivalry started in 1979 when Michigan State (Magic) defeated Indiana State (Bird) 75-64 in the national title game.

In fact, Bird’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers met only three times in the NBA Finals: back-to-back in 1984 and ’85, and again in 1987. And when it comes to drama, the Celtics in seven games the first time stands among the greatest all-time NBA series.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch at the time was a 14-year-old kid growing up in Pennsylvania. He was asked Saturday which team he was rooting for in that must-see series.

“I grew up as a Sixers fan, so it was really hard to root for either,” Finch said. “Actually, when I really started to watch basketball … I was probably a secret Celtics fan that time, with Bird."

I was there for Game 2, when the Lakers were ready to go back home up 2-0, and then Gerald Henderson stole a pass made by L.A.’s James Worthy. Radio play-by-play lifer Johnny Most’s gravelly, foaming-with-excitement “Henderson stole the ball” still lives with generations of Celtics fans.

Boston won it 124-121 in overtime. Deadlines being generous back then, I cranked out a gamer down in a basement media room. On departure, it looked like a rat circus in the hallway.

There was a return to the Garden for Game 5. The heat was stifling that night. I was talking to Dan Shaughnessy, then the Boston Globe beat writer, and this was his tribute:

“The heat was ridiculous. The players were dragging themselves to the bench. Bird was the only guy who seemed unaffected. He was tremendous.”

Indeed: 34 points and 17 rebounds for Bird in a 121-103 Celtics blowout.

The Celtics would also win Game 7 at home to take that spellbinding series. By then, I was at Winged Foot for a spellbinding major.

You could smell the millions of the club’s membership, but there were also enough rowdies in the galleries to get my first example of New York-level taunting of big-time golfers.

Hale Irwin was playing yellow golf balls at the time. He was the leader in the third round, when a young collection of fans followed him around and chanted, “Play white balls,” constantly. Hale’s head turned red with anger, and he went down the leaderboard.

Fuzzy was steadfast down the stretch. Norman created the opening on the 72nd hole, setting up the playoff Monday. And in the playoff, the Shark was in full major choke mode with a 75, compared to Zoeller’s 67.

Zoeller lived to regret a crack he made toward Tiger Woods — that Woods would choose “fried chicken” for the annual champions meal for the Masters. After a time, the “Fuzzy” chants returned as he approached any green.

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The Celtics were here for a late afternoon start. They continue to be without star Jayson Tatum because of an Achilles injury. Both teams came in at 10-8, giving the Wolves a chance to put an end to not having beaten a winning team (0-8).

The Woofies were horrible at the end of the first half and trailed 69-59 at the break. They were much better on defense for much of the second half and took a 110-98 lead. And then they gave up 12 in a row — threatening to use a third late-game collapse to push a losing streak to four.

Then, Anthony Edwards used a stumble, a fumble and a self-admitted “prayer” for a three-pointer to fight off the feisty C’s. Another unimpressive finish, but our so-far shallow, unsteady NBA club must take any break it can get: