[LeeBallanfant]

Of course Isiah Thomas blamed the officials for the OT.

DENVER (AP) — It was a night of understatements
and over-exertions as the Detroit Pistons
made three-way National Basketball Association
history beating the Denver Nuggets
186-184 in triple overtime.
"Before the game. I told Doug Moe that we
should make it the first team to 140 would win
the game. Little did I know how prophetic that
would be/' said Piston coach Chuck Daly.
•'They usually say the first team to 100 will
win the game/' he said. "But in this game, that
happened in the middle of the third quarter.
When Kelly (Tripucka) is on fire like he was in

him," Daly said.
"Not only have I never even remotely been in
any game like this, but I've never seen or heard
"about anything like this/' Daly said.

player. When the game is on the line, he just
makes unbelievable play after unbelievable
play."
Thomas, beaming a smile all over the locker
room- after the game, said, "I am much more
tired than normal — but I'm happy as hell right
now. This will all take awhile to sink in.
"Right now, I'm just glad we won this game on
the road and stopped the (three-game) lusing
ctrpglr **
Thomas said he thoughUie v/as fouled during
one play at the end of regulation, but it wasn't
called. "If it had been one of the regular officials,
that would have been the game, there. Wiih the
game on the line. I wasn't going to miss one
(free-throw) like that," he said.
Denver coach Doug Moe complained of the
officiating, too.
"If I can think of one key, it might have been _.. * -~ • . •
- - . . „ . . _ . .. .
jump (at 157-152 in first overtime). They tackled
Mike Evans just to foul, but there was no call,
and they scored and that got them back in it. I
thoufg ht that really hurt us," ho- said.
thought we played pretty good, but they were
great, and they made some fantastic shots. Obviously
we got tired out there, and we had a lot
of guys in foul trouble.
"We're going to take tomorrow off and then
get back to work on Thursday," Moe said

The NBA's old scoring record for one team
was 173 points on Feb. 27, 1959, by the Boston
Celtics in a regulation game. The two-team scoring
record was 337 points, San Antonio 171 and
Milwaukee 166, set in a triple-overtime contest
on March 6. 1982. at San Antonio. The Milwaukee-
San Antonio game also set the previous record
for most field goals made, with 136.
The Nuggets' Kiki Vandeweghe and Alex English
also set career high scores, Vandeweghe
with 51 points and English with 47.
The Pistons' winning surge came after Den-
Detroit then got two free throws from Bill Laimbeer
and then two straight breakaway layups by
John Long and Thomas to take a 183-179 advantage
with 54 seconds to play.
"I'homas hit two more free throws with 28 seconds
left for a 185-179 lead and the Nuggets
were unable to come back, although Richard
Anderson hit a three-point basket with two seconds
left to close out the game.