They’d already watched him rack up 51 and 50 points in games earlier that season, so a high-scoring performance by New Orleans teammate Pete Maravich came as no surprise. But this was different. On Feb. 25, 1977, future Hall of Famer “Pistol Pete” fired in 31 points by halftime, connecting on shots from all over the Superdome hardwood. Without saying a word to each other, Jazz players understood the strategy: Make sure Pete touches the rock as much as possible.
“When he got on a roll like that, we were happy to get him the ball,” remembered then-Jazz rookie forward Paul Griffin 43 years later of Maravich, who went on to tally 68 points in a 124-107 win over the New York Knicks.