The floor at the Boston Garden was laid after a World War II lumber shortage, which led to the use of a hodgepodge of Tennessee oak and red pine pieces that were stripped in different ways to maximize the product and, in turn, created the famed alternating pattern. There were 264 pieces of wood measuring 5x5 feet and held together with nearly 1,000 screws.
All of this led to random dead spots in the floor, thanks to both the wood and the uneven cement base that was cracked after trains rumbling into North Station, just below the court.