NBA Finals Notebook : Riley Says Nixon Trade Helped Cooper Develop

Laker Coach Pat Riley traces Michael Cooper’s development as a complete player to the trade of Norm Nixon to the Clippers four years ago.

“When Norm left when we made that trade, and then we didn’t go out and get another legitimate point guard, that’s when (Cooper’s) game totally developed,” Riley said. “We gave him more responsibility.

“In addition to his defense, he became a better offensive player and a better shooter.”

With his six three-pointers Thursday night, Cooper has made 27 of 56 three-pointers in the playoffs, a percentage of .482, and is now the all-time playoff leader in three-point goals with 68.

Why did the Boston Celtics break down after a superb first quarter, in which they scored 34 points and trailed the Lakers by just four?

“We tried to make too many home run passes and played too much one-on-one,” Boston Coach K.C. Jones said.

Someone sent Mychal Thompson of the Lakers a tin of cookies before Game 2.

“I never got one of these in San Antonio,” said Thompson, who began the season with the Spurs after a trade from Portland.

Added Thompson: “I got one from Jack (Ramsay, his coach in Portland) once. It was a letter bomb.”

Earlier this week, Riley reminisced about playing for the University of Kentucky team that lost to a Texas Western team that featured an all-black starting five in the 1966 NCAA finals.

“Right off, four guys dunked over me,” Riley said. “That’s when I figured out that they were playing for something more than we were playing for.”