"Speed it up, Dad. We're going to be late," I groaned. My dad and I were going to the Boston Garden to watch the Celtics destroy the Atlanta Hawks. We got to the game with ten minutes left in the first quarter. We were on the first balcony which gave us a close-up of all the players.

"Look at the size of those giants," I exclaimed. This game was one of the most exciting ones I had ever watched. There was amazing passing and shooting by Larry Bird and the Celtics, not to mention the high flying dunks of Dominique Wilkins and the Hawks.

"This is too good to be true," I said. I shouldn't have spoken so soon. It all started with a simple fall by one of the Hawks.

"Clean that wet spot, please," he said. Then another Hawk fell down. That is when it all started to fall apart. Players from both teams were slipping and falling all over the place as if they were on a skating rink. To be factual, they really were on a skating rink. As most people know, the Bruins and the Celtics both play at the Garden. When the Garden is getting ready for a Celtic's game, they may just put the boards right over the ice to save time, which is what they did in this case. The unusually mild weather in Boston and the ice under the boards contributed to the condensation on the court.

The referee called his own time-out to try to wipe up the moisture. After a few minutes the game resumed. But, after what seemed like a millisecond, one of the Hawks was dribbling the ball when he slipped and fell like an ice cube on a kitchen floor. The referee called yet another time-out, except this time it lasted nearly ten minutes. Then, without notice, a sudden shocker electrified everyone at Boston Garden. The coach and all the Atlanta players walked off the court and back to their locker room.

"What happened?" "What's going on?" "Why are they leaving?" The crowd was dumbfounded by the move of the Hawks.

"I am sorry to report that due to the condensation on the court, the players of both teams are unable to play without risking their own well-being. The referees have decided to call the game," the announcer said.

Yes, it was true-I was, and still am, disappointed about the cancellation. I could only cherish the few great moments with some of the best basketball players.

The heck with it- at least I got a refund.

Editor's Note: The game was completed on Dec. 23 with the Celtics trouncing the Hawks by more than 20 points! n