Julius Erving joins 3000 point club in final home game
On April 17, 1987 – 1987: It’s the last time the doctor makes a house call at home, and to commemorate the occasion, the Philadelphia 76ers honor Julius Erving in a pregame ceremony that lasts more than 40 minutes.
Dr. J, who is retiring after this season, wants to do something special in his last regular-season home game. He needs 36 points to join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (36,474 points) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) in the exclusive 30,000-point club. Though there is one more game left after tonight, Erving wants to reach the milestone at home.
By halftime, he has 22 points. Then with 4:58 left in the third period, he hits a fadeaway jumper for points 29,999 and 30,000. The game is stopped as Erving is mobbed by his teammates and given the ball. Erving finishes with a season-high 38 in a 115-111 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
He has 18,340 points in 11 seasons with the 76ers and 11,662 during his five years in the ABA.
“This was a very different night,” 76ers coach Matt Goukas says. “A salute, a send-off, and then Doc reaching his milestone. You’ll probably never see another night like this in NBA history.”
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