1958: He ruled the boards. Boston’s Bill Russell grabbed 41 rebounds versus Syracuse. That helped the Celtics get the 119-101 victory.
1982: A new record for the Great One. Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky had a goal and two assists in a 5-3 win over Washington, giving him an NHL record 153 points on the season. He ended the regular season with 212 points.
1998: A new coach for Dallas. The Cowboys hired Chan Gailey to be the fourth head coach in team history. He lasted just two seasons, going 18-14 with an 0-2 record in the playoffs.
Birthdays in the sports world today . . . Former Montreal Canadiens center Bobby Smith is 68. Ex-Phoenix Suns power forward Larry Nance is 67. Former San Francisco 49ers tight end Brent Jones is 63. Ex-Oakland Raiders tackle Lincoln Kennedy is 55, and former San Jose Sharks winger Owen Nolan is 54.