KC Wins 300th Game as 1986 Cs Move to 20-4

What do Tom Seaver, Phil Niekro and K.C. Jones have in common?

They all won their 300th game in 1985.

Boston's quiet coach improved his bench mark to 300-134 (.691) when his Celtics defeated the Bulls, 109-104, at the Garden last night.

This one had none of the hype and anticipation of tonight's Patriots- Dolphins Mega-Game, but it did have a near-perfect finish by the Celtics. Boston outscored the Bulls, 15-1, in the final 4:32, and committed zero turnovers in the fourth period.

"That's the difference between a team that's in the championship finals every year and a team that isn't," said Bull guard Quintin Dailey. "The momentum changed and they soared to another level. And we folded at the end."

The Bulls (9-19) are grounded without Air Jordan and figured to have little chance one night after the Celtics were embarrassed on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last year, the Green Team didn't lose two straight until the 74th and 75th games of the season.

Boston's victory prospects were further enhanced when Dennis Johnson told Jones he was ready to go. DJ skipped the Cleveland fiasco because of a hyperextended left thumb, but arrived ready to play last night. His contribution? Twenty-three points and some Lester Hayes defense on Dailey down the stretch.

The Bulls were the better team - for 43 minutes. Led by Orlando Woolridge (23 points), Dave Corzine (15) and Sid Green (17 with 16 rebounds), Chicago led by 11 in the second quarter, and held a nine-point lead with 4:52 remaining. Who would have guessed the Bulls would score only one point the rest of the way? Give coach Stan Albeck a big assist. He had Woolridge on the pine when Chicago collapsed. Albeck took the Big O out with 9:13 left in the game and didn't bring him back until 21 seconds remained.

With 4:52 left, Dailey canned a jumper (while wearing Danny Ainge) and the Bulls led, 103-94. Boston called time. There would be no more baskets for Chicago.

"I told them we had to go to the basket and we had to push it up," said Jones. "And we got down and played some hard-nosed defense."

Ainge started the winning run with an 18-footer from out top, then stripped Dailey, setting up a Larry Bird breakaway dunk (that's right, a dunk). It was 103-98 with 3:26 left.

DJ cut it to 103-100 on a drive with 1:48 left and Chicago called for a 20- second timeout. Then DJ forced Dailey into a 24-second violation and Robert Parish hit Ainge for a backdoor layup. The Celtics trailed by one. Kevin McHale (27 points, 11 rebounds) was the next hero. He rebounded a Corzine shot and drained a jump hook at the other end, giving the Celtics a 104-103 lead with 50 seconds left.

When Parish (5 points, 15 rebounds) rebounded a John Paxson miss, the Bulls were forced to foul. With 23 seconds left, Bird (34 with 13 rebounds) hit two from the line and it was 106-103. Chicago called time again.

They set up Dailey for a three-pointer. It careened off the back rim and into the hands of Woolridge. Ainge fouled Woolridge with 14 seconds left. Woolridge made the first and fired the second hard off the glass hoping for an offensive rebound. Looking like Jim Rice taking a liner off the left-field wall, Bird caught the hard carom and was fouled. Boston won in a hail of free throws.

The Celtics were lazy in the first quarter and Chicago made them pay. Green and Woolridge played over the rim for the first 12 minutes. Both Bull forwards scored 11 points in the period and Green added 7 rebounds in 12 minutes. Chicago led, 31-26, after one.

The Bulls stretched their lead to 43-32 early in the second. Corzine, who seems to light up at the sight of Parish, carried the Bulls throughout the second period. McHale (21 in the first half) did his best to rally the Celtics, but Chicago outhustled the home team and Paxson's three-pointer made it 61-52 at intermission.

Chicago had 13 offensive rebounds in the first two periods.

"That's the best we've played all season," Chicago GM Jerry Krause said during the break.

DJ took the tape off his left thumb and wrist at halftime and torched George Gervin for a whopping 17 points in the third period. But Woolridge (12 in the third) was tap-dancing on Bird at the other end and Chicago led, 84-82, at the end of three.