1986 Cs Improve to 25-7

The Celtics are now a spiffy 25-7; have won four straight games since the Yuletide Disaster in New York; are 1-0 with Jake O'Donnell in 1986; are likewise 1-0 in games during which Jerry Sichting scores 17 or more points; and are undefeated in games played two days before Patriot play-off confrontations with the Raiders.

Now then. Play-off basketball was not on display last night at the Garden, where points came cheaper than Hong Kong suits. The 129-117 Celtic conquest of the Exit 16 W Nets proved, among other things, that you can get away with a generally indifferent regular-season defensive performance if you shoot 70 percent (45 for 64) over the game's first 32 minutes.

Despite that sensational shooting, and the 18-point (108-90) three-quarter lead, the Celtics looked up at the scoreboard with 4:45 to play and noticed that the lead was down to six at 117-111. There still was a game to be won, which brings us to another thing this game proved, and for that lesson, we summon to the podium Prof. David Wohl, of the University of Pennsylvania Wohls.

"The difference between the great teams and the other teams," explained the Nets' mentor, "is that when the great team chops the lead down to six, it goes on to tie the game, not let it get back to 12. They (the Celtics) made the plays at both ends of the floor, and we didn't."

So it was that after a Mike Gminski steal of a Larry Bird entry pass, the Nets, down six with the ball and eons of time left to win the game, seized their opportunity by throwing the ball away (a Gminski-to-Buck Williams lob). And so it was that Dennis Johnson (24) sauntered into his workshop on the right lower box, took a simple pass and administered a patented turnaround facial to Darwin Cook. Needing a good possession, the Nets instead got a long- range clanker from Kelvin Ransey that was rebounded by Kevin McHale. Bird promptly took the ball to the hoop for a Gminski goaltend, and the lead would never slip below eight again.

That the Boston advantage was anywhere near six or eight was criminal, given that during the first three quarters, they had generated enough offense to keep Princeton in business for the next century. The problem was that the Boston team defensive concentration was more of the Pacer-exhibition-in- October variety, rather than the Sixer-series-in-May type.

But if what you really like is watching gifted athletes flying around unimpeded, this was the game for you. The Celtics came out of the box with a 20-for-29 shooting display in the first quarter, and all they could get was a 40-35 lead. Neither team was very interested in offense-to-defense transition, and it was clear that this was a night the offensive statistics would be gloriously padded.

Wohl saw his team as "out of synch" defensively in the early stages. "Our defensive rotation early in the game was confused," he explained. The immediate beneficiaries of said confusion were Johnson and Sichting. This was, in fact, the night Jerry Sichting's summertime fantasies about playing with Boston came true. In the previous 31 Celtic games, he had reached double figures three times. Taking advantage of a starting assignment due to a Danny Ainge sprained ankle, Sichting shot 6 for 7 in the first half.

"This was probably my best game since I've been here," he said. "But after 30-some games, it's about time I had one like this."

The key Boston run in the first half was a seven-minute spurt of 26-10 which changed a 27-26 New Jersey lead into a 52-37 Celtic advantage with 8:54 remaining in the half. Included in this stretch were significant performances from the likes of Scott Wedman, Sam Vincent, Bill Walton and Rick Carlisle. Yes, by gum, we're talking about the Celtics' bench.

The Celtics remained in control throughout period three, a quarter which included yet more evidence that Bird is feeling better. Witness two difficult moon-shot turnarounds and a three-pointer in one two-minute drill.

How, exactly, did the lead go from 18 to six? Easy. "We weren't really playing any defense at that point," admitted DJ. Also: "We came down running 'un-plays' said K.C. Jones, sounding like Lewis Carroll. "They took the rebounds from our bad shots and ran the other way."

But when it was time to get serious, the Celtics got serious. And that way, Bird didn't have to waste his 29 points, 14-for-23 shooting, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 8 steals. He also won't have to rue his seven turnovers, because this was a night when the final name of the game was Offense.