Larry Goes for 30, 17, 7, and 2

Green Move to 18-5 with Win Over Mavs
1981-82 Boston Celtics

World Champion basketball teams do not lose December home games to the Dallas Mavericks and these Boston Celtics avoid such indignities because they have a tow-headed forward from French Lick, Ind., who plays as hard against the lowly Mavs as he does against the Philadelphia 76ers.

It was Boston, 109-92, over Dallas last night because Larry Bird put on a Larry Bird performance: 30 points, 17 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 4 loose-ball dives across the Garden parquet panels. He was game-high in each of those catagories.

The win gained the Celtics a piece of first place again, as the Sixers were busy losing to the New York Knicks at home by a 117-115 score.

The Celtics' triumph wasn't the blowout it appears to be. The game was tied seven times in the first half and Boston's lead was a mere 45-42 at intermission. The Celtics didn't stretch their lead to 10 until the first minute of the final quarter.

But it was never in doubt. The Mavs, after all, are the Mavs, coached by a man who looks like Howard Baker (Dick Motta) with a won-loss record like Harold Stassen's. Dallas has won two in a row only four times in the franchise's short history. Last night could have put them on their fifth winning streak, but the Celtics' frontcourt wore down the Mavs, and Bird was Bird.

From the flu infirmary, Tiny Archibald (five assists in 30 minutes) came back after a three-game hiatus and Robert Parish (14 points, 5 rebounds in 23 minutes) played after missing practice Monday and Tuesday. Both of them gave encouraging efforts, but everybody was slow getting started against the league's worst team. Luckily for Boston, Bird can get up for garbage games in December.

"You just have to go out and play your best and hopefully your talent and the guys you got will overpower 'em," said Bird, when asked if it was tough to get the adrenalin going against the lowly Mavs.

When the Mavericks pulled within four (63-59) with 5:29 left in the third quarter, Bird canned a jump shot. After Dallas came back with a hoop, Bird fed Parish and the ailing center tested the collapsible backboards with a tomahawk stuff. Then it was Kevin McHale (8 points, 10 rebounds and 4 "get-back" blocks) scoring off the break on a pass from . . . Larry Bird. You got the feeling the Mavs knew they'd had it.

In the final quarter, Bird helped Rick Robey do some damage underneath, and with 6:18 remaining Bird saved a ball from going out of bounds ("We needed some boost somewhere" - Bird), heaved it to midcourt, whereupon Gerald Henderson dished it off to Robey for a layup and a 20-point (96-76) lead.

That was it except for a couple of curtain calls. Bird's final two points came on a baseline-drive-and-curlaround-reverse stuff. That made it 98-76 and coach Bill Fitch pulled the franchise with 4:17 left.

But that wasn't enough for the 42d straight Garden sellout. They wanted Terry Duerod and Fitch gave them the Du with 2:51 left. The People's Choice hit a 20-footer and a game-ending layup to send everybody home happy.

There wasn't much to smile about in the first half. Playing at 33 1/3 speed, the Celtics and Mavs shot a collective 39 percent (39-99), and had all but the most dedicated hoop aficionados wishing they'd stayed home for M*A*S*H reruns.

The Celtics never trailed, but Dallas forward Jay Vincent (27 points) and subs Scott Lloyd and Jim Spanarkel kept the visitors in the game. Vincent has had to fill a hole left by rookie Mark Aguirre (broken foot, out eight weeks) and the ex-Michigan State star showed 15,320 that Magic Johnson and Gregory Kelser weren't the only players on the Spartan NCAA championship team.

"They are a better team than their record (5-19) shows," said Fitch. "They are playing better now than when they accumulated many of their losses earlier in the year."

The Celtics, meanwhile, have today off, play in Washington tomorrow night and travel to Philadelphia for Round Two with You Know Who Saturday night.