Celtics Dump Indiana

Celtics Improve to 33-11
1981-82 Boston Celtics

The Celtics continued to be the biggest bullies in the NBA despite a first-half feud with referees Earl Strom and Joe Crawford.

Both men were quiet as church mice in the second half last night as the defending world champions bounced back from a five-point halftime deficit to beat Pacers, 109-105. In the end, it was Indiana complaining that the officials were incompetent.

"Let the stats speak for themselves," complained Pacer coach Jack McKinney. "After Bill Fitch got his technical foul in the second period, the Celtics went to the line 37 times to our 2. It was 26-2 in the second half. No way that should happen. Don't the Celtics foul?"

"Some things (about the officials) that went on out there, bothered me, particularly in the first half," said Fitch.

"I'm not talking about interpretation of calls. I'm talking about other things, and they (Strom and Crawford) haven't heard the end it."

"Things were better in the second half. We played much better. We stopped giving up second shots. I'm just happy with a win out of here. We haven't done that very often. Larry Bird had a good game and we needed it. But the man who made the difference was Robert Parish. He took over the inside game."

Referee baiting, which Fitch does very well, was one reason the Celtics fell behind by 10 points three times in the second half. Indiana came out shooting. Bird hit only 3 of his first 10 shots. If it wasn't for Parish's 7- for-7 shooting (18 points) in the first half, it would have been another dismal visit to Indiana.

Strom went into his act and Crawford joined. Words were exchanged and both Fitch and Kevin McHale wound up with technical fouls in the first half. The crowd loved it.

But the second half was a different story. Parish still had his hot hand (He finished with 29 points and 16 rebounds.), Bird opened up (26 points and 13 rebounds) and the Celtics ran off a 29-18 spurt in the third quarter, and never trailed again.

Indiana made a final run, and when Don Buse hit a three-point shot with 52 seconds to play, the Pacers trailed by just two points, 107-105. But they would come no closer.

When Louie Orr missed a wide open 15-footer with 20 seconds remaining, the Celtics got the rebound. After killing off 15 seconds, Bird was fouled. He sank two free throws with 5 seconds left, putting the game away.

"I'm happy about winning," said Fitch, "because it was a good way to start the second half of the season. We weren't as smooth as we were before the All- Star break. But we played very well in the final quarter. Larry's two free throws were big, and I guess we get spoiled in seeing him shoot the ball and hitting. He missed a shot with 37 seconds left and I don't know why I was surprised, but I was.

"I'm also happy about the play of Kevin McHale. He made two clutch shots down the stretch. And the block he made on Herb Williams with about three minutes left was about as good as you will see. I still don't know how he did it," said Fitch.

Fitch used his so-called Celtic All-Star connection of Bird, Parish and Tiny Archibald as much as possible. Parish played 34 minutes, and only three early fouls kept him on the bench. Bird played 43 minutes and Archibald logged 40.

"I was a little tired," said Parish, "but I felt good. The Pacers don't have a 7-foot center, and that makes a big difference when you're shooting your jump shot, or helping out on defense."

Pacer center Clemon Johnson agreed that Parish and Bird presented a major problem at both ends of the court.

"I used to watch Parish play at Golden State," said Johnson, a former Trail Blazer. "And I always considered him a great center. They used to say he was lazy and didn't like to run. He runs now, and it's hard to keep up with him. It's hard to work the middle when you know that he is there as an intimidator. He and McHale are excellent shot blockers."

Former Celtic Billy Knight said the Celtics simply executed down the stretch when they had to. McHale's two baskets were rally killers, he said.

"They both came within the last two minutes," he said. "That's when games are won and lost, particularly when you play the Celtics. It's no secret. They make the plays they have to make."