Celts Defeat Kansas City Kings

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 122, Kings 113
Record 30-9
January 18, 1984

KANSAS CITY

It's been a tough winter here.

First, ABC put nearby Lawrence on the map by showing what would happen if Lawrence was devastated by a nuclear war. Then a get-tough judge started throwing beloved Royals into the slammer. Finally, rumors of the Kings' moving to Sacramento, Calif., resurfaced as Cotton Fitzsimmons' troupe struggled through a vacant, listless early season. The Celtics showed no sympathy last night. Intent on atoning for Sunday sins in Milwaukee, the Green Team shot an eye-popping 59 percent and delivered a 122-113 knockout punch at Kemper Arena.

The Celtics never trailed after 2-0, but with less than nine minutes to play, the dogged Kings had whittled a 16-point deficit down to one (95-94). K.C. Jones unleashed his All-Star weaponry at that juncture. All-World Larry Bird (try 38 points, 13 assists and 9 rebounds), Robert Parish (20 with 14 rebounds) and Kevin McHale (20) went to work underneath and pushed Boston's lead back to 13 (116-103) with 2:34 remaining. "The main thing was we held 'em off when we had to," said Bird.

Bird started the key drive with a Renoir right-to-left swish from 14 feet. That made it 103-96 with 6:54 left. On his next trip down the floor, Bird banked a fallaway from the right side to make it 105-96. After one free throw by Steve Johnson, Bird fed McHale for an easy two. KC came back with an Eddie Johnson jumper, but Parish jammed and Bird hit a free throw to put the Celtics ahead by 13. Did the Milwaukee massacre have any impact on the Celtics' effort?

"I knew they would come in ready to play after the fiasco in Milwaukee Sunday," said Fitzsimmons."Nobody cares about Milwaukee," said Bird. "Just as long as we didn't play like that again." "We didn't want to lose again," added McHale. "That was a brutal game, and thank goodness we left it there." Bird, who went 3 for 13 from the floor Sunday, came out smoking. He wowed the disappointing crowd of 11,478 with a dazzling assortment of bombs, fallaways and fast breaks. He scored 18 in the first quarter and the Celtics (who shot 67 percent in the period) led, 36-27.

Jones had Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, local favorite Scott Wedman, McHale and Parish on the floor to start the second period. Coming back from his 0-for-8 clanger in Milwaukee, McHale had three baskets in the first five minutes of the second period. Meanwhile, LaSalle Thompson (21 points, 10 rebounds), Mike Woodson (18) and rookie Dane Suttle pressured the Celtics, and KC pulled to within three (48-45) with 4:52 left in the half. The Celtics answered with eight in a row and cruised to a comfortable 62-53 halftime lead.

Parish was on fire in the third quarter and shot the Celtics to their biggest lead, 83-67, with 5:54 left in the period. Then Thompson got untracked under the basket and Suttle and veteran Don Buse pestered the Celtics into mistakes (24 turnovers). Dennis Johnson (20 points) held the fort, but Boston scored only one basket in the final 4:25 of the quarter and led by five, 91-86, after three. Suttle canned a 17-footer to open the fourth quarter, and when Buse stole the ball from Buckner and scored, it was 91-90. Time for Bird, McHale and Parish to take over.

Boston's treetop trio exploded for 25 fourth-quarter points. It was Kansas City's ninth loss in 12 games. The Celtics have won 7 of 8, 11 of 13 and 21 of 25 since losing four straight early in the season. Boston's lead over Philadelphia is 2 1/2 games, the same margin the Celtics had before Friday night's pulsating victory in the Spectrum.