Ainge has More Lives than a Cat

Celtics 110, Knicks 92
Game 1 1984 Eastern Conference Semifinals

He has climbed out of more coffins than Bela Lugosi.

It goes something like this: After contributing to the cause for several games, Celtics guard Danny Ainge either gets hurt or slips into the cracks of the Celtic bench. The trade rumors start, K.C. Jones employs M.L. Carr and Scott Wedman ahead of Ainge, and it finally appears that Ainge is not part of the Celtics' game plan. Then Ainge makes a sudden appearance, startling the masses with his ability to play good basketball after weeks of pine time.

"Yeah, it's been that kind of a year," Ainge said after practice yesterday. "I've had a lot of ups and downs, but I think I've handled it well for the most part. I never lost confidence in myself. I always thought I could do it."

Ainge's latest resurrection came in Sunday's conquest of the Knicks. After a nine-game absence - covering 22 days since turning his ankle against Cleveland April 6 - he started the second quarter of a nationally televised Eastern Conference semifinal opener.

One minute and 33 seconds into the period, Ainge scored on a lefthanded runner down the lane to give the Celtics a 35-24 lead. Three minutes later, he passed to Robert Parish, cut to the basket and took a feed from the Chief for a pretty back-door layup as Ray Williams gasped. Then Ainge buried a bold three-pointer from the right corner and the Celtics led, 54-36. A minute later he capped his nine-point, three-assist quarter with a fastbreak layup off a feed from Gerald Henderson. Boston led by 20 at intermission and won by 18.

"I did some things real well," said Ainge. "I worked hard on defense and that should be a constant. I got some easy baskets off the break and hit the one three-pointer, but I really didn't do anything special.

"I had hoped my chance was coming, and I wasn't surprised it did. I never thought I was out of the picture. I knew when I was healthy I'd get a chance again. I just had to be ready when the chance came."

Ainge's playing time is the subject of more bar room arguments than Ralph Houk's infield. Some fans think Ainge is nothing more than an overrated college hotshot who can't play the halfcourt game, a mere jack of all trades and master of none. There is another school that holds that Ainge is the team's only true shooting guard and should be getting 35 minutes a game.

Ainge started 75 games under Bill Fitch last year, averaging 9.9 points and 25.6 minutes. A victim of the Dennis Johnson trade, he played only 16.2 minutes per game and averaged 5.4 points on 46-percent shooting this season. His minutes often withered into single digits, with an occasional DNP (did not play) tossed in.

Then came the highlights. After a much-celebrated DNP against Washington in January, Ainge came off the bench to score 17 points in 17 minutes against Cleveland. His playing time dipped again before the Celtics hit the West Coast. Then Ainge played 34 minutes at Golden State, 24 in Seattle and 25 in San Diego. Sunday's 23-minute stint was his longest since Feb. 22.

But one good performance doesn't guarantee Ainge a spot in the backcourt rotation.

"Game situations dictate who comes in and who doesn't," said Jones. "As far as personnel goes, I don't have any preconceived ideas of what to do. Using Danny Sunday was just instinct; it wasn't something I'd thought about doing before the game. I was glad he'd had three or four days in practice to get his timing back. He was useful to us. He did a good job."

What about the future? Will the Celtics pay Ainge $400,000 next year for 16 minutes and four points per game?

"There's been stuff written about me being gone since training camp," said Ainge. "I try not to let that bother me. I read things in the papers and sometimes it makes sense, but right now I just want to stay here and win a championship. There are things I want to do in this league, but I don't think I necessarily have to go somehwere else to do them."

Larry Bird, who reinjured his sprained right ankle during garbage time of Sunday's victory, watched yesterday's practice from the sideline. "He won't practice tomorrow, either," said Dr. Thomas Silva, team physician. "He'll continue to have treatment and he'll be ready to go Wednesday night." Silva said Bird was closer to recovery than he was on the first day after originally turning the ankle last Tuesday in Washington . . . Parish, who came out of Sunday's game after someone stepped on his left foot, practiced and should be OK for tomorrow night . . . Quinn Buckner was treated for an upset stomach . . . The Knicks took yesterday off. They'll practice in New York today and arrive in Boston tonight.