C's Sneak Past Bulls

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 104, Knicks 100
Record 44-15
3/1/1984

HARTFORD

The prospect of another late-game foldo was in the air, but these were the Chicago Horri-Bulls - not the Lakers or Knicks. Accordingly, the Celtics were able to emerge from the city that serves as America's file cabinet with a 104-100 victory last night. Big defensive plays by Robert Parish and Gerald Henderson, plus six straight clutch free throws by Larry Bird and Dennis Johnson gave Boston its much-needed victory.

"We played as well as we could play," said Bulls coach Kevin Loughery. "We played hard. I have no complaints. The experience of their club showed down the stretch." It was 93-93 with 3:43 left. DJ put the Celtics ahead with one of two from the line, but the Celts weren't boxing out, and a three-point play by Orlando Woolridge (23 points) gave Chicago a 96-94 lead. Boston missed a golden opportunity when Kevin McHale's lead pass to Parish sailed out of bounds. Chicago took advantage, as Mitchell Wiggins (16 points, eight rebounds) blew past DJ for a layup to make it 98-94 with 1:54 left.

Wiggins rebounded a Parish miss, and Chicago had a chance to put it away when Dave Corzine (22 points, 10 rebounds) grabbed an offensive rebound and prepared to put it back in. He missed, and the Celtics came flying down the court with just over a minute left.

"That was an uncontested shot," groaned Loughery. "It was the key to the whole game. If we make that, we're up by six with a minute left." Instead, the Celts cut it to two when do-it-all Bird tapped home a Parish miss. Bird finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Ho hum. He scored 12 in the fourth quarter. After Bird's bucket, Parish made his key defensive play, blocking Woolridge's shot and gathering the loose ball. "I thought he was going to take a jumper," said the weary Parish, who struggled through a 5-for-17 shooting night and had only seven rebounds in 38 minutes. "He chose to drive to the basket, and I came over to give Kevin some help and blocked it."

Parish passed upcourt where Johnson was fouled. DJ made both to tie it at 98 with 47 seconds left. The Bulls called time. After the pause, Chicago set up a play, but Henderson stripped the ball from Woolridge. "My job is to come in and cut him off," said Henderson. "I just slapped it away and he didn't have a chance to shoot it." At the other end, Bird was fouled by Ennis Whatley (14 points, 10 assists) and made both to give the Celts a 100-98 lead with 26 seconds left. Chicago called time again.

When play resumed, Wiggins missed a long jumper; Bird grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made both to make it 102-98, and Loughery called yet another time out. Corzine scored on a drive with six seconds left, forcing two more Celtic free throws - converted by DJ. There wasn't much the Bulls could do at that point. "The bottom line is that Larry took over the last part of the game," said a relieved K. C. Jones. "We ran the ball pretty well, but they played a fantastic ballgame at both ends. Big plays like we got are what you need at the end of a game like that."

The first half was pure still life. The Baby Bull guards were able to penetrate fairly easily while Parish and Bird combined to hit only five of 16 shots. Boston trailed, 49-46, at intermission. All three Celtic coaches were preaching defense and running at halftime. "We wanted to make them waste time off the clock," said Jones. "We had to do that. Otherwise we would have lost the game." A loss would have been Boston's fourth in the last five games and set an ugly tone for tomorrow's matchup with the Seattle SuperSonics.

The Bulls, meanwhile, have lost five straight and eight of nine since trading Reggie Theus. Wiggins and Whatley looked like future stars last night, but Chicago's playoff hopes are fading fast, and you know Reggie must be smiling in Kansas City.