Larry v. Magic: Game 12 (part 4)

1984 NBA Finals Game 5

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Summary

Larry v. Magic: Game-by-Game Media Coverage

CELTS CRUSH LAKERS, LEAD SERIES 3-2

BOSTON

Suddenly, the Boston Celtics find themselves holding the advantage over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA championship series.

After winning two of the first four games in overtime, due in part to late mistakes by Los Angeles' Magic Johnson and James Worthy, the Celtics last night reversed the overtime trend and dominated the Lakers, 121-103, in front of a frenzied sellout crowd of 14,890 in sweltering Boston Garden.

With the win, which was led by Larry Bird's 34 points and 17 rebounds, the Celtics took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, which moves back to the Forum for Game 6 tomorrow afternoon (Channel 10, 3:30 p.m.).

"It was their night," Lakers coach Pat Riley said afterward.

"We had one of our worst shooting performances in all of the playoffs, and you have to give them credit." The Lakers shot only 42.8 percent last night.

Actually, Riley said, you had to give both teams credit simply for playing a 48-minute basketball game. A reading taken on the floor before the game measured a temperature of 97 degrees, and 100 degrees soon thereafter.

But Bird played an outstanding game anyway. He shot an incredible 15 for 20 from the field, hit two three-pointers without a miss, picked off 15 missed Los Angeles shots and recovered two of his own team's misses.

Bird's forceful rebounding keyed a Celtics wax job on the boards, where they pulled down 57, compared with the Lakers' 37, and where both Robert Parish (12) and Kevin McHale (10) joined Bird as double-figure rebounders.

But that was only part of Bird's overall game. The man who many NBA insiders believe will be the league MVP handed out two assists, stole two passes and blocked a shot in a 42-minute performance that ended only when he was overcome by heat-related dizziness late in the game.

"He was awesome," said Riley. "He looked like he was 15 years old out there. He's one of those young, old veterans who with every movement conserves his energy. He was their catalyst tonight."

"He was just about to pass out," said Boston coach K. C. Jones, who yanked Bird from the lineup as the Celtics forward wobbled up to halfcourt late in the fourth period.

"It wasn't as bad as everyone thought it would be," Bird said. "I got lightheaded when I sat down. When I was playing, I was all right."

No kidding.

"I knew the opportunities to score have been there, but I haven't hit my outside shots," Bird said. "Tonight I did."

When Bird left, the fans, many of whom were shirtless in the heat, gave him a thundering ovation - the largest in what was a series of loud eruptions in the Garden last night.

"He's a coal miner," said Jones afterward. "He likes to get up at 6 in the morning, go down in the mines and go to work. He works, that's all."

Not that Bird was the only one to work last night.

The Boston guard combination of Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Quinn Buckner and Danny Ainge all helped shut down Magic Johnson, who collected only 10 points and five rebounds to go with his 13 assists.

"I think the heat took a little bit more out of us than it did out of them," Riley said.

The Los Angeles loss now puts the Lakers into a must-win situation tomorrow.

And the Lakers, who got 22 points from James Worthy, 19 from Kareem Abdul Jabbar and 18 from Bob McAdoo, know exactly what it is they will have to do to win tomorrow.

They will have to run, and they will have to shoot a higher percentage than they did last night.

The Lakers' 42.8 percent from the field was, in fact, their worst of the entire playoff season, and it was only the third time they had shot less than 50 percent.

By contrast, Boston's 51.7 percent was the first time in the title series that the Celtics had shot over 50 percent.