Jack Nicholson Weighs In

1984 NBA Finals

One if by land, two if by sea . . . three if by air?

Having advised Paul Revere "to hang a lantern in the church because I'll be there Tuesday," during Sunday's NBA playoff game in Inglewood, Calif., Academy Award-winning actor Jack Nicholson flew into Boston from New York at 6 p.m. last night to see if his beloved Lakers could turn the Celtics into five easy pieces.

During last night's game at Boston Garden, Nicholson sat with friends high above the east basket in a box used principally by representatives of the news media.

Included in his party of five were record company executive Lou Adler and film producer Bert Schneider.

"The first three minutes of the second half is what you should watch," Nicholson said as he arrived and withdrew a rattan fan from his leather briefcase. "I don't think anyone's gonna run away with the game. Not this one."

Nicholson's business manager, Robert Colbert of Los Angeles, said in a telephone interview earlier in the week that he had asked Garden officials to find seats for the actor that provided adequate security. During the second game of the championship series, played 13 days ago in Boston, Nicholson was seated in a downstairs loge seat from which he traded taunts and gestures with Celtics' followers.

"I'm afraid of what might happen if he sits downstairs again with the Boston fans," Colbert said.

Nicholson, however, said last night it was Garden personnel who had suggested he not sit in the crowd. "They claimed they couldn't guarantee my safety," he said. "But I wouldn't worry about the fans in Boston. They're too good."

The Garden added no special security for Nicholson, according to spokesman Nate Greenberg. "There's no way anyone could get to him without a pass," Greenberg said.

Nicholson, meanwhile, spotted a banner that read: "Nichelson's a knucklehead."

"The real problem with Boston fans," he said, "is that they can't spell."