Team Play Thrusts Celtics into First

To Larry Bird, it was the logical thing to do. Give the ball up on a two-man breakaway with 3:38 remaining and the Celtics leading by 21? No big deal. Pass up a chance to pad his career high of 36 points so that teammate Eric Fernsten could go in for a dunk? You know, what are friends for? Well, the Garden crowd of 15,320 couldn't have agreed more.



And so as Joe Bryant was responding with a 15-foot jumper, they stood and cheered. In fact, as play continued for 30 seconds, they cheered. They were telling Bird they appreciated his thought process as well as his skill. In fact, this little display of emotion on the part of the crowd signified a lot more. It was their way of telling the Celtics that they appreciated their style, that they preferred the Celtic team approach to the game, as exemplified by Bird, to the stomach-turning, every-man-for-himself basketball embodied by the San Diego Clippers (not to mention the Boston Celtics of recent vintage -- think Curtis Rowe and Sidney Wicks). And when Bill Fitch had the wisdom to remove Bird from the game 34 seconds after his generous gesture, they really let loose.

The final score yesterday was Boston 131, San Diego 108, a decision that, coupled with the Philadelphia 76ers' loss last night in Phoenix, pushed the Celtics back into first place in the Atlantic Division by a half-game. It was a game in which some careless Celtic play had Fitch dancing an occasional sideline fandango, but it was also a game that brought him immense satisfaction. He had not known what he could expect from Rick Robey, he of the first-ever groin pull. Robey gave him 35 minutes, good for 23 points, 14 rebounds (8 offensive), hustle at both ends and total domination of Clipper center Swen Nater. Fitch also worried about what he'd get from Tiny Archibald, one of the two people on whom his offensive game plan had been built (Bird was the other).

Tiny had been sick all night, and he went through the entire warmup period with a sweat shirt tucked under his jersey. He submitted 14 points and 9 assists while keeping the offensive heat on San Diego all day. Finally, Fitch had gone into the game hoping he'd get the Big Effort from Bird, who all too often plays detached, just-glad-to-be-here ball. The 36 tells you what his contribution was.

The Celtics never trailed after a first-quarter three-pointer by Bird gave them a 16-14 lead. But it was only a 61-57 game at the half, and it was still a shaky 77-73 with 5:58 remaining in the third quarter. Despite overwhelming backboard control (which would translate into a 23-10 second-chance point margin), the Celtics were still in jeopardy against a team whose concept of basketball may very well make it the single most repugnant aggregation that has ever besmirched the NBA.

While the Celtics were reeling off fast breaks, executing pick-and-roll plays and looking for one another on every possession, the Clippers were playing their usual brand of one-on-one basketball. At 77-73, Sidney Wicks, of all people, cranked up an ill-advised 17-footer instead of moving the ball, sending the Celtics off on a run of six straight and 9-3. Ironically, the culmination of this burst was something out of San Diego's own miniplaybook.

Bingo Smith had just hit his third three-pointer (the battle of the league's leading long-range clubs produced 10 three-pointers) to make it 83-76. An exchange of turnovers gave the ball back to Boston. Robey chased down a lead pass in the left corner and spied Chris Ford encamped in three- point land on the far right flank. You guessed it: swish. The lead was never less than seven (92-85) again.

Robey, who credited trainer Ray Melchiorre and team physician Dr. Tom Silva with getting him ready to play, was a revelation with his determined play. He's had better offensive games, but none in which he worked harder in every other area. Once, for example, he dunked a nice Archibald feed, and then got back quickly enough to foul Brian Taylor on a long-pass sneakaway. It's hustle like that which earned Dave Cowens his reputation.

Bird hit the Clippers with a 15-point first period which featured two three-point swishes and the first of two conventional three-point plays. In no other game this season has he looked like such an easy scorer. Perhaps this was an offensive coming-out party.

Above all, this was an important game for the fans, who now have a better appreciation of the Celtics after watching the Clippers rack up 12 team assists (thus giving them 23 in 96 minutes against the Celtics). You can call that type of play anything you wish, as long as you don't call it basketball.