C's Complete Sweep

4/15/1980


It was like an exhibition season during the playoffs. The games should have been held in Augusta, Pottsville, Toledo and Odessa, for all the resemblance they bore to legitimate NBA postseason games.

The Celtics were supposed to win this best-of-seven series against the Rockets, but they were not supposed to sweep, and they were not supposed to embarrass the Texans. But what else could you call the dismemberment of the Rockets but a humiliation? Well, it's history now, thanks to last night's series-ending 138-121 destruction of the Houston ballclub.

Houston hung in for almost three quarters, but there simply was no ballgame after the Celtics ran off a 10-2 spurt in the last 2:30 of the third period to turn an 88-83 lead into a solid 98-85 three-quarter spread.

The final period began with a beat-the-clock basket by effervescent M.L. Carr, and save for one Houson flurry of four straight points, it was naught but a Boston showtime, with Cedric Maxwell (27 points) and Carr (23) having the most fun.

Larry Bird shook out of his somewhat sluggish offensive funk of the first three games with 34 points, but there was no Boston hero in this one. Rather it was the quintessential team performance of the series, with every regular contributing something.

And so now there is nothing to do but wait for the conclusion of the Philly-Hawks series, and most likely, the Sixer-Celtic matchup people have been waiting for all season.

Maxwell made a spectacular grab and turnaround jumper of a 70-foot Tiny Archibald in-bounds pass to blunt a Houston flurry and send the Celtics into the locker room holding a 66-62 lead after a fast-paced first half of play.

A lot happened in the final 22 seconds, which began with the Celtics leading by a 64-62 score. First Rick Robey traveled. Then Robey blocked a Rick Barry drive and started a fast break. But Archibald traveled in the backcourt, turning the ball over to Houston. However, a pass from midcourt to Moses Malone went off his fingertips and out of bounds with one second remaining. Archibald heaved the ball past the Boston foul line, and Maxwell somehow grabbed it, turned and shot before that final second expired, as referee Jack Madden dramatically signaled that the basket was good.

The Rockets had pleased the crowd by nearly erasing a 16-point deficit in the second period. The Celtics had dominated play from the opening tap, opening up first-period leads of 10-2, 34-21 and, finally, 39-29. The Rockets simply could not stop the Celtics from operating their offense, as the following statistic will testify: In 23 first-period possessions, the Celtics scored 18 times. They scored on their first four possessions (during which time Dave Cowens had two foul-line jumpers and two assists), and later they would have a streak of eight consecutive scoring possessions. The streak would peak at 23 for 30 early in the second period before the Rockets would attain some sort of parity.

Things seemed to turn around for Houston when rookie guard Allan Leavell was inserted into the lineup. He gave the Rockets movement they simply could not get from Tom Henderson, and with him in there the Rockets had a chance for some transition baskets. Houston responded to a 49-33 Boston lead by running off 12 straight points before Archibald lucked out by drawing a pair of off- the-ball free throws on a cut. Boston's scoring magic disappeared completely during this stretch, as they went seven straight possessions without scoring in the midst of the Rocket spurt.

Another important factor was the play of Malone, who took advantage of the foul-induced absence of Cowens (two in the first 7:48) to work over Robey. Boston's team defense on the big guy really fell apart in the second period, when he scored 16 of his 22 first-half points.

Ah, but the Celtics had looked like the proverbial well-oiled machine during the first quarter. Larry Bird connected for 13 points, including one of the trio of three-pointers - the others being by Archibald and Pete Maravich - the Celtics bombarded through the nets. Boston scored from inside and out, on transitions and on simple basketball maneuvers such as a give-and-go. A primary beneficiary was Bird, who would have more points at the half (22) than any Celtic had scored in any previous playoff game.

The halftime shooting stats attested to the offensive orientation of this game, as Boston was charted at 59 percent (24 for 41) and the Rockets at 55 (28 for 51). A conspicuous rediscovery for the Rockets was Calvin Murphy, a silent man in the preceding games. Mighty Mite had 14 points in the first half, on 7-for-13 shooting.

What really brought the Celtics down was offensive execution. Things had come so easily in the first 16 minutes that they began to go off on their own. "Run the offense" was a constant Bill Fitch cry.

The Celtics emerged from a timeout with 2:42 remaining in the third period, and the one-time 12-point third-quarter lead down to 7 at 88-81, and scored on their next four possessions en route to a 98-85 three-quarter advantage.

Robert Reid drove for two to reduce the margin to five points, but the Celtics got that one back immediately when Archibald drilled home a 22-footer. Then followed successive fast-break baskets by Cedric Maxwell (on an Archibald bullet) and Robey (his after blocking Leavell's shot at the other end).

A run of 10 straight points in the short span of 1:47 earlier in the period had given the Celtics a 78-66 lead and that 12-point cushion to lean on.