Bird 20-69 Over Last Four Games

Bird 20-69 Over Last Four Games

March 24, 1980

CELTICS NOTEBOOK COLD SPELL BEFUDDLES BIRD

To Bill Fitch, Larry Bird's shooting slump was characterized by his final field-goal attempt yesterday, an awkward heave from three-point distance that fell 10 feet short.
"There was no rhythm, no feel," said Fitch. "He rushed the shot." For Bird, making a technical analysis of his shooting problem is practically daring it to continue. Either the ball goes through the hoop, or it doesn't. Simple, except when it persistently doesn't, and the statistics are 20 for 69 for the last four games.



"The ball just isn't going in," said Bird. "I'm getting my shots. I'm just not hitting them. "It's been going like this the last four games. All you can do is hope it goes in, and if it don't, you can't do nothing. The shot is history."

But why, with Bird's field-goal percentage at .501 for the 28 games previous to yesterday - and .483 overall - is he suddenly missing so often? "It's not any one thing," said Fitch. "It's his shot selection, rhythm, speed. His game has a big scab on it now." A suggestion that Bird was not being properly set up by the offense was discouraged by Fitch. "He's getting it more," said Fitch. "He's just doing less work." True, the Nets' Jan van Breda Kolff was playing Bird unusually tight. But at halftime Fitch reminded everybody that Bird was not to be excluded from the offense.

"And we went right to him at the start of the second half," said Fitch. "He got it, and Pete (Maravich, 7 for 19) got it, and they just didn't put it in the hoop. "Pete's game isn't good now. If he's on, we win the ballgame." The treatment for what ails Bird is as elusive as the one for the common cold. Mostly, you hope it goes away. "We'll be talking about it," said Fitch. "I believe you've got to talk about the ugly spots. "I remember when Larry had a shooting slump earlier in the season, and after one game he was talking to himself getting on the bus. He talked himself out of the slump."

The Nets had a team meeting Saturday to discuss what had been going wrong with their club. "Since we had a day in Boston before the Celtics got back the guys decided to discuss our problems," said George Johnson. "We decided that we didn't want to skid at the end of the season. We have a good nucleus with Lucas (Maurice). And it would help us in the press." . . .Larry Bird was not down in the dumps after his 1-for-15 performance. "It happens, sometimes," said Bird . . . Speaking of Bird, Net coach Kevin Loughery said: "He's still the MVP in my mind." . . . Tiny Archibald's ultimate fast break: "I'd have
Dr. J coming down the right on the break and Darryl Dawkins, just for sheer excitement, if I was in the middle." . . . Archibald on Dawkins: "If he ever develops a move to the basket to go with his dunks he would be awesome." . . . The Celtics play at Washington tomorrow, play host to New York Wednesday, greet Cleveland Friday and visit Philadelphia Sunday. Washington and Cleveland beat the Celtics the last time they played.