Atlantic is Green

March 29, 1980

Atlantic is Green, 130-122

It's a milestone that carries residual benefits beyond compare, and if anyone had told you in August that the Celtics would clinch the Atlantic Division championship on the penultimate night of the season with Pete Maravich dribbling out the clock in Globetrotter fashion and then finishing the game by spiking the basketball, you would have inquired about the nature of those cigarettes he'd been smoking.



But that's how the Celtics polished off the relentless Cleveland Cavaliers last night, finishing strong to walk off with a 130-122 decision that gave them their first Atlantic Division title in four years and guaranteed the following:

- The best record in the league, and thus the home-court advantage in all playoff games.


- A first-round bye - that is, no mini-series.


- That the team will not have to meet both Atlanta and Philadelphia in the playoffs.


- At least a week off at a time when the team is battered physically.


The dramatic ending sent the crowd out onto Causeway street in ecstasy, for the Celts had watched a 14-point lead dwindle to four (114-110) with 4:24 to play. The momentum was clearly with the looser Cleveland team. It was a time for the Celtics to act like champions, and that's exactly what they did. The final burst began with Maravich sinking two free throws. Larry Bird rebounded a Bill Willoughby in-and-outer and Tiny Archibald - playing his third clutch flawless game in succession - dropped in two more.

At the 3:07 mark, Bird hit a crucial hoop, a 20-footer from the left that represented only the third Boston basket in five minutes of play. But the symbolic clincher was submitted by the duo of Archibald and Maxwell. Archibald switched off his man and stole the ball from Mike Mitchell. Rick Robey missed a lob fast-breaker, but Maxwell (23 points) followed the shot to give the Celtics a 124-112 lead with 2:34 remaining.

There were four winners of the game MVP award. Robey had a sensational 25- point, 14-rebound game. Maxwell had 16 points on second shots. Bird had 33 points. And Archibald had 12 assists. See you in the playoffs.

The Celtics huffed and puffed, but there was no way they could blow down the house constructed by the relentless Cavaliers, who kept the home team within eight points (69-61) at the half. Boston had gotten out to a 10-point lead with 10:13 remaining in the quarter when a Larry Bird fast-break dunk (a nice bullet lead pass from Gerald Henderson) gave the Celtics a 40-30 lead. But that's as high as they could raise the lead, as on each
of the six subsequent occasions they got it up 10, the Cavaliers answered with a basket.

The pace of the game was tremendous, as the score suggests. Points were cheap, and it was very difficult to figure out why the teams weren't tied, since the Celtics really weren't playing that much better ball than the visitors. One thing the Celtics were getting, however, was the benefit of the doubt from officials Ed Rush and Ralph Lembo. One player who particularly benefitted from officiating largesse was Larry Bird, whose 18-point total was abetted by some free throws he may not have fully deserved.

The Celtics had gotten off to their best start in several games when a run of 10 unanswered points gave them a 10-2 lead and forced Cavalier coach Stan Albeck into a time out just 2:08 into the game. Boston had made a recent habit of falling behind at the tap (try such deficits as 0-10, 2-10, and 2-10), but this time they appeared to be ready, and the noisy crowd was backing them far better than the Wimbledon-like gathering had done on Wednesday evening against New York.

But when the Cavaliers emerged from their time out, they were likewise ready to play. Foots Walker began pushing it up, and soon the Cavs had a 13-4 spurt of their own and a 15-14 lead. The Cleveland advantage lasted exactly two minutes, or until a whirling baseline move by starting center Rick Robey restored the Boston lead at 16-15. Cleveland would not lead again in the half.

But the Cavaliers certainly wouldn't die, either. The Celtics never really established superiority, and it took a teeny-weeny run of six straight (a Tiny Archibald corner jumper, a Pete Maravich right-to-left driving scoop and two M.L. Carr free throws) to attain the biggest first-quarter lead of 34-25 with seven seconds to play. True to form, Cleveland came right back as Willie Smith tossed in a three-pointer from the left flank to send the Cavs into the second period trailing by just six at 34-28.

Bird had hit a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter en route to an eight-point quarter, but the key man was Archibald. Tiny had 10 points on 5- for-6 shooting, and his penetration was opening things up for the Celtics. Bill Fitch went to his bench early. This was hardly unexpected, since he had really worked the regulars in the Washington and New York victories. Eric Fernsten saw some brief first-quarter action, and before the half was over Jeff Judkins had played some strong ball, as well. Judkins threw in seven valuable points during the torrid (35-33) second quarter, on 3-for-3 shooting.