6.29.2019

Bird's 40 Boosts Boston (12-1)

November 28, 1984

CELTICS CRUISE, 114-99 CELTICS MAKE MAVERICKS 12TH VICTIM

Maybe Bill Fitch, Ralph Sampson, and Akeem Olajuwon have the answer. We'll find out tonight in Houston. Meanwhile, the Celtics keep rolling along like Edwin Moses high-stepping over two-foot hurdles.



The Celtics made it seven straight, and raised their record to 12-1 with a 114-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks last night. Boston is 9-0 lifetime against the Mavs.

Reunion Arena was sold out for the third straight evening. Rocker Bruce Springsteen packed the place Sunday and Monday, but last night it was Larry Bird who was The Boss. The forward with the blond hair and the hungry heart scored 40 points and enabled the Celts to turn yet another screaming sellout crowd into a hollow chamber of silence.

The Celts took charge from 4-4 and never trailed thereafter. When Dallas cut it to two with 6:29 left in the fourth, the Mavs missed eight straight shots and the Celts ripped off 10 in a row to take a commanding 102-90 lead with three minutes to play.

The Celts led by 12 at intermission, but Sam Perkins came alive after halftime. With a little help from Jay Vincent, Perkins assulted Boston's 12- point halftime lead. It was 70-59 when the Mavs ripped off nine in a row, cutting the Celtic lead to two (70-68) on a jumper by Vincent. Robert Parish broke the string with a dunk. The Mavs had two chances to tie it, but failed both times.

Bird hit an outregeous fallaway before the quarter ended and Boston led, 81-78, after three.

With 8:51 left, Bird scored on a three-point play and Aguirre left with his fifth foul. Another jumper by Bird, a steal by Dennis Johnson and a fast-break bucket by McHale gave the C's a six-point lead and forced a Dick Motta timeout with 7:11 left.

When Dale Ellis shot the Mavericks back to within two with 6:29 left, Dallas turned stone cold and the Celts capitalized.

Larry Bird and Mark Aguirre staged a personal duel in the first half. Bird made nine of 10 shots and scored 23 in the first two periods. Aguirre had 17 in the second quarter, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Celtics from taking a 60-48 halftime lead.

Bird scored 14 in the first quarter (Robert Parish added eight rebounds) as the Celts bolted to a 29-20 lead.

Both teams started slowly. The Celtics missed five of their first seven shots, but were able to stay ahead. Bird and Parish scored 12 of Boston's first 16 points.

Meanwhile, the Mavs seemed unable to generate any shots for high-scorers Aguirre and Rolando Blackman in the early going. Dallas made only nine of 27 shots in the first quarter.

Rookie flattop Sam Perkins replaced Kurt Nimphius for Dallas with 6:53 left in the first. The passive Perkins had little impact, but Dallas tied it at 16 on a drive and basket by Aguirre.

Bird unnerved Aguirre late in the period, scoring six in a row over Dallas' All Star forward. Aguirre came out of the game.

Bird's torching was part of a 10-0 Celtic run which catapulted the green to a 29-19 lead. Dallas went the final 3:29 of the period without a basket, managing nothing more than a free throw by Blackman when Kevin McHale was tagged with a technical foul.

A Bird rebound and fast-break feed to McHale gave the Celts a 31-20 lead at the top of the second. Aguirre snapped Dallas' drought with a layup in traffic. Dallas had gone 4:46 without a basket.

When Aguirre cut Boston's lead to six (33-27), the Celts ripped off six in a row to take a 39-27 lead. Ainge was beating the Mavs down the floor and McHale was shooting with ease over Perkins.

Boston's first-half lead peaked at 14 (45-31). Then the Mavericks woke up, scoring seven straight, five by Aguirre and the final two on a nice follow by Jay Vincent. Celtic coach K.C. Jones called time.

After the pause, Bird got the Celts back on the track with a right-to-left runner from 16 feet. Aguirre remained hot, but the Mavs couldn't make up any ground for the rest of the half. The Celtics' final three points before intermission came on a Dennis Johnson last-ditch heave from beyond mid-court.

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