McHale and Bird Too Much for Jazz

October 15, 1984

CELTICS ROLL IN VEGAS BIRD SCORES 36 IN 110-101 VICTORY OVER JAZZ

You've got to love it when the NBA goes to Vegas. Where else could you find Nevada Gov. Richard Byran, Bill Russell, a John Wayne impersonator, Jerry Tarkanian, Stan Albeck and a singer named Lovelace Watkins all gathered for the same show?



Those stars and others who eschewed Joan Rivers and the seductive sounds of coins clattering in casinos were treated to a 110-101 Celtic victory over the Utah Jazz at UNLV's Thomas and Mack (not to be confused with Ted Mack) Center last night.

The Celtics led almost all the way. Boston ripped it open with 14 straight in the first half and started the second half with a nine consecutive points to take a 62-43 lead. Larry Bird (a game-high 36 points) had 16 in the third quarter nd Boston led, 87-71, after three.

Kevin McHale torched the Jazz, hitting his first nine shots and scoring 20 points in his first 20 minutes. He finished with 30. Starting in place of free agent forward Cedric Maxwell, McHale is averaging more than 20 points and hitting better than 70 percent of his shots thus far.

Gerald Henderson, who missed Boston's first three preseason games due to a contract dispute, saw his first action of the year, entering the game with 6:17 left in the third quarter. Henderson, who guarded Rickey Green, missed his first two shots, but looked fairly comfortable and was able to help the Celtics hold their lead.

"I'm a little behind," Henderson said before the game. "It's going to take a week or so before everything is second-nature to me again . . . I'm just going to work hard like I always do. The coaching staff still has confidence in me. We'll just see how it goes."

"He's got to catch up with the others," said head coach K.C. Jones. "He appears to be in pretty good shape and he's always been a diligent worker."

Rick Carlisle started the second quarter and hit three of his first four shots . . . Bird and Robert Parish both had five fouls at halftime . . . The Celtics got a scare when John Drew pushed Bird into the basket support on a breakaway. Referee Ed Rush failed to invoke the new two-free-throws-plus-the- ball rule . . . Jazz forward Adrian Dantley, who was named Comeback Player of the Year after leading the NBA with a 30.6 scoring average last year, is a holdout. Dantley has already been fined about $5000 for missed practices and games.

Jazz personnel are a little worried about attendance (5513 last night) at Vegas . . . Philadelphia 76ers owner Harold Katz must love Las Vegas. The Sixers arrived here yesterday and will stay through Thursday - except for a Tuesday trip to play in Phoenix. They are sharing the Dunes Hotel with the Celtics. Let's hope Bird and Marc Iavaroni don't bump into each other in the Dunes lobby . . . The Celtics move on to Houston today for a game againt the Rockets tomorrow night, then travel to Dallas and Cincinnati (vs. Detroit) before coming home Saturday . . . The Celtics play the Jazz in a preseason rematch in Springfield, Mass., Oct. 23.

Look for the Celtics to make use of the injured reserve list when the real season starts. If Boston decides to keep a rookie (guard Rick Carlisle is ahead of Michael Young and Ronnie Williams so far), somebody might be placed on the injured reserve list to make room. Quinn Buckner is a candidate if his hamstring injury continues to cause problems. Buckner made his first appearance in three games last night but struggled.