Section: SPORTS
BIRD (37), CELTICS TAKE IT TO NETS, 107-98
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
How bad are things with the New Jersey Nets? They had to press play-by-play announcer Mel Proctor into service as a practice player this week. The last thing they need, therefore, is to be a sorry O to a rampaging X known as the Boston Celtics.
So maybe 107-98 doesn't sound so bad? Consider that the Celtics led by 16 with 1:17 remaining last night. Consider, too, that at no point in the final three quarters, no matter how close the score (and the Nets actually were within four with 8:15 left), was there any doubt in anyone's mind that the Celtics would do whatever was necesary to win.
Among other distinctions, this game represented yet another demonstration of Larry Bird's unmatched prowess. He torched the Nets for 37 points, including among his torrent of field goals three more three-pointers (in three attempts). He is now 15 for 25 from three-point range this season, which is, as any 8-year- old would tell you, triple excellent.
Abetting him was the usual cast of assassins, led by the redoubtable Robert Parish. The Chief finished his evening's work with 24 points and 18 rebounds, and it was his little offensive show at the end which officially guaranteed the Celtics' 17th triumph in 19 decisions.
After claiming a 57-45 halftime lead, the Celtics maintained the same calm level of efficiency during the second half. New Jersey made two significant second-half runs, and each was quickly answered by the Celtics. At 59-55 in the third period, Bird simply took over, accounting for 19 of the next 21 Celtics' points with either a basket or pass, most of them highlight-film variety.
And when the Nets scrapped within four at 85-81 (8:15 remaining), the Celtics again went to work. Cedric Maxwell started this crucial
run with a nice post-up jump hook at the expense of Buck Williams. Danny Ainge followed with a transition jumper, and then drew an offensive foul on Micheal Ray Richardson before sticking in another jumper. On the next possession, Ainge found Bird in the left corner for a medium-range pop - swish. That made it eight straight, a 95-83 lead and relieved the pressure nicely.
Seldom straying from cruising gear, the Celtics utilized embarrassing board control, unit experience and a routinely sensational half of play by Bird to assume a 57-45 lead at intermission.
The Green and White led from 14-13 (a tough Parish turnaround in Mike Gminski's face), taking a 28-21 lead after a quarter and stretching the lead to as many as 14 (57-43) on the penultimate possession of the half.
Though the Celtics weren't quite adept enough at re-depositing their plethora of offensive rebounds (only four second-chance points), their board domination reduced the Jersey opportunities to score. New Jersey's starting front line of Gminski, Williams and rookie Jeff Turner simply could not do the job against Boston's vaunted front line, and things certainly didn't improve for the home squad when Kevin McHale entered the game. McHale, as per usual, sank his first shot and helped himself to 10 additional first-half points.
The Celtics put on one of their frequent fast-break clinics in the opening two quarters, racing for 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 execution rate in the first quarter, and adding nine more in the second quarter. The primary beneficiary of the running attack was Bird, who scored 11 of his 21 first-half points on the break.
Bird put on a dazzling show for the Meadowlands crowd, mixing up medium- range jumpers, a fast-break three-pointer, a gorgeous fast-break reverse layup and a clock-beating left-to-right lefthanded drive among his points. But, then again, what else is new?
New Jersey's problems did not begin with the Celtics' offense, however. The Nets had great difficulty penetrating, and the basic offense consisted of midlength jumpers by Otis Birdsong, plus whatever Richardson could invent. But they sank enough of those shots, combined with a fair amount of second-quarter free throws, to keep the Celtics from running away with the game in the first two periods.
Back to Bird for a minute. Here is a typical example of what he did. Re- entering the game after a 3 1/2-minute rest and the Celtics leading, 49-41, he immediately canned a long transition jumper, stuck in the aforementioned lefty drive and then, following up his own fast-break miss, so harrassed Wayne Sappleton on the rebound that the Nets' rookie lost the ball out of bounds and injured his ankle. Given a second shot, the Celtics made this one pay as Danny Ainge swished a jumper on the inbounds pass.
Whatever else has happened to the Nets, at least they still have Williams.
His numbers (17 points and 10 rebounds per game) are good, not gaudy, but numbers alone are seldom the accurate reflection of greatness in the NBA. And according to those who depend on Buck, Buck Williams is a superstar.
"Buck is playing tremendously," asserts Nets assistant coach John Killilea. "As usual, he's working hard. He's improved a great deal offensively this year, and one reason is that he's worked very hard on his offense since coming into the league.
"What people don't realize is that he is one of the best runners among the big men in the league. He picks up two or three baskets a game that way. He's been extremely valuable to us with all our injuries. He's had to play a lot of minutes, and he wants to. He's like Bird in that respect."
Last night's game kicked off a busy week for the Celtics. After benefiting greatly from a soft November schedule (both in terms of opponent caliber and game frequency), the Celtics now face six games in eight days . . . With Mike O'Koren sidelined (bruised shoulder), the Nets were even more concerned than usual about Bird. Turner got the thankless task of guarding the league's best player . . . Darwin Cook was a non-performer with a sprained ankle. Darryl Dawkins remains in the hospital due to a bad back . . . The Celtics had a phenomenal 13-1 record in games decided by 10 or more points . . . Bird continued to pace the league in three-point percentage with 12 for 22, good for .545. This is his best bombardiering since his rookie season, when he threatened to win the title.
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