In Search of a Bench

April 8, 1985

MANPOWER WOES FRUSTRATE K.C.

The record is 62 and every regular-season goal is effectively wrapped up (the magic number for best overall record is 1 with four games to play), but the Celtics are still nagged by manpower problems.

Against a team with no frontcourt, Larry Bird (46), Robert Parish (45) and Kevin McHale (43) played 134 of a possible 144 minutes yesterday. Meanwhile, Cedric Maxwell (knee) hasn't played in 10 days, Scott Wedman (knee) hasn't played since last Tuesday, M. L. Carr (ankle) was hurting again yesterday, and the Celtics announced that Maxwell and Danny Ainge (thigh injury) will not make the trip to Philadelphia for tomorrow night's game. K. C. Jones said he's hopeful Wedman will be able to play on Thursday in Cleveland. That means that if Carr is unavailable, the Celts will only have eight players for the Sixers.



"The only thing I'm concerned about is to try and get our guys some rest and get our injured people ready for the playoffs," said Jones.

Parish, who averaged 41 minutes in Boston's six-game sweep of the Knicks this year, agreed, saying, "The more rest we get the fresher we'll be for the playoffs."

New York's problems aren't limited to this season. The Knicks are worried about Bernard King's future. King recently had surgery for a bad ligament tear (similar to the injury that ended Campy Russell's career), and it's doubtful he'll ever be the same player. Meanwhile, the Knicks are trying to sign Bill Cartwright, who'll be a free agent at the end of the season. Cartwright wants about $900,000 per year and he'll probably get it even though the Knicks aren't sure about his broken foot. As for the draft, Hubie Brown says, "Why worry about the draft when it's going to be like Bingo at St. Mary's Cathedral?" But don't look for the Knicks to draft St. John's Chris Mullen. New York feels it must draft a big man no matter where it lands in the 1-7 lottery.