Parish Outshines Twin Towers, Bird Drops 48

March 18, 1985

BIRD DOES IT AGAIN HE GETS 48 POINTS - AND A LOT OF HELP - TO RIP ROCKETS

His game has crossed into that middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition.

Larry Bird is at a point in his career where he can go out and score 48 points with 15 rebounds and 7 assists and not be The Big Story.



Bird's scoring total in yesterday's 134-120 victory over the Houston Rockets at Boston Garden has been exceeded only five times in 3316 Celtics' regular-season and playoff games since 1946, but it's becoming almost routine. After all, he scored 60 points last Tuesday; he has had three games of 48 this season; and he has pumped in 30 or more in 14 of his last 16 games.

It was no surprise, therefore, that when hoop pathologists dissected Boston's St. Patty's Day party, various subplots diverted the spotlight from Bird.

1. Robert Parish stood taller than Houston's young Twin Towers. Ralph Sampson scored 32 points with 12 rebounds, and Akeem Olajuwon managed 12 points and 9 rebounds, but the Chief lashed out with a season-high 38 points on 15-of-20 shooting. Parish hasn't been getting a lot of shots lately, but he asserted himself with 12 first-quarter points, and had Houston's big men on the retreat and in foul trouble all afternoon.

2. Boston's bench is suddenly flexing its muscles. Scott Wedman (6 of 10 for 13 points) and Quinn Buckner (7 assists in 16 minutes) helped turn a two- point halftime lead into a neo-blowout, and Pine Brother Ray Williams had his best game yet: 11 points with 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in 26 minutes.

3. Never underestimate the pleasure these Celtics get from beating ex-coach Bill Fitch. Yesterday's victory gave Boston a 2-0 record this year versus Houston (a potential final-round opponent), and set the Celtics' final record versus the Midwest Division at 11-1. Boston finished 20-4 against the Western Conference.

4. The Celtics are white hot as they prepare for the final month (14 games, all against the Eastern Conference). They have won five straight (seven of eight), have been outrebounded only once in their last 17 games, and have scored 100 points or more in 20 straight. They are 46-1 when they have led at the end of three quarters, and hold a 2 1/2-game lead over the second-place Philadelphia 76ers.

Yesterday's track meet was a joy to watch, with enough crisp passing and alley-oop slams to satisfy every taste. Houston led by as many as seven in the first quarter as guard Lewis Lloyd (the man with the Otis Sistrunk haircut) torched the Celtics for 10 points and Sampson shot like a 7-foot-4 Jamaal Wilkes.

Bird got it going in the second quarter (16 points) with a series of fast- break jams, left-handed runners, step-backs, followups and free throws. He worked a give-and-go with Danny Ainge to give the Celtics a 68-66 lead at intermission.

The Rockets were impressed with Bird, who had 25 at halftime. Robert Reid, credited with "stopping" Bird in the 1981 NBA finals, said, "Larry Bird takes the approach to basketball that a businessman takes to business. He's always improving because he always wants to increase his business."

Bird on Reid: "He can't stop me."

Bird and Parish destroyed the Rockets in the third period. Olajuwon and Sampson each picked up a fourth personal foul and the Celtics went right at Houston's big bookends. Bird scored 14, Parish 13 and the Celtics led, 100-91, at the end of three.

"We didn't want to play catchup ball with this team," said the inspired Parish. "We didn't want to let things get out of hand."

"We wanted to get Robert going and get some fouls on their big men," said Bird.

K.C. Jones went with a backcourt of Williams and Buckner in the fourth quarter and the Celtics stretched their lead to 17 points. Houston helped by missing 10 of 12 shots in the first five minutes of the final period. The Celtics led, 113-98, with 6:38 left, and 130-113 in the last two minutes.

The only question at the end involved Bird's point total. His two free throws with 1:55 left gave him 48, but he never took another shot, and came out with 1:03 showing.

"At that stage of the game, I don't think 50 is something you shoot for," said Bird.

Fitch, who had a private word with Bird as they came off the court after the final buzzer, just shook his head and said, "I don't think he will ever quit improving. I am not surprised that he did so well. I spent too much time here watching Bird to be surprised."