NBA Roundup : Bird Passes 10,000 in Celtic Win

Larry Bird surpassed the 10,000-point mark with 33 Friday night at Boston, and the Celtics needed all of them to outlast the Washington Bullets, 103-101.

Bird, who is in his sixth NBA season, needed eight points to reach the plateau and he had them in four minutes. By the end of the first quarter the 6-9 forward had 14 points and the Celtics had a 37-20 lead. Halfway through the second quarter the lead was 19.

Jeff Malone and Greg Ballard led a determined rally that cut the deficit to seven at halftime.

After a flurry by Darren Daye gave the Bullets the lead, 88-86, early in the fourth quarter, Bird went back to work. He passed to Robert Parish for a short hook to tie the game, then sank an 18-footer and followed that with a 23-foot, three-pointer and the Celtics held on for their 16th win in 17 home games.

Just in case you are thinking in terms of Bird catching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in career scoring someday, it’s highly unlikely. Abdul-Jabbar reached 10,000 late in his fourth season and is not too far from 33,000 points. Bird, 28, doesn’t figure to get close.

Coach Gene Shue of the Bullets called Bird’s play sensational, and the Celtics’ K.C. Jones said: “He’s the best (of all-time). Not just because of his scoring. He is getting floor burns, he is getting assists and he is getting rebounds. Go down the list of the greats and I doubt you’ll come up with anyone with all those credentials.”

The Celtics were without Cedric Maxwell, who has the flu. The absence of Maxwell put Kevin McHale into the starting lineup. As the Celtics ran their record to 31-6, all starters played at least 37 minutes and Bird played 45.

Philadelphia 115, Houston 108--The 76ers are hanging tough despite the Celtics’ fast pace. Moses Malone had 28 points and Julius Erving 21 at Philadelphia as the 76ers rallied in the fourth quarter to win their 10th in a row.

The 76ers are just half a game behind the Celtics in the Atlantic Division after matching the Celtics’ early streak of 10 in a row.

Malone also had 10 points. Rookie center Akeem Olajuwon had 16 points before fouling out with 8 1/2 minutes remaining. At the time, Philadelphia had only a two-point lead.

But Malone and Erving keyed a 10-1 spurt that ended the Rockets’ hopes. Ralph Sampson had a big game for the Rockets, scoring 31 points.

Malone was only 7-for-17 from the field, but he was 14-for-16 from the line.

“We battled them all the way,” Coach Bill Fitch of the Rockets said, “even though our two big men were in foul trouble early. It doesn’t happen often that both get in trouble.”

Denver 143, Kansas City 121--The Nuggets exploded for 45 points in the third quarter at Denver to break open a close game, win their third in a row and climb back into first place in the Midwest Division.

The game was tied, 68-68, at halftime. In one spurt in the third quarter the Nuggets had a 15-0 run and the Kings, who had 26 points in the quarter, never recovered.

Calvin Natt, who missed two games because of a knee problem, scored eight points in the 15-point rally.

Detroit 120, Indiana 109--Although he played only 19 minutes in this game at Pontiac, Mich., Terry Tyler scored 27 points. He scored 21 in the last quarter to keep the Pistons comfortably in front.

In winning for the fourth time in the last five games, the Pistons led by five at halftime and stretched it to 11 in the first two minutes of the second half and breezed.

New Jersey 122, Atlanta 103--Buck Williams had 21 points and 17 rebounds at East Rutherford, N.J. to lead the Nets to an easy victory.

The Nets led by 10 after one quarter and steadily increased it to 25 early in the fourth quarter. The Nets, who only had eight able bodies until just recently, had the luxury of using 10 players, all of whom played at least 14 minutes.

Chicago 113, New York 97--Bernard King sprained his right ankle with the game at Chicago just 5 1/2 minutes old and his streak of scoring in double figures, ended at 85 games. In his brief time on the court, King had nine points.

Without King, the Knicks, already riddled with injuries, were no match for Michael Jordan and his mates. Jordan had 23, six in a 14-0 spurt midway through the first half that gave the Bulls control.

Portland 123, San Antonio 103--Kiki Vandeweghe scored 15 of his 25 points in the first half at San Antonio to help the Trail Blazers build a 62-50 lead on their way to an easy victory.

Mychal Thompson, returning to the starting lineup after being handicapped for several games because of a knee injury, had 21 points and Jim Paxson 24.

Milwaukee 130, Cleveland 117--Sidney Moncrief scored 35 points and Paul Pressey 20 at Milwaukee as the Bucks ended the Cavaliers’ three-game winning streak.

The Bucks had only an 86-81 lead late in the third quarter when Alton Lister and Pressey led a 10-1 spurt that put the Bucks in command.