NBA Roundup : 20,900 See Bird Deliver Message in Cleveland

Larry Bird had a message for the Cleveland Cavaliers and he delivered it before 20,900 fans at Richfield, Ohio Friday night, the second biggest home crowd in Cavalier history.

Bird’s Boston Celtics expect to play the improved Cavaliers in the opening round of the playoffs. This, the Celtics figured, would be a good time to let the Cavaliers know what they could expect.

The fellow who is head and shoulders above everyone else in the NBA this season, scored 24 of his 35 points in the first half to help the Celtics build a 10-point lead on their way to a 119-96 victory.

The Cavaliers had won seven of their last nine games and the Cleveland fans had finally started to show some interest. Helping the crowd was a post-game, closed circuit showing of the Larry Holmes fight. The only bigger crowd was in 1976 when 21,130 showed up for a game with Washington.

Among other things, the fans learned the Cavaliers, now tied with Atlanta for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, are no match for the defending champions.

“I figured that if we’re going to play them in the first round, we should set some kind of example,” Bird said.

Bird was shooting even better than he did last week when he scored a Celtics’ record 60 points. He made 15 of 23 shots from the field before he stopped shooting when the game got out of hand.

Roy Hinson led the Cavaliers with 24 points and 10 rebounds. But he didn’t get much help, especially on the boards. The Celtics had a 62-45 advantage in rebounds.

Dallas 127, Denver 108--Although Coach Dick Motta keeps moaning about not having a big man, the Mavericks just keep getting better. The Mavericks have improved in each season since 1980-81, their first.

Last season they had their first winning season (43-39). Although they again will probably not win the Midwest Division, they will improve once again.

In this game at Dallas, that was surprisingly onesided, the Mavericks improved their record to 38-29. With 15 games remaining, they should win at least six.

The Mavericks held the highest scoring team in the league to 49 points in the first half and, after three quarters, led, 100-65, before Motta cleared his bench.

The Mavericks are in third place, 4 1/2 games behind Denver.

Chicago 103, Phoenix 97--Michael Jordan, making 11 of 15 shots, scored 27 points at Chicago as the Bulls, by beating the Suns, assured the Lakers the title in the Pacific Division.

The Bulls led by 14 points in the second quarter, but Alvan Adams, who scored 36 points, led a rally that put the Suns ahead, 86-84, with six minutes left. The lead changed hands six times before Jordan’s 10-footer put the Bulls ahead to stay, 93-92.

Washington 120, Houston 114--Jeff Malone scored 13 of his 36 points in a 30-9 spurt in the third quarter at Landover, Md. that enabled the Bullets to end the Rockets’ three-game winning streak.

The Rockets led by eight points when Malone and Gus Williams triggered the Bullets’ game-winning rally. Williams scored 8 of his 30 points in the spurt.

Philadelphia 119, New York 110--Moses Malone scored 11 of his 31 points in the third quarter at Philadelphia to help the 76ers break open a close game.

The 76ers held Bernard King, the league’s leading scorer, to 25 points.

Utah 115, Kansas City 112--Mark Eaton had only 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots at Salt Lake City, but he made up for it by scoring 20 points. The massive center made 8 of 10 shots from the field.

Two free throws by Rickey Green with seven seconds remaining sewed up the victory.

Adrian Dantley returned to action for the Jazz, scoring 15 points in 24 minutes after being out two weeks with a hamstring injury.

Portland 126, Golden State 101--Kiki Vandeweghe scored 30 points in the first three quarters to help the Trail Blazers continue their Portland domination of the Warriors.

Vandeweghe sat out the fourth quarter after making sure the Blazers would beat the Warriors for the 23rd time in the last 24 games they have played each other at Portland.