NBA Roundup : Cavaliers See Too Much of Bird in 117-115 Loss

Angered by Larry Bird’s remark that Cleveland fans “know next to nothing about basketball,” 20,900 fans at Richfield Coliseum were waiting for the Boston Celtics’ superstar.

“We want Bird,” the crowd chanted before he appeared Thursday night.

Bird gave them their fill, scoring 34 points, including two free throws with 23 seconds left as the Celtics eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers from the NBA playoffs, 117-115, at Richfield, Ohio.

The Celtics won the series, three games to one.

One banner read “Celtics: NBA All-Star crybabies.” Another said: “Bird laid a rotten egg on the wrong fans.” Several others needed censoring, and some were confiscated by Coliseum ushers. One fan hanged Bird in effigy.

“Whatever that means,” said Bird, who also had 14 rebounds and seven assists. “I hope the fans learned a lesson--you can’t upset certain people. I just ignored everything.”

Bird missed Game 3 Tuesday night because of bursitis and bone chips in his right elbow, and the Cavaliers beat the Celtics for the first time in the last 17 meetings.

“I wasn’t really hampered by the elbow at all,” Bird said. “Once I got in the game, I think the excitement drove me over the limit.”

The Celtics, seeking to become the first team to repeat as NBA champions since they accomplished that feat in the 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons, will play the Detroit Pistons in the best-of-seven conference semifinals.

That series will begin Sunday at the Boston Garden. The Pistons swept New Jersey in three games.

Trailing, 111-107, with 3:10 left, Boston tied the score with 2:34 remaining on a basket by Ray Williams and two free throws by Dennis Johnson.

World B. Free, who led Cleveland with 30 points, and Williams traded free throws before Bird sank two free throws for a 115-113 Celtic lead with 51 seconds left.

Phil Hubbard’s jumper tied the game, but Bird was fouled by Free with 23 seconds left and made his winning free throws. Cleveland let the clock run down, and Free’s desperation shot was blocked by Johnson at the buzzer.

Johnson finished with 24 points and Robert Parish added 18. Hubbard followed Free with 23 points and John Bagley contributed 15 points and 10 assists.

Portland 115, Dallas 113--Audie Norris sank a 10-foot baseline jumper with one second left at Portland and the Trail Blazers eliminated the Mavericks with a 3-1 opening-round playoff victory.

The Blazers face the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals starting Saturday at Los Angeles.

Norris, a seldom-used power forward, was forced into action because both Portland centers, Sam Bowie and Mychal Thompson, fouled out. Norris also scored on a driving layup with 22 seconds to play to give Portland a 113-111 lead.

Brad Davis of Dallas sank a pair of free throws with 15 seconds to play to tie the score, 113-113. The Blazers got the ball to Clyde Drexler in the final seconds, and he found Norris for the game-winning shot.

Mark Aguirre, who scored 39 points for Dallas, missed a desperation jumper at the buzzer.

Kiki Vandeweghe led the Blazers with 27 points while Drexler scored 18 and Jim Paxson 16.