NBA Playoffs Roundup : Pistons Catch Up to Celtics, 102-99

Vinnie Johnson put on an unbelievable display of clutch shooting in the fourth quarter Sunday at Detroit to bring the Pistons from 11 points behind to a 102-99 victory that evened their playoff series with the Boston Celtics at two games apiece.

Johnson, making 10 of 11 shots and 22 of the Pistons’ 26 points in the last quarter, finished with 34 points in 30 minutes, coming off the bench.

The defending champion Celtics, largely because of a 15-point third period by Larry Bird, went into the final period with an 87-76 margin and appeared certain to take a commanding lead in the best-of-seven series until Johnson went wild.

Johnson’s biggest shot was an off-balance 15-foot lean-in jumper with the shot clock running down that gave the Pistons a 100-96 lead with 58 seconds remaining. That was the final blow to the Celtics, an ironman team that wilted into a point-a-minute aggregation in the last 12 minutes.

Almost all of Johnson’s shots in the fourth quarter were from about 15 feet. He made six in a row to open the period and, with the Celtics going scoreless for five minutes, he put Detroit ahead, 88-87. Although they made only three field goals in the last 12 minutes, the Celtics actually moved ahead, 94-90, when Kevin McHale turned Boston’s first basket of the final quarter into a three-point play with 5:39 left.

Two Johnson jumpers and a pair of free throws offset Bird’s only basket in the last quarter to make it 96-96 with 4:08 left. Neither team scored again until Johnson sank a 12-footer to break the tie with 1:48 left. After another Boston miss, he made the big one with less than a minute to go.

“The only thing I was thinking about was, ‘Hey, I’m going great, the crowd’s into it. Let’s win,’ ” Johnson said. “My game today was just to get us even with them.”

For the game Johnson, who was 3 for 15 in the two previous games, made 16 of 21 shots, almost all from outside.

“Vinnie can do that every day in practice,” Coach Chuck Daly said. “He hasn’t been doing it in the series, but when he’s in that rhythm, he’s awfully tough.”

Except for the one flurry in the third quarter, it was not a good day for Bird. He made 5 of 6 in a hot spell in the third period, but the rest of the game he was 4 for 17.

Game 5 of what has suddenly become a tough series will be played in Boston Wednesday night.

Philadelphia 121, Milwaukee 112--The winner of the Boston-Detroit series will face a well-rested 76er team. Moses Malone & Co. made certain of that in this game at Philadelphia, where they completed a 4-0 sweep of the Bucks.

Malone had 31 points and 13 rebounds to complete a brilliant series, but he didn’t think the 76ers dominated the Bucks.

“They were four tough games,” the 76ers’ center said. “All three of their centers showed they could play when things were really physical under there (basket).”

Coach Don Nelson, whose Bucks surprised by breezing to the title in the Central Division, said he was stunned by the 76ers sweeping the second-round series.

“Philadelphia is no longer a sleeping giant,” he said. “Somewhere along the line in the Washington series they woke up and they are rolling now.”

The Bucks were holding a 71-63 lead in the third quarter of the finale, but Malone, Andrew Toney and Maurice Cheeks sparked a 20-6 spurt by the 76ers that finished off the Bucks.

Denver 125, Utah 118--Alex English scored 40 points at Salt Lake City as the Nuggets held off a fourth-quarter Utah rally and took a 3-1 advantage in their Western Conference semifinal series.

English scored 22 points in the first half as the Nuggets ran off to a 24-point advantage. English hit 14 of 19 shots from the floor and scored 14 of his team’s 16 points, including 10 straight, midway through the second quarter. The burst put the Nuggets ahead 62-38 with 3:19 left in the period.

Utah whittled away at that lead and pulled within one point, 119-118, with 45 seconds remaining when Thurl Bailey dropped in a layup. However, Dan Issel scored four of Denver’s last six points to hold the Jazz at bay.

The Nuggets could wrap up the best-of-seven series with a victory in the fifth game, to be played at Denver Tuesday night.

Jazz forward Adrian Dantley led Utah with 33 points, while Darrell Griffith added 28 and Bailey had 21.

For Denver Calvin Natt scored 18 and Mike Evans scored 15, including three three-point shots. Wayne Cooper scored 14 and Issel had 12 for the Nuggets.

The Nuggets outrebounded Utah, 56-44, including 21 on offense. In each of its victories Denver has controlled the boards.