Lakers Have Most, Celtics Have More

It’s a sucker bet, so don’t fall for it. The Boston Celtics have not played in the most NBA playoff games. The Lakers have. That’s including their days in Minneapolis. The totals are 379 for the Lakers, 360 for the Celtics.

The problem, of course, is that the Lakers have never won a final series from the Celtics. This is the ninth time they’ve met for the championship, and the Celtics are 8-0. It started in 1958-59, when the Minneapolis Lakers, with rookie Elgin Baylor, were swept by Bill Russell & Co., 4-0. The rest of the losses belong to the L.A. Lakers, although they managed to take the Celtics to seven games four times.

Pat Riley said Friday: “This could be the best team in Laker history.”

OK, but is that enough? Julius Erving thinks so. The Philadelphia forward told the New York Times: “The Celts will try to muscle ‘em, but physically, that’s going to be a problem. L.A. is scoring 140 points a game; they’re not having any trouble getting the ball up. It could be over quick.”

Last year, the Celtics were said to be lucky. Larry Bird even admits it. But Kevin McHale, after practice Friday at Boston Garden, looked up at the rafters and said: “Tell you what. In about 20 years, I’ll look up there. It’s going to say, ’84 Boston. It sure isn’t going to say ’84 L.A.”

Add McHale: Of Game 4 against Philadelphia, when Boston mistakenly played briefly with four men, he said: “I felt like Gretzky out there. I wanted a short-handed goal.”

Trivia Time: In 1968-69, they started giving a Most Valuable Player award in the NBA championship series. The first winner was Jerry West of the Lakers. What else distinguished his award? (Answer below.)

Offensive tackle Bubba Paris of the San Francisco 49ers told Ken Denlinger of the Washington Post that he always has something to say to his opponents if they get out of line.

“I say, ‘The Lord don’t like that,’ ” Paris said. “I’ll ask ‘em, ‘Are you baptized? Are you saved?’ I’ve had a number of different reactions.

“Gary Jeter once told me, ‘You got a helluva lotta nerve giving witness when you’re sittin’ here holding me like this.’ ”

Said Cleveland infielder Tony Bernazard after Milwaukee Manager George Bamberger accused him of using a corked bat: “Last year, when I hit .220, no one said anything. Now, they say I’m using cork. Didn’t that hamburger guy or Bamberger or whatever his name is ever hear about weights?”

Trivia Answer: West is the only player from a losing team to be named MVP.

Note: That season, 1968-69, Laker owner Jack Kent Cooke was so sure of winning, he had champagne on ice, balloons in the rafters and the USC band ready to salute the champions after the seventh game at the Forum.

Said John Havlicek the other day: “I guess those balloons are still up there.”

Quotebook

Former driver Sam Posey, a commentator for ABC-TV on the Indy 500, calling race-driving the most demanding sport: “You can’t throw an incomplete pass here.”