M.L. Carr Says Celtics Will Truly Love L.A.

The fans in Boston are praying that they’ll see their team again, but M.L. Carr says the Celtics are going to disappoint them.

No, Carr isn’t conceding a three-game sweep by the Lakers at the Forum. He’s predicting a three-game sweep by the Celtics.

“I look at it as a challenge to go out there and end it in L.A.,” he said before the Celtics took off for Los Angeles. “I look at it positively.

“It’s just unfortunate for our fans that we have to end it out there.”

What is it they say? “It’s only a game.”

Don’t tell it to Jose Luis Clerc. Said the Argentine pro after losing to Yannick Noah of France in the French Open when he failed to win a single point after a disputed call: “I completely lost my concentration. I think it could really change my whole life.”

Trivia Time: Their given names were Walker Smith and Antonio Berardinelli. Who are they, and what was unusual about their encounter? (Answer below.)

From Stan Isle of the Sporting News: “Boston Celtics executive Red Auerbach, who has no love for the New York Knicks, turned to Celtic General Manager Jan Volk and owner Alan Cohen after New York won the Pat Ewing lottery and said: ‘That’s all right. Knowing them, they’ll probably take Wayman Tisdale.’ ”

Add Ewing: Julius Erving told the New York Times: “He’ll be a force to be reckoned with. He knows how to make sacrifices. He knows how to win without being catered to in any way.

“Most guys gain stardom by being individual stars, but he gained stardom by making other guys better. I don’t see him having the boyish confusion some young players have. He’s a man.”

Now-it-can-be-told dept.: After North Carolina beat Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas for the NCAA title in 1956-’57, Tar Heel Coach Frank McGuire was hailed for his psychological ploy of having 5-10 guard Tommy Kearns jump against Chamberlain on the opening tip.

McGuire now confesses that it was all a mistake. He told Herman Helms of the Columbia (S.C.) State newspaper that he merely was trying to fire up his center, Joe Quigg.

McGuire: “One day in practice, I told Joe if he was scared of Chamberlain, he didn’t have to show up, that I would make an excuse for him.

“Then I turned to Kearns and said, ‘Tommy, are you scared of Chamberlain?’ He said no, so I said, ‘OK, you jump center.’

“Well, I wasn’t really serious, and I had forgotten all about it until we lined up to start the game, and there was Tommy walking out to jump against Chamberlain. I said, ‘My God, he thought I was serious!’ ”

And how did Tommy do?

McGuire: “Later he told me he went as high as he could and he hit Wilt in the kneecap.”

Note: In the third overtime, the center, Joe Quigg, scored the winning points as the Tar Heels won, 54-53.

Trivia Answer: Sugar Ray Robinson and Joey Maxim. In the summer of 1952, Maxim defended his light-heavyweight title against Robinson at Yankee Stadium, where the temperature was 107 degrees in the ring. Referee Ruby Goldstein collapsed from the heat in the 12th round and was replaced by Ray Miller. Robinson, leading on points, was overcome by the heat in the 14th round and had to retire, making Maxim the winner.

Quotebook

Catcher Marty Castillo of the Detroit Tigers, during a 1-for-24 slump: “My bats are in Mexico undergoing Laetrile treatments.”