This Time, Lakers Give Celtics a Physical Education : L.A. Pushes Back, Moves Ahead, 2-1

So what are you going to do with those Lakers? Go easy on the croissants. Hold the shrimp bisque. Better throw them some raw meat instead.

Yesterday’s wimps, today’s bullies, that’s the way it goes for the Lakers, who took a 2-1 lead in the National Basketball Assn. championship series by defeating the Celtics, 136-111, Sunday afternoon before a Forum crowd of 17,505.

The Lakers beat the Celtics at what is supposed to be their own game, which is to be more physical than the other guy. But this time, the Laker idea of finesse was whether to push with one hand or two.

“The closer a team gets to a ring, all hell could break loose,” Laker forward Bob McAdoo said.

Now there is a whole different light being shed on this series. Suddenly, the Lakers are the baddies, and it’s the Celtics who are complaining about the play being too rough.

This is a startling role reversal, almost as shocking as Celtic forward Cedric Maxwell refusing to talk, which is what he did after the game.

Celtic Coach K.C. Jones, however, had plenty to say.

“There’s a fine line between physical and dirty,” Jones said. “They’re crossing that line.”

If they really are, then it is a line where Laker sneakers normally fear to tread.

“What we should do is meet them out in the parking lot and have a fight to get it out of our system, then we can play ball,” Larry Bird said. “I don’t know if the league is ready for it, but the Celtics are.” Oddly enough, the Lakers may be ready, too.

Jones was upset mainly with Laker reserve Mitch Kupchak, whom he found guilty of trying to do some serious damage to Celtic center Robert Parish by allegedly trying to remove his head from his shoulders.

“Push, shove, grab, that’s all part of the game,” Jones said. “But when you’re trying to take somebody’s head off, that’s different. That was dirty. You don’t go in there and try to hurt someone.”

Kupchak, who had seven points and five fouls in 13 minutes, said his defense needed no defending.

“If according to K.C.’s definition of dirty we can do that for two more games and win the series, then I love to play dirty,” he said.

There really was a game being played Sunday, even if it was sometimes difficult to find because of the trouble that was breaking out all over the court.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists as he put together impressive back-to-back games. Abdul-Jabbar also became the all-time playoff scoring leader, breaking Jerry West’s record, when he dropped a 12-foot sky hook in the third quarter after an assist by Magic Johnson.

Johnson had 16 assists, 17 points and 9 rebounds. Kurt Rambis also had nine rebounds as the Lakers once again defeated the Celtics on the backboards, 49-37. Rambis was destined for other things, though.

So was McAdoo, who presented a very good case for staying around next season, by scoring 19 points in 25 minutes. McAdoo also took down six rebounds, blocked a couple of shots and got the Lakers off and running with their newly found aggressive style.

“We are not going to stand around and get pushed all over the floor,” McAdoo said. “If we are going to win against the Boston Celtics, we are going to have to play their type of game.”

Blood types nearly became important early. In the first quarter, there was McAdoo trading head-high elbows with Kevin McHale, then aiming an open-handed slap at McHale, which luckily missed. Call it an air slap, but both McAdoo and McHale received technical fouls anyway.

That little exchange was only a hint of what was to follow.

The Lakers were down, 26-23, at the time, and still trailed the Celtics, 48-46, midway through the second quarter when McAdoo pushed McHale into Magic Johnson, and Johnson pushed McHale. Johnson got a technical, but the Lakers soon got the lead.

James Worthy, whose offense had been silent for the first two games, broke loose for 15 of his 29 points in the second period. The Lakers finished the first half with a 65-59 lead, built largely on a 23-7 surge that turned a 48-38 deficit into a 61-55 lead.

Worthy scored 14 more points in the third quarter, and the Lakers led, 88-75. This is where things became really interesting again.

Rambis began hitting the floor with regularity. The first time, Rambis landed on the floor with Danny Ainge on top of him when they were busy chasing a loose ball.

It was actually one of the few times the Celtics found themselves on top. Bird sat down after shooting 8 for 21 and scoring 20 points when the Lakers held a 116-96 fourth-quarter lead.

A little more than a minute later, it was time for Rambis to hit the deck again, ridden to the floor on this occasion by Celtic guard Ray Williams. They were contesting a rebound, but Williams fell with Rambis against some folding chairs at courtside near the Laker bench.

Williams was ejected, and Rambis said he had no comment about what happened other than a few general words, but certainly no apology, for what was going on out there on the court.

“That’s the type of play that’s going to win this series,” Rambis said.

McAdoo sank his first four shots and was on the court when the Lakers made their big second-quarter run. He felt he may have had something to prove by the way he played, and Jones agreed, saying he had never seen McAdoo play better.

But then Jones nearly didn’t see the second half, either. At halftime, Jones was locked in the Celtic locker room and had to pound on the door to get someone to let him out.

“I was shouting, ‘Hey, I’m the coach of this team,’ ” Jones said. “Maybe it was a mistake to come out of there.”

Jones couldn’t have been too pleased with his Celtics, who got 31 points and 10 rebounds from McHale, but not much else. Guards Ainge and Dennis Johnson were a combined 5 for 22 while the Celtics shot only 43%.

If that’s a key to the series, then so is the way the Lakers are playing it.

After last season’s championship-series loss to the Celtics, the Lakers have realized that they have elbows, too. And this time, they’re not afraid to use them.

“The misconception about this team is that we run up and down the court and don’t play physical,” McAdoo said. “You don’t get to the finals four straight years without being a physical team. We’re tired of being called the patsy team from the West.”

Laker Notes Magic Johnson, who assisted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the hook shot that broke Jerry West’s career playoff scoring mark, said Abdul-Jabbar is playing as well as ever. “My first year in the playoffs against Philly (1980), Kareem was incredible,” Johnson said. “He’s playing even better now. He has to give us even more than he usually does in playoff time. More is at stake.” . . . Laker Coach Pat Riley said he was impressed by Abdul-Jabbar’s defense, a performance that included two blocked shots and a seldom-seen lunge at a Celtic pass. “That’s called leadership,” he said. . . . Larry Bird is also impressed by Abdul-Jabbar. “I tend to forget how good he is sometimes,” Bird said. . . . The Laker victory Sunday was the first time in this season’s playoffs that they had won after trailing at the end of the first quarter. . . . Bob McAdoo was not amused when told that Boston Coach K. C. Jones said he had never seen him play any better. “K. C. must have had his eyes closed for the last 13 years,” said McAdoo. . . . Kevin McHale said the Celtics ought to be more concerned about what they do instead of the Lakers. “All we have to do is play better,” he said. “If we don’t, then this series is going to be over before we turn around. I guess they can be cocky if they want--kicking our rear ends like that.” . . . Danny Ainge doesn’t agree. “I don’t think we’re in a lot of trouble right now,” he said. “We’re in good shape if we win Wednesday night.” . . . Every player on both the Celtic and Laker roster played Sunday and everyone scored except for Boston reserve center Greg Kite, who was blanked in 12 minutes. . . . Byron Scott on Abdul-Jabbar: “He’s giving (Robert) Parish a lot of problems right now. He’s giving the whole team a lot of problems.” . . . The NBA names its MVP today and the likely winner is Bird, who also won last season. If Bird is chosen, he would be the first non-center to win back-to-back MVPs.

ALL-TIME LEADING NBA PLAYOFF SCORERS

Player, Team G Pts x-Abdul-Jabbar, Mil-LA 163 4,464 West, LA 153 4,457 Havlicek, Bos 172 3,776 Baylor, Minn-LA 134 3,623 Chamberlain, Phi-SF-LA 160 3,607 Sam Jones, Bos 154 2,909 x-Erving, Phi 124 2,785 Russell, Bos 165 2,673 Petit, StL 88 2,240 Hayes, SD-Was-Hou 96 2,194 Mikan, Minn 91 2,141 Heinsohn, Bos 104 2,058 Cousy, Bos 109 2,018

x-Active players NBA CHAMPIONSHIP LAKERS VS. CELTICS BEST-OF-SEVEN SERIES Game 1 Celtics 148, Lakers 114 Game 2 Lakers 109, Celtics 102 Game 3 Lakers 136, Celtics 111

Game 4 June 5 at Forum 6 p.m. Game 5 June 7 at Forum 6 p.m. Game 6 June 9 at Boston 11 a.m. Game 7 June 11 at Boston 6 p.m.

NOTE: Games 6 and 7 if necessary. All times PDT.