In Game 3, the Celtics Had to Battle It Out With the Laker Bench

Coach Pat Riley finally has his Laker team playing in the style that kept him in the NBA as a player. In other words, he has a team full of thugs.

I’m not talking about Kareem, Worthy or Magic, who are all playing great basketball. I’m talking about the other Lakers who have resorted to Riley’s style: battleball.

Those who will earn purple hearts if the Lakers win the championship are: Bob McAdoo, a former all-star and scoring champ whose role has now dwindled to beating on the more talented Kevin McHale until he gets six fouls and returns to the bench; Mitch Kupchak, a player who earned my respect by coming back from a severe knee injury and lost my respect by playing bully to the same McHale until fouls put him back on the bench where he belongs; Kurt Rambis, who has no known talent other than being a hit man; and Larry Spriggs, who seems to have talent but is so busy playing enforcer that I’m still not sure if he can play basketball.

CHARLES BRISSETTE

La Canada