NBA Roundup : Pacers End Celtic Win Streak at Eight, 111-109

Clark Kellogg sank a short jumper at the buzzer Saturday night at Indianapolis to give the Indiana Pacers a 111-109 victory that ended the Boston Celtics’ eight-game winning streak.

Kellogg grabbed the rebound of a missed shot by Vern Fleming and went up over Boston center Robert Parish to score the decisive basket.

Not only did Kellogg lead the Pacers on offense, he shut down Larry Bird in the second half. Bird, finally finding his shooting touch after some dismal performances, scored 28 points in the first half but only five after intermission.

A capacity crowd of 16,904, most of them lured by the presence of native son Bird, saw the Pacers fight back after falling behind, 100-93, with six minutes left.

Terence Stansbury brought the Pacers even at 109-109 with 30 seconds remaining. Then, Bird, who was 10 for 13 from the field in the first half, missed a jumper. Steve Stipanovich grabbed the rebound, and the Pacers pulled out the victory.

Stipanovich, not a center you would compare with either Parish or Bill Walton, scored 20 points, led all rebounders with 14 and led all playmakers with 10 assists. It was a surprising triple-double for the third-year center from Missouri.

It was a doubly sweet victory for Indiana Coach George Irvine. Last Wednesday during a shoot-around before that night’s game with the Celtics at Boston Garden, security people kicked Irvine and his players off the floor 15 minutes before their workout time was up. The angry Pacers lost that one by four points.

Washington 118, Philadelphia 97--Invariably, in games involving the 76ers, Malone is the star. But, in this game at Landover, Md., it was Jeff, not Moses who starred. Jeff, the third-year guard, scored a season-high 32 points to help the Bullets end a seven-game losing streak.

Maybe, Moses and his teammates thought that with Jeff Ruland, the Bullets’ one real big man, missing because of a bruised shin, it would be easy.

But, with 6-9 backup center, Charles Jones and two 6-9 forwards, Dan Roundfield and Cliff Robinson, dominating inside and Malone bombing from the outside, the Bullets jumped in front early and never let up.

Robinson made his first six shots and helped Roundfield control the boards. Robinson had 9 rebounds and 23 points, while Roundfield had 12 rebounds and 24 points. Darren Daye came off the bench to score 21 points and grab 6 rebounds in 22 minutes.

Moses had 21 points and 9 rebounds, but forward Charles Barkley was 0 for 7 and had only 4 rebounds in 22 minutes.

New York 103, Atlanta 96--Patrick Ewing is getting the feel of the pro game. The highly touted No. 1 draft choice propelled the Knicks to their second win in a row after they opened with eight consecutive defeats.

Ewing had 28 points and 20 rebounds. He was there when the Knicks needed him most, too. He scored nine of his points in a 19-4 spurt in the third quarter that broke open a close game.

The Knicks held only a six-point lead when the surge began and were comfortably in front, 72-51, when it ended.

Cleveland 132, Chicago 128--World B. Free scored five of his 28 points in overtime at Chicago to lead the Cavaliers to their fifth victory, all on the road, in 11 games.

The Cavaliers held a 51-39 lead in the second quarter, blew the lead and made it to overtime only because Orlando Woolridge missed a 15-foot baseline jumper with the score tied and six seconds left in regulation. Woolridge scored 35 points.

Houston 122, Dallas 117--Akeem Olajuwon scored 10 points and had five rebounds in a 17-6 surge in the second quarter at Houston that put the Rockets in position to streak to their seventh win in a row.

Olajuwon had 23 points, one of six Rockets who scored 15 or more.

Golden State 118, Phoenix 105--Purvis Short scored seven of his 36 points in the last 2 1/2 minutes at Oakland to thwart a late rally by the Suns. The Warriors have won five of the six games they have played since Short and rookie Chris Mullin joined the team.

Walter Davis scored 30 points for the Suns, who have won only once in 11 games.

San Antonio 97, Seattle 95--Mike Mitchell scored 33 points, including the winning basket in overtime at San Antonio. The Spurs blew a seven-point lead in the last five minutes of regulation.

Jack Sikma sank a baseline jumper to tie the score, 90-90, with 30 seconds left in regulation, but Steve Johnson missed a 10-footer with 10 seconds left that would have won it for the Spurs.