NBA Roundup : Bird and Wedman Lift Celtics Past Weakened Rockets, 114-107

Larry Bird scored 36 points and Scott Wedman sparked a fourth-quarter rally that led the Boston Celtics past the Houston Rockets, 114-107, Monday night at Boston.

The game was marred by an injury to Rocket star Ralph Sampson. The 7-foot-4 Sampson suffered what was feared to be a broken back and neurological damage to his right leg when he fell backward while leaping for a rebound in the second quarter. But he later was released from a Boston hospital after X-rays proved to be negative.

The game was delayed nine minutes before Sampson was carried off on a stretcher. Sampson was the game’s leading scorer with 17 points and Houston had a 53-51 lead when he was injured.

Wedman, who sank 9 of 10 shots from the field, scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and his two straight jumpers broke a 97-97 tie midway through the final quarter, giving Boston the lead for good.

The victory was Boston’s eighth straight and 24th in a row at home. The league record is 27, set by the Minneapolis Lakers in 1949-50.

Akeem Olajuwon scored 29 points and Lewis Lloyd added 22 for the Rockets, who have lost seven of their last eight road games.

Washington 100, Philadelphia 93--Jeff Malone scored 29 points and Cliff Robinson added 28 at Landover, Md., as the Bullets won for the second time in three games under new Coach Kevin Loughery.

Charles Barkley had 36 points and 24 rebounds for the 76ers, who played without All-Star center Moses Malone. Philadelphia had won four straight games and nine of its last 10.

Dallas 126, Indiana 120--Mark Aguirre scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half and sparked a 16-1 surge in the fourth quarter as the Mavericks beat the Pacers at Indianapolis.

Rolando Blackman added 23 points while Brad Davis and Jay Vincent had 22 each for Dallas. Ron Anderson had 28 points and 13 rebounds, and Herb Williams added 25 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana.

Utah 116, Seattle 108--Adrian Dantley scored 32 points and Mark Eaton added 20 as the Jazz overcame the SuperSonics at Salt Lake City.

Eaton was 6 for 6 from the field, 8 for 8 from the free-throw line, added 12 rebounds and 3 blocked shots.