NBA Roundup : Celtics Win 27th Straight at Home, Tie Record

All the Boston Celtics did Sunday was get 40 points from Larry Bird, tie an NBA record with their 27th straight win at home and win their 11th straight overall.

Such accomplishments are becoming almost routine for the Celtics, who improved their league-leading record to 62-13 by defeating the New Jersey Nets, 122-117.

The only other NBA team to win 27 straight at home was the 1949-50 Minneapolis Lakers.

Although Bird was the star, all five Celtic starters contributed. Kevin McHale finished with 24 points, Robert Parish 21, Dennis Johnson 17 and Danny Ainge 13.

“We had our chances late in the game,” said Net guard Otis Birdsong, who finished with a team-high 26 points. “But Larry came down and hit a big shot for them and that was it for us.”

Boston Coach K.C. Jones said: “New Jersey made a game of it. We played great to get the lead and then we started to think it was garbage time, but it wasn’t.”

New Jersey closed the gap to 111-107 with 2:56 left on a Birdsong baseline drive, but Bird sank an 18-foot jump shot with 1:42 remaining to put the Celtics up by eight.

Philadelphia 114, Dallas 113--The 76ers went into the game at Philadelphia with only eight players. Among the missing were center Moses Malone, out for the rest of the regular season with an eye injury, backup center Clemon Johnson and center-forward Bob McAdoo.

But the 76ers got 32 points and a career-high 25 rebounds from Charles Barkley, who played 47 minutes, and a career-high 29 points from rookie Terry Catledge and ended up with a one-point victory.

Philadelphia Coach Matt Guokas said: “All last night (Saturday) when I was thinking about who I was going to play, I never once had the feeling that we could not beat the Mavericks. But when I got to the locker room, I could sense from everyone that they really believed they were going to win.”

Said Barkley: “I feel great now because we won. But I’m exhausted. In another two hours, I don’t know how I’ll feel.”

In addition to Malone, McAdoo, who had a strained left knee, and Johnson, who has a strained lower back, the 76ers were missing guard Andrew Toney, still bothered by stress fractures of his feet, and forward Bobby Jones, who is on the injured list with a groin injury.

The 76ers held a 112-103 lead after two free throws by Barkley with 57 seconds remaining, but Dallas rallied with seven straight points. Then Perry Moss of Philadelphia scored on a layup with five seconds to go, and a three-pointer by Dallas’ Derek Harper with two seconds left closed out the scoring.

Seattle 103, Phoenix 89--With this victory at Seattle, the SuperSonics won two straight for the first time since March 3. The Sonics beat the Lakers, 88-87, Saturday night.

With the loss, the Suns dropped two games behind San Antonio for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot. Phoenix, which has lost four straight road games, had won the five previous meetings with Seattle this season and nine straight against the SuperSonics dating back to last season.

Gerald Henderson led the Sonics with 20 points. He made 9 of 14 shots, including 8 straight. Henderson made just 1 of 10 shots the night before against the Lakers.