NBA Playoff Notes : Abdul-Jabbar, 39 Today, Has Only One Plan: ‘to Think Cool Thoughts’

Tonight, on the eve of his record-tying 15th playoff season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will have a quiet dinner with a few friends, celebrating his 39th birthday. Other than that, Abdul-Jabbar said he has no plans, except for possibly one.

“I’m going to think cool thoughts,” he said. “I think Satchel Paige said that.”

Even before Abdul-Jabbar’s birthday, he was the oldest player in the NBA, and beginning Thursday night when the Lakers open their best-of-five playoff series with San Antonio, he will be matched up with 36-year-old Spur center Artis Gilmore.

“That’ll probably be the oldest matchup in playoff history,” said Abdul-Jabbar, who claimed that he doesn’t really feel very old. “When I was in high school, I thought middle-age was about 32. But now I’ve got it pushed back into the 50s.”

Dolph Schayes is the only other man who has played in 15 playoff seasons.

The Spurs lost 21 of their last 26 games and finished with their worst record since they moved to San Antonio, but they still made the playoffs. The Spurs haven’t won consecutive games since Feb. 16 and 18.

Both Gilmore and Steve Johnson are said to be healthy again, but the status of guard Wes Matthews is uncertain. Matthews went to a hospital emergency room in San Antonio at 4 a.m. Monday for a kidney problem, but he was able to practice Tuesday.

According to Wilt Chamberlain, the Lakers aren’t as good as the Boston Celtics going into the playoffs.

“(The Celtics) are by far the best team in the country this year,” Chamberlain told the Associated Press. “Early this year, when the Lakers had a great run, everybody called me wanting to compare that team to the one in 1971-72. All of a sudden, they start losing, and nobody’s calling me anymore.”

Although the Washington Bullets activated center Jeff Ruland for the playoffs, he won’t be healthy enough to play against Philadelphia in the first round. Ruland, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee April 1, is still unable to run.

Meanwhile, the 76ers aren’t saying whether Moses Malone can play in the first game Friday night at Philadelphia. Malone broke a bone near his right eye March 28.

Wearing goggles, Malone shot a basketball at practice Monday for the first time since his injury. The 76ers say they will leave it up to Malone to decide whether he will play.

Owner Jerry Reinsdorf of the Chicago Bulls has decided not to limit the playing time of Michael Jordan in the playoffs against Boston. Jordan had been under a 34-minute limit, but that changed the night the Bulls clinched the playoffs with a victory over Washington.

With the Bulls trailing by six points at halftime, Reinsdorf sent a message to Coach Stan Albeck, telling him to use Jordan as much as he wanted. Jordan played 21 of the 24 minutes in the second half, made the go-ahead basket, sank a free throw to maintain a two-point lead and stole two inbounds passes when the Bullets were trying to tie.

“It’s dangerous,” Reinsdorf said of his decision. “The doctors aren’t thrilled, but we’re going ahead. I took the risk to get us in the playoffs, so I might as well take the risk again.”

The Utah Jazz has the second-lowest payroll in the NBA, but owner Larry Miller thinks the team might actually show a profit this season. How much? Exactly $906, according to Miller’s calculations, but only if Utah defeats the Dallas Mavericks and makes it into the second round of the playoffs. Otherwise, Miller said, the Jazz will lose $500,000.

Depending on the length of the conference finals, the best-of-seven championship series will begin either May 26 or 29. If the title series goes to seven games, it will then end either June 11 or 13. The Lakers, 15-5 in the playoffs last season, won the championship series in six games, and the last game was June 9.