NBA Roundup : Even With Bird Away, Celtics Can Still Play; Bucks Routed, 119-92

It is generally accepted that Larry Bird is one of the best players in basketball. The last three years he has been almost a unanimous choice for the Most Valuable Player Award in the National Basketball Assn.

So, how come the Boston Celtics play so well without him?

Bird, the Celtics’ leading scorer with a 26.8 average, was out with a sprained back Wednesday night at Boston, but the Celtics, led by Kevin McHale, overwhelmed the strong Milwaukee Bucks, 119-92.

It wasn’t even a contest. With McHale getting 22 of his 28 points in the first half, the Celtics took a 58-38 lead. By early in the last quarter, the Celtic starters were sitting on the bench, through for the night. Their biggest lead was 30 points.

True, the Bucks were without two of their stars, Sidney Moncrief and Paul Pressey, but with the people they did have, they figured to have given the Celtics all they could handle.

If this was an isolated incident, it would be more easily understood. For instance, once years ago, when Elgin Baylor and Jerry West were about 75% of the Lakers, both were out of a game with injuries. Rudy LaRusso responded with 50 points and the Lakers won. Mostly, though, with stars missing, teams lose.

But, in the games they have played without the great one, the Celtics have been surprisingly successful. Bird has missed 19 games as a pro and the Celtics are 12-7. He has missed four this season and they are 3-1. In another, in Boston against the same Bucks, Bird scored only two points before being ejected after playing just nine minutes. With Fred Roberts coming off the bench to score 23 points, the Celtics won.

In fact, Bird was more of a detriment than a help in another game with the Bucks at Milwaukee last month. Bird was 4 for 15 from the field, scored 12 points and the Celtics were beaten handily, 120-100. Bird did better on Nov. 1 at Milwaukee, scoring 24 points, but the Bucks won that one, too.

“We would have been tough for any team tonight,” Danny Ainge said. “When Larry’s out, you know there’s no room for a letdown. But we had three good days of practice and our intensity level was up.”

The Celtics used Ainge as the sixth man. He came off the bench to score 17 points and grab nine rebounds.

“McHale is the best inside player in the league,” Coach Don Nelson of the Bucks said. “And, he seems to be getting better.”

The Celtics may have two more chances to improve on their record without the veteran forward. Bird, who apparently injured the back while scoring 37 points in a win over Chicago last Friday, will probably miss Friday’s game with Sacramento and Saturday’s at Detroit.

Philadelphia 109, Atlanta 102----The Hawks’ slump is no longer a laughing matter. With Cliff Robinson scoring 31 points and rugged Charles Barkley contributing 25 points and 15 rebounds, the improving 76ers handed the Hawks only their second home loss in 14 games this season.

While the Hawks remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee in the Central Division, they are only two games ahead of onrushing Detroit and are only 4-5 in their last nine games.

Robinson, 15 for 20 from the field, scored four points in each of two 9-0 spurts by the 76ers that turned a 43-39 deficit into a 59-47 lead.

It was the fifth win in the last six games for the 76ers, who shut down Dominique Wilkins in the first half. Wilkins, held to two points in the first half, scored 22 in the second, but it was too late.

Detroit 122, New York 111--Isiah Thomas put on a dazzling first-quarter show at Pontiac, Mich. to get the Pistons off to a fast start and the Knicks could never catch up.

Thomas had 14 of his 30 points and eight of his 19 assists in the first 12 minutes as the Pistons built a 36-28 lead. At halftime the lead zoomed to 71-53.

Patrick Ewing, who had 30 points and 14 rebounds in another sparkling performance, led the Knicks’ desperate second half rally, but the Knicks never were closer than 10.

Former Laker center Chuck Nevitt had a career-high 12 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes for the Pistons.

New Jersey 118, Washington 96--The Nets continue to show improvement, especially at home. Buck Williams scored 10 points in a 14-2 run late in the second quarter at East Rutherford, N.J. that gave the Nets a 54-40 lead.

Williams, in his best game of the season, had 28 points and 18 rebounds.

The Bullets’ one big rally in the second quarter was led by 7-6 Manute Bol. Bol blocked four shots and had four rebounds in a 17-4 spurt that put the Bullets behind only 40-38 before Williams’ spree.

Dallas 108, San Antonio 103--The Mavericks had a tough time with the lowly Spurs at Dallas, but Mark Aguirre made three free throws in the last 19 seconds to clinch the victory.

After holding only a 53-52 halftime lead, it appeared the Mavericks had broken the game open when they led by 13 after three quarters. But Alvin Robertson led a belated rally by the Spurs that cut the lead to 101-97 before Aguirre sank the free throws.