NBA Roundup : For Celtics, Another Win, Another Milestone

Kevin McHale scored 38 points Sunday at Boston to lead the Celtics to a 112-102 victory over the Detroit Pistons and enable them to become the first professional basketball team to win 2,000 games in regular-season play. The Celtics, counting playoff games, have won 2,235 games. Only the Harlem Globetrotters, who won most of theirs against patsies, have won more.

The Celtics, who have a 25-2 record at home this season, have beaten the Pistons, leaders of the Central Division, the last 10 times the teams have played at Boston Garden.

McHale scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, but it was reserve guard Jerry Sichting, who made the key points to open the fourth quarter that gave the Celtics the lead for good.

The Pistons fought back from an early 13-point deficit and it was tied, 85-85, after three quarters. But Sichting hit two jumpers and then McHale took over. McHale also had 14 rebounds and teammate Robert Parish had 15.

Boston guard Dennis Johnson, who injured his Achilles tendon and had to leave in the second quarter of Friday’s loss to Atlanta, returned to play 42 minutes. Johnson scored 18 points and had nine assists, indicating the injury was minor.

“I was concerned,” Celtic Coach K.C. Jones said. “When they said ‘Achilles’, I had visions of Dennis sprouting wings and flying out the window.”

Philadelphia 102, Houston 97--Charles Barkley said that when the 76ers stepped out on the floor at Houston, he just knew the four-game losing streak was going to end.

Except for some yeoman work on the boards, the bulky forward did not contribute much in the stretch drive for the injury-riddled 76ers.

While Barkley was getting only three points in the second half, Tim McCormick, Maurice Cheeks and Andrew Toney pulled the 76ers through.

McCormick had 26 points, including two free throws with eight seconds left that sealed the win. Toney sank two jumpers in the last two minutes and Cheeks, besides making four steals, scored 17 points.

Indiana 122, New York 115--For more than three quarters at New York, the Knicks were on an NBA-record pace and on their way to an infrequent victory.

They had made 40 of 55 field-goal attempts and led, 99-91, when they turned ice cold, missed 10 shots in a row and fell behind.

A jumper by Rory Sparrow with 13 seconds left in regulation sent the game into overtime. But Indiana’s Herb Williams sank a jumper to put his team ahead for good, 110-108, and he followed that with a steal to set up two more points and a win for the Pacers.

Chuck Person had 35 points and John Long had 30 for the Pacers, who have won 28 games, two more than they won all last season.

Patrick Ewing had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks, who are 16-41.

New Jersey 102, Chicago 97--When the Nets played the Bulls in Chicago last Thursday, they couldn’t keep their hands off Michael Jordan. Jordan scored 58 points, 26 of them free throws.

The strategy for this one at East Rutherford, N.J., was simple. Coach Dave Wohl told his players to stand their ground, but not challenge Jordan.

It worked. Jordan shot only 12 free throws, he missed 13 of his 23 shots from the field, and with center Mike Gminski having a big game, the lowly Nets won their second in a row and 15th of the season.

Gminski shut down Chicago center Dave Corzine and scored 25 points and had 16 rebounds. Buck Williams also had a good game with 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Jordan finished with 30 points, but he also had seven turnovers.