NBA Playoffs : Knicks Go With Newman and Get New Life With a Win Over Celtics

The homecourt advantage has never been more evident than in the National Basketball Assn.’s Eastern Conference playoffs. The home team hasn’t lost.

Even the New York Knicks, outclassed in the first two games of the best-of-five series against the Boston Celtics, salvaged a victory at Madison Square Garden.

Johnny Newman, given a start at forward, scored 34 points Wednesday night to lead the Knicks to a 109-100 victory. In cutting the Celtics’ lead to 2-1, the Knicks gained the 13th victory without a loss for the home team in the East.

If form prevails all the way, the Celtics, Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta will advance.

Knick Coach Rick Pitino complained that the first two games were too organized. He was looking for helter-skelter play to disrupt the patient pattern of the Celtics.

It was in this type of game that Newman and center Patrick Ewing kept up with the blistering scoring pace of the Celtic front line. In the first two games, the Celtic big men overwhelmed the Knicks. But Ewing had 31 points, while the Boston trio of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish combined for 53.

The Celtics led early, but Ewing scored 10 points in a 31-13 burst that gave the Knicks an 85-75 lead early in the final period.

Then Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge brought the Celtics even, 94-94, with 2:49 left. Ewing made four free throws, Newman scored on a rebound and the Knicks outscored the Celtics, 15-6, down the stretch.

Bird, who finished with 20 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds, accepted the blame for Newman’s big night.

“Newman was too quick for me,” Bird said. “And when he’s hitting from outside, he’s tough.”

Newman didn’t even know he was starting.

“I found it out when the lineups were announced,” he said. “It gave me a surge and that’s all I needed.”

Washington 106, Detroit 103--In this series, whoever gets the big shot at the finish wins. All four times so far, it has been the home team.

Moses Malone sank a 12-foot jumper with 22 seconds left to clinch the victory at Landover, Md., tying the series at 2-2. The deciding game will be Sunday at Pontiac, Mich.

“It’s still fun to take the deciding shot,” Malone, a 14-year veteran, said.

At the time he made the game-winner, Malone was being double-teamed by Rick Mahorn and Isiah Thomas.

Malone’s basket made it 105-103. The Pistons elected to go for a three-pointer by Thomas. It bounced off the rim, and Jeff Malone grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made only one, giving the Pistons another chance, but Dantley’s bomb was blocked by Charles Jones.

Milwaukee 123, Atlanta 115--A brilliant fourth quarter by Paul Pressey made certain there was only one sweep in the opening round--the one by the Lakers.

Pressey scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter at Milwaukee as the Bucks prevented the Hawks from winning their third game in a row.

With the score tied, 102-102, Pressey converted a three-point play, then sank two free throws. When Sidney Moncrief made a jumper with 3:53 left, the Bucks were in charge.

“It was either win tonight or go home,” said Moncrief, who had 25 points. “It was a night in which I was open and hit my shots. We just have to win two more to stay alive.”

Dominique Wilkins, who had 22 points and 14 rebounds for Atlanta, said: “In the last six or seven minutes, we just didn’t concentrate and we didn’t defend.”

Utah 113, Portland 108--It’s a little tougher to win at home in the West, but Thurl Bailey came off the bench to score 39 points at Salt Lake City and give the Jazz a 2-1 lead in the series.

Home teams have won 6 and lost 6 in the West.

After the Jazz split the first two games of the best-of-five, opening-round series, Utah forward Karl Malone promised there would be no return to Portland.

Malone had only nine points in the first half, so the Jazz needed the big production from Bailey. Malone finished with 35 points, including a three-point play with 2:49 left that thwarted a Portland rally.

If the Jazz win Friday night at Salt Lake City, they will qualify to meet the Lakers in the second round.