Bird Passes Test, Scores 33 in 29 Minutes

Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics took a big step in his recovery from foot surgery Sunday night when he walked onto a court with other National Basketball Assn. players and walked off showing that he has lost little of what made him an All-Star.

Bird, star of his own all-star benefit event, “Larry’s Game,” to raise scholarship money for disadvantaged youth, played 29 minutes and scored 33 points while leading his team to a 182-168 victory.

“It was fun, I enjoyed it,” Bird said. “It’s a start, anyway.

“This game allowed me to test myself. This was a challenge I wanted to face. If I was worried about reinjuring the foot, I wouldn’t have played.”

While the emphasis of the game was on fun and showmanship rather than winning, the 6-foot-9 forward from French Lick, Ind., appeared to approach the game with utmost seriousness from the start.

Despite an overflow contingent of media on hand, he declined pregame interviews and kept to himself in the locker room before the tipoff. While Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins clowned around, Bird ran up and down the court with a determined expression on his face.

Bird played just six games last season before the irritation from bone spurs rubbing against the Achilles’ tendons in both of his heels forced him to the operating table in November. About 30% of the surface area of the tendons was damaged in the procedure to remove the spurs, doctors said.

Bird’s introduction brought a standing ovation by fans who have followed his career from high school to Indiana State to the NBA. He grabbed the game’s first rebound. He led a fast break that ended with a pass thrown away, but came back with an assist on Rolando Blackman’s 18-footer and hit an 11-foot hook along the baseline, all before the game was 90 seconds old.

Celtic trainer Ed Lacerte, in town for the game, examined Bird’s feet Saturday. He said he also plans to talk to Bird again today.

“We’re very pleased with the way he has progressed in the past six weeks,” Lacerte said. “We think he’s doing well in his conditioning and running.”