NBA ROUNDUP : Bird’s Answer: 40 Points in 113-109 Victory

“Experts” so quick to write off Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics might have to revise their opinions.

They claimed that Bird’s statistics were deceptive. That he really hadn’t made it all the way back after surgery all but wiped out his 1988-89 season.

A New York writer knocked Bird for being “a legend in his own mind.”

It was said that Bird, Kevin McHale and other Celtics were too slow to challenge for the NBA championship.

Maybe not.

Bird had 40 points Wednesday night at Boston and McHale scored 13 of his 19 in the third quarter to lead the Celtics to a 113-109 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Among other things, the experts found fault with Bird for not shooting enough. He shot only 15 times in a victory at Milwaukee Tuesday, but on Wednesday, he shot 30 times, hitting 14.

“I didn’t read the article,” Bird said after getting eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. “I didn’t go out there and score 40 points because of any story. I look at myself in the mirror everyday, and as long as I know I’m playing hard, that’s all that counts.”

Orlando 110, Chicago 109--While teammates had trouble coming down from Tuesday night’s victory over the Lakers, Michael Jordan tried to do it all by himself.

Scoring 52 points, Jordan came within two seconds of doing it. But after Jordan scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to get the Bulls in front, Otis Smith made a layup with two seconds left to give the Magic a victory.

The Magic has a 9-15 record and has beaten the Lakers and Bulls in the last 10 days.

Jordan tried desperately for one more basket. But most of the Magic converged on him when he tried a 30-footer and both Smith and Nick Anderson touched the ball.

Denver 104, Cleveland 89--A long layoff is as difficult for a team to handle as a tough trip. At least it was for the Cavaliers.

After eight days of rest, the Cavaliers weren’t able to keep up with the Nuggets at Richfield, Ohio. With Walter Davis getting eight points in an early 11-0 spurt, the Nuggets took charge early, built a 27-point lead and coasted.

Before the layoff, the Cavaliers had won four in a row since Larry Nance came off the disabled list.

Davis is having a big season. While playing about 24 minutes per game, he is the Nuggets’ leading scorer, averaging 19 points per game.

San Antonio 103, Sacramento 100--David Robinson scored 26 points, including three free throws in the final 27 seconds that clinched the victory.

Wayman Tisdale was the leading scorer with 36 points for the Kings, who have lost six in a row.

Indiana 131, Phoenix 130--Randy Wittman’s jump shot with one second left in overtime at Phoenix enabled the Pacers to bounce back from Tuesday night’s loss to the Clippers.

Phoenix, which trailed, 92-84, after three quarters, sent the game into overtime when Jeff Hornacek made a short hook shot with one second left in regulation.

Kevin Johnson had given the Suns a 130-129 lead with 1:20 left in overtime. For the next 79 seconds, nobody scored.

Philadelphia 118, Washington 111--At Landover, Md., Charles Barkley and Ron Anderson helped the 76ers end the Bullets’ four-game winning streak.

Barkley had 34 points, getting the 76ers off quickly. When the Bullets threatened, Anderson scored 14 of his 22 in the fourth quarter.

Golden State 118, Houston 112--Mitch Richmond had 26 points and rookie Tim Hardaway had 13 assists at Oakland as the Warriors overcame a 41-point performance by Akeem Olajuwon.

The Warriors, trounced by the Rockets earlier at Houston, 135-102, led most of the way, building a 16-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

Dallas 84, New Jersey 78--Rolando Blackman and Sam Perkins each had 19 points at East Rutherford, N.J., but the Mavericks won because the Nets made only one field goal in the last seven minutes.