NBA ROUNDUP : Bird Shows No Effects of Injury in Return

Although the Celtics are treating him delicately, there appeared to be nothing wrong with Larry Bird on Wednesday night.

After missing 14 games because of a back injury, Bird turned in a solid performance at Boston in the Celtics’ 133-117 rout of the Charlotte Hornets.

Bird had 18 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds in his first game since Jan. 6. The Celtics were 7-7 without the 34-year-old forward. Included was a 92-91 loss at Charlotte last Friday night.

Although he played 38 minutes and said he felt fine, the Celtics announced before the game that Bird would not play in the All-Star game Sunday at Charlotte.

They also said he would not play tonight in New York. The Celtics said they did not want Bird, who missed most of 1988-89 season because of a back problem, to play back-to-back games.

“I didn’t feel out of place,” Bird said. “Usually when you’re out that long it takes a while to get back in the flow. I felt good right from the start.”

Unless the Celtics change their mind after his performance against the Hornets, Bird will not play again until next Tuesday night at Seattle.

Bird, who was two for seven on three-point shots and eight for 17 altogether, also had three steals and two blocks. Kevin McHale led the scoring, getting 28 points in 28 minutes.

McHale was 11 for 17 and the Celtics shot 60.9% from the field.

It was the third loss in a row for the Hornets, whose starting five had only 30 points in 81 minutes.

Philadelphia 108, Washington 100--After scoring 12 of his 25 points in a blistering fourth-quarter rally that brought the 76ers the victory at Philadelphia, Charles Barkley indicated he didn’t want to play in Sunday’s All-Star game.

Barkley is bothered by a sprained ankle. He had a groin injury last year and tried to pull out. The league, which threatened to suspend him if he didn’t play last year, told him he had to play this year, too.

“Let’s just say we got a friendly phone call during the game,” said Barkley, who has played four games despite the pain in his foot. “I’ve been told I will be in Charlotte.”

Barkley played 34 minutes and had 14 rebounds.

Hersey Hawkins had a career-high 39 points for the 76ers, who trailed by four going into the last quarter.

The Bullets’ Bernard King, who complained of dizziness and had to leave Sunday’s game with Boston, played, but not very well. He was six for 19 and had 12 points in 35 minutes.

Houston 111, Milwaukee 109--Kenny Smith drove for a basket with 0.6 seconds left at Milwaukee to give the Rockets their third victory in a row. It was only the third loss for the Bucks in 25 home games.

Smith had 25 of his 30 points in the second half as the Rockets battled back from a 15-point second quarter.

Otis Thorpe led the Rockets with 35 points and had 11 rebounds, eight of them on offense.

Miami 134, New Jersey 119--Sherman Douglas and Glen Rice led the Heat to the biggest offensive production in its brief history in this game at East Rutherford, N.J. It was the Nets’ sixth consecutive defeat.

Each had 30 points, Douglas getting 23 in the second half when Miami broke it open by scoring 44 points in the third quarter.

The team’s previous high was 131 in two overtimes March 10, 1989.

Utah 103, Phoenix 99--The Jazz can be had on the road, even by an expansion team. But at home, it is almost unbeatable.

With Karl Malone and John Stockton, as usual, taking charge of the offense, the Jazz came back from a five-point halftime deficit to improve its home-court record to 21-4.

Malone had 16 of his 29 points in the second half as the Jazz wore down the Suns. Stockton had 21 points and 15 assists.

The Suns managed to stay close in the third quarter when Kevin Johnson scored 15 points. But he appeared to wear out in the last quarter.