NBA ROUNDUP : Bird Beats Bulls; Jordan Can’t Beat Clock

Good shooters are told to keep shooting, no matter how many shots they miss.

Larry Bird used that concept Sunday in Boston to lead the Celtics to a 135-132 victory over the Chicago Bulls in two overtimes.

After missing eight consecutive shots, each of which could have won the game, the veteran forward came out firing in the second overtime.

Bird made four of five shots and nine points in the first two minutes, and despite the three-point shooting of John Paxson and Scottie Pippen, the Celtics held on.

The Bulls’ Michael Jordan went into a shooting slump about the time Bird did and missed seven in a row. Jordan made one that would have won it at the end of the first overtime, but the clock had run out.

He also missed two three-point tries in the last 15 seconds of the second extra period that could have tied the game.

The most drama Sunday was packed into the last 1.1 seconds of the first overtime.

With the score 118-118, the Celtics inbounded the ball. Bird threw a long pass that was picked off by Horace Grant, who immediately called time out.

It was ruled there was fourth-tenths of a second left. The Bulls needed five-tenths. Pippen tossed the ball to Jordan, whose shot went in, but it was ruled too late by referee Mike Mathis. A TV replay showed it was a correct call.

The victory kept the Celtic hopes alive of posting the best record in the NBA and getting the home-court edge throughout the playoffs. The Celtics are 52-20. Portland and the Bulls are tied at the top with 53-18 records.

“I don’t know what playoff intensity is,” Celtic rookie Dee Brown said, “but I’m sure this is what it’s like.”

Brown was 10 for 12 from the field and had 21 points and seven assists as a reserve. Jordan had 37 points, but was only 12 for 36. Bird had 34 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in 52 minutes. But he was only 11 for 31 going into the second overtime.

“When you least expect it, Larry can hurt you,” Jordan said. “Some say he’s on his last legs, but we don’t think that.”

Houston 123, Miami 103--The Rockets took their frustration out on the Heat at Miami, rolling to their 14th victory in 15 games in March.

The Rockets played a poor game Friday at Orlando and were soundly whipped.

“I impressed upon them that they weren’t here in Florida on a vacation,” Coach Don Chaney of the Rockets said. “In this league any team can beat you unless you’re ready to play.”

Buck Johnson and Otis Thorpe led the way for the Rockets, who built a 36-21 lead in the first quarter and turned it into a rout in the third.

Johnson had a career-high 32 points and Thorpe had 23. Both had 12 points in the third quarter when Houston outscored the Heat, 41-19.

The victory put the Rockets 1 1/2 games out of first place in the Midwest Division.

Indiana 127, Golden State 120--Reggie Miller made a three-point basket and a layup to open the overtime and Vern Fleming had nine of his 28 points in the extra period to keep the Pacers in command and enable them to reach .500 (36-36).

Rod Higgins, who scored the Warriors’ final four points in regulation, had a tip-in with 2.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime tied, 104-104.

Miller and Chuck Person had 22 points each for the Pacers.

Golden State was led by Mitch Richmond with 29 points. Tim Hardaway added 27 and Chris Mullin 22.

“We just didn’t get the breaks in the end,” Mullin said. “But we played well enough to win the game. We slowed them down and it seemed to get them frustrated.”

Charlotte 102, Washington 92--Kendall Gill scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half at Landover, Md., and the Hornets won for the first time at Capital Centre after five defeats.

The Bullets, again without Bernard King, their leading scorer, lost their third in a row. With 11 games left, they trail New York, the No. 8 team in the East, by 8 1/2 games.