NBA Roundup : Bird, Ainge Lead Celtics, 142-123

Larry Bird scored 38 points and Danny Ainge had a career-high 26 Friday night at Boston to lead the Celtics to a 142-123 victory over the Kansas City Kings. It was K.C. Jones’ 100th victory as the Celtics’ coach.

Jones took over at the start of last season, directed the Celtics to a 62-20 regular-season record and the NBA championship. He reached 100 victories with 35 games remaining this season.

The Celtics made quick work of the Kings, the worst team in the Midwest Division. Bird had 11 points and Ainge 12 in the first quarter to help build a 40-29 lead, and by intermission the Celtics were running away, 78-65.

The Celtics, seeking a calming influence after stormy seasons with Bill Fitch as coach, hired Jones, a former defensive star on eight Celtic championship teams.

Some said General Manager Red Auerbach elevated Jones to head coach because of his loyalty to the organization. “Hiring K.C. was a gut reaction,” Auerbach said. “It was time to try a different philosophy.”

Many Celtic players credit Jones when asked the difference last season from the crash of 1982-83.

“Everyone just likes him,” Kevin McHale said. “It is such a pleasure to play for him.”

As an assistant to Fitch, Jones was ignored. Jones missed practices because he wasn’t told what time they started. But, it beat unemployment.

“I kept wondering how long I would last,” Jones said. “Being an assistant here, I was just hanging on. It was a frustrating time.”

During the last season under Fitch, the players used Jones as a sounding board for their gripes. When Fitch fled to Houston after the Celtics were knocked out of the playoffs in four straight by Milwaukee, Auerbach made the popular move. Also, a successful one.

The Celtics (38-9) are 22-2 at home and they lead the 76ers in the tight Atlantic Division race by a half game.

Utah 121, Dallas 109--Jazz Coach Frank Layden has been unhappy with Adrian Dantley since his star held out well into the season. When Dantley missed two practice sessions, Layden benched him for this game in snow-blanketed Dallas.

Fortunately for the Jazz, there were some players ready to take up the slack. Darrell Griffith sank three three-point field goals and scored 30 points, Rickey Green had 24 points and 17 assists, and Mark Eaton had 10 blocked shots and 20 rebounds.

According to Layden, Dantley asked for two days off because of personal reasons. When Layden asked Dantley what the reasons were, Dantley wouldn’t tell him. Layden gave him two days off and the game, too.

Mark Aguirre scored 38 points for the Mavericks, who have lost four of their last six.

Indiana 102, Washington 95--The Bullets welcomed back their ace, Jeff Ruland, who missed nine games with an injured back, for this game at Indianapolis.

But Clark Kellogg and Herb Williams led the lowly Pacers to victory. Kellogg had 29 points and 14 rebounds and Williams had 22 points and 15 rebounds.

Philadelphia 121, Chicago 110--Moses Malone had 23 points and Julius Erving 19 at Philadelphia to offset a 31-point performance by Michael Jordan.

The Bulls, playing without injured Orlando Woolridge, were in the battle most of the way, trailing, 107-104, with 3:51. But Maurice Cheeks scored half the points in an 8-0 burst that clinched the win.

Atlanta 126, Cleveland 108--Dominique Wilkins scored 34 points at Atlanta to lead the Hawks to victory before 15,908 fans, many of them lured by a music concert after the game.

Wilkins, in 34 minutes, made 11 of 20 shots from the field and was 14-for-15 from the line.

Milwaukee 109, Seattle 91--Sidney Moncrief scored 14 points in the last eight minutes at Seattle to break open a close game. Seattle trailed by three points when Moncrief started the spurt that gave the Bucks their 10th win in a row.

Terry Cummings scored 32 points for the Bucks, who extended their lead in the Central Division to four games over Detroit.

San Antonio 104, Portland 93--Mike Mitchell scored 40 points and George Gervin scored 13 of his 17 in the second half at Portland to spark the Spurs’ winning rally.

The Spurs took the lead in the third quarter, then lost it in the fourth when they went cold. Mitchell led a closing 20-6 spurt that won the game.