NBA Roundup : Celtics’ Domination of Cavaliers Ended, 109-99

It was just a year ago that the Cleveland Cavaliers started their drive to respectability. They had won only 2 of their first 21 games and were the joke of the league.

But under the patient handling of Coach George Karl, the Cavaliers improved rapidly and posted a 34-27 record the rest of the way to reach the playoffs.

This season, the Cavaliers were off to a better start but still have floundered below the .500. It may be that on the anniversary of last season’s turnaround, the Cavaliers have started another spurt.

With guards World B. Free and John Bagley each scoring five points in the last three minutes Saturday night at Richfield, Ohio, the Cavaliers held on to beat the Boston Celtics, 109-99.

The Celtics had beaten the Cavaliers in 16 consecutive regular-season games and were swept by Boston in four games in the first round of the playoffs last spring. This was only the fourth loss in 23 games for the Celtics this season.

The Cavaliers are 11-13, but more important, maybe, they have defeated division leaders in their last two games. Friday night at Milwaukee, Free scored 39 points, and the Cavaliers beat the Bucks.

At one time early this season, Karl thought that time had finally caught up with the spirited 32-year-old Free. He admits his mistake.

“To be honest, I was skeptical about World repeating what he did last year,” Karl told UPI. “I thought World was getting old and he’d have to slow down, but he’s picked up and he’s got the entire-game concept.”

Free said he’s not so old, anyway.

“If Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) can go at 38 or 39, I know I can go at 32,” he said. He scored 22 points against the Celtics.

The Celtics led by as many as eight points in the first half but trailed by eight at halftime and after three quarters. Larry Bird scored 31 points, but only two in the fourth quarter, and he picked up a technical foul as the Celtics’ rally faded in the closing minutes.

Highly-rated rookie Keith Lee, out with a thigh muscle injury, made his first appearance for the Cavaliers. The 6-10 forward played just four minutes, made all three of his shots and had two rebounds.

Dallas 127, Denver 100--They were calling Wayne Cooper Super Cooper Friday night at Denver when he performed sensationally in the Nuggets’ victory over the Lakers.

But in this game at Dallas, he wasn’t close to super against the Mavericks’ 7-2 James Donaldson. In one of his best pro games, Donaldson scored 17 points and had a career-high 22 rebounds in just 32 minutes.

Against the Lakers, Cooper had 32 points and 10 rebounds. Against Donaldson he was in early foul trouble, played only 21 minutes and had 11 points and 3 rebounds.

The Mavericks ended a three-game losing streak, holding the high-scoring Nuggets to just 32 points in the second half.

In the absence of forwards Mark Aguirre (cold) and Jay Vincent (sprained ankle), Dedlef Schrempf and Sam Perkins opened at forward for Dallas. Both played very well and had 23 points.

Perkins held Alex English, who has been averaging 30 points per game to just 15.

Utah 114, Houston 100--Adrian Dantley, the league’s leading scorer, scored 35 points, had 7 rebounds and 4 assists at Salt Lake City to lead the Jazz.

The Rockets retained their one game lead in the Midwest Division with a 17-8 record. On the road, the Rockets are 3-8.

The Rockets trailed by only two points going into the last quarter, but with Dantley and Karl Malone leading the way, Utah pulled away.

Akeem Olajuwon led the Rockets with 26 points and 19 rebounds, but the other half of the Twin Towers, Ralph Sampson, fouled out after scoring only 13 points.

New Jersey 105, Indiana 99--Albert King scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half at East Rutherford, N.J. to help the Nets win their fourth in a row.

The game was marred by an altercation between centers Steve Stipanovich of the Pacers and Darryl Dawkins. Both were ejected.

The two big men started shoving each other during a 14-4 burst by the Nets in the fourth quarter which broke open a close game.

Atlanta 107, Philadelphia 103--The demise of the 76ers continues on the road. In this game at Atlanta, Dominique Wilkins scored 29 points and the Hawks dropped the 76ers to the .500 mark (12-12).

A layup by Wilkins with 2:35 left broke a 94-94 tie and gave the Hawks the lead for good. It ended a rally by the 76ers that wiped out a 69-54 deficit.

The 76ers’ Charles Barkley was ejected early in the second period. Barkley was at the line shooting a free throw when he apparently said something to one of the officials who ejected him.

Sacramento 108, Chicago 103--Reggie Theus came back to Chicago to give his former mates, the Bulls, a rough time. Theus scored only two points in the first half and the Kings trailed, 52-46. But he scored 19 in the second half to help the Kings end a three-game losing streak.

Eddie Johnson, who scored 19 points, sank two clutch baskets in the final two minutes to clinch the victory.