Laker Broom Comes Apart on Parquet Floor

He was 7 years old and convinced he was down to his last breath when his older brother fished him out of a lake near his home in French Lick, Ind.

"I'll tell you, that last gasp was great," Bird said. "I still have nightmares about that."

Sunday afternoon, Bird and the rest of the Boston Celtics came up for air just in time again, sparing themselves the nightmare of a Laker sweep with a 109-103 win in Game 3 of the National Basketball Assn. finals.

The Celtics figured to find a lifeline in Boston Garden, where they're now 94-3 since losing to the Lakers in the deciding game of the 1985 championship series.

But to Bird, it was apparent that even the faith of the Garden's true believers had been shaken by two straight blowouts in Los Angeles.

"They thought L.A. was going to sweep us," Bird said. "Not all of 'em, but I think they were just out for an outing today.

"I've never been in a big game where it was quiet in the Garden. . . . One minute they were screaming and hollering, the next minute they were talking about what they were going to do after the game.

"And that's exactly the way I played."

So if the crowd wasn't going to pick up the Celtics--or Bird, who came out and missed his first six shots and made just 2 of 10 in the first quarter--who would?

Would you believe Greg Kite, who has alternately been described as (choose one):

--The least talented player in the NBA.

--The most boring athlete in Boston.

Sunday, the 6-11 Kite was none of the above. After a brief warm-up in the first period after Robert Parish drew two quick fouls, Kite returned when Parish drew his third with 8:02 to play in the second quarter and the Celtics down by nine, 39-30.

The Celtics proceeded to score on 22 of their next 24 possessions. Dennis Johnson started the run with a 16-foot fallaway and finished it with a three-point bomb that gave the Celtics a 74-62 lead with 7:45 to play in the third period.

Bird had 14 points in the second quarter, Johnson 12, and the Celtics shot 80.9% for the quarter, hitting 17 of 21 shots.

Kite didn't score a point. Not then, not at any other time in the game. But he wound up with a career-high nine rebounds, five on offense, and blocked a shot by Magic Johnson.

Draw your own conclusions.