Sport: What's Green and Goes Swish?

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After a five-year drought, Boston regains the N.B.A. crown

Over the years the Boston Celtics have established something like proprietary rights to the National Basketball Association championship. The Celtics won 13 N.B.A. titles (more than twice as many as their closest rivals, the then Minneapolis Lakers), including a record eight straight (1959-66). But the proud banners of past glories that hang in Boston Garden have had no new company for what must have seemed like centuries to the fans. The Celtics last took the title in 1976, and even more humiliating, failed to qualify for the playoffs twice since then. They had the worst record in the East in 1979.

Now at last Boston is green with home team hope again. The Celtics last week reclaimed their crown by beating the upstart but impressive Houston Rockets, four games to two. The guys in the funny sneakers won in classic Celtic style: sweeping the air of rebounds, then dashing upcourt with the game's finest fast break. In the final game, played before 16,121 screaming Houston fans, Boston withstood a dazzling fourth-quarter resurgence by the Rockets. Over a five-minute stretch, Houston scored 16 points to a mere two for Boston, whittling the Celtic lead from 15 points to three. But Forward Cedric ("Cornbread") Maxwell, the series' Most Valuable Player, and Running Mate Larry Bird pumped in 14 points between them in the remaining four minutes. Maxwell was the only one of the Celtics' big guns whom the Rockets never managed to quell. He averaged 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds for the series, but dismissed his performance: "I just try to get in the nooks and crannies."

Presiding over the festivities, and passing out his hallmark cigars to celebrate, was Celtics President and General Manager Red Auerbach, who has also shepherded the team's revitalization. When the Celtics of the mid-'70s became clogged with ballhogs and playground freelancers, Auerbach decided to clean house. His first major acquisition was Maxwell, a former University of North Carolina-Charlotte standout. Spindly at 6 ft. 8 in., 217 lbs., Maxwell looks awkward walking across a room, but displays a spidery grace leaping for rebounds or twisting over the outstretched arms of defenders as he soars for a layup. Last year he was joined at forward by Larry Bird, the Indiana State star who was a first-round draft choice as a junior and signed as a senior for a reported $650,000 a year. That acquisition gave the Celtics the N.B.A.'s best pair of forwards, unselfish team players who value an assist as much as a score. Says Coach Bill Fitch: "We use an equal opportunity offense. That gives us a chance to give the ball to someone who's hot. Most of the time, we spread it over nine or ten people."