Bird's 40 Points Leads Celts Over Bucks

BOSTON--Larry bird scored 40 points as the Boston Celtics, playing without Kevin McHale, never trailed and beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 111-98, last night in the opener of their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series.

It was a season-high eighth straight victory for Boston, which remained undefeated in the playoffs, and its 32nd in a row at home. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Boston Garden tonightt.

McHale, the NBA's sixth leading regular-season scorer, suited up but rested his sprained right ankle. The defending champion Celtics, meanwhile, showed no rustiness from a six-day layoff following their first-round sweep of Chicago.

Bird's layup broke a 2-2 tie and began a 12-2 surge that lifted the Celtics into a 14-4 lead just 4:31 into the game. Bird had four points and three assists in that span. He had 14 points in the first quarter, which ended with Boston in front 34-26.

The lead was 65-47 before Milwaukee got the last eight points of the second quarter to make it 65-55 at halftime. The Bucks closed the gap to eight points, the closest they would come in the second half, on Ricky Pierce's 12-foot jumper, cutting the lead to 75-67 with 4:18 to go in the third period.

But Boston got 10 of the next 12 points, with Bird and Fred Roberts, who started for McHale, scoring four each. That spurt boosted the lead to 85-69 with 1:08 remaining in the quarter.

With their 13th consecutive home playoff victory, the Celtics moved within one of the league record set by the 1949-51 Minneapolis Lakers.

Milwaukee, which was swept by Boston in last year's Eastern Conference final, was led by Terry Cummings with 28 points, Pierce with 18 and Jack Sikma with 17.

For Boston, Robert Parish had 22 points, Johnson 20 and Roberts 13.