Old Celts Say Bulls Would Fall

In Boston, most basketball fans contend that the 1986 world champion Boston Celtics, who finished 67-15, were the greatest NBA team ever. In Chicago, of course, last year’s world champion Bulls merit that distinction with their 72-10 record.

To settle the argument, the Boston Globe asked former Celtics coach K.C. Jones what would happen in a mock seven-game series between the two teams. Jones picked the Celtics, with Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, Kevin McHale and current Bull Robert Parish, to win in six games, despite the Bulls’ homecourt advantage. Jones said the Celts would steal one of the first two games at the United Center and hold serve at home.

Jones, now an assistant to Boston’s M.L. Carr, said the key matchups would have been Ainge on Scottie Pippen and Johnson on Michael Jordan, with some help.

“It would have been an interesting series,” Parish said. “Both teams were defense-minded. Both teams were successful in different eras because of the defense they put forth night in and night out.”

Who would win the series? Parish, who now plays for the Bulls, picked his Celtics.

High school star to enter draft

High school standout Tracy McGrady announced he is skipping college to enter the NBA draft.

McGrady, a 6-foot-9 swingman from Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., led the Mighty Warriors to a 26-2 record. He averaged 25 points, 7.0 assists and three blocked shots.

Olivier Saint-Jean, San Jose State’s leading scorer for the past two seasons and this year’s top scorer in the WAC at 23.8 points per game, said he plans to make himself available for this year’s NBA draft.

Jordan passes Havlicek

Michael Jordan became the NBA’s sixth all-time leading scorer as he had 32 points and boosted his career total to 26,399 in the Chicago Bulls’ 117-106 victory over the Celtics at Boston.

Jordan, who has been playing for 12 seasons, moved past former Celtic John Havlicek’s total from 16 seasons. With 20 games left this season, Jordan needs 312 points to move into fifth place past Oscar Robertson’s 26,710 points in 14 seasons.

Steve Smith scored 27 points and Mookie Blaylock had 26 as the Atlanta Hawks won their fifth straight game, defeating visiting Utah 106-99.

Glen Rice scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half and Charlotte struggled before extending its longest winning streak of the season to six games with a 98-92 win over Vancouver at Charlotte, N.C.

Marcus Camby scored seven of his 23 points in the final 5:25 to help Toronto to its seventh win in 30 road games, a 105-101 victory over Phoenix.

Anfernee Hardaway scored 27 points and Derek Strong added 20 as Orlando ended a two-game losing streak with a 96-91 victory at Denver.

Rasheed Wallace scored 26 points and the Portland Trail Blazers, despite blowing most of a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter, won their seventh straight game by beating the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 109-105.