Bucks Beat Knicks in 3 Overtimes

MILWAUKEE, Dec. 16 — It was enough to make people forget all the punching, the suspensions and the legal bickering that professional basketball has become.

For 63 minutes tonight, the Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks put their heads down and ran, ran, ran, and the fact that the Bucks wdn, 152‐150, in triple overtime, was due to the whimsy of the clock more than anything else.

It wasn't perfect baseketball, but it was pure and beautiful in its intensity.

Ironically, the winning points were scored on one of bhp least impressive shots of the evening. The Bucks sharpshooting guard. Brian Winters, nearly lost control of the ball and then hit a jump shot from the free‐throw line as he was falling to the floor.

The Knicks had one last chance with three seconds left, but a shot by Earl Monroe was blocked by Winters and the Bucks swatted the ball away before• the New Yorkers could get another chance.

Rallies Not Enough

For the Knicks, Winters's shot spoiled a game in which they rallied from an 11‐point deficit in the third quarter, a 5‐point margin in the first overtime period and a 4‐point gap with fewer than two minutes left in the last overtime.

They were led by Lonnie Shelton, who scored a career‐high 41 points, and Bob McAdoo, who had 29. The Bucks wene led by Quinn Buckner and Marques Johnson, the exceptional rookie from the University of California, Los Angeles, with 27 points each, and WinterS with 24.

It took the Knicks a while to match the pace of the hustling young Bucks, whose oldest starter, Winters, is only in his fourth year of National Basketball Association play. The Bucks’ fight song proclaims them to he “Green and Growing.” And the Knicks found out how much they have already grown.

At this point last year the Bucks had won 4 and lost 25; the victory tonight gave them a 16‐14 record. The Knicks’ record fell to 15‐13.

As they did in beating the Philadelphia 76ers here Tuesday night, the Bucks used a pressing defense and fastbreak offense to jump out ahead of the Knicks, who were in their third close game in four nights. Tuesday in New York they defeated Atlanta, 107106, and Wednesday in Indianapolis they overcame the Pacers, 101‐98.

The Bucks had seven steals in the first quarter and led after the period, 35‐27.

By the third quarter the lead was 74‐63, but then Shelton suddenly began scoring at will over the Bucks’ rookie center, Kent Benson, and his replacement, John Gianelli. His 15 points in the quarter, and the Bucks’ nightlong In the fourth quarter it was McAdoo's turn to lead the way, as he scored 12 points in the period. The Knicks finally tied the score at 100 with 6 minutes 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and for the rest of the period neither team was more than 2 points ahead. Monroe missed a shot at the buzzer that would have won the game, and the period ended at 116116.

The Bucks were ahad, 125‐120, with 2:27 left in the first overtime, but Jim McMillian and Shelton again brought the Knicks back. With 12 seconds remaining it was 127‐127, and again the Knicks had the final shot, But McMillian and then Shelton missed as time ran out.

McAdoo committed his sixth personal foul in the third overtime during a play in which Benson suffered a leg injury and was carried off on a stretcher. The first diagnosis was that the rookie from Indiana had suffered a severe bruise above the ankle.

The Bucks again went ahead, this time by 4 points, but Butch Beard and then Phil Jackson got the Knicks even, setting the stage fur Winters's shot.

The Bucks could have won easily in regulation time if they had shot better from the line. They missed 17 of 45 free throws, while the Knicks missed only four of 28, The Knicks, who entered the game shooting just under 50 percent from the field, had a miserable first quarter but. managed to shoot 45 percent for the game,

The game was a dunk shot fancier's delight, as Johnson and Shelton in particular, made some nifty slams. And Benson, who has had his troubles since being punched by Kareen Abdul‐Jabbar in the opening game of the season. showed more of the aggressiveness that characterized his play in college.

Celtics 118, Warriors 113

BOSTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) — Charlie Scott scored 30 points and had two key baskets in the final two minutes tonight to lead the Boston Celtics to a 118‐113 triumph over the Golden State Warriors.

Trailing by 101‐96, Boston scored the next 10 points to make it 106‐101. The Warriors cut the margin to 110‐109 with two minutes to go.

But baskets by John Havlicek and Jo Jo White, along with Scott's two shots, sewed up the game for Boston.

In addition to Scott's 30, Cowens scored 26 and Whitt: had 20. High scorer for the Warriors was Phil Smith with 28. Charles Johnson scored 23 and Rick Barry 20.