If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Magic vs. Bird: Reliving rivalry 40 Years after first NBA matchup LeBron James' teams have met or exceeded expectations in NBA Finals Funny story about that series, Boston was actually down 3-1 entering Game 5, and Bird ended up dropping 32, 25 and 23 points in each of those games to rally off three straight wins and advance his team to the Finals. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. It must have lit a fire underneath Larry because he didnt let anything get in his way during his sophomore season. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. If you remember, there was Kevin McHales hit on Kurt Rambis, and there was Larry Bird bumping Michael Cooper out of bounds. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson helped define the modern NBA with their individual brilliance and team success in the 1980s. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. In Game 2, the Lakers led 113-111 with 18 seconds left when Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass to score a game tying layup. His team mate Cedric Maxwell won MVP. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. The Bucks were led in the series, as they had been in the regular season, by wing Marques Johnson and Hall of Fame guard Sidney Moncrief. 1979-80 Bird 1980-81 Bird 1981-82 Bird 1982-83 Bird 1983-84 Bird 1984-85 Bird 1985-86 Bird 1986-87 Bird 1987-88 Bird 1988-89 Bird 1989-90 Bird 1990-91 Bird 1991-92 Bird 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 82 82 77 79 79 80 82 74 76 6 75 60 45. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The 1987 NBA Finals again saw the Los Angeles Lakers up against Birds Celtics. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. How to say Basketball in different languages? The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. No stats available. Check out stats on every National Basketball Association Finals MVP winner on ESPN.com. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . His career was cut dramatically short by injury. He was a monster, averaging 22-16 in this Finals series. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. A year later, the Pacers would not have to worry about Michael Jordan as they returned to the playoffs, this time as the second seed in the east. AP Was There: Bird beats Magic in 1st Finals showdown - USA Today Maybe you lived through the glory days of the 1980s Celtics but you cant quite remember how Bird got his rings. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. . The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. According to Basketball Reference, Johnson and Bird played against each other 18 times in the regular season throughout their careers. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rivalry - Sportskeeda Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. In 1981, 1984 and 1986, it was Bird who led the Boston Celtics to championships, with him taking home two Finals MVP awards. Required fields are marked *. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. The Celtics beat the Lakers 4-3, winning by nine points in the deciding Game 7. Reliving the almost-perfect championship series stint authored by Larry Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. larry bird finals record - josieya The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. The Celtics did not warm up with their sweat pants on because of extreme heat, and an oxygen tank was provided to give air to an aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. Larry Birds Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. . . The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. I am fully convinced that anyone under the age of 40 will never admit Larry Bird was a better player than Stephen Curry. Carr revealed that the motto of the 1983-84 Celtics was Dont be denied, and the team ended up winning the championship that no one thought they would win. Boston finished with a 62-20 regular season record and got their revenge on the Bucks, whom they beat 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Larry Bird News, Biography, NBA Records, Stats & Facts - Sportskeeda Larry Bird - 1981 Finals (All Points + Passing & Rebounding) The Celtics entered the next season off a high, cruising into the NBA playoffs and sweeping Cleveland in the opening series. The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird: Was LA Lakers or Boston Celtics Legend The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic. Your email address will not be published. Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. . Larry Bird Had a Perfectly Understated Response While Discussing His Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. Former Celtics player M.L. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. The Lakers and the Celtics met again in 1987 where the Lakers won in six games. more information Accept. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. [1] The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. Scoring the rivalry: How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in their Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. The following year, the NBA Finals format was changed to 232 after Red Auerbach complained about the constant travelling during the Finals. Before the season began, the Lakers traded long-time guard Norm Nixon to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Byron Scott. The Detroit Pistons took two games off them in the second round but it didnt matter, Bird averaged 28 points per game as they won in six. Bird vs. Magic: Stats, Rings & Head-to-Head Record | Heavy.com The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . In Game 7, the Celtics got 24 points from Cedric Maxwell and 22 from DJ with Bird scoring 20 as they won the game 111-102 and the series for Bostons 15th NBA title.