NBA Betting

History of the NBA Finals

Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets - 1986

Courtesy Boston Celtics

Larry Bird

Until 11 minutes remained in Game 6 of the 1986 National Basketball Association Finals, there was much speculation about which player possessed the most effective right hand in the series.

The top contenders, Ralph Sampson of the Houston Rockets and Dennis Johnson of the Boston Celtics, had emerged during a wild Game 5 brawl that was more reminiscent of professional wrestling than championship basketball. Other contenders were Boston's Kevin McHale and Houston's Akeem Olajuwon, who had jabbed their way through the series with powerful shooting performances.

But as the Rockets were reeling under a Game 6 Celtic siege that would result in a 16th championship banner hanging from the Boston Garden rafters, the incomparable Larry Bird delivered the mightiest righthand shot of the series.

Bird literally mesmerized the Boston crowd with a series of solo moves as he searched for an open shot. With the ball on the left side of the court, he spun toward the basket, but lost the dribble. He regained possession, but still could not find an opening.

By then, the 24-second shot clock was within a couple of ticks of showing zeroes, so Bird backed away from the basket. He went past the three-point line, flicked his right wrist and delivered the knockout punch of the series. As the shot-clock buzzer sounded, the ball went through the basket. The three-pointer, which came with exactly 11 minutes showing on the game clock, gave the Celtics a 26-point lead. The Rockets were down for the count.

"I felt like a rat in a maze," Bird said, describing his three-point maneuver. "I kept wanting to drive, but the ball kept bouncing away from me toward the sideline. Finally I said, 'What the hell. Take the three-pointer.'"

Bird closed out his 1985-86 season in championship style with 29 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds and three steals. That June 8 performance helped the Celtics to a 114-97 Game 6 victory that finished off the surprising Rockets, four games to two.

"Larry Bird put together a highlight film of the whole season in one game," said Boston assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers. "And he did it in the championship game."

He did it during the rest of the series, too, averaging 24 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 steals. Bird, who has captured the NBA's Most Valuable Player award for three straight seasons, added another trophy to his impressive collection -- MVP of the NBA Finals. What he cared most about, however, was the third championship ring of his illustrious career.

"My goal," Bird said, "is to win as many championships as possible."

He has four years left on his contract. Four more titles may be unrealistic, especially with the 25-year-old, 7-foot-4 Sampson and the 23-year-old, 7-foot Olajuwon looming large in the Western Conference.

But if the 1985-86 season is any indication, the Celtics should make a strong run at becoming the first team to win consecutive NBA titles since the 1968-69 Boston teams.

The Celtics ended 1986 as the winningest team in NBA history. They compiled an 82-18 record (including playoffs), breaking the record of 81 victories by the 1971-72 Lakers. Boston finished the season with a staggering 50-1 home record, which included three victories in Hartford, Conn.

So it was no surprise that the Celtics opened the 1986 NBA Finals by winning the first two games in the friendly confines of Boston Garden. The Rockets, who had eliminated the defending-champion Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the Western Conference finals, were no match for the high-flying Celtics in the May 26 series opener.

Sampson picked up three fouls in the first five minutes, made one of 13 shots from the field and finished the game with two points. Olajuwon, however, was devastating before picking up his fifth foul with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter. Before going to the bench, he had scored 30 points and the Rockets were only five points down. Within two minutes after Olajuwon's departure, the Boston lead was 11.

By the end of the quarter, the lead was 15 and not even Olajuwon's return could get the Rockets back in the game. He scored only three points in the fourth quarter and the Celtics coasted to a 112- 100 victory.

"When he (Olajuwon) got his fifth foul," said Boston Coach K.C. Jones, "that seemed like it was the game. That was the best defense in the world when he got in foul trouble and had to sit down. I don't like seeing him in there."

Robert Parish scored 23 points to lead the Celtics, who made 56 percent of their shots. Bird and McHale both added 21, but much of the Celtics' Game 1 success was the result of the backcourt work of Dennis Johnson, who had 19 points, and Danny Ainge, who had 18. They combined for 22 points in the third quarter and served notice to Houston fans that the Rockets would have to do more than nullify Boston's powerful front line in their quest for the franchise's first-ever NBA championship.

In Game 2, Bird peppered the Rockets with 31 points and led the Celtics to a 117-95 victory. He also had eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocked shots. McHale added 25 points, and, once again, the Johnson-Ainge-Jerry Sichting backcourt outplayed Houston's Robert Reid, Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins. Olajuwon scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Sampson recovered for 18 points and eight rebounds, but Boston's top three guards outscored Houston's top three, 43-22.

The Celtics led at halftime, 60-50, but outscored the Rockets, 34-19, in the third quarter to open a 25-point lead.

"Custer didn't have to make any speeches," said Houston Coach Bill Fitch. "So I'm not going to make one, either. We were humiliated."

The Celtics had won the first two games by a combined 34 points, but anyone who thought the Rockets were going to die easily was mistaken. The next three games were at The Summit, where the Rockets had a 43-5 record during the regular season and playoffs.

Home proved to be sweet for Sampson, who played magnificently in Game 3. He scored 24 points and grabbed 22 rebounds as Houston recorded a heart-throbbing 106-104 victory.

With 3:18 left in the game, the Celtics owned a 102-94 lead. But in distinctly Un-Celtic-like fashion, they scored only two points the rest of the way while the Rockets were getting 12, including the game-winning tip from Wiggins with 31 seconds left.

"We didn't execute the way we wanted," said Bird, who was reluctant to give the Rockets credit for winning. "It was total chaos. It was like playing outside in the schoolyard. I thought we had it won before It started. We outshot them, outrebounded them and had more assists. They got lucky, awfully lucky, to beat us."

Bird had 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, and the steady McHale added 28 points and 11 rebounds. But Parish made only three of 15 shots and the Celtics backcourt was outplayed for the first time in the series. Johnson, Ainge and Sichting were outscored, 42-33, by Reid, Lloyd and Wiggins. And Reid, who scored 20 points, did an outstanding second-half defensive job on Bird, limiting him to four points in the final 18 minutes.

Stopping Bird, however, is strictly a short-range proposition. In Game 4, Reid could not repeat his defensive heroics and Bird gave the Rockets a preview of his Game 6, three-point knockout punch. With 2:26 left in the game and the score tied at 101, Bird took a pass from Bill Walton at the three-point line and swished a shot that gave the Celtics the lead. Walton scored the last basket to give the Celtics a 106-103 victory and the Rockets knew how the Celtics felt after Game 3. Houston scored only two points in the final 4:20.

Bird had 21 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and McHale had 19 points and nine rebounds. Parish rebounded from his poor Game 3 with 22 points and 10 rebounds, but he tired near the end and was replaced by Walton with 3:07 left. That turned out to be a brilliant move by Jones when Walton made his two key plays down the stretch.

With a 3-1 lead, the Celtics seemed poised to put the Rockets away in Game 5. And when Sampson lost his poise early in the second quarter, summer vacation seemed inevitable. With 9:40 left in the period, Sampson crossed midcourt, went by Sichting at the free throw line and threw an elbow at Sichting's head.

Sampson did not connect, but that was just the beginning. The 6-1 Sichting stayed with Sampson, hung onto his arm and held his ground on the right side of the lane. Suddenly, Sampson turned and nailed Sichting with a right hand. Sichting stumbled, then went at Sampson, who hit him with another right.

Johnson entered the fray and Sampson got him with a left, but Johnson answered with a right. Walton tackled Sampson from behind and both benches emptied. Sampson continued squirming and Walton kept hanging on as the two teams rumbled frightfully close to the fans on the sideline.

Finally, order was restored and Sampson, who had made five of his first seven shots and had scored 12 points, was ejected. Instead of faltering, however, the Rockets blasted off. And, surprisingly, the Celtics lost their poise.

Houston had scored four straight points before Sampson left and added seven more after his departure. Boston scored only 37 points in the second and third quarters combined. The Rockets eventually increased their lead to 25 and waltzed to a 111-96 victory. Olajuwon scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. "When Sampson went out of the ball game," said Jones, "we lost our intensity and the Rockets gained more intensity and took it to us. We totally relaxed and they ran all over us. We were what you call organized chaos, offensively and defensively. We were there, but we were somewhere else."

Sampson apologized for the incident, saying, "It was very unfortunate that it happened. Personally, I'm sorry that it happened," but he defended his actions, saying Sichting hit him first and that Walton also had hit him on the previous play.

But the damage was done and, with the series returning to Boston, Sampson was being ridiculed viciously. Sichting said his 3-year-old son could hit harder than Sampson. Bird questioned Sampson picking on someone 15 inches shorter and said his girlfriend could beat up the Houston big man.

The Boston fans added to the fire. They brought signs saying, "Sampson is a sissy," and booed the former University of Virginia star every time he touched the ball. Sampson seemed burdened by the attention and played a poor game, scoring only eight points on 4-for-12 shooting. Olajuwon was not effective, either. He managed only 19 points.

Even if Sampson and Olajuwon had been perfect, it is doubtful that Bird would have allowed the Celtics to lose. By halftime, he had 16 points and McHale, who led all scorers in the series with a 25.8 average, was taking advantage of the flustered Sampson. Bird and McHale both finished the game with 29.

"I wasn't surprised," said Jones. "We worked hard in practice, and we started the game strong. I haven't seen guys that aggressive since the Chicago Bears."

And the most aggressive was Bird -- the man with the wicked right hand. "I saw him take on five guys by himself," said Houston forward Jim Petersen. "He's the best. At times, he doesn't seem to need teammates."

During the series, Bird continually sent messages to the rest of the NBA that he plans to be even better next season. He said he plans to work on four or five new things that will help him improve.

"A lot of guys can learn from him," said Fitch. "It's like the theory on how to train a dumb dog. You make him watch a smart dog."