1960 NBA Finals Game 7 vs St. Louis Hawks

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Lore & Background

The 1986 NBA Finals marked the first time the "NBA Finals" branding was officially used, as they dropped the "NBA World Championship Series" branding which had been in use since the beginning of the league, though it had been unofficially called the "NBA Finals" for years. Until the 2011 series, this was the last time the NBA Finals had started before June. Since game three, all NBA Finals games have been played in June. Starting with the following year, the NBA Finals would be held exclusively in the month of June. It was also the last NBA Finals series to schedule a game on a Monday until 1999 and also the last NBA Finals game to be played on Memorial Day. Until the 2018 series, it was the last to conclude before June 10.

In Their Own Story

The Larry Bird–led Celtics defeated the Rockets again 4 games to 2 in the 1986 NBA Finals. The Celtics won the first two games at the Boston Garden, where they had gone 40–1 during the regular season. The Rockets had been almost as good at home during the regular season, and they defeated the Celtics 106–104 in game three. Game 4 was a tense battle at the Summit, which the Celtics won 106–103, with Bill Walton coming off the bench for a tired Robert Parish to score a crucial basket. The infamous fifth game featured the signature moment of the series, when 7'4" Ralph Sampson ignited a brawl with Jerry Sichting, a player 15 inches shorter than Sampson, leading to his ejection. While Jim Petersen led the Rockets to a decisive victory, Sampson's actions motivated the Celtics to end the series in six. Bird dismantled the young Rockets in game 6; the raucous Garden crowd booed every time Sampson touched the ball. The Celtics eliminated the Rockets 114–97 in a game that wasn't as close as the score would indicate. With backup forward Scott Wedman sidelined due to a wrist injury, Bird got very little rest during the six-game series, logging 269 out of a possible 288 minutes of floor time. Bird was named the Finals' MVP for that year, averaging 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 2.7 steals per game for the series. The Celtics' victory capped off a 29-year period that had seen them win 16 championships and it was their last championship until 2008.

Did You Know?

• This series marked the first time the 'NBA Finals' branding was officially used, dropping the 'NBA World Championship Series' branding.
• Until the 2011 series, this was the last time the NBA Finals had started before June.
• It was the last NBA Finals game to be played on Memorial Day.
• The Celtics' 40 home victories during the regular season was an NBA record at the time.
• Larry Bird logged 269 out of a possible 288 minutes of floor time during the six-game series.

Historical Context and Branding Shifts

The 1986 NBA Finals represented a pivotal transition point for the league's identity and scheduling norms. This series marked the first official adoption of the "NBA Finals" branding, replacing the decades-old "NBA World Championship Series" title that had been used since the league's inception. Beyond nomenclature, this championship set unique temporal precedents; it was the last time the Finals began prior to June until 2011 and remained the final series to conclude before June 10th until 2018. Notably, Game 3 was played on Memorial Day, a holiday occurrence that would not be repeated in the Finals until 1999. The series also highlighted a shift in Western Conference dominance, serving as the second and final championship of the 1980s where the Los Angeles Lakers were absent, having been eliminated by Houston in both occasions.

Boston's Path to Dominance

Following a disappointing 1985 loss to the Lakers that exposed roster deficiencies, Boston president Red Auerbach executed strategic trades to acquire Bill Walton and Jerry Sichting. These moves catalyzed a historic regular season where the Celtics posted a league-best 67–15 record, anchored by an unprecedented 40 home victories at the Boston Garden. Their playoff run was equally formidable, overcoming Michael Jordan's 63-point explosion against Chicago in double overtime before dismantling Atlanta and sweeping Milwaukee. Entering the Finals as heavy favorites, the team leveraged their home-court advantage to secure the first two games. Despite a narrow loss in Game 3, they regained control with a tense victory in Houston, setting the stage for a championship-clinching performance that would eventually earn Larry Bird his third Finals MVP award.

Houston's Twin Towers and Resilience

The Houston Rockets arrived in the Finals as a rebuilt powerhouse featuring the "Twin Towers" of Ralph Sampson and Akeem Olajuwon, a duo formed after consecutive top draft picks following years of rebuilding. Under coach Bill Fitch, they navigated a challenging postseason, most notably stunning the defending champion Lakers by winning four straight games in the conference finals, capped by Sampson's buzzer-beater. In the championship series, Houston managed to break Boston's home dominance with a Game 3 victory and forced a competitive Game 4. However, their momentum was severely disrupted during Game 5 when Sampson instigated a brawl with Jerry Sichting, leading to his ejection. Although Jim Petersen led them to a win that game, the incident galvanized the Celtics, who ultimately overwhelmed Houston in Game 6 to secure the title.

The Infamous Brawl and Series Climax

Game 5 of the 1986 NBA Finals stays in basketball history because of a fiery fight between 7'4" Ralph Sampson and 6-foot Jerry Sichting. The clash started over contact during play, leading to Sampson's ejection and shifting the series momentum decisively toward Boston. While the Rockets won that night, powered by Jim Petersen, the incident shook the young Houston roster.