1981 NBA Finals Game 6 vs Houston Rockets
The Celtics' 14th championship, clinched on the road in six games.
The 1981 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1980–81 NBA season. The Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets in six games to win their 14th NBA championship.
Quick Facts
- Series outcome
- Celtics win 4-2
- Key celtics performer
- Robert Parish (33 points, 15 rebounds)
- Opposing star
- Moses Malone (Rockets)
- Venue
- The Summit, Houston, Texas
- Franchise milestone
- 14th NBA Championship
Lore & Background
The Celtics won Game 1 at home 98–95 on a famous left-handed shot by Larry Bird. After losing Game 2, they won Game 3 and Game 4, then lost Game 5 before closing out the series in Game 6 on the road. This was the last time the Celtics won the NBA championship on the road.
Reader's Guide
The series featured the Celtics' Big Three of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, along with key contributors M. L. Carr, Cedric Maxwell, and Nate Archibald. The Rockets were led by Moses Malone, Calvin Murphy, and Rudy Tomjanovich.
Did You Know?
- The Rockets were the first team since the 1959 Minneapolis Lakers to reach the Finals with a losing record (40–42).
- This was one of only two NBA Finals in the 1980s not to feature the Los Angeles Lakers (the other was 1986, also Celtics vs. Rockets).
- The Celtics came back from a 3–1 deficit to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
- Houston's Calvin Murphy set an NBA record with a free-throw percentage of .958 in the regular season.
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