1981 Playoffs Bird Buzzer Beater vs Sixers

Lore & Background

In the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics faced the 76ers in a hard-fought seven-game series. Larry Bird, already a star in his second season, made a memorable buzzer-beating shot that helped propel Boston to the Finals. The Celtics then won the NBA championship in 1981, defeating the Houston Rockets.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Spectrum was thick with sweat and anticipation, the roar of the crowd a physical force pressing against the players on the hardwood. Larry Bird stood at the free-throw line, eyes locked on the rim, ignoring the jeers of thousands who believed he could not beat Julius Erving in his own house. As the clock wound down to zero, he launched the ball with a release that was both casual and deadly; for a heartbeat, time seemed suspended before the net snapped taut and the arena fell into stunned silence.

Reader's Guide

This entry covers the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. The series went to seven games, with the Celtics winning 4-3. Larry Bird's buzzer-beater occurred during this series. The Celtics subsequently won the NBA Finals in 1981.

Did You Know?

• The series was the Eastern Conference Finals, not the first round.
• The series outcome was 4-3, not 3-2.
• Larry Bird was in his second NBA season, not his rookie season.
• The Celtics won the NBA Finals in 1981, defeating the Houston Rockets.