1986 NBA Finals Game 6 vs Houston Rockets

Lore & Background

The Celtics made the 1985 NBA Finals, but lost in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers. In the offseason, president Red Auerbach traded Cedric Maxwell to the Los Angeles Clippers for Bill Walton, and acquired Jerry Sichting from the Indiana Pacers. Entering the 1985–86 season, the Celtics surged to a league-best 67–15 record, powered by an NBA record 40 victories at home. In the playoffs, Boston needed just three games to defeat the Chicago Bulls in the first round, despite a playoff record 63 points by Michael Jordan in Game 2. In the second round, Boston eliminated the Atlanta Hawks in five games. Then in the conference finals, Boston swept the Milwaukee Bucks in four games.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Astrodome hung heavy with humidity and a rising sense of dread for the home crowd, contrasting sharply with the cool, calculated rhythm of the Celtics. As the fourth quarter wound down, the roar of the Houston faithful slowly curdled into a stunned silence. Larry Bird stood at the free-throw line, his back stiff from days of agony but his gaze locked unerringly on the rim. The ball left his fingertips with a perfect arc, swishing through the net as the seconds evaporated. It wasn't merely a basket; it was the closing of a chapter that had begun decades ago with Bill Russell and now concluded with the King of Clutch. When the final buzzer sounded, the court didn't erupt in celebration for Houston, but fell into an awe-struck reverence for the Boston machine that had just completed its most flawless journey.

Reader's Guide

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. The Rockets defeated the Celtics 106–104 in game three. Game 4 was a tense battle at the Summit, which the Celtics won 106–103. The infamous fifth game featured a brawl when Ralph Sampson ignited a fight with Jerry Sichting, leading to his ejection. The Celtics eliminated the Rockets 114–97 in game six. With backup forward Scott Wedman sidelined due to a wrist injury, Bird logged 269 out of a possible 288 minutes of floor time. Bird averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 2.7 steals per game for the series.

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 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.