1987 NBA Finals Game 6 vs Boston Celtics
The Lakers' tenth championship, sealed by Magic's Junior sky hook in Game 4.
The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 1986–87 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in six games to win their tenth NBA championship, becoming the second team in league history to win ten or more championships. The key moment of the series was Magic Johnson's Junior sky hook in Game 4. This was the tenth time that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals (more than any other Finals matchup). It would be Larry Bird's last Finals appearance, as well as the Celtics' last Finals appearance until the two teams met in 2008.
Quick Facts
- Date
- June 14, 1987
- Venue
- Great Western Forum (Inglewood, CA)
- Final score
- Lakers 106, Celtics 93
- Series result
- Lakers win 4-2
- Key play
- Magic Johnson's 'Baby Hook' with 18 seconds remaining
- Mvp of series
- Magic Johnson (averaged 26.2 PPG)
- Historical significance
- First Finals sweep against Boston since 1972
Lore & Background
Much was at stake in the 1987 NBA Finals. Rivals since their days in college, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson entered the Finals each with three NBA championships. In terms of the Celtics–Lakers, each team also had won three championships in the 1980s. With the win in 1987 and the following year, the Lakers and Johnson would surpass their rival and be seen as the team and player of the 1980s.
Reader's Guide
The Lakers finished the regular season with a league-best 65–17 record. Head coach Pat Riley made a strategical move, shifting the offensive focus to Magic Johnson. The Lakers acquired center Mychal Thompson via trade midway through the season. Both moves helped alleviate the load off of the aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who turned 40 during the playoffs.
A.C. Green supplanted Kurt Rambis in the starting lineup. During the Lakers' path to the Finals they swept the Denver Nuggets in the first round, defeated the Golden State Warriors in five games during the second round, and swept the Seattle SuperSonics in the conference finals. Their only loss was a Sleepy Floyd 51-point outburst in Game 4 in Oakland, which allowed the Warriors to avoid a sweep. This 1987 Lakers team is widely considered both Magic Johnson's best team, and one of the greatest teams in NBA history.
There are many reasons for this, besides Magic Johnson being league MVP that year instead of Larry Bird: Kareem was still in late prime condition, the Lakers had many scoring options, they had a strong defense which included defensive player of the year Michael Cooper, and Mychal Thompson's elite post defense meant they had another body to throw at the likes of McHale and Parish of the Celtics.
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