Lakers vs Celtics 1985 NBA Finals Game 7

Lore & Background

The Celtics were looking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the 1968–69 season. The Celtics had home court advantage for the second year in a row as they finished the regular season with a 63–19 record while the Lakers compiled a 62–20 record. The Lakers looked to bounce back from the previous year's painful loss to the Celtics in the championship series, and were still seeking to beat Boston for the first time ever in NBA Finals history. Also for the first time since 1955, the Finals implemented a 2–3–2 format with Games 1 and 2 in Boston while the next three games were in Los Angeles. The final two games of the series would be played in Boston, if required. This change of format came after David Stern had a conversation with Celtics legend Red Auerbach in 1984, who disliked the frequent traveling between games. The 2–3–2 format would be used until the 2013 NBA Finals, after which the 2–2–1–1–1 format returned in 2014. The 2–3–2 format has long been used by Major League Baseball in the World Series and was also used in the League Championship Series upon changing to a best-of-seven format later that year. The Stanley Cup Final in the National Hockey League also went to a 2–3–2 format that same year as well as the previous year but returned to a 2–2–1–1–1 format from 1986 onward. With the help of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers achieved their first NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics in nine meetings, four to two games. The Lakers recovered after losing in a rout in Game 1, dubbed as the 'Memorial Day Massacre'. The series was the last time the NBA World Championship Series branding would be in use as the NBA Finals branding would replace it for 1986.

In Their Own Story

The air inside The Forum was thick with tension and the scent of popcorn and sweat. As the clock ticked under two minutes in the fourth quarter, the roar of the crowd seemed to shake the very foundations of the arena. Magic Johnson dribbled up the court, his eyes locked on the defense, before finding a gap that didn't exist for anyone else but him. In that split second, history wasn't just being written; it was being carved in stone.

Reader's Guide

The series was played in a 2–3–2 format. Games 1 and 2 were in Boston, Games 3, 4, and 5 in Los Angeles, and Games 6 and 7 (if necessary) in Boston. The Lakers won the series 4–2. Game 6 was the series clincher, played at Boston Garden, where the Lakers became the first road team to clinch a title at that venue. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named Finals MVP, averaging 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks in six games.

Did You Know?

• The 1985 Finals was the first time the Lakers beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals in nine meetings.
• Game 1, a 148–114 Celtics win, is known as the 'Memorial Day Massacre'.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the NBA's all-time leading playoff scorer during Game 3.
• The 2–3–2 Finals format was used for the first time since 1955 and lasted until 2013.
• The series was the last to use the 'NBA World Championship Series' branding.