larry bird finals record larry bird finals record

Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. . Take a look below. Magics Michigan State team won the game 75-64, preventing Bird from winning a title for Indiana State. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. In Game 2, the Lakers led 113-111 with 18 seconds left when Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass to score a game tying layup. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. Hall of Fame. Coming off the back of a disappointing loss to the Lakers in the finals, many people saw Bird taking a step back going into the 1985-86 season. At the risk of boring you with a list of his all-time accomplishments, well run through an abbreviated version of Birds body of work. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. All-NBA First-Teamers NOT in the Hall of Fame, Basketball Positions 101: Understanding the Different Roles on the Court, The Best NBA Players to NOT Make the Hall of Fame, The Best All-Defensive Team in NBA History, The All-Time Worst NBA Finals Performances by a Superstar by Position. Before the season began, the Lakers traded long-time guard Norm Nixon to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Byron Scott. Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. One of the most exciting 3-0 series in league history, the Celtics made quick work of the up-and-coming Bulls featuring a young Michael Jordan. Bird averaged 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists across the regular season as the Celtics once again topped the eastern conference. Bird's Pacers fell in the East finals in '98 and '99, then came up short in the NBA Finals in 2000 against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. How to say Basketball in different languages? How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? Fast forward a couple of seasons and Bird marched his team back into the 1984 postseason. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. Thanks for signing up. Birds Pacers swept the Bucks and the Sixers in the first two rounds of the playoffs and looked likely to make it to the finals as they came up against the eight seed New York Knicks in the conference finals. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Should individual honors and scoring records take precedence? NAME DATE SEASON SERIES TM OPP REC W% MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% PF +/-Magic Johnson: 5/27/1984: 1983-84 . Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. His first MVP award was in 1984. Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA Draft, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 (Full List), More Larry Bird pages at Sports Reference. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. This site is a participant in the Impact Affiliate Platform which is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Fanatics.com . Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. Bird: "So you're overpaid.". In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. Two-time National Basketball Association champion Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell points to the pillars of the game when it comes to the question, "Who is the greatest NBA player of all time?" "I measure it by those who changed the game," said the former Boston Celtics standout on Sunday afternoon while taking part in the Legends & Stars Sports Expo at Batavia Downs Gaming. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . December 7, The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. With Kareem ageing, the Celtics hoped that they could win the finals. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. The league had changed the Finals homecourt schedule to the 2-3-2 format that year, allowing the team with the lesser record (LA) to host the middle three games. Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. The Celtics then knocked the 76ers off once again, this time in five games and advanced to the Finals for the second time in as many years. The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. 1979-80 Bird 1980-81 Bird 1981-82 Bird 1982-83 Bird 1983-84 Bird 1984-85 Bird 1985-86 Bird 1986-87 Bird 1987-88 Bird 1988-89 Bird 1989-90 Bird 1990-91 Bird 1991-92 Bird 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 82 82 77 79 79 80 82 74 76 6 75 60 45. Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. "Wilt . The Knicks were led by the explosive scorer Bernard King, who averaged 29-5-3 in the series. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Arrives by Wed, Mar 15 Buy Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica Basketball with "HOF 1998" Inscription - Limited Edition of 133 at Walmart.com The Lakers and the Celtics met again in 1987 where the Lakers won in six games. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. Which Player has Played in the Most NBA Finals Games? Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. While that body of work would give anyone the right to too their own horn, Larry Legend took a different course of action. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. Join our linker program. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. Larry Joe Bird. Tatum and the rest of his team are eager to avenge the loss in the Finals . Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. He led the Cs to a Conference Finals appearance once or twice in the ensuing years but the team just wasnt nearly as competitive anymore and it was obvious that Larry was getting up there in age. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. October 9, 2019. Johnson was called "Tragic Johnson" by Celtics fans due to the two crucial errors he committed in Game 4 (the Parish steal, followed by two botched free throws in OT). Whether he makes an All-Defense team this season remains to be seen, but few wings in the association deserve more recognition than McDaniels this campaign. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . Magic led the team in scoring this time but was still joined by the same stars: Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Then head coach Bill Fitch resigned as head coach despite having the second-best coaching record in the NBA during his four-year stint in Boston. Meanwhile, the Clydesdales, AKA the Celtics, were coming off a season where they went 56-26 and were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in round 2 of the playoffs. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Chicago Bulls 4-1, 1981 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. Answer (1 of 43): To start by answering the question, I'd say - yes. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. The next year, the NBA Finals switched to the 2-3-2 format with Game 5 going to the team without home-court advantage, which continued through 2013. The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. The 1987 NBA Finals again saw the Los Angeles Lakers up against Birds Celtics. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. This was Birds last season with Indiana State as he had been drafted by the Celtics in 1978, but chose to play out one final year with his college instead of going straight to the NBA. Its surprising that he wasnt able to win at least one more, though three championships nowadays is something that is wildly difficult to do, its no feat to be taken lightly. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. Better than MJ, LeBron, Kareem, Larry and Magic.If you take out Steph's games with an NBA75 teammate (KD), Steph's Playoff Win% is 48-26 (.649), which is still better than Duncan, Kobe and Larry Bird's with all their NBA75 teammates. We have seen some teams lose in the NBA Finals off of some injuries and other situations leading up to it that the box score doesnt show, so lets dive into Birds record. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Its pretty easy to forget how many times Bird has been in the NBA Finals with all of the many accolades and unbelievably, but true, stories about him. Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Despite the changes, it did not stop the Lakers from finishing with the best record (5428) in the Western Conference, powered by their one-two punch of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. The Rockets fought back to win handily in game 5 at home but the Celtics closed out the series in game 6 in the Boston Garden to take their third title of the Bird era. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. The Cs were heavily favored and had won 10 straight vs the Rockets, but Houston put up more of a fight than expected. He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. Larry averaged 27-10-7 and led the Celtics with 36 points in a game-five win that saw the Celtics beat the Hawks by 33 points. The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. Larry Bird: Biography. 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, "Here Are Some Final Facts on NBA Playoffs", Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1984_NBA_Finals&oldid=1141615206, 20th century in Los Angeles County, California, Basketball competitions in Inglewood, California, May 1984 sports events in the United States, June 1984 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, No. The first two meetings of the season between Cleveland and Boston took OT, but the Celtics were able to sneak a 117-113 win at home. This was the Celtics' first appearance in The Finals since their 1976 championship winning team against the Phoenix Suns.The Celtics were not quite the same team as five years before, as they added the likes of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, a trio that would come to be known as "The Big Three." M. L. Carr, Cedric Maxwell, and Nate Archibald were also capable players off the . Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . This series was a rematch of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the Magic JohnsonLarry Bird pair entering the league. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. . Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . The Cs won in a blowout in game 3 in Houston before Houston tied it up with a tight win in game 4. Larry Birds First NBA Championship 1981. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. The kick-off of one of the greatest rivalries of all time. And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. New York also featured Bill Cartwright and Rory Sparrow. The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. If you remember, there was Kevin McHales hit on Kurt Rambis, and there was Larry Bird bumping Michael Cooper out of bounds. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. While he didnt change who he was if anything, the Hick from French Lick was remarkably consistent he had an incredibly low-key take when it came to his own legacy. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bird's Boston Celtics won the NBA championship three times during his career (1981 and '86 vs. the Houston Rockets, '84 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers), and Bird won Finals MVP in '84 and '86. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . The Conference Semifinals was a seven-game series against the Knicks, which ended with Boston winning 4-3. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Data Provided By Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. If you were wondering about his career numbers while we wrap this up, he averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. . How to say Basketball in different languages? This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. Having finished second in MVP voting the prior year, Bird dominated the season and the voting. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. One of the most feared competitors during the 1980s was Larry Bird, who won three championships with the Celtics during the decade, destroying teams through his versatile style and killer, lights-out shooting. The Celtics blew out Houston in game 5 behind a big effort from Cedric Maxwell and then took a big lead and held on to win in game 6. He was a monster, averaging 22-16 in this Finals series. In 1986, they failed a third straight NBA Finals meeting (it was later accomplished 31 years later by the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors), as the Lakers were eliminated in the Conference Finals by the Houston Rockets. The Eastern Conference Finals were much more difficult. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. By the end of the 1984 season Bird had won his second NBA title, both with the Celtics. . Amazing! If you are interested in Larry Bird Championships, you might be interested in checking out some of these posts I have written about Larry Legend. The Celtics won the third and final title of the Bird era with a victory over the twin towers of the Houston Rockets. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. . At 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 metres), Erving played forward and was noted for his fast breaks, balletic leaps toward the basket . Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. This cost the Lakers valuable depth, as James Worthy, a key contributor off the bench, would now have to start in Wilkes' place. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Stockton, the play-by-play announcer for the series, was joined by Tom Heinsohn, and the duo would call the next four NBA Finals until 1987. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. Also, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the baseline following the inbound play during the second quarter. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. It's clear the two dominated the decade, but who got the better of who? Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! No stats available. He held this role for five seasons before being offered the Indiana Pacers head coach role. When discussing his legacy with Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press (h/t the Daily Hampshire Gazette), Bird didnt take much time to sing his own praises. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. Bird averaged 24 points per game as Boston won the series in six to net him his THIRD ring. As for their averages, Johnson posted 20.7 points, 13.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game in their head-to-head matchups in the Finals compared to Bird's 25.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists. All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Small Forward and Power Forward Here are some of the records and historical rankings that Larry Bird achieved at Indiana State: A member of the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound club: 2,850 points and 1,247 rebounds Indiana State's all . Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. Maxwell later claimed he said something like that but not quite so family friendly. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. Larry Bird was a star. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. He averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the series. Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. . Then came the championship series. And, as if that wasn't enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. Regular Season Record: 62-20 (The Celtics tied with 76ers for 1st in the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference and the NBA but the Cs got the #1 seed in a tiebreaker by winning the last game of the season vs the Sixers). Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games (4 wins, 3 losses) * 1985: Los Angeles Lak. Your default site has been set for 7 days, Scoring the rivalry: How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in their legendary head-to-head matchups. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. Fox believes the Westbrook is the most scrutinized player in the NBA, while also stating that everyone inside the league loves Westbrook, regardless of what the outside perception may be, Arenas believes that the Grizzlies should ignore Morant's actions because every other team would and he's a productive player for them, Tim Hardaway told his favorite Run TMC story involving Don Nelson which resulted to an unforgettable moment for the group. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. The Celtics won game 2 at home but lost two games in Philly to fall behind 3-1. . In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. After . Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! Larry pushed the Celtics out of the second round with an easy 4-1 series win over the Atlanta Hawks, led at the time by Dominique Wilkins. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. Nobody thought that the Celtics would beat the Lakers in 1984. Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. They quickly swept the Chicago Bulls, then marched down and knocked off the 76ers in a revenge series that wound up going into seven games. The Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals in 1984, 1985, and 1987 with Bird and Cooper going at it. Larry, to his credit, was phenomenal. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. The Bullets were the 8th seed in the East winning only 35 regular season games and finishing last in the Atlantic division. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. inWest Baden,Indiana This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. Jelani Scott. The Lakers took game 1 in Boston and looked like they made take a commanding 2-0 lead when Gerald Henderson stole the ball and the series. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach.