1984 NBA Finals

NBA Finals summary


caption =
year = 1984
runnerup = Los Angeles Lakers
runnerup_coach = Pat Riley
runnerup_games = 3
champion = Boston Celtics
champion_coach = K.C. Jones
champion_games = 4
date= May 27 - June 12
MVP = Larry Bird
(Boston Celtics)
television = CBS (U.S.)
announcers = Dick Stockton and Tom Heinsohn
HOFers = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1995)
Larry Bird (1998)
Magic Johnson (2002)
Bob McAdoo (2000)
Kevin McHale (1999)
Robert Parish (2003)
James Worthy (2003)
Coaches:
K.C. Jones (1989, player)
Pat Riley (2008)
radio_network =
radio_announcers =
referees_1 =
referees_2 = Jack Madden and Jake O'Donnell
referees_3 =
referees_4 = Darrell Garretson and Jess Kersey
referees_5 = Game 5: Hugh Evans and Earl Strom
referees_6 = Game 6: Jack Madden and Jake O'Donnell
referees_7 = Game 7: Darrell Garretson and Earl Strom
ECF result = Celtics defeat Bucks, 4-1
WCF result = Lakers defeat Suns, 4-2

The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1983-84 NBA season. In 1984, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111-102. Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the award of Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Bird was also named the league regular season MVP for that year.

This series was the long-awaited rematch of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird pair entering the league. The Lakers almost swept the Celtics but a crucial steal in Game 2 led to a tie game and the Celtics were able to win in overtime to tie the series. The Lakers won Game 3 easily and almost won Game 4, but were again thwarted. Now tied 2-2, the Lakers and Celtics each held serve at their home court to send the series to Boston for Game 7. Game 5 was a classic, with Bird coming up with a huge game in one of the (literally) hottest games ever in non-air conditioned Boston Garden. Game 7 was a close game but eventually went to the Celtics. Cedric Maxwell scored 24 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in the decisive Game 7 victory. The 1984 championship series was the most watched in NBA history, with soaring TV ratings. All the playoff action were documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary "Pride and Passion", narrated by Dick Stockton.

Finals Series Summary

*overtime

"Boston beats Los Angeles 4-3"

Game One

The Lakers opened the series with a 115-109 victory at Boston Garden.

Game Two

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. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121.

Game Three

In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history.

Game Four

In Game 4, the Lakers had a five point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors, including Magic Johnson's bad pass to Robert Parish late in the 4th quarter as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. Johnson was infamously 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). Larry Bird came up with a crucial jumper with less than a minute in overtime, then M.L. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. The game was also marked by Celtic forward Kevin McHale's takedown of Laker forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup which triggered the physical aspect of the rivalry. Larry Bird would go after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later on in the third quarter, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure. Also, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the baseline following the inbound play during the second quarter.

Game Five

In Game 5, the Celtics took a 3-2 series lead with a 121-103 victory, as Larry Bird scored 34 points. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97-degree heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. The Celtics did not warm up with their sweat pants on because of extreme heat, and oxygen tanks were provided to give air to exhausted players.

Game Six

In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war."

Game Seven

In Game 7, the heat that was an issue in Game 5 was not so bad (indoor temperatures hovered around 91 degrees during the game, due to additional fans being brought in to try to cool the air). The Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell who had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as they came away with a 111-102 victory. In the game the Lakers rallied from a 14-point-deficit to three with one minute remaining when Cedric Maxwell knocked the ball away from Magic Johnson. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series.

The series was the eighth time in NBA history that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA finals, with Boston winning each time.

Quote From The Finals

"Cooper to Kareem, to Worthy, to Rambis. They should go the distance and, ohh, look out." - Chick Hearn describing Kevin McHale's clothesline on Kurt Rambis in Game 4.

"And it goes quickly in now to Magic, back over to Worthy and it's picked off! Goes to Henderson and he lays it up and in!! It's all tied up! A great play by Henderson!!" - Johnny Most describing Gerald Henderson's steal in Game 2.

"For a minute I could hear Johnny Most going, "Henderson steals the ball!"" - Gerald Henderson during a post-game interview following Game 2.

"We've got some great players on this team, but we don't have the players with the heart sometimes that we need. And today, when you see Magic slapping high-fives and his guys throwing behind-the-back passes and shooting lay-ups on us all day long, it seems that someone would try to play stop on defense and, until we get our hearts where they belong, well, we're in trouble." - Larry Bird commenting on his infamous "Celtics play like sissies" comment following Game 3.

"The Boston Celtics are the NBA World Champions, in a grueling, seven-game series over the Los Angeles Lakers." - Dick Stockton after Game 7 of the finals.

"It feels great, whatever happened to the Los Angeles dynasty? You guys are talking about a dynasty, there it is (the O'Brien Trophy) right there, that's the dynasty. We're the best team in the world right now, the best out there." - Red Auerbach during the championship celebrations with Brent Musburger after Game 7.

Team rosters

Navbox
navbar=plain
titlestyle = background:#008040; color:white;
bodystyle = background:#efe196;
title = Boston Celtics 1983-84 NBA Champions
list1 =

00 Parish !3 Johnson !8 Wedman !28 Buckner !30 Carr !31 Maxwell !32 McHale !33 Bird (Finals MVP) !40 Clark !43 Henderson !44 Ainge !50 Kite !Coach Jones

Navbox
navbar=plain
titlestyle = background:#5c2f83; color:#fcb926;
title = Los Angeles Lakers 1983-84 Western Conference Champions
list1 =

00 Garrett !4 Scott !11 McAdoo !15 Jordan !21 Cooper !25 Kupchak !31 Rambis !32 Johnson !33 Abdul-Jabbar (Finals MVP) !35 Spriggs !40 McGee !41 Nater !42 Worthy !52 Wilkes !Coach Riley

ee also

*1984 NBA Playoffs

External links

* [http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19831984.html NBA History]