In the 1980s, there was a lot of familiarity between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Throughout the decade, they faced off against one another three times in the NBA Finals. Every year, at least one of the teams advanced to the championship round.
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers shared a great deal of familiarity in the 1980s. They squared off three times in the NBA Finals throughout the course of the decade. At least one of the teams made it to the championship round each year.
When the Celtics faced the Lakers in 1985, Larry Bird and the team wanted a repeat.
Bird led the Celtics to their first NBA championship in 1981 when they defeated Moses Malone and the Houston Rockets in his second season in the league. The Celtics returned in 1984 to take against Magic Johnson and the Lakers after witnessing the Philadelphia 76ers, who represented the Eastern Conference, in the Finals the next two years.
That show had it all—drama, drama, drama.
With 18 seconds left, the Celtics were down two and on the danger of losing their second consecutive game at home when Gerald Henderson grabbed the ball. After intercepting a James Worthy pass, the Boston guard scored the game-winning layup. Boston won the match in extra time.
The Celtics utilized a Kevin McHale clotheslining of Kurt Rambis as a game-changing move to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the third game in Los Angeles. The Lakers suffered in the Boston heat during Game 5, which was played in an unairconditioned Garden. After seven games, Boston emerged victorious in the series.
When the teams played again the next season, the Lakers made sure they exacted their retribution.
