The Lakers won Game 3 easily and almost won Game 4, but were again thwarted. Two classic franchises matching up once again with the NBA crown on the line. Assists: 21 - Magic Johnson (1984) Game One was played on a Sunday afternoon in Boston, about 36 hours after the Lakers had eliminated the Phoenix Suns in the Western Finals. The second time Chamberlain pulled down 38 rebounds was in 1967 as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. Many misconceptions abound regarding the classic 1984 NBA Finals seven-game epic. However, the Lakers suffered a key injury when their 3rd leading scorer, Jamaal Wilkes (17 PPG) was ruled out of the finals. Top NBA Finals Moments Index. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111–102. Boston won the games played on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday night. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. Just create an account, no credit card required! Monday, May 4, 8 p.m. - Celtics vs. Lakers, 1984 NBA Finals Game 4 Kevin McHale heats up the rivalry by clothes-lining Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup. Only the strong survive. Cedric Maxwell scored 24 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in the decisive Game 7 victory. Lakers vs. Celtics, 102-111, Box Score - 1984 Playoffs Stats from the NBA game played between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics on June 12, 1984 with result, scoring by period and players. Top NBA Finals moments: Gerald Henderson, 1984. In the final game of the tournament, Larry Bird and his erstwhile unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans by the score of 75–64. The Los Angeles Lakers won both games in the regular season series: The Lakers opened the series with a 115-109 victory at Boston Garden. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at 16:25. … The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97 °F (36 °C) heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. All rights reserved. The 1984 NBA Finals. Written by NBAFinals. The following game, Game 5, was the infamous "heat game" at Boston Garden. Relive how Larry Bird got his revenge at the expense of arch … Bird was also named the league regular season MVP for that year. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111–102. The expected Celtics–Lakers finals, however, never happened. All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. 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. The Old Boston Garden! Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP. Open Article in App. The following year, the Finals format switched to 2-3-2, where Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 were hosted by the team with the best record. NBA.com Staff. But compared to the Game 5 burner. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. This cost the Lakers valuable depth, as James Worthy, a key contributor off the bench, would now have to start in Wilkes' place. 4. The 1984 NBA World Championship Series, also known as Showdown '84, was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1983–84 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. Despite the changes, it did not stop the Lakers from finishing with the best record (54–28) in the Western Conference, powered by their one-two punch of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". [1] The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111–102. The Celtics did not warm up with their sweat pants on because of extreme heat, and an oxygen tank was provided to give air to an aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The 1984 NBA Finals was the first Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson Final. ©2021 The Athletic Media Company. After the Lakers won Game 1, a crucial steal in Game 2 led to a tie game and the Celtics were able to win in overtime to tie the series. Bird was also named the league's regular season MVP for that year. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". 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 fourth quarter, and missing two crucial free throws in OT as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. The Boston Celtics defeated the Lakers 124-121 in Overtime. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. Enter your email to read this article for free. 1984 NBA Finals Finals 1984 NBA champion Game 4 of the 1984 NBA Finals previous year's finals The 1984 NBA World Championship Series, also known as Showdown '84, was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1983–84 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs… Must read content, player grades, stuff you can't get anywhere else. Game 1: Lakers 115 – Celtics 109 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. Subscribe now to get full access to the new sports page. Carr's steal at the buzzer sealed a 129-125 win at the Great Western Forum. 1984 NBA Playoffs: | The |1984 |NBA Playoffs|| was the postseason tournament of the |National Basketball Assoc... World Heritage Encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. The change in format came after Red Auerbach complained about the constant travelling during the finals. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. It is the largest comeback victory in an NBA Finals game since 1971 and gave the Celtics a commanding 3-1 series deficit. 1990 NBA Finals-Wikipedia While at CBS Sports, he called nine NBA Finals, including the 1984, 1985 and 1987 finals between the … Jones champion games = 4 date= May 27 June 12 MVP = Larry Bird (Boston Celtics)… 1984 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 4, Cubs at Padres, October 6 May 17, 2017 5:37 PM. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. NBA Finals summary caption = year = 1984 runnerup = Los Angeles Lakers runnerup coach = Pat Riley runnerup games = 3 champion = Boston Celtics champion coach = K.C. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. That in turn started a wearying back-and-forth across the country, Wednesday night at LA, Friday night at Boston, Sunday afternoon at LA, and Tuesday night at Boston, to end the series. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. Los Angeles won all three games played on Sunday afternoons. The 1984 NBA World Championship Series, also known as Showdown '84, was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1983–84 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. [2] It was also the last time that a team with home court advantage in the NBA finals played Game 5 on its own floor until 2014. Editor’s note: “Distant Replay” is an occasional feature from The Athletic re-examining notable games from Boston sports history. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111–102. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). 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. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979–80 season with high expectations. Already have the app? The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121, thanks to Scott Wedman's game-winning shot from the baseline with 14 ticks left. Let’s take a look at the legendary seven-game series, game-by-game. Then, after Game 3 on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, the teams had two plus days off, not playing again until Wednesday night. The 1984 NBA Finals was the first Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson Final. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). The 1984 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983–84 season. A bit choppy for the first few minutes but it calms down. The score was close but the contest eventually went to the Celtics. The Lakers took an early lead in overtime, but a controversial foul call foul on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 16 seconds remaining in regulation, had been his 6th foul, and he was out of the game. The 1984 NBA Finals, also known as Showdown '84, was the championship round of the 1983-84 NBA season. The 1984 NBA Finals is among the most epic series in NBA history. talent just don't get it. The series was the eighth time in NBA history that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA finals, with Boston winning each time, and the first championship that the Celtics claimed at home since 1966. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. The Lakers opened the series with a 115-109 victory at Boston Garden. The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Celtics in the conference finals before losing to the Lakers in the 1980 NBA Finals, with Johnson earning Finals MVP honors for his Game 6 performance. teams, leaders and scores from the first game ever to yesterday. Gerald Henderson's steal keeps Celtics from going down 0-2 in the 1984 NBA Finals. :) Larry Bird MVP. Bird was also named the league regular season MVP for that year. Sports-Reference: Baseball. The Laker momentum was stalled, and Larry Bird came up with a crucial jumper over Magic Johnson with 16 seconds remaining in overtime, then M.L. 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. In Game 7, the heat that was an issue in Game 5 was not as bad (indoor temperatures hovered around 91 °F (33 °C) during the game, due to additional fans being brought in to try to cool the air). Boston's most crucial addition was Dennis Johnson, whom they acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the offseason in hopes of addressing their porous back-court defense. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by Earvin “Magic “Johnson. Up Next. Also, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the baseline following the inbound play during the second quarter. 1984 NBA Finals Game 4 This game is best remembered for C's forward Kevin McHale clotheslining Lakers forward Kurt Rambis, which helped spark a fantastic second-half rally by Boston. The Game 3 number set a new low since finals ratings were recorded in 1984, according to Sports Media Watch. . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Bird, who was selected 6th in the 1978 NBA draft but committed back to Indiana State for his senior season, was named Rookie of the Year after leading the Celtics to a 32-game turnaround from the previous year, going from 29 to 61 wins. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. Perhaps sparked by the Heat’s upset in Game 3, Game 4 … Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 … Game 7 was also contested in hot temperatures that hovered around 91 °F (33 °C). The Celtics erased a 10-point halftime deficit and forced overtime, where Bird's clutch shot over Magic Johnson and M.L. You can read more here. The Game: 1984 Finals, Game 2. Transferred from a much enjoyed VHS tape. Since then Bird won a championship in 1981, then Magic led the Lakers to the finals in 1982 and 1983, winning in the former. hit an all-time peak with the seven-game battle for the 1984 NBA world championship trophy. [1] The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111–102. During that year Lesley Visser, Stockton's wife, became the first woman to cover the NBA Finals for CBS. Bird and the Celtics finally prevailed, taking down the “Showtime Lakers” on June 12, 1984. That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. In 1984, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111-102. The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. Distant replay: Reliving the iconic Game 4 of 1984 Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals. NBA Finals Game 2 – Henderson’s Incredible Steal! 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). May 31, 1984. The teams then had three plus days off, not playing until Thursday night. He finished the seven-game series averaging 27.4 points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game cementing his place in NBA history. Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the award of Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). . Now tied 2-2, the Lakers and Celtics each held serve at their home court to send the series to Boston for Game 7. By Jared Weiss Mar 30, 2020 6 . The 1984 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983-84 season. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. Summary and statistics for the 1984 NBA Finals - Lakers vs. Celtics After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. 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. 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 fourth quarter, and missing two crucial free throws in OT as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. Results, Statistics, Leaders and more for the 1984 NBA playoffs. Watch NBA Finals - Season 38, Episode 4 - 1984 NBA Finals Game 4: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics: The Lakers (leading series, 2-1) host the Celtics for Game 4 of the 1984 NBA Finals. 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