1976 NBA Finals
Encyclopedia
The 1976 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round for the 1975-76 NBA season
.
finished the season with 42 wins and 40 losses, but beat the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors
in the playoffs
and went on to play the Boston Celtics
in the NBA Finals, giving the Celtics a tough battle before falling in six games.
The 1976 NBA Finals also marked the first time that NBA games of any kind were being played during the month of June.
Boston Celtics defeated Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 2
and Boston's Kevin Stacom
got into a fistfight, and both were ejected. Sobers was having a good game at that point, and Phoenix coach John MacLeod would later accuse the Celtics of having Stacom bait Sobers into the fight in order to get him out of the game.
The Suns extended the lead to 23 in the third, but Boston began to charge back and cut the lead to two with three minutes left. At that point, Suns rookie center Alvan Adams
scored twice, passed off to Paul Westphal
for another, and then tipped in a Westphal miss moments later.
That was enough to get Phoenix a 105-98 win. Adams finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds. Dave Cowens
and Charlie Scott
both fouled out for the Celtics, and the Celtics also were whistled for two technicals.
and Cowens put the blame on their team for 'committing stupid fouls'.
The game was close to the end, when Ricky Sobers
hit a bank shot to put the Suns up by four with 90 seconds left. The Celtics cut it to two and had a chance to tie it, but lost 109-107 when Jo Jo White
missed a jump shot late.
but could not hold it. The game was enhanced by several controversies.
Two controversies involved each team's use of timeouts:
(a) With the score tied at 95-95, Boston's Paul Silas
attempted to call a timeout near the end of regulation with the Celtics out of timeouts. Referee Richie Powers
appeared to have seen Silas signal the timeout, but did not grant it.
(b) The Suns' Paul Westphal
also called a timeout with his team out of them, as further explained below.
Another set of controversies involved the clock;
(a) Shortly after hitting the game-tying free-throw with 22 seconds left in regulation, John Havlicek
missed the second and rebounded his own miss. He then took a pass from Jo Jo White
, dribbled to the right and uncharacteristically attempted a jump shot with eight seconds left (rather than waiting until the final seconds). Westphal rebounded the ball for Phoenix with five seconds left, signaled for a timeout which the referee granted, but the clock was not stopped until three seconds were left.
(b) With three seconds left in the first overtime and the score 101-101, John Havlicek
took an inbounds pass and dribbled to the right baseline before attempting a game-winning shot. The clock appeared not to start until Havlicek stopped dribbling and ball-faked before he released the shot.
(c) Havlicek hit what appeared to be the game-winning shot at the end of the second overtime, but his shot went through the basket with two seconds left and the clock should have been stopped, as discussed below.
The most notable portion of the game was the final 20 seconds of the second overtime. Boston led at that point 109-106 (with the three-point basket not yet in existence). Phoenix had possession of the ball. In an amazing and frantic sequence, the following transpired:
(a) The Suns' Dick Van Arsdale
hit a short jumper from the corner, cutting the gap to 109-108,
(b) the Celtics inbounded the ball to John Havlicek
, but the Suns' Paul Westphal
came from seemingly out of nowhere to knock the ball out of Havlicek's hands. As his momentum was carrying him out of bounds, Westphal saved the ball to Van Arsdale, who passed it to Curtis Perry
. Perry took an 18-footer from the left wing and missed.
(c) Havlicek went after the rebound on the Perry miss, but couldn't get a grip on it and ended up tapping the ball back to Perry on the left baseline.
(d) Perry then let fly from 15 feet (4.6 m) and made the shot to put the Suns ahead.
Phoenix suddenly led, 110-109, with just six seconds left, and the team looked poised to win their third straight game and grab a 3-to-2 edge in the series. John Havlicek
(already of "Havlicek Stole the Ball" fame) responded with a drive and a leaning one-hander in traffic that put Boston in front 111-110 as the horn sounded. The fans then poured onto the court to celebrate Boston's apparent victory. The Celtics returned to their locker room. As CBS analyst Rick Barry
loudly pointed out, the ball went through the hoop with two seconds left and the clock should have been stopped. The officials apparently agreed with Barry and ordered the Celtics back onto the floor. The game was not over.
During the ensuing pandemonium, a fan attacked referee Richie Powers
and other fans turned over one of the scorer's tables. After clearing the court (the fan who attacked Powers was arrested) and getting the Celtics back on the floor, the officials put one second back on the clock. Still, Phoenix's chances seemed slim, as they had the ball under their own basket with a second left. Then Paul Westphal
of the Suns signaled for a time out that the Suns did not have. Although this resulted in a technical foul being called on Westphal, the play was critical for Phoenix, because the rules at the time gave Phoenix the same advantage (save for the technical foul shot) that they would have had with timeouts remaining to use; namely, possession of the ball at half court. Boston's Jo Jo White made the technical free throw, increasing Boston's lead to 112-110.
During the timeout, fans were still on the Boston Garden floor, even disturbing the Suns' huddle by their bench as coach John MacLeod was drawing up a play for a possible tying basket. The Suns' players repeatedly had to shove the fans out of the way, and Phoenix general manager Jerry Colangelo
even threatened to not bring his team back to the Boston Garden for Game 7 if security couldn't maintain control. When play resumed, Phoenix's Garfield Heard
took the inbounds pass from Perry and made a buzzer-beating shot (a turn-around jumper at the top of the key) for the Suns that tied the score yet again, 112-112.
Boston eventually took a six-point lead, 128-122, late in the third overtime. Westphal scored the next four points for Phoenix, cutting the gap to 128-126, but could not get the ball again (with Westphal nearly stealing a pass near half court as the third overtime wound down).
Dave Cowens
, Charlie Scott
, and Paul Silas
all fouled out (were disqualified due to six personal fouls) for the Celtics, and Alvan Adams
and Dennis Awtrey
both fouled out for the Suns. Silas picked up his fifth foul late in the fourth quarter, but played the entire remainder, including all three overtime periods before fouling out late in the third.
The Suns had the lead in the game on only four occasions (twice in the second overtime) and never by more than 2 points. They led 95-94 late in the fourth, and 106-105 and 110-109 in the 2nd overtime. They also led in the third overtime by 114-112.
Glenn McDonald
, a little-used Celtic reserve player, scored eight points in the game, all in overtime, including six in the 3rd overtime.
Jo Jo White
led all scorers with 33 points.
Pat Riley
was a reserve on the Suns' bench, but never got in the game.
The first half was a defensive struggle. Each team scored 20 points in the first quarter, then Boston scored 18 in the second while holding the Suns to 13. Keith Erickson
, a key Suns' reserve, had attempted to play at the start of the second period, but reinjured his sprained ankle and never returned. After falling behind by 11, Phoenix caught up again in the third and took a 67-66 lead on a Ricky Sobers
free throw with 7:25 left in the game.
But the Celtic heroes of old (Dave Cowens
, John Havlicek
) and new (Charlie Scott
) took control from there. Havlicek hit two free throws; then Cowens stole the ball, drove, scored, drew the foul and made the foul shot for a three-point play. Cowens then scored two baskets and Havlicek another to put it away. Scott had three steals during the run and finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds, ending a series-long 11-for-44 shooting slump.
During the run, Phoenix's only response was four free throws. The Celtics rode their surge to an 87-80 win and their 13th championship.
Jo Jo White
scored 15 points, giving him 130 points in six games, and was named the series MVP. John Havlicek
celebrated his eighth NBA title as a Celtic.
for professional basketball. The 1975-76 network television season (as well as May sweeps) ended after Wednesday, May 26 (with weekend afternoon games not factored into the prime-time ratings). Accordingly, CBS-TV allowed Game One to be played on Sunday afternoon, since the ratings would not count, but would not permit Game Two to be played live in prime time unless the NBA waited until Thursday evening.
Game Three started on Sunday, May 30 at 10:30 a.m. MST in order for CBS to televise the final round of the PGA Tour
Memorial Tournament
following the game. The move angered numerous clergy in the Phoenix area, who saw drastically reduced attendance at Sunday services. The game also happened to be on the same day as the Indianapolis 500
, but live flag-to-flag coverage of the event by ABC Sports was still ten years away.
CBS play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger
, in a Fall 2009 interview with ESPN, said that he and color announcer Rick Barry
were rooting for Phoenix to win Games three, four, and six, although Barry's Golden State Warriors
were eliminated by the Suns in the Western Conference Finals. Musburger said that this was because he and Barry were paid by the game. Since the Series was 2-0 Boston after the first two games, Musburger and Barry wanted the Suns to win the next two games to tie the series (likewise with Game six). Boston fans, unaware of Musburger's and Barry's motivations, were upset with the announcing crew because of their apparent favoritism.
sold the team to future Kentucky
governor John Y. Brown
. Brown clashed with Celtics general manager Red Auerbach
on control of the franchise, and later sold the team to Harry Mangurian in 1979, after Auerbach considered taking a front office job with the New York Knicks
. On court, the Celtics showed its age, losing in the second round to the Philadelphia 76ers
in 1977
, then enduring two straight losing seasons. John Havlicek
retired after the 1977-78 season
, and in the 1978 NBA Draft
the Celtics selected Larry Bird
, but he did not play until the 1979-80 season
, after which the team won 61 games, a then-record 32-game turnaround from the previous season
. The Celtics won their 14th NBA championship in 1981
.
John MacLeod's coaching tenure in Phoenix would last another 11 years but Phoenix would not reach the Finals again until 1993
, in which Paul Westphal
was the head coach. However, during that 16-year period the Suns would make the playoffs twelve times, advancing to the conference finals four times.
Eight players in this series would go on to be NBA head coaches. Along with the afore mentioned Westphal, they were: Pat Riley
, Don Nelson
, Dave Cowens
, Paul Silas
, Paul Westphal
, Garfield Heard, Dick Van Arsdale
, and John Wetzel
.
1975-76 NBA season
The 1975–76 NBA season was the 30th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
.
Background
The Phoenix SunsPhoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
finished the season with 42 wins and 40 losses, but beat the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the playoffs
1976 NBA Playoffs
The 1976 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1975-1976 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns, four games to two in the NBA Finals; the series was...
and went on to play the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in the NBA Finals, giving the Celtics a tough battle before falling in six games.
The 1976 NBA Finals also marked the first time that NBA games of any kind were being played during the month of June.
Series summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Score | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | May 23 (Sun.) | Boston | 98-87 | Phoenix |
| Game 2 | May 27 (Thu.) | Boston | 105-90 | Phoenix |
| Game 3 | May 30 (Sun.) | Phoenix | 105-98 | Boston |
| Game 4 | June 2 (Wed.) | Phoenix | 109-107 (OT) | Boston |
| Game 5 | June 4 (Fri.) | Boston | 128-126 (3 OT) | Phoenix |
| Game 6 | June 6 (Sun.) | Phoenix | 80-87 | Boston |
Boston Celtics defeated Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 2
Game 1
Boston turned back the Suns in game one behind a balanced attack. John Havlicek did not start for the Celtics due to a painful heel injury. However, Boston coach Tom Heinsohn rushed Havlicek into the game with 7:24 left in the first quarter as Phoenix took an early 10-7 lead and the Ohio State product never came back out of the game. Dave Cowens recorded a triple-double with 25 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists while Jo Jo White, who shot only 1-4 from the field in the first half before making 8-of-11 shots in the second half to keep Phoenix at bay. Phoenix trailed by two at the end of the first quarter as they failed to take advantage of 11 first quarter Celtic turnovers. Kevin Stacom scored five straight points (his only points) to put Boston up for good 22-20. Charlie Scott fouled out when he picked up his fifth and sixth fouls in an 11-second span.Game 2
Phoenix lost their twelveth game in a row at Boston Garden as Boston put the game away with a 20-2 run at the start of the third quarter that gave them a 72-43 lead. The run was started by steals from Jo Jo White and Charlie Scott. Scott made just one-of-nine shots from the field in the first half but came alive with 12 points in the third quarter. Boston again started the game slowly without John Havlicek in the starting line-up, not making a field goal in the first three minutes of the game and again prompting Tommy Heinsohn to rush Havlicek into the game again.Game 3
Phoenix held Boston scoreless for nearly five minutes in the second period as they went to a 16-point lead. Then, the Suns' Ricky SobersRicky Sobers
Ricky Brad Sobers is a former professional basketball player who spent eleven seasons in the NBA....
and Boston's Kevin Stacom
Kevin Stacom
Kevin M. Stacom is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'3" guard from Holy Cross High School, Flushing, New York; and Providence College, Stacom played six seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, and Milwaukee Bucks...
got into a fistfight, and both were ejected. Sobers was having a good game at that point, and Phoenix coach John MacLeod would later accuse the Celtics of having Stacom bait Sobers into the fight in order to get him out of the game.
The Suns extended the lead to 23 in the third, but Boston began to charge back and cut the lead to two with three minutes left. At that point, Suns rookie center Alvan Adams
Alvan Adams
Alvan Leigh Adams is a retired American professional basketball player. After starring at the University of Oklahoma, the 6'9" power forward/center was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 4th pick of the 1975 NBA Draft...
scored twice, passed off to Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...
for another, and then tipped in a Westphal miss moments later.
That was enough to get Phoenix a 105-98 win. Adams finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds. Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens
David William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991...
and Charlie Scott
Charlie Scott
Charles Thomas Scott is an American former professional basketball player. He played two seasons in the now-defunct American Basketball Association and eight seasons in the National Basketball Association .A 6'5" guard/forward from the Laurinburg Institute...
both fouled out for the Celtics, and the Celtics also were whistled for two technicals.
Game 4
In the first-ever NBA game played in June, referees Don Murphy and Manny Sokol whistled 21 fouls in the first 10 minutes. Celtics coach Tom Heinsohn became angry and claimed later that the affair was pure "high school." John HavlicekJohn Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
and Cowens put the blame on their team for 'committing stupid fouls'.
The game was close to the end, when Ricky Sobers
Ricky Sobers
Ricky Brad Sobers is a former professional basketball player who spent eleven seasons in the NBA....
hit a bank shot to put the Suns up by four with 90 seconds left. The Celtics cut it to two and had a chance to tie it, but lost 109-107 when Jo Jo White
Jo Jo White
Joseph Henry "Jo Jo" White is an American former professional basketball player.-Life and career:White was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a minister...
missed a jump shot late.
Game 5
Game 5 was a triple-overtime contest. With the series tied 2-2, Boston took a huge lead at Boston GardenBoston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
but could not hold it. The game was enhanced by several controversies.
Two controversies involved each team's use of timeouts:
(a) With the score tied at 95-95, Boston's Paul Silas
Paul Silas
Paul Theron Silas is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. He attended Creighton University, where he set an NCAA record for the most rebounds in three seasons and averaged 20.6 rebounds per game in 1963...
attempted to call a timeout near the end of regulation with the Celtics out of timeouts. Referee Richie Powers
Richie Powers
Richard F. "Richie" Powers was a professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association from 1956 to 1979. He worked 25 NBA Finals games, including the triple-overtime Game 5 contest in the 1976 NBA Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics, considered "The Greatest...
appeared to have seen Silas signal the timeout, but did not grant it.
(b) The Suns' Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...
also called a timeout with his team out of them, as further explained below.
Another set of controversies involved the clock;
(a) Shortly after hitting the game-tying free-throw with 22 seconds left in regulation, John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
missed the second and rebounded his own miss. He then took a pass from Jo Jo White
Jo Jo White
Joseph Henry "Jo Jo" White is an American former professional basketball player.-Life and career:White was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a minister...
, dribbled to the right and uncharacteristically attempted a jump shot with eight seconds left (rather than waiting until the final seconds). Westphal rebounded the ball for Phoenix with five seconds left, signaled for a timeout which the referee granted, but the clock was not stopped until three seconds were left.
(b) With three seconds left in the first overtime and the score 101-101, John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
took an inbounds pass and dribbled to the right baseline before attempting a game-winning shot. The clock appeared not to start until Havlicek stopped dribbling and ball-faked before he released the shot.
(c) Havlicek hit what appeared to be the game-winning shot at the end of the second overtime, but his shot went through the basket with two seconds left and the clock should have been stopped, as discussed below.
The most notable portion of the game was the final 20 seconds of the second overtime. Boston led at that point 109-106 (with the three-point basket not yet in existence). Phoenix had possession of the ball. In an amazing and frantic sequence, the following transpired:
(a) The Suns' Dick Van Arsdale
Dick Van Arsdale
Richard Albert Van Arsdale is a former professional basketball player and coach, and a current NBA executive. A graduate of Indianapolis Emmerich Manual High School, the 6'5" guard played collegiately at Indiana University, Van Arsdale was selected by the New York Knickerbockers in the 2nd round...
hit a short jumper from the corner, cutting the gap to 109-108,
(b) the Celtics inbounded the ball to John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
, but the Suns' Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...
came from seemingly out of nowhere to knock the ball out of Havlicek's hands. As his momentum was carrying him out of bounds, Westphal saved the ball to Van Arsdale, who passed it to Curtis Perry
Curtis Perry
Curtis R. Perry is a retired American basketball player. He attended Southwest Missouri State University and played at forward....
. Perry took an 18-footer from the left wing and missed.
(c) Havlicek went after the rebound on the Perry miss, but couldn't get a grip on it and ended up tapping the ball back to Perry on the left baseline.
(d) Perry then let fly from 15 feet (4.6 m) and made the shot to put the Suns ahead.
Phoenix suddenly led, 110-109, with just six seconds left, and the team looked poised to win their third straight game and grab a 3-to-2 edge in the series. John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
(already of "Havlicek Stole the Ball" fame) responded with a drive and a leaning one-hander in traffic that put Boston in front 111-110 as the horn sounded. The fans then poured onto the court to celebrate Boston's apparent victory. The Celtics returned to their locker room. As CBS analyst Rick Barry
Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
loudly pointed out, the ball went through the hoop with two seconds left and the clock should have been stopped. The officials apparently agreed with Barry and ordered the Celtics back onto the floor. The game was not over.
During the ensuing pandemonium, a fan attacked referee Richie Powers
Richie Powers
Richard F. "Richie" Powers was a professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association from 1956 to 1979. He worked 25 NBA Finals games, including the triple-overtime Game 5 contest in the 1976 NBA Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics, considered "The Greatest...
and other fans turned over one of the scorer's tables. After clearing the court (the fan who attacked Powers was arrested) and getting the Celtics back on the floor, the officials put one second back on the clock. Still, Phoenix's chances seemed slim, as they had the ball under their own basket with a second left. Then Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...
of the Suns signaled for a time out that the Suns did not have. Although this resulted in a technical foul being called on Westphal, the play was critical for Phoenix, because the rules at the time gave Phoenix the same advantage (save for the technical foul shot) that they would have had with timeouts remaining to use; namely, possession of the ball at half court. Boston's Jo Jo White made the technical free throw, increasing Boston's lead to 112-110.
During the timeout, fans were still on the Boston Garden floor, even disturbing the Suns' huddle by their bench as coach John MacLeod was drawing up a play for a possible tying basket. The Suns' players repeatedly had to shove the fans out of the way, and Phoenix general manager Jerry Colangelo
Jerry Colangelo
Jerry Colangelo , is an American businessman and sports executive.He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major...
even threatened to not bring his team back to the Boston Garden for Game 7 if security couldn't maintain control. When play resumed, Phoenix's Garfield Heard
Gar Heard
Garfield "Gar" Heard, is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the third round of the 1970 NBA Draft...
took the inbounds pass from Perry and made a buzzer-beating shot (a turn-around jumper at the top of the key) for the Suns that tied the score yet again, 112-112.
Boston eventually took a six-point lead, 128-122, late in the third overtime. Westphal scored the next four points for Phoenix, cutting the gap to 128-126, but could not get the ball again (with Westphal nearly stealing a pass near half court as the third overtime wound down).
Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens
David William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991...
, Charlie Scott
Charlie Scott
Charles Thomas Scott is an American former professional basketball player. He played two seasons in the now-defunct American Basketball Association and eight seasons in the National Basketball Association .A 6'5" guard/forward from the Laurinburg Institute...
, and Paul Silas
Paul Silas
Paul Theron Silas is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. He attended Creighton University, where he set an NCAA record for the most rebounds in three seasons and averaged 20.6 rebounds per game in 1963...
all fouled out (were disqualified due to six personal fouls) for the Celtics, and Alvan Adams
Alvan Adams
Alvan Leigh Adams is a retired American professional basketball player. After starring at the University of Oklahoma, the 6'9" power forward/center was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 4th pick of the 1975 NBA Draft...
and Dennis Awtrey
Dennis Awtrey
Dennis Wade Awtrey is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'10" center from Santa Clara University, Awtrey was drafted by the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers in 1970...
both fouled out for the Suns. Silas picked up his fifth foul late in the fourth quarter, but played the entire remainder, including all three overtime periods before fouling out late in the third.
The Suns had the lead in the game on only four occasions (twice in the second overtime) and never by more than 2 points. They led 95-94 late in the fourth, and 106-105 and 110-109 in the 2nd overtime. They also led in the third overtime by 114-112.
Glenn McDonald
Glenn McDonald
Glenn McDonald is a retired American professional basketball player. He played three seasons for the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks before going overseas most notably with the U/Tex Wranglers in the early-80's...
, a little-used Celtic reserve player, scored eight points in the game, all in overtime, including six in the 3rd overtime.
Jo Jo White
Jo Jo White
Joseph Henry "Jo Jo" White is an American former professional basketball player.-Life and career:White was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a minister...
led all scorers with 33 points.
Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
was a reserve on the Suns' bench, but never got in the game.
Game 6
After the tough Game 5 loss, the Suns were more defiant than ever heading back home to Phoenix. "We know we're going to beat them." Garfield Heard declared. "It's going to take seven now, but we know we're going to beat them. We showed we came to play."The first half was a defensive struggle. Each team scored 20 points in the first quarter, then Boston scored 18 in the second while holding the Suns to 13. Keith Erickson
Keith Erickson
Keith Raymond Erickson is a former American basketball player.After graduating from El Segundo High School , Erickson played at UCLA, where he was a member of the 1964 and 1965 NCAA Champion teams. Erickson, who attended UCLA on a shared baseball/basketball scholarship, also played on the 1964 US...
, a key Suns' reserve, had attempted to play at the start of the second period, but reinjured his sprained ankle and never returned. After falling behind by 11, Phoenix caught up again in the third and took a 67-66 lead on a Ricky Sobers
Ricky Sobers
Ricky Brad Sobers is a former professional basketball player who spent eleven seasons in the NBA....
free throw with 7:25 left in the game.
But the Celtic heroes of old (Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens
David William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991...
, John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
) and new (Charlie Scott
Charlie Scott
Charles Thomas Scott is an American former professional basketball player. He played two seasons in the now-defunct American Basketball Association and eight seasons in the National Basketball Association .A 6'5" guard/forward from the Laurinburg Institute...
) took control from there. Havlicek hit two free throws; then Cowens stole the ball, drove, scored, drew the foul and made the foul shot for a three-point play. Cowens then scored two baskets and Havlicek another to put it away. Scott had three steals during the run and finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds, ending a series-long 11-for-44 shooting slump.
During the run, Phoenix's only response was four free throws. The Celtics rode their surge to an 87-80 win and their 13th championship.
Jo Jo White
Jo Jo White
Joseph Henry "Jo Jo" White is an American former professional basketball player.-Life and career:White was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a minister...
scored 15 points, giving him 130 points in six games, and was named the series MVP. John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
celebrated his eighth NBA title as a Celtic.
Television coverage
The 1975-76 Finals had three straight off days between Sunday afternoon opener and Thursday night second game due to CBS-TV's concern with low ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
for professional basketball. The 1975-76 network television season (as well as May sweeps) ended after Wednesday, May 26 (with weekend afternoon games not factored into the prime-time ratings). Accordingly, CBS-TV allowed Game One to be played on Sunday afternoon, since the ratings would not count, but would not permit Game Two to be played live in prime time unless the NBA waited until Thursday evening.
Game Three started on Sunday, May 30 at 10:30 a.m. MST in order for CBS to televise the final round of the PGA Tour
PGA Tour on CBS
PGA Tour on CBS is a television program produced by CBS Sports that broadcasts the main professional golf tours in the United States.-Coverage overview:In January 2006, the PGA Tour announced a new set of television deals covering 2007 to 2012...
Memorial Tournament
Memorial Tournament
The Memorial Tournament is a PGA Tour golf tournament founded by Jack Nicklaus. It is played on a Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Nicklaus' home town of Columbus. The golf course passes through a large neighborhood called Muirfield Village...
following the game. The move angered numerous clergy in the Phoenix area, who saw drastically reduced attendance at Sunday services. The game also happened to be on the same day as the Indianapolis 500
1976 Indianapolis 500
The 1976 Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 30, 1976.Rain stopped the race on lap 102. Two hours later, the race was about to be restarted, but the rain fell again. Officials called the race at that point and Johnny Rutherford was declared the winner...
, but live flag-to-flag coverage of the event by ABC Sports was still ten years away.
CBS play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger
Brent Musburger
Brent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster for the ESPN and ABC television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports and one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today, Musburger has covered NASCAR, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball games. Musburger has also served as a...
, in a Fall 2009 interview with ESPN, said that he and color announcer Rick Barry
Rick Barry
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III , better known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many veteran basketball observers to be one of the greatest pure small forwards of all time as a result of his very precise outside shot, uncanny court vision,...
were rooting for Phoenix to win Games three, four, and six, although Barry's Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
were eliminated by the Suns in the Western Conference Finals. Musburger said that this was because he and Barry were paid by the game. Since the Series was 2-0 Boston after the first two games, Musburger and Barry wanted the Suns to win the next two games to tie the series (likewise with Game six). Boston fans, unaware of Musburger's and Barry's motivations, were upset with the announcing crew because of their apparent favoritism.
Aftermath
The Celtics would undergo another rebuilding period for the next three years, but not without some controversy. In 1978, then-Celtics owner Irv LevinIrv Levin
Irving H. Levin was an American film producer and business executive with the National General Corporation...
sold the team to future Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
governor John Y. Brown
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
. Brown clashed with Celtics general manager Red Auerbach
Red Auerbach
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was an American basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. After he retired from coaching, he served as president and front office executive of the Celtics until his death...
on control of the franchise, and later sold the team to Harry Mangurian in 1979, after Auerbach considered taking a front office job with the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. On court, the Celtics showed its age, losing in the second round to the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
in 1977
1977 NBA Playoffs
The 1977 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1976-1977 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the Finals. It was...
, then enduring two straight losing seasons. John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
retired after the 1977-78 season
1977-78 NBA season
The 1977–78 NBA season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Washington Bullets winning the NBA Championship, beating the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
, and in the 1978 NBA Draft
1978 NBA Draft
The 1978 NBA Draft was the 32nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1978, before the 1978–79 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
the Celtics selected Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
, but he did not play until the 1979-80 season
1979-80 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics*Coach of the Year: Bill Fitch, Boston Celtics*All-NBA First Team:**Paul Westphal, Phoenix Suns...
, after which the team won 61 games, a then-record 32-game turnaround from the previous season
1978-79 NBA season
The 1978–79 NBA season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Seattle SuperSonics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Washington Bullets 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals, a rematch of the previous year's Finals, but with the opposite...
. The Celtics won their 14th NBA championship in 1981
1981 NBA Finals
The 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1980-81 NBA season, pitting the Boston Celtics against the Houston Rockets.-Houston Rockets:...
.
John MacLeod's coaching tenure in Phoenix would last another 11 years but Phoenix would not reach the Finals again until 1993
1993 NBA Finals
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley...
, in which Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...
was the head coach. However, during that 16-year period the Suns would make the playoffs twelve times, advancing to the conference finals four times.
Eight players in this series would go on to be NBA head coaches. Along with the afore mentioned Westphal, they were: Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
, Don Nelson
Don Nelson
Donald Arvid "Don" Nelson is a former NBA player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors....
, Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens
David William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991...
, Paul Silas
Paul Silas
Paul Theron Silas is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. He attended Creighton University, where he set an NCAA record for the most rebounds in three seasons and averaged 20.6 rebounds per game in 1963...
, Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal
Paul Westphal is a retired American basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association's Sacramento Kings. Westphal has had a storied career in the NBA, both as a player and as a coach. As a player, he won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA...
, Garfield Heard, Dick Van Arsdale
Dick Van Arsdale
Richard Albert Van Arsdale is a former professional basketball player and coach, and a current NBA executive. A graduate of Indianapolis Emmerich Manual High School, the 6'5" guard played collegiately at Indiana University, Van Arsdale was selected by the New York Knickerbockers in the 2nd round...
, and John Wetzel
John Wetzel
John Francis Wetzel is an American former professional basketball player and coach. A 6'5" guard, he played collegiately at Virginia Tech and was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 8th round of the 1966 NBA Draft...
.