During the series against the Miami Heat, RedsArmy.com took you for a dip in the hot tub time machine back to the year 1993. While the Celtics had no previous playoff history with the Heat, they do have some with Cleveland. With 2008 still very fresh in everyone's minds let's take a trip back a little further. Let's watch the great Larry Bird play in the final home game of his legendary career.
The Year: 1992
The Game: Game 6 Eastern Conference Semifinals
The Place: Boston Garden
The Broadcast: TNT, Hubie Brown and Bob Neal
The Players: BOS: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Reggie Lewis, Dee Brown, John Bagley, Kevin Gamble | CLE: Mark Price, Larry Nance, Hot Rod Williams, Brad Daugherty, Craig Ehlo.
The Final Score: Celtics 122 Cavs 91
The Key Highlights: 1:49 – Bird delivers a classic behind-the-back pass to a cutting Parish, Bob Neal needs a change in underwear after the play.
2:40 – Bird and Parish execute a beautful high post pick-and-roll that leads to perhaps the LOUDEST dunk of Chief's career.
3:04 – Bird drains a transition jumper which leads to Bob Neal screaming: "HE'S ON FIRE!!!" (The rumor was never confirmed, but it is believed Midway used this very call for its NBA Jam game that was released to arcades all across America just a year later).
3:47 – Reggie serves up a Spalding Burger to Craig Ehlo which triggers a gorgeous 4-on-1 fast break lay-up.
4:00 – Reggie with the quick hands again as he robs Brad Daugherty clean, triggers a 3-on-1 and finishes up a missed Parish lay-up.
5:23 – While trying to set a scren to free up McHale for a jumper, Bird gets shoved into McHale by a visibly upset Hot Rod Williams (some trash talking ensures, but if this happened today, there would be 12 game suspensions).
6:20 – Bird bides his time at the top of the key waiting for his man to cut to the hoop. He sends a bullet to a cutting Kevin Gamble for the lay-in.
7:10 – Bird stuffs Mike Sanders underneath the hoop which leads to a transition jumper by Reggie.
7:21 – Note the trio of classic early 90's shirts worn by the fans at EXACTLY the 7:21 mark.
7:57 – Bird drills a turn-around, fade-away jumper that was digitally molded for the original Sega Genesis game: "Celtics vs. Lakers and the NBA Playoffs" (most of you know this game now as 'NBA Live').
8:28 – Larry with another classic no-look pass to a cutting Ed Pinckney in transition, for the lay-up and 1. Bob Neal now changes his underwear for a second time.
9:04 – Joe Kliene (yes THE Joe Kliene) jacks up a three for good measure, which misses badly. Gamble snags the rebound and passes to a cutting Dee Brown who puts a reverse-jam style cherry on the sweet playoff sundae.
9:16/9:17 – Proof that LeBron James is actually a lot older than he is. If you pause it right at this mark, you can see him heading to the locker room cutting in front of Bird (ok so that's actually Tim James, but hey it's believable).
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