Category: Celtics

Celtics (60-20) vs. Cleveland (36-44) March 28, 1980 Boston Garden The Celtics wrapped up a first round bye by clinching the Atlantic Division with a 130-122 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.  With the win, the Celtics reached their combined win total from the past two seasons (61) during the 1979-80 season.  Larry Bird scored 33 … Continue reading Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 81 vs. the Cavaliers

Celtics (58-20) vs. Washington (37-41) March 25, 1980 Capital Centre The Celtics inched closer to a 60-win season with a one-point victory, 96-95, over the Bullets in the nation's capital to secure the team's 59th victory. After dropping the previous meeting with the Bullets, the Celtics exacted some revenge in the final meeting of the season for … Continue reading Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 79 vs. the Bullets

Celtics (58-19) vs. New Jersey (32-46) March 23, 1980 Boston Garden Tripping over the finish line, the Celtics gave away a home game to the putrid New Jersey Nets, 101-96.  The defeat gave the Celtics a two-game losing streak, tying the longest stretch they had encountered all season. Boston 30th sellout in 39 games stood out for … Continue reading Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 78 vs. the Nets

Celtics (58-18) vs. Cleveland (34-43) March 22, 1980 Richfield Coliseum The Celtics stumbled, 109-105, in front of a sellout crowd of 19,548 in Cleveland against the suddenly hot Cavaliers. The win marked the eighth straight for the Cavs, a team facing a future of uncertainty.  The only coach and general manager the team had ever … Continue reading Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 77 vs. the Cavaliers

Celtics (57-18) vs. Detroit (16-60) March 20, 1980 Pontiac Silverdome The Celtics picked up a fourth straight victory with a beatdown, 124-106, of the Pistons in Detroit.  Combined with two straight losses by the 76ers (54-22), the Celtics were four games ahead of Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division standings with only six games remaining on … Continue reading Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 76 vs. the Pistons

Celtics (56-18) vs. Indiana (34-41) March 18, 1980 Hartford Civic Center In the midst of legal battles with the Boston Garden, the Celtics returned "home" after a three-game road to the friendly confines of the Hartford Civic Center.  After a career that made stops across Beaver County, Pennsylvania all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it really … Continue reading Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 75 vs. the Pacers

Celtics (55-18) vs. New Jersey (32-43) March 17, 1980 Rutgers Athletic Center For the second straight game, Larry Bird scored another 29 points to lead the Celtics to victory.  Instead of the Knicks, however, Bird and the Celtics moved narrowed their sights onto New Jersey in a 117-92 shellacking of the Nets. The win put … Continue reading Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 74 vs. the Nets

Celtics (53-17) vs. Rockets (35-37) March 12, 1980 Boston Garden Whenever the Celtics were in need of a win, they needed to look no further than the Houston Rockets. For the sixth consecutive time in the 1979-80 season, the C's dispatched the Rockets, this time by a final score of 121-105.  Larry Bird had a sensational night, finishing … Continue reading Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 71 vs. the Rockets

Celtics (53-15) vs. Washington (32-36) March 9, 1980 Boston Garden All good runs come to an end.  The nine game winning streak for the Boston Celtics came to an end in overtime against the Washington Bullets, while the Bullets' run of being the elite team in the Eastern Conference was also coming to an abrupt … Continue reading Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 69 vs. the Bullets

Celtics (52-15) vs. Philadelphia (50-17) March 7, 1980 Boston Garden The Celtics took a monumental step to locking up the Atlantic Division by thrashing Philadelphia in front of a capacity crowd at the Garden, 111-92. "Boston is a very good team," said Doug Collins, speaking to The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan in his typical articulate … Continue reading Bird’s Rookie Year — Game 68 vs. the 76ers