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1976: Celtics over Suns, 4-2
This was a David vs. Goliath matchup as the Suns made the NBA finals as an 8-year-old franchise, that finished just two games above .500, and that started two rookies. But out of this series came a very special piece of NBA finals history.
With the series tied, 2-2, Game Five in Boston went to three overtimes, and had its share of controversy, before the Celtics defeated the Suns, 128–126. The game is considered by many to be the greatest game in the history of the NBA finals.
The first overtime began with the score tied, 95-95. Each team scored six points, but the Suns were mistakenly denied a chance to win the game. Time was ticking off the clock when Paul Silas motioned to official Richie Powers that Boston wanted a time out. Problem for the Celtics was they were out of time outs, and so they should have been given a technical foul, and the Suns would have been awarded a free throw and a chance to win the game. Problem for the Suns was Silas’ signal requesting the timeout went unacknowledged, and time expired.
In the second overtime, more incredible drama. With the Suns ahead 110-109 and four seconds left, Boston’s John Havlicek flew up the floor, and hit a 15-footer. The Boston Garden erupted, fans filled the floor assuming victory, but one second remained on the clock. When order was restored, the Suns wisely called a timeout they didn’t have. This gave the Celtics a free throw (which they made), but it also advanced the ball to halfcourt, from where the Suns would have a better shot at a miracle to tie. That miracle occurred when Gar Heard took the inbounds pass, and launched a prayer from just beyond the top of the key. Prayer answered. Bring on the third overtime.
In the third overtime, many of the starters were on the bench with six fouls. That opened the door for the Celtics’ No. 1 draft pick of 1974, seldom-used Glenn McDonald, a 6-foot-6 forward. He didn’t disappoint, scoring six points as Boston ended the marathon by winning by two.
Back in Phoenix for Game 6, the Suns fought valiantly, but in the end, Dave Cowens, Havlicek, and Charlie Scott took over late, and Jo Jo White was named finals MVP as Boston won, 87-80, for its 13th championship.
1975: Warriors over Bullets, 4-0
The Warriors weren’t supposed to win the West let alone make it to the NBA finals, but not only did they get to the championship round, they made quick work of the stunned Bullets. With 48 wins in the regular season, the Warriors weren’t hyped as title contenders. There wasn’t a person in the universe who thought they would win the championship. Al Attles, their coach, felt his team was not taken seriously, and he was right. But in the end, the Warriors silenced their doubters in stunning fashion.
The Bullets were considered a much better team. They had the league leader in assists in Kevin Porter, who excelled at driving and dishing to the likes of Elvin Hayes, Phil Chenier or Wes Unseld. All the games were close, with Games 2 and 4 decided by a point. Game 1 was a six-point affair, and in Game 3, the difference was eight points. Rick Barry called it the greatest upset of the NBA finals.
Barry was the Warriors’ star. During the regular season he averaged 30.6 points per game. But the team also got valuable contributions from centers Clifford Ray and George Johnson, and Jamaal Wilkes, who wound up winning the Rookie of the Year award. Wilkes’ nickname was “Silk.”
Barry was a prolific offensive player, and his scoring was critically important to the Warriors’ success. But what gets somewhat overlooked is another major factor in why Golden State won a championship, and that is the Warriors' dedication to defense. Attles demanded that commitment, and he got it. He also stressed the team concept, sometimes using as many as 10 players a game.
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