Bird’s Back in ’89

With their window closing, the Celtics hoped for another championship run when Larry Bird returned from injury in 1989. Bird didn’t disappoint as he placed top 20 in the league for points, rebounds and assists per game, while also earning nods to the All-Star team and All-NBA Second Team. Third-year pro Reggie Lewis continued to emerge with 17.0 points per game, while Dennis Johnson rebounded from injury to post a solid final season in his Hall-of-Fame career. Boston won 52 games and made the playoffs but lost a hard fought first-round series against the New York Knicks. One highlight came in the Game 2 victory when the Celtics scored 157 points, setting a new franchise postseason record.