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Domination to No. 16
Stung by watching the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate their 1985 NBA Finals victory at Boston Garden, the Celtics put on one of the most dominating performances in NBA history in 1986. Boston tore through the Eastern Conference in the playoffs, losing only once in 12 games against the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. Instead of the Lakers, Boston faced former Celtics Coach Bill Fitch and the Houston Rockets, who featured the “Twin Towers” of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. The Celtics won Games 1 and 2 of the 1986 NBA Finals convincingly at home before the Rockets won two out of three in Houston. Back in Boston for the sixth contest, Finals MVP Larry Bird made sure there would be no Game 7 by putting up a triple-double. The Celtics secured a 17-point win and the franchise’s 16th NBA World Championship title.
( C ) NBA/Celtics