Larry Bird Played All 48 Mins of Game 7 vs Pistons 😳 | The 1987 Tapes

Another entry from the CLNS archive vault — May 30, 1987, Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Pistons at Celtics in a sweltering Boston Garden.

Four days after Larry Bird's steal saved Game 5, Detroit won Game 6 and came back to Boston one win from the Finals. Robert Parish played 42 minutes on a sprained ankle. K.C. Jones coached two days after his mother's funeral. Joe Dumars scored 35 on 21 shots. And late in the third quarter, Adrian Dantley and Vinnie Johnson collided head-on — Dantley left on a stretcher.

Bird played all 48 minutes: 37 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 10-for-10 from the line. Celtics 117, Pistons 114.

The full CBS broadcast story — Dick Stockton and Tommy Heinsohn on the call — hosted by Gary Tanguay.

Sources: Basketball-Reference box score; Sports Illustrated (June 8, 1987); Leigh Montville, Boston Globe (May 31, 1987).

🍀 Larry Bird vs. Dominique Wilkins — The Duel Before THE Duel 📼 The 1988 Tapes — youtu.be/YbwBkq1k2Q4
🍀 Why Larry Bird Shot Better With Goggles He Hated | The 1988 Tapes 📼 — youtu.be/gdsM5QSeG7I

📼 The Tapes — Rare NBA Archives playlist: [PLAYLIST LINK]

CHAPTERS
0:00 Cold Open
0:21 Title Card
0:26 Intro
0:34 The Setup
1:42 First Half
3:24 Drop 1 — Dumars
3:46 Third Quarter
5:11 The Collision
5:37 Drop 2 — The Debate
5:59 Fourth Quarter
6:46 Rebound Barrage
7:58 Final Score
8:05 Sponsor
9:37 Stat Recap
9:50 Outro
10:28 End Card

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