Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics 1987 ECF Game 7

[@italoferreira7211]

There is nothing that Luka or Jokic do today that Larry didn't do in the 80s.

[@leomabry5231]

@italoferreira7211 NOTHING and LJB made bigger defensive plays way more heart than Luka an Joker

[@Riles3152]

One of the greatest (and most contentious) 7 game series in NBA playoff history

[@camoss3724]

Although not shown here, that five-offensive rebound sequence by the Celtics with just over 3:00 left in the game was the dagger for the Pistons.

[@bubufubu]

That's overlooking the collision between Dantley and Johnson near the end of the third quarter. Dantley left on a stretcher (didn't return) and Johnson was done about four minutes into the fourth quarter. Two very big losses.

[@dionysise5008]

Ange was so clutch at this game

[@fvill2599]

danny ainge is not afraid to take the big shot-pat riley

[@capitanfuturo594]

Danny Ainge is very UNDERRATED player.

[@celebwrestling]

Incredible shooting

[@garysimard5674]

Joe Dumars played a heck of a game with 35 points, he even made that last 3 pointer which counted.

[@mattbailey7049]

Man I forgot how close this series and game were. The Celtics were physically outmatched. The Pistons seemed to get more open shots, whereas the Celtics seemed to have to take a lot of risky, closely-guarded shots. The good news was that those shots were on target that day!

[@dalegriffin6768]

I wouldn't say physically outmatched, Mchale,Bird and Parish were tough as nails and never got hurt were the couldn't play, now Bird was playing with a bad back, Kevin had bad knees and I think Robert was healthy overall,I have always wondered if Bird & Mchale would have actually been healthy there whole career what there overall winning percentage would be,and they would have had probably 3 more rings..

[@mattbailey7049]

@@dalegriffin6768 i wondered the same. Seemed we got old quickly

[@Mark-xl1ze]

The Pistons' last playoff series loss to an Eastern Conference opponent until the 1991 NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls.

[@ILoveOldTWC]

You are correct. They made the finals 3 straight years (should've been a threepeat), and the ECF 5 straight years.

[@TheSmoothoperator316]

⁠@@ILoveOldTWCYou Damn Right it shoulda been a ThreePeat! We would have gotten it had it not been for that Bullshit call on Bill Laimbeer by the Official in Game 6 of 1988 NBA Finals!

[@brutalcritic7899]

Thats too bad. The pistons losing. What a shame poor, poor fellas

[@Mrd9960]

​@@brutalcritic7899😂😂😂

[@ChrisSteininger]

I think you need to look at the 1988 Conference Finals, they lost twice. They never were as a great as Boston…and they made Thomas look like a fool and Laimbeer was on the floor after the chief bitch slapped him was a great moment 😂😂😂

[@ElizabethAldrich-bb1ot]

There was absolutely no team the Celtics loved to beat more than the Bad Boy Pistons: especially their thugs Laimbeer, Rodman, and Mahon. A pleasure to watch again and remember.

[@TiltBrook]

Maybe in the east!? But the team the Celtics loved to beat more than any other was definitely the Lakers!!!

[@DanielSong39]

76ers Bird has said many times that 76ers were the Celtics rival and Dr. J was his biggest rival

[@dalegriffin6768]

Could u imagine how dominant the 86 Celtics would have been if they would have had Jokic,hell they were already dominant anyway,in my opinion the 86 Celtics were the greatest team of all time..

[@tonycruz6390]

They had someone even better...Len Bias...RIP

[@OrhanEfeOzenc]

Wasn't this the match where Vinnie J and Dantley dive for the same loose ball and end up headbutting each other, faint and hospitalized? I couldn't find it in the footage, but that sure was the main reason for the Pistons to fell short... 🎩

[@ILoveOldTWC]

Bird got into a wrestling match in this 7 game series and lost the next year. Celtics were done with titles in that era by this time.

[@threerings1345]

Tthanks for the history lesson.

[@zt1053]

It was the perfect storm of all the the things that went wrong after the death of Len Bias. It actually started before that with Scott Wedman suffering a career ending injury in 86 conference finals with the Bucks. The Celtics were able to adjust for the Finals but looking back Bird was a little off in the finals. After the death of Bias then Bill Walton injuries acted back up, Mchale breaking his foot later season and not playing at 100%.

[@zap_sigma1]

That's fair. By then, they just couldn't keep the entire team healthy anymore. In any event, the Pistons were coming on strong in the East & everyone knew what the Bulls were destined to be once Jordan got his supporting cast (which was about to be underway.) This & '88 were where the NBA began it's transition from the 80's to what it would become in the 90's. Those two decades (80's & 90's) are factually what both saved & made the NBA. Without Magic, Bird (& later MJ), the NBA would have been a memory by now.

[@efrenperez1381]

What a good básquet ball times

[@wizeman5974]

I’ve often wondered if the Celtics would’ve won the title ‘87 and maybe even ‘88 had Len Bias been alive and healthy. Such a tragedy with regards to life in general, but also sharing from a basketball perspective.

[@josephvitielo1693]

And if Walton career was on going and healthy

[@vandouglasjr1613]

It's amazing Parrish didn't get kicked out of gm 5

[@frederickjefferson2289]

He was suspended for Game 6 though.

[@mfdixon1985]

@@frederickjefferson2289 Yeah. Although I'd argue that had he been tossed and missed the remainder of Game 5 and in turn was not suspended for Game 6, it would have been a net negative for the Celtics. Game 6 was an eight-point loss. Games 3 and 4 in Detroit were both blowout losses, even with Parish. Game 5 was anything but a blowout. And if Parish made one more basket (or kept the Pistons from scoring one more basket) than the guy(s) replacing him had he been tossed, the Celtics lose the game and probably the series. Having him for all of Game 5 probably bought the Celtics a mulligan that they wouldn't have otherwise had.

[@frederickjefferson2289]

@@mfdixon1985 Interesting point.

[@bignel-st3jw]

That last shot of Lambier walking to congratulate Larry shows that Lambier was a fan boy. All that shit he talked. And he was a fan boy. Hahhaha

[@dalegriffin6768]

Bird was either in the Finals or Eastern conference finals every year of his career

[@JohnGoetzGaming]

They lost to the cavs in the east semis the one year

[@josephsuiter6137]

Not in 1983, Celtics lost to Milwaukee in East semis

[@camoss3724]

@@josephsuiter6137 And in 1990 when they lost to the Knicks in the first round.

[@RAYANDERS-w4t]

THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lavernewisner8945]

just imagine how the Celtics dynasty could have continued had Len Bias played.

[@zap_sigma1]

Is it weird to anyone that 10 years later, Rodman & Parrish would be teammates on the Bulls.

[@roxydejaneiro5640]

Back when they called traveling even when it wasn't.

[@dalegriffin6768]

This was when u would get smacked around and the refs wouldn't call a foul, nowadays all u have to do is just stare down the opponent and the refs call a foul

[@leomabry5231]

LJB with the left hand off the glass on a premiere defender

[@tm75_88]

Sad they would be Larry's last Finals

[@zt1053]

The east was more competitive. People that like to point out Magic made it to finals more don't understand that.

[@allencampbell8322]

Danny Ainge was critical for Boston

[@johnfloyd9508]

I can't imagine a b s call on lambeer ? That's all he was was b s

[@poyjpaxson767]

Sportmanship from laimbeer after d game

[@maxpeck4154]

Meaning what?

[@jbl7946]

Imagine that 😂 in other words..

[@theafroalien3169]

Meaning the Bulls were babies that love to whine and their fans are still not looking at the Pistons history correctly . The Pistons didn’t mind showing sportsmanship after getting their butts kicked. The reason they did not shake the Bulls hands in 91 is because they were disrespectful to the Pistons by say they didn’t deserve to be champs and they were bad for basketball. The Pistons should have taken the high road but I understand the feeling of being slighted by the Bulls

[@maxpeck4154]

@@theafroalien3169 Bingo

[@traceybean9449]

@@theafroalien3169 MJ shook the Pistons hands in '89 and '90 when the Pistons beat them, so what you tryna say???? MJ said their style of basketball was bad for the NBA, and it was. There was NO EXCUSE for the Pistons not to show sportsmanship in '91. You can sugar coat it all you want, there was NO EXCUSE. The fact that Edwards, Salley, Dumars and Vinnie Johnson shook hands and congratulated the Bulls, is a further indictment on Isiah Thomas' lack of class and bad sportsmanship.