Larry Bird 36/10/5 vs. Hawks - 1986 ECSF (Celtics 24-0 run)

From game 5 of the1986 Eastern Semis. Celtics outscored the Hawks 36-6 in the third quarter, which at the time was a playoff record for the fewest points in a quarter. Celtics scored 24 unanswered at one point and their complete run was 34-3. The Hawks made just one shot all quarter, the other 4 points came from FTs (one of which was a technical). Oh...and Larry Bird had a pretty good game.

[@TonyinMBSC8669]

I was living in New Orleans & via satellite I watched EVERY Celtics game for 3 seasons, Championships in 84 & 86. Was in Lake Front Arena on 3/12/85 when Bird torched the Hawks with 60 pts. IMO the 86 Celtics were the BEST OVERALL team ever in the NBA. Just imagine how much better they would have become in 87 had it not been for the death of Len Bias. I hear people saying the 96 Bulls were better. NO WAY. MJ gets his points but who guards Bird, McHale or Parish? NOBODY! 86 Celtics win easily!

[@neely7878]

The Greatest team in NBA history, playing the best quarter in the history of basketball anywhere. Simply put, Perfection

[@bbraco006]

Bravi Neely..agree :)

[@cpuaggie]

No matter how many times I watch Larry Bird in action on the court, my jaw still drops in awe and disbelief!

[@manhbx96]

The 1986 Celtics were unstoppable one of my all time favorite teams ever

[@OVER1970DGDR]

EPIC FOOTAGE....I have over 250 celtic games on tape 1980-1988....i gotta do something before they vanish. if you are say over 35 you know how epic that 1986 team was....unreal.

[@cedericocosantorini8013]

Would you upload and share this game 5 in it's entirety, per chance ?

[@contrarian23]

The most perfect 12 minutes of basketball any team has ever played. If you're a coach and want to teach your players everything they should know, just have them watch this quarter over and over.

[@stevenmorris3140]

It's the passing I love to watch. What a team!

[@rustysnaketail]

Wow, I frigging LOVED the way this offense moved the ball and cut to the basket. It's artistry. It's also a perfect example of one team not belonging on the court with another.

[@ezsmith3765]

And the Hawks were a damn good team that year at 57-25

[@cindyknudson2715]

And their coach named coach of the year. ​@@ezsmith3765

[@mothershiph]

The best team ever, thanks for the post

[@johncooper8537]

When you play that way you don't feel tired. It must one of the greatest highs in sports.

[@dwight8090]

I still say this team could beat the dream team. Best passing team ever. 3 Hof bigs rotating in and DJ and BIRD.

[@DeSelbyStudios]

I'm just old enough (37) to remember how ridiculous that team was. That's so cool you have all those tapes...what a treasure trove....I definitely would try to find some way to digitize them!

[@cedericocosantorini8013]

Wow, just wow!! We need the full game, please someone upload this masterpiece of a game! ))

[@TrueNorth74]

THANKS YOU SIMMONS! Basketball the way it was meant to be played.

[@ceeebiscuit]

first play of the video is larry bird in a nutshell lol.

[@jadentrez]

Not even Dominique Wilkins could dislike this video.

[@timmcgee7974]

The 86Cs was just wow unbelievable they was like a surgeon they way they cut teams up with precision so fun to watch

[@iTzeXile13]

greatest passing team ever

[@MaximusWolfe]

Take the word passing out of that sentence.

[@natedaug1]

Damn, the 1986, were one of the best teams ever.

[@raiderfan14943]

It's about time someone uploaded this game. Thanks fatal.

[@cedericocosantorini8013]

We need the full game!

[@mrho4speed]

Thanks fatal for another great video. I saw this game on TV and remember thinking "this has got to be the greatest team ever". The Hawks coach said afterward that he called numerous timeouts because thats all he could do--"the league doesn't allow you to make trades during the games" was his famous quote!

[@73Trident]

I know this is a long time ago post. What you wrote is so perfect. I watched it live on TV and said to myself "No one will stop these guys".

[@cindyknudson2715]

😄 thank you for that quote

[@MerkinMuffly]

4:32 At this point right here, Tree Rollins took the ball out of bounds and threw it as hard as he could and hit Ainge in the head, Ainge just picks the ball up an calmly makes the three. Look up 'Bill Walton TELLS a LARRY BIRD STORY on youtube.'

[@KobashifanSam]

U can see his teammates go "wtf?" And then its quite funny that ainge is like "oh free shot!"

[@MrJohnnyfarragut]

" Boston is a team that can paralyze you-like a fighter who comes out and lands a couple of quick right hooks. They were so flawless in executing their offense in the first half. They made it look simple. We were embarrassed by how inept they had made us look." (Pat Riley, 1987)

[@ripperduck]

Man did these guys know how to play the game....

[@untexan]

Simmons references this game (and specifically the third quarter) in his cinder block of a book when he's making his case for the '86 Celtics being the greatest team ever. Even I was getting giddy by the end of this clip and I'm not even a Celtics fan. What an exhibition.

[@beantowne617]

good stuff fatal...i've been looking for this game for ages....i miss the old boston garden

[@schnooks17]

Thanks for sharing this! ...Ur D Man!

[@OVER1970DGDR]

Well said brother !!!

[@cedericocosantorini8013]

Bird had a poor game just prior to this one ; bounced back beautifully, the hallmark of a great champion!

[@GotAnEyedea]

best team ever

[@charliekline3975]

Larry is like a work horse

[@75samuel75]

87 Lakers and 92 Bulls would put up a good fight with this team as well. It's great to see good team basketball where the ball moves all the time. Haven't seen that in a long time. Last time in the Finals probably 91, when Bulls were killing the injury-plagued Lakers at the Forum. That was an exhibition as well.

[@MerkinMuffly]

@geeisthisnametaken and the 2008 celtics were all black, and the 2010 duke team was nearly all white, the point is no matter what your color, if you play as a team, you win. That one on 5 shit is overrated, ask the UK wildcats with all their talent.

[@budjie58]

the 80s was tough for the Celtics..in the east you have Dr. J, Barkley and Moses Malone of the Sixers, Detroit's Bad Boys, Atlanta's Air Force, Jordan's Bulls..in the west the Showtime Lakers, Houston's Twin Towers, Drexler's Blazers, Warriors' Run TMC, etc.

[@75samuel75]

You forgot to add fundamentals in the mix. Isn't it nice when guys can shoot 50% and make a 15ft jumper, instead of rumbling down the lane and getting a charge while always trying to dunk, or forcing an idiotic three pointer. Jordan was flashy but he had all the tools, most of today's players are just that: tools.

[@mediabench]

Bill Simmons directed me here.

[@OVER1970DGDR]

De selby....i know i better transfer or they will be lost forever...my two fav teams ever are 2004 bosox and 1986 celtics.

[@deezstack]

the unanswered thing is just a semantics problem. "24 points unanswered" just means 24 points straight

[@jrichuso]

I think you're the only one who thinks that. It's used ALL the time in sports and I think everybody knows that it means "24 points without Atlanta scoring during that period" and not "never scored again."

[@TheDOLMET]

There never ever be a team like the Celtics of the mid 80's. You never see white guys, on a NBA court, dominate like that ever. Danny Ainge, Kevin McChale, and Larry Bird, were dam near unstoppable, back then.

[@John19182004]

Any chance you got the March 9, 1988 game of the Celtics vs Spurs at the Boston Garden??

[@gocelts34n7]

lol at 3:40 bird is like "seriously, youre gonna let me go one on one with this dude?" commence layup drill. didnt the hawks know who this was?!?!

[@SteveMinh]

Why don't poeple understand what "unanswered points" mean? If you say that Boston scored 24 unanswered, it means Atlanta never scored again in the game. Not sure why this mistake is made over and over again.

[@CLewey44]

Chief really struggled that series.

[@jude999]

Note how they don't play the obscenely loud nonsense music the whole time.

[@gavinothegreat5765]

whos the best ever larry?

[@MovieHound17]

goes to show you that you dont need to be tatted and jacked and black to play great B-ball!

[@geeisthisnametaken]

Wow almost a total whitewash on the Celtics bench.

[@stugg]

LMAO. Total confusion about 4 mins in; the Hawks don't know whether to shit or wind their wristwatches.

[@aarons2707]

This Hawks team played absolutely zero defense.

[@73Trident]

Actually they were a good defensive team. The Celtics were just so great that it didn't make any difference.