1986 NBA Finals Game 6 Houston Rockets at Boston Celtics, June 8, 1986, Bird Finals Triple Double
HOU 97, BOS 114 – The heavily favored Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets 4-2 in the 1986 NBA Finals, securing their then-record 16th NBA championship. It would be the Celtics’ last title until 2008. Larry Bird, named Finals MVP, led Boston with a triple-double: 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, spearheading a dominant win that clinched the championship. Kevin McHale contributed 29 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but Ralph Sampson struggled, scoring just eight points on 4-for-12 shooting, affected by a raucous Boston Garden crowd following Game 5. The Celtics led by as much as 30 points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Player of the game:
Larry Bird: 29 PTS, 8-17 FGM, 47 FG%, 2-3 3PM, 11-12 FTM, 92 FT%, 11 REB, 12 AST, 3 STL, GMSC: 32.2
Finals MVP and best player of the series:
Larry Bird: 24.0 PTS, 48 FG%, 37 3P%, 94 FT%, 9.7 REB, 9.7 AST, 2.7 STL, 0.3 BLK, GMSC: 23.9
Runner-ups:
Kevin McHale: 25.8 PTS, 57 FG%, 80 FT%, 8.5 REB, 1.7 AST, 0.8 STL, 2.5 BLK: GMSC: 20.3
Hakeem Olajuwon: 24.7 PTS, 48 FG%, 68 FT%, 11.3 REB, 1.8 AST, 2.3 STL, 3.2 BLK, GMSC: 20.3
After the 1986 NBA Finals, the documentary “Sweet Sixteen,” narrated by David Perry, was released, covering the 1985–86 NBA season. This championship was Boston’s last professional sports title until 2002, when the New England Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI. If the 1985 Patriots and 1986 Boston Red Sox had secured Super Bowl XX and the World Series, respectively, it would have marked three championships in Boston within a single calendar year.
