{"id":1553185,"date":"2023-03-10T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-10T16:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1553185"},"modified":"2023-03-10T11:30:12","modified_gmt":"2023-03-10T16:30:12","slug":"the-1985-86-boston-celtics-lost-1-game-at-home-all-year-and-it-was-no-star-who-did-the-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/the-1985-86-boston-celtics-lost-1-game-at-home-all-year-and-it-was-no-star-who-did-the-damage\/","title":{"rendered":"The 1985-86 Boston Celtics Lost 1 Game at Home All Year, and It Was No Star Who Did the Damage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

During their run of four straight appearances in the NBA Finals in the 1980s, the Boston Celtics<\/a> put together their best team during the 1985-86 season. The previous year, the Celtics failed at a championship repeat in the 1985 NBA Finals<\/a>. The Los Angeles Lakers ousted them in six games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Celtics bolstered their bench with the addition of Bill Walton<\/a> in an offseason trade. The veteran center was instrumental in Boston winning 67 games and cruising to their third title of the decade. The Celtics did most of their damage that season at the Boston Garden, where they lost just once the entire year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1985-86 Boston Celtics could match up with anyone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The
Dennis Johnson of the Boston Celtics guards Ricky Pierce of the Milwaukee Bucks during an NBA game circa 1986 at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Focus on Sport\/Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Larry Bird once said he'd put the 1985-86 Boston Celtics team up against anyone. Why wouldn't he? That team had five future Hall of Famers, four in the starting lineup.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with starters Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson, Walton was the fifth HOFer. Walton came over in a risky trade<\/a> that sent veteran forward Cedric Maxwell to the Los Angeles Clippers. Walton, a former NBA champion and MVP with the Portland Trail Blazers, missed three seasons and played a total of 14 games in four years because of foot problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Boston, however, he wasn't asked to carry the load. His job was to spell Parish and McHale, and he played his role to perfection. Walton played 80 games that year, the most ever in his 10 NBA seasons. He averaged 7.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 19.3 minutes. Count Walton as one of those former Celtics players who would also put up that 1986 Celtics team against anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had a great team, and we loved each other,\u201d Walton said. \u201cWe loved the way we played and we knew we could get the job done. We\u2019ll take our chances. We\u2019ll take our chances anywhere against anybody, anytime. We had it all. We had size, strength, power, finesse, skill, discipline, talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd at the end of the day, we had Red Auerbach, K.C. Jones, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and nobody else did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Celtics in Boston that season<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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