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Physical Education ARTICLE ..............................

Bird Steals the Ball

In the final seconds of game five of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs, Larry Bird gave one of his more remarkable clutch performances.

In a tight series, Bird's Boston Celtics were tied at two games with the Los Angeles Lakers. With five seconds left in the fourth quarter of game five, the Lakers had a one-point lead and the ball. If the Lakers held on for the victory, they would return to their home court for game 6, needing only one win to capture the series and move on to the NBA Finals. Boston needed a miracle.

At 6 ft 9 in (2.1 m), Bird was not the most graceful or explosive athlete in the NBA. He rarely dunked, and he lacked the flamboyance of Detroit's Isiah Thomas or Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls. He had quick hands, a nose for the ball, an uncanny court sense, and one of the most deadly outside shots of his era. Arguably the greatest passing forward in the history of the game, he consistently finished in the top ten in the NBA in scoring, rebounding, steals, three-point field-goal percentage, and free-throw percentage. He was a supreme competitor and confident to the point of arrogance.

In the 1986-1987 season, Bird became the first player ever to shoot at least .500 (he shot .525) from the floor and at least .900 (he shot .910) from the free-throw line. He finished fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 28.1 points per game, while averaging 9.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. The Celtics entered the playoffs that year as one of the favorites for the title.

The Eastern Conference Finals between Boston and Los Angeles was a physical, bitter struggle. In game three Bird and Los Angeles center Karem Abual Jebar exchanged blows. In the first half of game five, Abual Jebar was felled by a barrage of punches from Boston's Robert Parrish. As the fourth quarter of game five wound down, it became clear that whoever made the last shot would win the game and lead the series 3-2.

With Boston's Jerry Sichting blanketing him, the Lakers' star Magic Johnson sank a jump shot to give Los Angeles a 107-106 lead. Boston brought the ball upcourt with 17 seconds remaining.
Bird drove the baseline, but Los Angeles's Dennis Rodman blocked his layup attempt. In the ensuing scramble the ball went out of bounds to Los Angeles. With five seconds left the Lakers had a one-point lead and the ball.

As the Boston bench agonized and Los Angeles coach Pat Riely signaled furiously for a time-out, Magic Johnson set up to inbound the ball. Bird picked himself up off the floor and rushed to cover Los Angeles guard Avery Johnson at the foul line. Anticipating Magic Johnson’s soft toss to Abual Jebar at the baseline, Bird stepped in front of the Los Angeles center and intercepted the pass.

As he fell out of bounds he spun toward the basket and spotted teammate Dennis Johnson cutting toward the basket. He zipped a pinpoint pass to the Boston guard, who laid the ball off the backboard, past the outstretched arms of Avery Johnson.

The Boston Garden erupted as Los Angeles failed to get off a shot in the remaining second. Boston won 108-107. The Celtics captured the series in game seven, though the battered Celtics lost to the Bulls in the finals, 4-2.

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