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NBA history spans 80 seasons, and as CelticsBlog readers well know, the Boston Celtics have won a league-high 18 championships. This month, we are recapping each of those title years.
In 1974, the Boston Celtics won their 12th championship in a tension-filled seven-game Finals versus the Milwaukee Bucks. Game 6 of that series went to double overtime and was one of the closest, most hard-fought battles fans had ever seen. Nothing could top that, we thought.
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Well, we thought wrong, because Game 5 of the 1976 Finals between Boston and the Phoenix Suns, tied at 2-2, had more ups, downs, plot twists and unbelievable moments than any championship-series pivotal game in the NBA’s 80 years. It’s widely considered the NBA’s Greatest Game, especially by Celtics fans. And Glenn McDonald became a household name in New England (for a little while, at least) for helping bring home Banner 13.
John Havlicek (17) taking last-second shot during second overtime vs Phoenix Suns, Game 5, Boston, MA 6/4/1976 (Photo by Dick Raphael/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) | (Photo by Dick Raphael/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
The regular season
After winning in 1974, the Celtics were 60-22 in 1975 and looking like a favorite to repeat, but they were upset in the Eastern finals by a Washington Bullets (Wizards) squad (coached by K.C. Jones) that got hot at the wrong time for Boston. Those Celtics were led by veterans John Havlicek, JoJo White and Dave Cowens, all of whom were back for 1975-76 and surrounded by a strong supporting cast. There were many reasons to think they could get back to the top for the second time in three years.
Paul Silas and Dave Cowens gave the Boston Celtics a relentless pair of defenders and rebounders. Copyright 1975 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The main rotation players included elite rebounder Paul Silas, crafty scorer Don Nelson (who had announced this would be his last season) and energy guys Steve Kuberski and Kevin Stacom. Don Chaney, a starting guard for the ’74 champs, had scored a lucrative free agent contract from St. Louis of the rival…
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Publish date : 2026-08-19 10:00:00
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