1986–87 Boston Celtics season
Radio | WRKO (Johnny Most, Glenn Ordway) |
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The 1986–87 Boston Celtics season was the 41st season of the
In the playoffs, the Celtics swept the
NBA draft
Thanks to the 1984 trade of Gerald Henderson and the subsequent fall of the Seattle SuperSonics, at the end of the 1985–86 season the Celtics owned not only the best team in the NBA but also the second pick in the 1986 NBA draft. The Celtics drafted Len Bias with the pick and had high hopes for the young Maryland Terrapins star. The hope was that his presence would ensure that the franchise would remain a powerhouse after Bird, McHale, and Parish retired. Unfortunately, Bias died 48 hours after he was drafted, after using cocaine at a party and overdosing.[1]
Unlike the prior year, the Celtics were forced to endure major injuries to several key players including Bill Walton, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. With a road record of 20–21, the Celtics were a sub-.500 road team for the first time in the Larry Bird era and the first time since the 1978–79 season. However, they continued with the previous season's historic dominance at home with a record of 39–2 at Boston Garden.
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
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1 | 2 | Len Bias | Forward | United States | Maryland |
4 | 93 | Tony Benford | N/A | United States | Texas Tech |
5 | 116 | Dave Colbert | N/A | United States | Dayton |
6 | 139 | Greg Wendt | N/A | United States | Detroit
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7 | 162 | Tom Ivey | N/A | United States | Boston University
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Regular season
Season standings
W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
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y-Boston Celtics | 59 | 23 | .720 | – | 39–2 | 20–21 | 15–9 |
x-Philadelphia 76ers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 14 | 28–13 | 17–24 | 12–12 |
x-Washington Bullets | 42 | 40 | .512 | 17 | 27–14 | 15–26 | 13–11 |
New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 35 | 19–22 | 5–36 | 12–12 |
New York Knicks | 24 | 58 | .293 | 35 | 18–23 | 6–35 | 8–16 |
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Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
1 | c-Boston Celtics | 59 | 23 | .720 | – |
2 | y-Atlanta Hawks | 57 | 25 | .695 | 2 |
3 | x-Detroit Pistons | 52 | 30 | .634 | 7 |
4 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 9 |
5 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 14 |
6 | x-Washington Bullets | 42 | 40 | .512 | 17 |
7 | x-Indiana Pacers | 41 | 41 | .500 | 18 |
8 | x-Chicago Bulls | 40 | 42 | .488 | 19 |
9 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 28 |
10 | New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 35 |
11 | New York Knicks | 24 | 58 | .293 | 35 |
Record vs. opponents
1986-87 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
Atlanta | – | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 |
Boston | 3–3 | – | 6–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
Chicago | 2–4 | 0–6 | – | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 |
Cleveland | 2–4 | 2–3 | 1–5 | – | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 |
Dallas | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | – | 4–2 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 5–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
Denver | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | – | 0–2 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 1–1 |
Detroit | 3–3 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
Golden State | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 1–4 | 1–1 | – | 4–1 | 0–2 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 |
Houston | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–4 | – | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
Indiana | 3–3 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | – | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 1–4 | 0–2 | – | 0–6 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–6 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 0–2 |
L.A. Lakers | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 6–0 | – | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
Milwaukee | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 |
New Jersey | 0–5 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | – | 5–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 |
New York | 1–5 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | – | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 |
Philadelphia | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
Phoenix | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 2–4 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–5 | 4–1 | 0–2 |
Portland | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 | – | 3–2 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
Sacramento | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | – | 3–3 | 2–3 | 1–5 | 1–1 |
San Antonio | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 3–3 | – | 1–4 | 2–4 | 0–2 |
Seattle | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 4–1 | – | 3–2 | 1–1 |
Utah | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–3 | – | 1–1 |
Washington | 0–5 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — |
Game log
1986-87 game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October
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November
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December
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January
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February
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March
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April
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1986-87 Schedule |
Roster
1986–87 Boston Celtics roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster |
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Scoring Average
Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | AVG |
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Larry Bird | 74 | 682 | 566 | 135 | 70 | 2076 | 28.1 |
Kevin McHale | 77 | 763 | 198 | 38 | 172 | 2008 | 26.1 |
Robert Parish | 80 | 851 | 173 | 64 | 144 | 1403 | 17.5 |
Dennis Johnson | 79 | 261 | 594 | 87 | 38 | 1062 | 13.4 |
Danny Ainge | 71 | 242 | 400 | 101 | 14 | 1053 | 14.8 |
Jerry Sichting | 78 | 91 | 187 | 40 | 1 | 448 | 5.7 |
Fred Roberts | 73 | 190 | 62 | 22 | 20 | 402 | 5.5 |
Darren Daye | 61 | 124 | 75 | 25 | 7 | 236 | 3.9 |
Sam Vincent |
46 | 27 | 59 | 13 | 1 | 171 | 3.7 |
Greg Kite | 74 | 169 | 27 | 17 | 46 | 123 | 1.7 |
Conner Henry | 36 | 27 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 98 | 2.7 |
Rick Carlisle | 42 | 30 | 35 | 8 | 0 | 80 | 1.9 |
Bill Walton | 10 | 31 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 28 | 2.8 |
David Thirdkill | 17 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 1.5 |
Scott Wedman | 6 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 3.3 |
Andre Turner | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1.3 |
Playoffs
1987 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First round: 3–0 (home: 2–0; road: 1–0)
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Conference Semi-finals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
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Conference finals: 4–3 (home: 4–0; road: 0–3)
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NBA Finals: 2–4 (home: 2–1; road: 0–3)
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1987 schedule |
Award winners
- Larry Bird, All-NBA First Team
- Kevin McHale, All-NBA First Team
- Kevin McHale, All-NBA Defensive First Team