I just released a mini-documentary breaking down this game, and I want to use this space to give you the quick essential context.

The Context

By 1992, the Celtics were clearly an aging team.
Bird was fighting through back, nerve issues and, on this afternoon, an Achilles injury.
Kevin McHale was near the end and Robert Parish had started to lose that quick step.
Meanwhile, Portland came into Boston as one of the best teams in the NBA — a legitimate title contender with Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Buck Williams, Kevin Duckwarth and a deep bench.

Everything pointed toward a Portland win.

But Larry-Legend never played by expectations.

Bird Always Brought Something Extra Against the Blazers

As I show in the video, the Blazers had already seen some of the most iconic moments of Bird’s career:

• The 47-point left-handed game

• The drifting corner game-winner

• A history of big scoring nights and high-efficiency performances

For whatever reason, Bird always sharpened against Portland — and March 15, 1992 fit that pattern perfectly.

.@CLNS_Nick takes a look back at Larry Bird’s Final Masterpiece

A 49-point, 14-rebound, 12-assist masterpiece against the Portland Trail Blazers at the old Boston Garden

FULL Game Breakdown on @NBAHistoryCLNS: https://t.co/PuuxyXIRRR pic.twitter.com/z4xryzGfi4

— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) December 11, 2025

The Comeback Boston Fans Didn’t See Coming

I remember watching this game when it aired live. Late in the fourth quarter, the Celtics trailed by double digits. For the first time in years, I saw footage of fans actually leaving the Garden early.

Then Bird took over. He turned back the clock and gave us one more very special Sunday afternoon at the Garden.

He hit tough shots, forced turnovers, controlled the game’s pace, and capped it with an off-balance, leaning three that tied the game and sent the Garden into chaos.

Fans who had walked out sprinted back to their seats.

Only in Boston.

Overtime: One Last Clinic

In overtime, Bird mixed scoring, passing, and pure command to carry Boston to a 152–148 double-overtime win.

His final line — 49 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists — says everything.

This was his last true masterpiece.

Watch the Full Mini-Doc

It breaks down the game, the context, and why this performance still resonates all these years later.

https://youtu.be/bupR0diDu_c?si=5j9E-8W8Ap0h3KW_

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What if Larry Bird had been drafted by the New York Knicks instead of the Boston Celtics? In this captivating podcast episode featuring sports legends Bob Ryan and Jeff Goodman, we dive deep into the alternate history of the NBA and explore how Bird’s unique talents could have transformed the Knicks’ fortunes. From his scoring prowess to his compatibility with stars like Michael Ray Richardson and Bernard King, the discussion reveals the potential for a powerhouse team in New York. We also examine the coaching dynamics that could have shaped Bird’s career, comparing the styles of Hubie Brown and Bill Fitch. Join us as we speculate on the broader implications of Bird’s hypothetical move and reflect on the legacy of one of basketball’s greatest players.

00:00 – Introduction to the podcast
2:50 – Comparing Larry Bird and Bernard King
4:01 – Coaching styles of Hubie Brown and Bill Fitch
6:57 – Larry Bird’s impact on the Knicks
8:06 – Prize Picks: Daily fantasy sports explained
10:41 – Monarch Money: Personal finance tool overview
12:55 – Bob Knight’s regret about Larry Bird
14:01 – Celtics’ turnaround with Larry Bird
15:11 – Key players contributing to Celtics’ success
18:03 – Impact of Larry Bird on NBA history

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EPISODE TIMELINE
00:00 Intro
2:27 Jeff on winning the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement award
5:00 Experience in Celtics City documentary
6:09 Jeff’s path to working for the Celtics
13:11 How much has Jeff’s role changed?
15:27 Social media’s impact
19:26 PrizePicks
20:26 What does it mean to be a Celtic?
22:57 Similarities between Celtics players throughout the years
25:27 Gametime
27:16 Today’s Celtics compared to those from yesteryear
29:34 Jeff’s favorite memories from championship years
32:26 Atmosphere when the team wasn’t competitive
34:41 Why Jeff was able to succeed in his career
36:38 Relationship with former players
39:26 Experience escorting Bob Cousy onto the court at TD Garden
42:25 Has Jeff ever thought about writing a book?

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0:00 – EPISODE TIMELINE
1:00 – Story of Pat Spencer
2:51 – Thoughts on NBA Summer League
3:41 – Bob Remembers only Summer League Basketball
5:32 – Thoughts on NBA Summer League
8:39 – Cooper Flagg performance in Summer League
11:04 – Hugo Gonzalez performance in Summer League
12:29 – Prizepicks
13:13 – Expectations for Lakers this season
15:40 – Expectations for Deandre Ayton this season
18:09 – Expectations for Lakers this season
19:45 – LeBron vs. Kobe vs MJ Conversation
24:10 – Can Oklahoma City Thunder repeat?
30:07 – Most intriguing team in Eastern Conference?
32:50 – Paul George undergoes left knee surgery
33:45 – Should 76ers trade Joel Embiid?
34:25 – Most intriguing team in Eastern Conference?
35:02 – Wrapping up

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Max and CLNS Media’s John Zannis also discuss the NBA’s push to kill the super team era — and how it may be hurting the product. They debate who becomes the new face of the league after this year’s Finals, Nikola Jokic’s best player comp, and go head-to-head on Max vs. Draymond Green: who was better, and who actually belongs in the Hall of Fame?

Watch the full conversation on The Cedric Maxwell Podcast.

EPISODE TIMELINE:

• 0:00 – Welcome
• 1:33 – Hardest part about repeating as Champions?
• 3:43 – 1983 Season
• 6:46 – Joe Mazzulla head coach comp
• 8:12 – Bill Fitch
• 10:35 – Super Teams in NBA
• 17:20 – Face of NBA
• 22:00 – Anthony Edwards
• 24:36 – Max predicts Indiana will win it all
• 25:55 – PrizePicks
• 26:48 – Nikola Jokic
• 33:26 – Start, Bench, Cut
• 33:45 – Start, Bench, Cut: Nikola Jokic, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon
• 35:38 – Future of Warriors
• 41:04 – Wrapping up

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00:00 – Intro

00:46 – Celtics blowing leads

02:40 – C’s bench contributions

06:36 – Celtics / Lakers

10:30 – Prizepicks

11:50 – Fans questioning Tatum

14:30 – Horford’s defense

17:30 – MVP predictions

22:10 – Larry Bird’s defensive ability

25:20 – Teams to keep an eye on

27:06 – Greatest Finals lookback

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On this episode of the Big 3 NBA Podcast, A. Sherrod Blakely and Gary Washburn discuss the Celtics’ continued dominance over the East, and some surprising comments from Jayson Tatum on his pick for the great Celtic of all time. All that, and much more!

00:00 – Intro
00:50 – Celtics continue to dominate
05:30 – Consistency is key
10:03 – Rest of the East
18:00 – Prizepicks
19:00 – C’s at home
23:40 – Tatum on Larry Bird
32:00 – Knicks game
42:20 – Lakers / Mavericks

Big 3 NBA Podcast is presented by:

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BOSTON — CLNS Media’s Josue Pavon and Nick Gelso provide exclusive coverage from the 1984 Celtics reunion featuring Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale. The legendary Celtics players gathered for the grand opening of Dick’s House of Sport at Prudential Center. Tune in for a detailed report from the event.

Well, it only took 39 years for the original BIG FOUR to reunite. The 40th Anniversary of Cedric Maxwell putting his teammates on his back and Larry Bird’s first NBA Finals MVP award has brought these once strained NBA legends back together.

The Boston Celtics traded Cedric Maxwell to the Los Angeles Clippers for Bill Walton in 1985. With the excepti0n of the annual east coast trip to Boston to face his former team, Max has been exiled. In 1997 Cornbread would return to Boston as a broadcaster for the Celtics and he never left.

For Bird, Parish and McHale, the distance has seemed further. An occasional visit to Boston has brought Bird back. McHale’s been back as a coach and Chief appears at most major franchise events. However, this is the first time ALL FOUR will be together again, in Boston, on the eve of the NBA Playoffs in which their former team is considered the favorite to bring home banner 18.

Below you can find a virtual tour of the event courtesy of CLNS. For a more extensive library of photos, follow CelticsCLNS on Instagram, youtube and Twitter!

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]]> https://www.clnsmedia.com/celtics-vs-lakers-bird-magic-winning-time/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=celtics-vs-lakers-bird-magic-winning-time Thu, 31 Aug 2023 19:33:27 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=128534 For the first time in years, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers both have a solid shot at winning a banner. With the tally tied up at 17 each, the stakes in this age-old rivalry are not small. Just in time to grease the wheels of that ancient enmity is a new season of [...]

The post Celtics vs Lakers, Bird vs Magic Rivalry + ‘Winning Time’ appeared first on CLNS Media.

]]> For the first time in years, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers both have a solid shot at winning a banner. With the tally tied up at 17 each, the stakes in this age-old rivalry are not small. Just in time to grease the wheels of that ancient enmity is a new season of HBO’s “Winning Time: Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” chronicling the historic feud between the bi-coastal foes in the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson era.

And while it will be many months before we know if there’s a chance the two rivals will meet in the NBA Finals, the series should help keep us busy. Older fans revel in the days of Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale vs, Magic, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, and Norm Nixon. Younger Boston fans can learn what all the hubbub was about.

To that end, the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast reached out to the man who wrote the book on that era in the literal sense, Jeff Pearlman, the tome in question being “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s”. Pearlman joined us to talk all things Celtics-Lakers, how the book and then series came to be, and what he thinks of the series having had an eagle-eye view of its creation, even appearing in cameos with his family. Make sure you catch this Lab — and Winning Time’s second season while you’re at it.

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You can also listen and Subscribe to the Garden Report Postgame Show on iTunes, Spotify & Stitcher as we go LIVE after every Celtics game. Watch the show LIVE after every game by subscribing to our YouTube Channels at @CelticsCLNS & @CLNSMEDIA!

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]]> https://www.clnsmedia.com/sidney-moncrief-a-true-legend-of-the-nba-golden-era/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sidney-moncrief-a-true-legend-of-the-nba-golden-era Mon, 03 Apr 2023 15:18:14 +0000 https://www.clnsmedia.com/?p=121776   In a recent episode of the Showtime Podcast with Coop, Sidney Moncrief shared his journey, insights, and stories from his time in the NBA with Lakers legend, Michael Cooper. Here, we’ll recap some of the highlights from that conversation and celebrate the legacy of this incredible player. The Journey to the NBA Sidney Moncrief’s [...]

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In a recent episode of the Showtime Podcast with Coop, Sidney Moncrief shared his journey, insights, and stories from his time in the NBA with Lakers legend, Michael Cooper. Here, we’ll recap some of the highlights from that conversation and celebrate the legacy of this incredible player.

The Journey to the NBA

Sidney Moncrief’s basketball journey began in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was a standout high school player. He then took his talents to the University of Arkansas, where he became an All-American and led the Razorbacks to the Final Four in 1978. Moncrief’s college success eventually translated into being the 5th overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Milwaukee Bucks “Big Three”

Moncrief’s arrival in Milwaukee marked the beginning of a remarkable era for the team. Alongside Marques Johnson and Junior Bridgeman, Moncrief formed part of the formidable “Big Three” that made the Milwaukee Bucks a force to be reckoned with in the NBA. During his tenure with the Bucks, Moncrief earned five consecutive All-Star appearances from 1982 to 1986 and helped the team achieve seven straight seasons with 50 or more wins.

“The Secretary of Defense”

Sidney Moncrief’s prowess extended beyond his scoring ability. He was a tenacious defender, earning the nickname “The Secretary of Defense.” Moncrief won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in back-to-back seasons (1982-1983 and 1983-1984), becoming the first guard in NBA history to achieve this feat.

In the podcast, Moncrief shared his approach to guarding some of the most iconic players of his era, emphasizing the importance of studying opponents, anticipating their moves, and using his physicality and quickness to his advantage. His defensive mastery is a testament to his work ethic, determination, and basketball IQ.

Thoughts on Today’s NBA

Moncrief also shared his thoughts on the current generation of NBA players, praising their athleticism and skill. He acknowledged the game’s evolution and the increasing emphasis on three-point shooting, while also expressing his appreciation for the players who still prioritize the fundamentals and have a strong defensive mindset.

Conclusion

Sidney Moncrief’s NBA career may not always receive the attention it deserves, but his impact on the game is undeniable. As one of the greatest guards of the 1980s, Moncrief left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire current and future generations of players.

To hear more about Sidney Moncrief’s incredible journey and insights into the game of basketball, check out the Showtime Podcast with Coop. It’s an engaging and insightful conversation that any NBA fan would surely enjoy.

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