1981
Boston Celtics
Series Flow
0
Wins
0
Losses
Regular Season
62–20
Win–Loss
Playoff Record
12–5
Win–Loss
Finals
0–0
vs Houston Rockets
Finals MVP
Maxwell
Cedric
Boston Celtics
62–20Houston Rockets
40–42The Rockets were a surprise Finals team — they finished below .500 in the regular season but went on a remarkable playoff run. Moses Malone was a force inside but the Celtics's depth was too great.
Finals MVP
Cedric Maxwell
#31 · Forward
17.7
PPG
9.5
RPG
58.0%
FG%
"Cornbread" Maxwell's most complete series — efficient, physical, and decisive in all six games.
Only Finals MVP in Celtics history who wasn't named Bird (1984), Pierce (2008), or Brown (2024)
His 58% FG efficiency while leading the Celtics in scoring showed supreme mastery of the post game
How the Series Unfolded
The Champions
They Pushed Us to the Limit
The Rockets were a surprise Finals team — they finished below .500 in the regular season but went on a remarkable playoff run. Moses Malone was a force inside but the Celtics's depth was too great.
22.5
PPG
14.7
RPG
One of the greatest rebounders in basketball history — gave the Celtics their only real challenge.
History Written in 1981
Boston Celtics
14th NBA Championship — first of the Bird era
Cedric Maxwell
Finals MVP — one of the most underrated championship performances in Finals history
Beyond the Box Score
Larry Bird's first championship — in just his second season. The dynasty was beginning. Bill Fitch's disciplined system and the Big Three of Bird, Parish, and McHale (with Maxwell as the Finals MVP) were the foundation for one of basketball's great eras.
The Full Story
Larry Bird's first championship — in his second NBA season. The Celtics were beginning one of the great dynasties of the 1980s. Cedric Maxwell won the Finals MVP over Bird with an efficient, physical, decisive series against the Houston Rockets.
The 1981 title established the template: defense, toughness, depth, and then Bird when you needed a basket. It worked for most of the decade.