1976
Boston Celtics
Series Flow
4
Wins
2
Losses
Regular Season
54–28
Win–Loss
Playoff Record
12–6
Win–Loss
Finals
4–2
vs Phoenix Suns
Finals MVP
White
Jo
Boston Celtics
54–28Phoenix Suns
42–40The Suns made the Finals despite a .500 regular season record and played the greatest game in Finals history against the Celtics. Paul Westphal and Alvan Adams were the stars of a team nobody expected to be in the championship.
Finals MVP
Jo Jo White
#10 · Guard
21.7
PPG
5.3
APG
The engine of the 1976 championship — played 60 minutes in the legendary triple-overtime Game 5.
Game 5 triple-overtime is widely considered the greatest game in NBA Finals history
Played 60 of 63 minutes in Game 5
How the Series Unfolded
G1 · W
1–0
G2 · W
2–0
G3 · L
2–1
G4 · L
2–2
G5 · W
3–2
G6 · W
4–2
98
BOS
87
PHX
Cowens dominated the Suns' frontcourt. Jo Jo White's backcourt precision gave Boston immediate series control.
Boston Celtics
Dave Cowens
25 pts · 16 rebDominated the Suns's frontcourt with pure effort and athleticism.
Jo Jo White
18 pts · 7 astRan the Celtics offense with calm efficiency in Game 1.
105
BOS
90
PHX
Havlicek's 23 points gave the Celtics a 2-0 series lead heading to Phoenix.
Boston Celtics
John Havlicek
23 pts · 6 reb"Hondo" — veteran championship presence that Phoenix couldn't match.
Dave Cowens
20 pts · 14 rebRelentless on the boards — the defining characteristic of this championship run.
83
BOS
105
PHX
Paul Westphal and the Suns stunned Boston in Phoenix. The Suns' speed and youth gave them the home win they needed.
PHX
Paul Westphal
25 pts · 6 astThe Suns' star guard — gave Boston problems with his speed and shooting.
Alvan Adams
20 pts · 11 rebThe young center outplayed Cowens in Phoenix — forced the series to continue.
95
BOS
109
PHX
The Suns leveled the series at 2-2. Westphal continued his dominant play while the Celtics struggled away from home.
Boston Celtics
Jo Jo White
21 ptsKept the Celtics competitive in the loss — set up his legendary Game 5.
PHX
Paul Westphal
26 pts · 7 astThe most dangerous player in the building — carried the Suns to a series split.
128
BOS
126
PHX
TRIPLE OVERTIME. Widely considered the greatest game in NBA Finals history. Three overtimes. A buzzer-beater from Paul Westphal in regulation that shouldn't have counted. A missed call. A near-riot in Boston Garden. Jo Jo White playing 60 of 63 minutes. The Celtics survived 128-126 in what remains the most dramatic game in Finals history.
Boston Celtics
Jo Jo White
33 pts · 60 min playedPlayed the entire triple-overtime game. His 33 points in 60 minutes remains one of the great endurance performances in Finals history.
John Havlicek
22 pts · 8 reb"Hondo's" last great Finals moment — veteran excellence in the most chaotic game of the decade.
PHX
Paul Westphal
28 pts · game-tying shotHit a technical free throw to "tie" the game and force OT3 — one of the most controversial moments in Finals history.
87
BOS
80
PHX
The Celtics closed out the Suns in Phoenix. Cowens' dominance and White's championship execution gave Boston their 13th title.
Boston Celtics
Dave Cowens
21 pts · 14 rebChampionship anchor — dominated the Suns' frontcourt in the clincher.
Jo Jo White
15 pts · 7 astThe Finals MVP closed it out — exhausted but brilliant.
The Champions
They Pushed Us to the Limit
The Suns made the Finals despite a .500 regular season record and played the greatest game in Finals history against the Celtics. Paul Westphal and Alvan Adams were the stars of a team nobody expected to be in the championship.
21.5
PPG
5.5
APG
The Suns' best player and the architect of the greatest single game in Finals history. A champion in all but outcome.
History Written in 1976
Boston Celtics
13th NBA Championship
Game 5
Triple-overtime thriller — widely considered the greatest game in NBA Finals history
Jo Jo White
Played 60 of 63 minutes in Game 5 triple-overtime — one of the great endurance performances in basketball history
John Havlicek
8th and final championship — the greatest Celtic of his era
Beyond the Box Score
The 1976 Finals produced what many basketball historians consider the greatest game ever played in the NBA Finals. Game 5 went three overtimes, lasted over three hours, and produced moments that are still debated: Was Paul Westphal's technical free throw legal? Did the clock run out before the last shot?
Jo Jo White played 60 minutes in a 63-minute game and scored 33 points. John Havlicek won his 8th and final championship. Dave Cowens had one of the most complete series any center has ever played against a team that nobody thought would be there.
The Full Story
May 4, 1976. Boston Garden. Two teams. Three overtimes. The greatest game in NBA Finals history.
Jo Jo White played 60 minutes. John Havlicek fought through fatigue to deliver. Paul Westphal hit a shot to force one more overtime that was — depending on who you ask — either brilliant gamesmanship or one of the most controversial moments in Finals history.
The Celtics won 128-126. They went to Phoenix and closed out the championship in Game 6. Thirteen titles. Another banner for the Garden.