Parish Steal Thwarts Laker Surge

1984 NBA Finals

The Celtics, whose 1983-84 season began with a new coach, new ownership and Dennis Johnson, the big guard they lacked, brought a 15th National Basketball Association title to Boston tonight.

The Celtics, the most successful team ever in the N.B.A., used their chief attribute - brute strength - to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in the seventh game of the championship series, 111-102, before a frenzied, capacity crowd of 14,890 at Boston Garden.

Boston, whose playoff rivalry with Los Angeles, spanning more than two decades, has produced some of the most memorable moments in pro basketball history, has now won four championships in the last 11 seasons. The Celtics have also never lost in the seven times they have played in the seventh game of a championship series.

Rebounding Slowed Lakers

The big starting front line of Cedric Maxwell, Larry Bird and Robert Parish had 36 rebounds in the game, 3 more than the entire Laker team. Los Angeles, which thrives on its speed, had its running game stymied by the Celtics' 52-33 rebounding edge, which included a 20-9 advantage on the offensive boards.

The Celtics, who led throughout the game but had to hold off a furious rally by the Lakers in the final minutes, were so aggressive about going to the basket that 43 of their points came on free throws, 14 by the 6-foot-8-inch Maxwell, who led all Boston scorers with 24 points.

Bird, who had 20 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists, was a unanimous choice as the most valuable player of the championship series. In the 7 games, he had 192 points, 98 rebounds, 25 assists and 15 steals.

After the Celtics built a 99-85 lead, their largest of the game, with 7 minutes 58 seconds remaining, the Lakers charged back with a 17-6 surge behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who led all scorers with 29 points.

With 1:29 left Dennis Johnson stripped Magic Johnson of the ball. He drove for the basket, but the Laker forward Michael Cooper blocked the shot. Fifteen seconds later, James Worthy sliced the lead to 105-102 with a 15-footer.

Steal by Parish

Then Parish stole the ball from Magic Johnson and the Laker surge was thwarted.

"Maxwell hit my arm," Magic Johnson said of Parish's steal of his attempted pass to Worthy. "James was open under the basket. I saw James and I was passing to him. That was the money. It would have brought us to 1."

The Celtics scored the next 6 points, including two free throws each by Johnson, who finished with 22 points, and Bird. The game was held up momentarily just before the end when fans started pouring onto the court. The victory, ending the seven and one-half month N.B.A. season, was the Celtics' eighth over the Lakers in a championship series, the first of which came in 1959, when the Lakers were based in Minneapolis. The Celtics have never lost to the Lakers in a final round, and have only lost a championship series once, in 1958 to the St. Louis Hawks.

"It was a classic series," Coach Pat Riley of the Laker, said. "Their strength is size and power. That was the difference tonight. That and their aggressiveness in going to the basket. It led to all those free throws that beat us.