After a six-year absence, the Celtics returned to the NBA Finals to face the Houston Rockets, who reached the finals with a losing record of 40-42. It was the Rockets’ first appearance in the finals.
Game one took place in the historic Boston Gardens with its parquet floor, and the visiting team led after the first quarter 29-24, at halftime 57-51, and after three quarters 81-76, but a Celtic 22-14 run in the fourth quarter gave Boston a 98-95 win.
Robert Reid led Houston with 27 points and Malone with 15 rebounds, but Moses was only 4 of 17 from the field, while Larry Bird led Boston with 18 points/21 rebounds, and Robert Parish added 16 points/10 rebounds.
Game two was still in Boston, and Moses Malone played an inspired match going all 48 minutes, scoring 31 points, and pulling down 15 rebounds.
Still, it was a field goal by Alan Leavell that provided the margin of victory for Houston 92-90 to even the series at 1-1.
Bird led the Celtics with 19 points and 21 rebounds, and game three moved to the Summitt in Houston as the first finals contest ever played in that city.
The home team, however, could not find the range from the field and scored only 71 points compared to Boston’s 94 to give the Celtics a 2-1 edge.
The Houston defense held Larry Bird to eight points as Maxwell led Boston with 24 points, and Robert Parish added 18 as the series tied at 2-2 shifts back to Boston for game five.
However, Houston made only 35.7% of its field goals and was outrebounded 54-41. Teams don’t win many games with those statistics. The Celtics took a 34-19 first-quarter lead and never looked back for a dominating 109-80 victory.
Boston forward Cedric Maxwell was emerging as a star in the series as he was 10 of 13 from the field and pulled 15 rebounds, while Larry Bird had 12 rebounds and Robert Parish 18 points/10 rebounds.
Moses Malone had 20 points and 15 rebounds for the losers as the Rockets are on the verge of elimination as they head back to Houston.
Before a hometown crowd at the Summitt, the Rockets played better than in game six, making 41.9% of their field goals and outrebounding the Celtics 41-37, but they didn’t count on Boston making 55.1% of their field goals, and as a result, the Celtics dominate to win the game 102-91 and the series for their 15th NBA title.
Cedric Maxwell led the Celtics with 17.7 points per game, finished second in rebounds with 9.5 per game, and was third in assists with 2.8 per game.
Maxwell was named the 1981 NBA Finals MVP and showed deep appreciation during a moment with the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
