Legendary Moments in NBA History: Celtics go 40-1 at home
The 1985-86 Boston Celtics boasted perhaps one of the deepest and strongest frontcourts in NBA lore. They went about proving it all season long to those who ventured into the Boston Garden and, by season’s end, stood atop the NBA mountain.
On April 13, 1986, the Celtics stomped the New Jersey Nets 135-107 to wrap up the best home season in NBA history, going 40-1 in 1985-86. Since then, only one team has matched Boston’s finish: the 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs.
The Celtics’ lone home loss came on Dec. 6, 1985, a 121-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Boston’s starting frontline of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish teamed with Bill Walton and Scot Wedman to form a formidable five-man frontcourt rotation that nobody in the NBA could match.
In the backcourt were Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge, two big guards who could play harassing defense and provide double-figure scoring while focusing on feeding the front line, with scrappy Jerry Sichting in reserve. The result was a unit that won 67 games.
Overall, the Celtics were 50-1 at home that season, amassing a 10-0 run through the 1986 playoffs en route to the NBA title. Boston breezed through the first three rounds of the playoffs and made quick work of the Houston Rockets in six games in The Finals.
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