THE 1985 NBA FINALS PART TWO: THE REVENGE OF THE LAKERS

The 1985 NBA Championship Series found the Los Angeles Lakers in a familiar positon; tied two games apiece with the Boston Celtics after 4 games, a carbon copy of 1984’s classic 7 game matchup. Dennis Johnson’s Buzzer-Beater to win Game 4 brought ugly flashbacks of the Laker’s Game 4 loss just 12 months earlier which pulled defeat from the jaws of a series victory. There was also the stench of the “Boston Massacre”, a 43-point annihilation of the Purple and Gold in game one that dredged up the Ghosts of Celtics Past which hovered over the Laker Franchise for two decades. However, the NBA’s new 2-3-2 Home Game Format gave Kareem, Magic, Worthy and company the pivotal game 5 in the friendly confines of the Fabulous Forum vs the sweltering heat, maniacal fans and hidden leprechauns of the Boston Garden. All that was left was to seal the deal. Steve relives Games Five and Six of the Finals rematch that defined the Golden Age of the Eighties, joined Magic and Bird at the Hip forever, certified Kareem as a living Legend and jump-started the explosion of the NBA into a Global Sports Power.