The Celtics win over the Lakers in the ’84 Finals squares off against Cam Neely and his 50 goals in 44 games in the first round of Boston’s Greatest Sports Moment tournament.
Nothing in the NBA is more dramatic than a Game 7 in the Finals, when everything for both teams is on the line. That’s how the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers took the court on June 12, 1984, to determine who would be crowned world champion. The Celtics had a 14-point lead, but the Lakers fought back to bring the game to within three points with roughly one minute left. At that crucial moment, Cedric Maxwell knocked the ball loose from Magic Johnson, and Dennis Johnson ran the floor and went to the line to ice the game. With less than two seconds remaining, the fans at the Boston Garden stormed the court to celebrate the victory and banner No. 15.
50 in 50. That may sound like another ESPN special, but to hockey fans, the numbers represent a very significant achievement that only eight players have ever accomplished — scoring 50 goals in a team’s first 50 games of an NHL season. Bruins great Cam Neely scored his 50th goal in his 44th game of the 1993-94 season, etching his name in Boston sports history. Neely may not be recognized across the NHL as an official 50-in-50 player because his 50th goal came in the Bruins’ 66th game overall (due to Neely’s injury battles), but the big forward with a knack for taking over games will always hold a special place in the hearts of Bruins fans. The great No. 8, who now serves as the team’s president, is tied with Mario Lemieux as the second-fastest player to reach 50 goals in a season behind Wayne Gretzky.
« 6. Williams at ’99 ASG vs. 11. ‘Harvard Beats Yale’ | 7. Damon’s slam vs. 10. C’s 24-point rally »
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