Larry Bird 47 pts vs. Portland (Left handed game)

Celtics came in winning 14 of their last 15 games, despite McHale being injured for 9 of those games. At this point, the game got a little bit too easy and boring for Bird so he decided to challenge himself by finishing EVERY basket (other than a jumpshot) with his left hand. He ended up scoring 22 points with his left hand, nearly half his total!

Despite all this, Bird still scored 47 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out 11 assists (21-34 FG). For good measure, he hit the game tying shot to send the game to OT, and then made the game winning shot.

The night before in Seattle he had 35/15/11, so this was his second consecutive triple double in just as many nights. Bird truly in his prime here...

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Larry
• Bird
• Boston
• Celtics
• Portland
• Blazers
• Trailblazers
• left
• hand
• handed
• game
• 47
• points
• triple
• double
• 1986
• NBA
• highlights

[swede32matthew]

Even Terry Porter had hair. Larry Bird will always be in my top five of all time, he and Magic played the game with a purity that will never be matched.

[MSHkr]

@BarstoolBlues33 -- Amen! Look up another video on YouTube about Bird's defense. When you analyse the statistics (not just the highlights), Bird lands at about 25 -- of ALL TIME. Pat Riley talked about this. Bird knew the offenses of every team in the league. He'd disrupt the offense, which he knew as well as his opponents, and the Lakers would have to go to a long, guarded 3 by Byron Scott instead of an inside feed to Worthy. That does not show in defense stats, just the W-L column.

[MSHkr]

@WilliamTheCeltic -- Totally agree. In that 60-point game, he scored 15 points in the last 2:20 or so. He was also calling his shots to the Hawks. One shot he called was "In the trainer's lap." Sure enough, he made a LONG three, right in front of the Hawks' trainer, then turned around, knelt, and put his hands in the trainer's lap. JUST LIKE HE CALLED IT. If you made a highlight reel of ALL Bird's highlights -- just the highlights -- it would be HOURS long.

[dalexisp]

clyde had hair?

[Survivor87]

@ReklawLah I will have to agree, the evolution of the game hit it's peak at this point, it still had enough fundamental backbone to it, yet guys like Magic, Bird, and Young Jordan etc. gave it an amazing creative edge. beyond Jordan it became to much about the edge as much at pre-1980's it was to much about fundamentals. The ABA had the right idea early on but was rather sloppy in presentation

[WilliamTheCeltic]

What people need to realize is that this highlight video is all in one game. Sure you see Kobe doing a lot of the same things as Bird but only in a highlight reel of the entire season. Bird could play like this on command, every night there would be something surprising. He would have multiple amazing highlight moments in just one game, all the time. Watch the entire game when Bird scores 60 on the Hawks in New Orleans, absolutely amazing.

[BarstoolBlues33]

@jaywilson18 Hahahahaha. Kobe Bryant is the most overrated defensive player in the history of the league. Larry Bird while maybe not a great one on one defensive player was one of the best team/help defenders in the league up until he hurt his back. Kobe does everything just as well as Bird? Are you kidding me? It's light and day as far as passing. Bird is so much of a better passer and play maker its not even funny and that's as a forward.

[geocgeo]

78-79 NBA season The Boston Celtics finished 23-59 that was before Birds rookie season.

79-80 Birds rookie season The Boston Celtics finished 61-21 in the regular season.

that was without Parrish and McHale on that team. Bird made the players on his team MUCH BETTER...

[Bigturns33]

I remember ange talking about this game. He said he was just laughing during the game and that it was like a high school star playing in a jr high leauge he just was toying with players.

[tavishlaidlaw101]

didnt he double drible