 Larry Bird did not play the final seven games of the season as he decided to sit out and see if he could get his back ready for the playoffs. Many people wondered how good would the Celtics be when the playoffs started given this slow finish. A loss in the final regular season game at home really didn't help matters at all. How would the Celtics fare given the injury to Bird and the nagging injuries that existed for Mikhail, Shaw and Lewis? Larry had played only once in the last 17 days. A trial run against the Atlanta Hawks on the last day of the regular season. His back was day-to-day and no one knew if he would be able to play in the series. I don't know how I'm gonna feel tomorrow. I don't know how I'm gonna feel Thursday or Friday. Just wait and see. It's a game that you're playing right now and hopefully I'll be prepared to play every game. As the teams prepared for game one of the playoffs, Larry Bird was in uniform and ready to play. Right there. Rebound up ahead to Lewis. Harish and D Brown are with him. Reggie takes it. Got it. Pops out again. Takes it to the hole this time. Left-handed for two. I think in barring injuries the longer the series goes the better for the Celtics. That's the half-court offense. And Person will be called with the foul and Person and Bird have a few words. The cocky person trying to intimidate Larry Bird late in the fourth quarter but all it did was make Bird more determined. A person's making an issue out of this as Bird as Jarn was. Get a technical foul I think. And Chris Ford is livid at Kevin McHale. Fumped him off the box. Bird back to Shaw. Brian. This is Henry Bow. Gets the ball. Pusses arms up. Gets the good position.