Today in Boston Celtics history: Lakers lose 123-108 in G5 of the '87 Finals; Duffy passes

Justin Quinn, Celtics WireThu, June 11, 2026 at 10:01 AM UTC

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Today in Boston Celtics history, in Game 5 of the 1987 NBA Finals, five players from the Boston Celtics scored 20 points or more, equaling an NBA record at that time, as the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to the tune of 123-108. Dennis Johnson led the Celtics with 25 points and 11 assists, while the legendary Larry Bird contributed 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists. Hall of Fame big man Kevin McHale added another 22 points and 14 rebounds. Additionally, shooting guard Danny Ainge scored 21 points and 6 assists, and center Robert Parish also recorded 21 points along with 7 rebounds.

Boston improved their series record to two wins to Los Angeles' three, a series the Celtics would eventually lose in six games. "Magic's just a great basketball player," Bird said to the media of his rival and friend Earvin "Magic" Johnson after the series, whose transcendent play was too much for Boston to contain. "Unbelievable. I don't know what to say."

From a hyper-competitive opponent like Larry Legend, it said quite a lot.

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Jun 1987; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Lakers guard Magic Johnson (32) shoots the ball over Boston Celtics forward Darren Daye (20) during the 1987 NBA Finals at The Forum. Mandatory Credit: MPS-USA TODAY SportsGone too soon

Finally, it is also the date we lost forward Bob Duffy in 1978. A native of Columbus, Ohio who was born in 1922, Duffy played his college ball at New Orleans' Tulane.

He signed with the (now defunct) Chicago Stags in the inaugural season of the Basketball Association of America (BAA - a predecessor league of the NBA) once out of school but would end up a Celtic by the end of the season after a poor start with the Stags. Duffy played but 6 games with Boston, logging 1.3 points per game in that time. Rest in peace!

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Lakers lose 123-108 in G5 of the '87 Finals; Duffy passes

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Source: “AOL Sports”