CelticsBlog Triva: Celtics vs. Lakers quiz

If one wishes to try the harder All-Star edition of the quiz, try to answer the questions without looking at the multiple choice offerings.

Layup-What is the all-time championship series head to head record between Boston and the Lakers?
A) 9-3 Boston B) 7-5 Boston

Dunk-Whose 20-footer just before the buzzer on a feed from Larry Bird stunned the Forum crowd as Boston beat the Lakers 107-105 in game four of the 1985 NBA Finals?
A) Danny Ainge B) Dennis Johnson

Free throw-Which Celtic was named MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals, won 4-2 by Boston?
A) Kevin Garnett B) Paul Pierce C) Ray Allen

Free throw-Which Celtic legend sprained his ankle late in game 6 of the 1963 Finals at LA, but returned to lead Boston to a narrow title-clinching win in his NBA swansong?
A) Bill Sharman B) Tom Heinsohn C) Bob Cousy

Jump shot-What Laker threw the ill-advised crosscourt pass in the waning seconds of game 2 in the 1984 Finals which Gerald Henderson picked off before sinking the game-tying layup?*what Laker then dribbled out the final seconds of regulation for an extra point
A) Earvin Johnson B) James Worthy C) Jamaal Wilkes
D) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Jump shot-What Celtic nailed the game-winning baseline jumper with 15 seconds left in overtime of Game 2 in the 1984 Finals, giving the Celtics a 122-121 lead?*name the Celtic who stole the ball from Bob McAdoo in the corner on the ensuing play for an extra point
A) Larry Bird B) Dennis Johnson C) Robert Parish
D) Scott Wedman

Hook shot-What Boston backup grabbed nine rebounds and rejected a fast break layup by Earvin Johnson to inspire Boston to a 109-103 win over LA in game three of the 1987 Finals?*for a three-point play, how many points did he score in game 3
A) Fred Roberts B) Darren Daye C) Greg Kite D) Bill Walton

Jump shot-What is Boston's record in seventh games vs. the Lakers?*for an extra point name all the years Boston won a 7th game vs. LA
A) 4-0 B) 4-1 C) 3-2 D) 3-1

3-pointer-What Laker missed a last-second shot in game 7 of the 1962 Finals, forcing an overtime session that Boston won 110-107?
A) Jerry West B) Hot Rod Hundley C) Elgin Baylor
D) Frank Selvy E) Jim Krebs

3-pointer-Which of the following Celtic coaches did NOT beat the Lakers in an NBA Finals?*for a 4-point play, who is the only man to play for Boston vs. LA in the Finals, and also for the Lakers vs. the Celtics in the Finals
A) Red Auerbach B) Bill Russell C) Tom Heinsohn
D) Doc Rivers E) K.C. Jones

25 points is the highest possible score; extra points only apply if the correct answer is given first.

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Answers from Larry Bird Quiz

(link to Larry Bird Quiz)

Layup-A) Indiana. Freshman guard Jim Wisman was Bird's roommate.

Dunk-A) Boston drafted him as a junior eligible in 1978. Bird was not eligible for the 1979 draft, or he would have become a Laker. Los Angeles won a coin flip for the number one pick with Chicago and selected Earvin Johnson, even though Jerry West favored Sidney Moncrief, but he was overruled by new Laker owner Jerry Buss.
The Bulls then selected UCLA forward David Greenwood number two.

Left-handed layup-True or false: A) True. The landslide vote was revealed on the same day of Game 6 of the NBA Finals, which spurred Earvin Johnson on to a career night in the Jabbar-less Laker upset of the 76ers.

Free throw-B) 32. Boston improved from a horrid 29-53 record in 1978-79 to a league-best 61-21 in 1979-80, with almost the same roster - except for the addition of Bird.
The Celtics (who had already drafted Bird in 1978) had unsuccessfully actually tried to get Bird to play some games late in the 1978-79 season after his last college hoop season was over, but Bird elected to say in school, earn his degree and play baseball at Indiana State that spring.
Boston posted the NBA's best record in six of Larry's first seven seasons.

Jump shot-B) 1984-86. Julius Erving in 1981 and Moses Malone in 1982 and 1983 both nosed Bird out for the MVP. Larry finished first or second in the MVP votoing six straight years, and should probably have won it five of those times. Moses got it in 1982 with Houston, and again in 1983 with the Sixers.

Jump shot-B) Kevin McHale. Kevin broke Havlicek and Sam Jones's record of 54 points in a game with 56 against Detroit on March 3, 1985. Bird predicted the record "will soon fall." Nine days later in New Orleans, Bird burned the Hawks for 60 on 22 of 36 shooting. His best shot, a potential 28-foot four-point continuation play made while being fouled out of bounds into the Hawk bench, was disallowed late in the game.

Lefty runner-B) Kyle Macy. Bird beat Hodges in 1986, Schrempf in 1987 and Ellis in 1988 to sweep the first three All-Star long distance shootouts. Fellow Hoosier Macy participated in the 1986 event, but was eliminated early.

Jump shot-B) 7

3-pointer-B) Portland . Bird burned the eventual runner-up Blazers, who posted the NBA's best record in 1991-92, for 49 points in a 152-148 epic double OT NBC Sunday, March 15 telecast. Larry sent the game into OT with a running, leaning one-footed triple at the end of regulation. He added 14 rebounds and dished out a dozen assists for his final NBA triple-double.

3-pointer-C) 21. In game 1 of the 1981 NBA Finals his lefty reverse layup in the final seconds after two straight offensive rebounds clinched a surprisingly hard-fought 98-95 win over upstart Houston as Bird narrowly missed a triple-double (18-21-9).
In the overtime epic fourth game of the 1984 Finals at the LA Forum Bird scored 29 points, including the game-winning fadeaway over Earvin Johnson in OT, to go with his 21 caroms.