CelticsBlog Triva: MVP winners 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-Who is the shortest Celtic regular season MVP winner?*for an extra point and 3-point play, what team did he help win the NCAA title for in 1947
A) Bill Sharman B) Bob Cousy

Dunk-What legendary Celtic swingman was named MVP of the 1974 Finals? A) Dave Cowens B) John Havlicek

Backdoor layup-True or false: Larry Bird is the only non-center in league history to win three straight NBA MVP awards.*name the years he won it for an extra point
A) True B) False

Free throw-Which Celtic star was MVP of the 2008 NBA championship series win over the Lakers?
A) Ray Allen B) Paul Pierce C) Kevin Garnett

Free throw-Which underrated Celtic was named MVP of the 1981 NBA Finals?
A) Cedric Maxwell B) Robert Parish C) Kevin McHale

Jump shot-What Celtic was MVP of the 1973 All-Star Game?*what Celtic was voted MVP of the 1981 All-Star Game for a three-point play
A) John Havlicek B) JoJo White C) Dave Cowens
D) Paul Silas

Jump shot-Which of the following members of the 1986 champion Celtics never won a Finals MVP award?*name the years award was won by other two
A) Bill Walton B) Kevin McHale C) Larry Bird
D) Dennis Johnson

Hook shot-What player edged out Larry Bird for the 1980-81 NBA season MVP award?*name the player who ended Larry's string of three consecutive NBA season MVP awards in 1987
A) Moses Malone B) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar C) Earvin Johnson
D) Julius Erving

Jump shot-What player was named first team All-NBA ahead of Dave Cowens despite Big Red winning the NBA MVP award in 1973?*which Celtic teammate was named 1st team All-NBA in 1973
A) Wilt Chamberlain B) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
C) Bob Lanier D) Bill Walton

3-pointer-Who was the last Celtic to wear number 33 before three-time NBA MVP Larry Bird made it his own in 1979?
A) Kevin Stacom B) Marvin Barnes C) Ben Clyde
D) Steve Kuberski E) Hank Finkel

3-pointer-Larry Bird won three straight season MVP awards from 1984-86; how many times did he finish second in the MVP voting?*name the year Bird won his only All-Star Game MVP for an extra point
A) Five B) Four C) Three D) Two E) Six

3-pointer-What Celtic won the MVP award in the inaugural All-Star Game at Boston Garden in 1951?*what one-time Celtic was the All-Star MVP runner-up in voting at the 1977 ASG
A) Bob Cousy B) Bill Sharman C) Ed Macauley
D) Tom Heinsohn E) Sonny Hertzberg

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

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Answers to East Rivals Quz

Layup-B) Defending champion Philadelphia succumbed 4-3 in the 1968 eastern finals to Boston, which also rallied from 1-3 behind to beat the 76ers 4-3 in the 1981 ECF.
*76er standout Billy Cunningham was sidelined with a broken arm in the 1968 series, then was Philly's coach in the 1981 series loss.

Dunk-A) Up and coming rival New York, which won the title the next year, lost 106-105 in game 6 in the 1969 East Finals to fall 4-2 to Boston in Russell's last run.
*Bullet Rookie of the Year Wes Unseld also was named NBA MVP in 1968-69.

Lefty layup-A) Washington tied Boston for the NBA's best record at 60-22 in 1974-75, then knocked off the defending champion Celtics in the East finals, 4-2.
*Golden State and Rick Barry then upset the Bullets in the NBA Finals 4-0 in a shocking sweep.

Free throw-C) Milwaukee, which moved from the Western Conference to the East in 1980, lost to Boston in the 1984 (4-1) and 1986 Eastern Finals (4-0), as well as the epic seven-game 1987 Eastern semis.

Free throw-C) Isiah Thomas threw the floating in-bounds pass intended for Bill Laimbeer that Larry Bird intercepted at the end of game 5 in the epic 1987 East finals and fed to DJ for the winning layup in a 108-107 win.

Free throw-B) Bitter rival Detroit eliminated Boston in 1988 (4-2), 1989 (3-0 with Bird hurt) and 1991 (4-2).

Jump shot-D) Larry Bird stole the ball in the corner from Andrew Toney in the closing seconds of game 5 in the 1985 Eastern Finals with Boston clinging to a 102-100 lead to clinch the series, 4-1.
*Kevin McHale blocked Toney's shot to preserve a must win at the end of game 6 in the 1981 ECF.

Hook shot-A) The New York Knicks are the only team to beat the Celtics at the Boston Garden twice in decisive, final playoff games. They won game 7 in the 1973 ECF in Boston, then upset the Celtics in game 5 of the 1990 best of five first round series at the Garden.

Jump shot-A) Steve Mix of the 1980 and 1982 76ers who upset Boston in both of those Eastern Finals was NOT on the 1972 U.S. Olympic team that lost the gold medal game by a point to the USSR in controversial fashion. Jones was on the 1980/82 76ers, Collins in 1980, and Bantom was there in 1982, 10 years after the first American loss in Olympic play after 63 straight wins.
*Sidelined by knee and foot injuries at 30, 76er All-Star Doug Collins retired in 1981. He made two free throws with 3 seconds left to give the U.S. an apparent 50-49 win over the USSR in 1972.

Jump shot-B) Boston eliminated Atlanta in the 1983 (2-1), 1986 (4-1) and 1988 playoffs (4-3).
*Larry Bird scored 20 points on 9-10 shooting in the 4th quarter of his epic game 7 shootout in the 1988 playoffs vs. Dominique Wilkins and the Hawks.

3-pointer-B) Celtic Paul Silas failed to call out the screen set by Dave DeBusschere that John Havlicek ran blindly into in game 3 of the 1973 East Finals vs. the Knicks. The clean pick injured Hondo's shoulder and led to a 4-3 series loss.

3-pointer-D) Knick southpaw Phil Jackson scored 27 points on nine field goals and 9-9 foul shooting in their game 5 loss of the 1974 East finals at Boston as the Celtics eliminated New York, 105-94.
*Lefty guard Lionel Hollins, who helped Portland beat Philly in the 1977 Finals, joined the 76ers as a starter replacing the injured Doug Collins in 1980 and helped them knock Boston off in the Eastern Finals. Ironically, the 76ers were thought to be the front-runners for free agent Pete Maravich in the quest to win the 1980 crown, but Pistol ended up in Boston and so the Sixers turned to the defense-minded Hollins instead.

3-pointer-C) Bill Bradley did NOT retire after Boston eliminated New York in the 1974 East Finals, playing three more seasons.
Hall of Famers Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere and Jerry Lucas all called it quits after the 1974 loss, as did All-Star Barnett. Dick Garrett, a backup for the Knicks, also never played again in the NBA. The quintet scored just a combined two points in their finale.