Just to wrap up the first-round thing, my vote for the most stunning, influential first-round series would be the Warriors' 2007 victory over Dallas. For the truly memorable series in terms of stardom, going back to the best-of-5 days, I'd take Knicks-Pistons in 1984 (the Isiah Thomas-Bernard King duels were just that good), and Michael Jordan's stunning performances at the old Boston Garden in 1986, including a 63-point game that informed the world that the young man was about to take over.
The Chicago-Boston first-round series drew plenty of historical comparisons, and rightly so, but in the aftermath, it falls short in the most important category: The ones you remember. It was definitely the craziest first-round series ever played, and the all-time leader for sustained tension. That's what happens when you get five buzzer finishes and a total of seven overtime periods. But how many people are going to remember the real difference-maker (House) in Game 7? How many will write off its credibility because Kevin Garnett didn't play a minute?
But let's move on to 7th games. There's no way of determing the outright greatest, because personal preference invariably comes into play. The 1970 Knicks-Lakers final had Willis Reed's dramatic comeback and Jerry West's 60-foot shot at the buzzer (forcing Game 3 into overtime). The Magic Johnson-Larry Bird classic in 1984 (Celts win Game 7 at Boston) is hard to beat. I'd personally go with with the 1968 Eastern Conference finals, when the Celtics came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the 76ers of Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Lucius Jackson and Chet Walker, but that's just how strongly I felt about Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek and Satch Sanders, and remember, just a year earlier, those same 76ers were being called the greatest team ever.
In the wake of what the Bulls and Celtics just gave us, how about this for a fair category: Close games throughout and the kind of superstardom that stays in the memory. Search your record books and memory banks, and I'm not sure you can top the 1981 Eastern Conference finals between the Celtics and 76ers.
The Celtics, about to win their first championship in the Bird era, were unveiling Robert Parish and rookie Kevin McHale after pulling that historic theft from the Warriors. Nate Archibald, one of the all-time penetrating point guards, ran the offense, and there were quirky contributions from Cedric (Cornbread) Maxwell and M.L. Carr. The first game was a thriller -- 76ers, 105-104, at the Garden -- and after two relatively ordinary games, here's how the last four went down:
Game 4: 76ers, 107-105, at Philadelphia, to take a 3-1 lead.
Game 5: Celtics, 111-109, at Boston
Game 6: Celtics, 100-98, at Philadelphia
Game 7: Celtics, 91-90, at Boston. The signature shot was a moment of fast-break genius from Bird, pulling up for a 12-foot bank shot from the left side for a 91-89 lead with a minute left.
No matter where you look, in series matching true greats of the game, you won't find one more relentlessly compelling than that.
(Remarkable footnote: in the first half of Game 6, in a hostile setting, Maxwell took issue to some remarks by a bespectacled, middle-aged man in a checkered sportcoat and actually went after him, charging into the front row behind the basket and shoving him hard. A wild scene ensued, with players and coaches in the middle of utter chaos -- and when play resumed, Maxwell was still on the floor. No ejection.)
Michael Jordan: He only played in three: the 1990 Eastern finals (losing to Detroit), the 1992 Eastern semifinals (beating the Knicks) and the 1998 Eastern finals (beating Indiana), and none was a classic.
Russell vs. Chamberlain (all victories by the Celtics): the Eastern finals in 1962, 1965 and '68, plus the 1969 Finals when Wilt played for the Lakers.
Russell vs. the Lakers of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor: The 1962 Finals (West averaged 31 points a game that season, Baylor 38), the 1966 Finals and the '69 Finals.
The Knicks of Reed, Walt Frazier and Dave DeBusschere against the Baltimore Bullets of Earl Monroe and Gus Johnson: 1970 Eastern semifinals (Knicks) and the 1971 Eastern finals (Bullets).
Greatest sustained run: In 1988, on their way to the title, the Magic-led Lakers won consecutive seven-game series against Utah, Dallas and Detroit.
Magic vs. Bird: Just one: the 1984 Finals, Magic's first-ever 7th game, won by the Celtics, 111-102. By the numbers, Magic played in four 7th games overall, Bird in seven
