Earvin "Magic" Johnson wasn't afraid to take the clutch shots when the Los Angeles Lakers needed him to. More so, that initiative was two-fold when the opposing team was the Boston Celtics.
The rivalry between the two NBA powerhouses is well-documented. Both have had countless battles, whether in the regular season or the finals. In 1987, the two franchises faced off for the first time. Although it was too early, bragging rights were on the line.
No pressure for Buck
As expected, it was a treat, with both teams fighting tooth and nail. But in the end, it was the Magic Man who lifted the Purple and Gold with a 20-foot buzzer-beating shot.
"He's got liquid oxygen in his veins; he's cool as anything," Lakers teammate Mychal Thompson said about Johnson's heroics via UPI.
Thompson played a role in that last play, which spurred a bit of controversy. The 6'11" center got the rebound off Danny Ainge's missed free throw. However, the ball was knocked out of his hands, but Johnson called a timeout.
The timeout was granted, even though the Celtics protested. The call stood, and LA had one last attempt to frustrate the Cs, who were leading 114-113. Michael Cooper inbounded the ball to Johnson, who made the attempt despite Robert Parish's defense.
"(Any) sour grapes in a game like this is pure unadulterated, you-know-what. The game was won with a miraculous shot; that's the way it goes," Lakers coach Pat Riley stated.
Team on different trajectories
When the regular season ended, the Lakers and the Celtics finished with the best records in their respective conference. However, LA did better with a 62-20 win-loss record compared to Boston's 57-25.
That hardly mattered since an anticipated rematch of the 1987 Finals never happened. Boston lost to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Final, 4-2.
The Bad Boys were no pushovers, giving the Lakers a run for their money. After bringing down the Celtics, Detroit was playing on a different level. This left the LA squad worrying, aware that they could not take the Pistons for granted.
The Lakers eventually defeated the Motor City team 4-3. However, James Worthy, the eventual Finals MVP, admitted that they had anxious moments at the time.
"We won, but it was a nervous game. When your back's against the wall, and you're facing elimination, that's tough," Worthy stated .
That would be the last NBA championship of the Lakers in the "Showtime" era. They had to wait 12 years to win their 12th title with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant at the helm.
Related: "He demands excellence" - Magic Johnson described playing with Michael Jordan as nerve-racking
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