In his first season as an NBA head coach, George Karl and his Cavaliers began the 1984-85 season with a 2-19 record. But behind the veteran stewardship of the great World B. Free, the Cavs began turning things around in January and a seven-game road winning streak in late-February had them poised for the playoffs. Unfortunately, the 8th-seeded Cavaliers would draw Larry Bird and the World Champion Boston Celtics in the first round.
The scrappy Cavs dropped Game 1 of the series in a high-scoring affair – falling, 126-123, behind Bird’s 40-point outburst.
One of the league’s great trash talkers, Bird supposedly told Phil Hubbard before the jumpball exactly where he was going to hit his jumpers from – and he did exactly that, going off for 30 more points (along with 11 boards, seven assists, a steal and blocked shot) as the Celtics took Game 2 in a 108-106 squeaker at The Garden.
World did his best to keep the Cavaliers in it, netting a team-high 25 points and seven assists. Roy Hinson added 14 points and three blocked shots and Hubbard finished with a dozen. Karl got excellent production from his bench – with Johnny Davis finishing with 15 points and four steals, Ben Poquette notching 10 points and a team-high four blocks and rookie Mel Turpin adding nine points on 4-of-5 shooting.
Indicative of just how close the entire series was, neither team outscored the other by more than three points in any quarter in Game 2.
Besides Bird, the Celtics were led by Kevin McHale, who finished with 19 points and five blocks, as well as Dennis Johnson and Robert Parrish – who added 18 points apiece.
On Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of the 2015 First Round Series, the Cavs and Celtics combined for 53 three-pointers. In Game 2 of the 1985 First Round series, the Cavs and Celtics each attempted – and missed – one three-pointer.
Years later, World B. Free said this about that dramatic series back in the mid-80s.
“It was like a Miracle again, because nobody thought that we would be anywhere near the playoffs, first of all. And then, for sure, nobody thought we’d battle Boston like we battled Boston in the playoffs that year. It was something to reckon with.
It’s that kind season that made the NBA the NBA. We, as a team – we played from the heart. The guys in that locker room – Lonnie Shelton, John Bagley, Roy Hinson – guys in there just didn’t want to lose.
We lost that series, but we gained respect.”