On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team survived a 128-126 triple-overtime slugfest with the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals for what was at that time the longest Finals game in league history.
Point guard Jo Jo White of the Celtics led Boston with 33 points, and forward John Havlicek would nail a 15-foot bank shot to send the game to its second overtime. At the end of that extra period, Phoenix forward Gar Heard scored a buzzer-beating trey to force the third extra period, with Heard setting a record for minutes played in a Finals game at 61 minutes. That record would stand until 1993 when the Suns and Chicago Bulls would go to triple-overtime and Phoenix’s Kevin Johnson playing 62 minutes.
Boston would go on to win the series two days later and secure their 13th banner.
It is also the birthday of former Celtic forward Xavier McDaniel, born in Columbia South Carolina in 1963.
He would play his collegiate ball with Wichita State and would be drafted by the Seattle Supersonics in 1985 with the fourth overall pick.
He would also play stints with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks before signing with Boston as a free agent in 1992, with whom he would play three seasons.
He would average 11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game with the Celtics.
Ex-Celtic big man Greg Monroe was also born today in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1990.
His NCAA ball was played at Georgetown, and he would be drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the ninth pick of the 2010 NBA draft.
Monroe would also play for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Suns before joining Boston as a late-season free agent add in 2018.
He would play for Boston in two seasons, averaging 9.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game with the franchise.
It is also the date of the 1968 NBA draft — held in New York City — where Boston selected three players of note.
The first was big man Rich Johnson, who was taken 46th overall out of Grambling State.
Johnson would play three seasons for the Celtics between 1968 and 1971, winning a championship with the team in 1969.
He would record 4.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game with Boston.
The Celtics also took center Garfield Smith from Eastern Kentucky with the 32nd overall pick.
Smith would play two seasons with Boston, averaging 2.7 points, 2.1 boards, and 0.3 assists per contest.
Finally, the Celtics drafted shooting guard Don Chaney with the 12th overall pick out of Houston.
Chaney would win two titles with the team in 1969 and 1974 and four All-Defensive team selections between 1972 and 1975 over his two stints and ten seasons with Boston.
He would average 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists over that stretch.
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