Larry Bird’s Greatest Games: Celtics vs Hawks 1989

On November 10, 1989, the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics faced off in a matchup that Larry Bird returning from double heel surgery that had him miss all but 6 games the season before. The game was close for 3 quarters before the Celtics pulled away. Boston emerged victorious with a score of 117-106. Boston was led by Larry Bird’s 50 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Moses Malone, Doc Rivers and Kevin Willis combined for 62 points for the Hawks.

Dominique Wilkins struggled keeping up with Bird and only notched 8 points on 2-14 from the field in 32 minutes. The game was close throughout, and the two teams traded leads late into the third quarter. Ultimately, the Celtics pulled away in the 4th to secure the convincing win. This game would be the closing chapters of a long and intense rivalry between the two teams.