Larry Bird’s Final Masterpiece: Inside His Legendary 49-Point Game vs Portland

On March 15, 1992, Larry Bird delivered what I’ve always believed was the final really great performance of his career — a 49-point, 14-rebound, 12-assist masterpiece against the Portland Trail Blazers at the old Boston Garden.

I just released a mini-documentary breaking down this game, and I want to use this space to give you the quick essential context.

The Context

By 1992, the Celtics were clearly an aging team.
Bird was fighting through back, nerve issues and, on this afternoon, an Achilles injury.
Kevin McHale was near the end and Robert Parish had started to lose that quick step.
Meanwhile, Portland came into Boston as one of the best teams in the NBA — a legitimate title contender with Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Buck Williams, Kevin Duckwarth and a deep bench.

Everything pointed toward a Portland win.

But Larry-Legend never played by expectations.

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Bird Always Brought Something Extra Against the Blazers

As I show in the video, the Blazers had already seen some of the most iconic moments of Bird’s career:

• The 47-point left-handed game

• The drifting corner game-winner

• A history of big scoring nights and high-efficiency performances

For whatever reason, Bird always sharpened against Portland — and March 15, 1992 fit that pattern perfectly.

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The Comeback Boston Fans Didn’t See Coming

I remember watching this game when it aired live. Late in the fourth quarter, the Celtics trailed by double digits. For the first time in years, I saw footage of fans actually leaving the Garden early.

Then Bird took over. He turned back the clock and gave us one more very special Sunday afternoon at the Garden.

He hit tough shots, forced turnovers, controlled the game’s pace, and capped it with an off-balance, leaning three that tied the game and sent the Garden into chaos.

Fans who had walked out sprinted back to their seats.

Only in Boston.

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Overtime: One Last Clinic

In overtime, Bird mixed scoring, passing, and pure command to carry Boston to a 152–148 double-overtime win.

His final line — 49 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists — says everything.

This was his last true masterpiece.

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🎥 Watch the Full Mini-Doc

It breaks down the game, the context, and why this performance still resonates all these years later.

👉 https://youtu.be/bupR0diDu_c?si=5j9E-8W8Ap0h3KW_