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The 1989–90 NBA season was the 44th season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association.[1] With Larry Bird returning after only playing just six games in the 1988–89 season due to heel injuries,[2][3][4][5] and with last year's first round draft pick Brian Shaw leaving the team to play overseas in Italy,[6][7][8] the Celtics struggled around .500 during the first month of the season, but would win 11 of their next 15 games, holding a 28–18 record at the All-Star break,[9] finishing second in the Atlantic Division with a solid 52–30 record.[10] The Celtics also qualified for the playoffs for the eleventh consecutive season.[11]

Quick Facts Boston Celtics season, Head coach ...
1989–90 Boston Celtics season
Head coachJimmy Rodgers
General managerDave Gavitt
OwnersDon Gaston
Alan N. Cohen
Paul Dupee
ArenaBoston Garden
Hartford Civic Center
Results
Record52–30 (.634)
PlaceDivision: 2nd (Atlantic)
Conference: 4th (Eastern)
Playoff finishFirst round
(lost to Knicks 2–3)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWLVI
(Mike Crispino, Bob Cousy)
SportsChannel New England
(Mike Gorman, Tom Heinsohn)
RadioWEEI
(Johnny Most, Glenn Ordway, Doug Brown)
< 1988–89 1990–91 >
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Bird led the way averaging 24.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game, while being named to the All-NBA Second Team, while sixth man Kevin McHale averaged 20.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, while being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Robert Parish provided the team with 15.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Bird, McHale and Parish were all selected for the 1990 NBA All-Star Game.[12][13][14][15] In addition, Reggie Lewis contributed 17.0 points per game, and Dennis Johnson provided with 7.1 points and 6.5 assists per game.[16]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Celtics looked ready to make a serious run as they jumped out to a 2–0 series lead over the 5th-seeded New York Knicks, with a 157–128 home win in Game 2, which was a playoff record of the most points scored in a game.[17][18][19][20] However, they would collapse as they lost three straight games, losing 3–2 to the Knicks.[21][22][23][24]

Following the season, Johnson retired,[25][26][27][28] and head coach Jimmy Rodgers was fired after coaching the Celtics for two seasons.[29][30][31]

Draft picks

Main article: 1989 NBA draft
More information Round, Pick ...
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 13 Michael Smith SF/PF  United States Brigham Young
2 40 Dino Rađa PF  Yugoslavia KK Jugoplastika
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Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
1989–90 Boston Celtics roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G 5 Bagley, John 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1960–04–23 Boston College
F 33 Bird, Larry 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1956–12–07 Indiana State
G/F 34 Gamble, Kevin 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1965–11–13 Iowa
G 3 Johnson, Dennis 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1954–09–18 Pepperdine
C 53 Kleine, Joe 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1962–01–04 Arkansas
G 35 Lewis, Reggie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1965–11–21 Northeastern
F 32 McHale, Kevin 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1957–12–19 Minnesota
C 00 Parish, Robert 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1953–08–30 Centenary
G 4 Paxson, Jim 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1957–07–09 Dayton
F 54 Pinckney, Ed 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1963–03–27 Villanova
G 13 Smith, Charles 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 160 lb (73 kg) 1967–11–29 Georgetown
F 11 Smith, Michael 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1965–05–19 BYU
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured
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Regular season

Larry Bird, the Celtics star player, was coming back after surgery to both heels the previous season and later said he never felt the same. Despite the injury, the Celtics were able to rise to 2nd place in the Atlantic Division.[32] By the end of the regular season, the Celtics had scored an average of 110 points per a game, and allowed an average of 106 points per game. During the playoffs against the Knicks that year, the Celtics quickly took the first 2 games of the series, but the New York Knicks would come back and rally to win 3 games in a row, sending the Celtics home.[10]

Season standings

More information W, L ...
Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Philadelphia 76ers 5329.646–34–719–2219–7
x-Boston Celtics 5230.634130–1122–1919–7
x-New York Knicks 4537.549829–1216–2517–9
Washington Bullets 3151.3782220–2111–3010–16
Miami Heat 1864.2203511–307–344–22
New Jersey Nets 1765.2073613–284–379–17
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More information #, Team ...
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Detroit Pistons5923.720–
2 y-Philadelphia 76ers5329.6466
3 x-Chicago Bulls5527.6714
4 x-Boston Celtics5230.6347
5 x-New York Knicks4537.54914
6 x-Milwaukee Bucks4438.53715
7 x-Cleveland Cavaliers4240.51217
8 x-Indiana Pacers4240.51217
9 Atlanta Hawks4141.50018
10 Washington Bullets3151.37828
11 Miami Heat1864.22041
12 Orlando Magic1864.22041
13 New Jersey Nets1765.20742
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Record vs. opponents

More information Team, ATL ...
1989-90 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA UTA WAS
Atlanta –1–32–00–52–30–21–13–22–02–02–31–10–24–03–21–12–21–35–02–20–21–11–11–11–11–12–2
Boston 3–1–2–02–23–11–11–12–21–12–01–31–10–25–02–21–15–14–14–03–21–10–22–01–12–01–12–3
Charlotte 0–20–2–0–21–11–33–20–22–21–41–12–20–41–10–22–21–11–11–10–21–30–41–30–50–40–50–2
Chicago 5–02–22–0–5–02–01–11–42–01–12–31–11–14–04–12–03–13–13–22–22–01–11–11–11–10–23–1
Cleveland 3–21–31–10–5–0–20–21–41–10–23–21–11–14–03–21–14–02–24–12–21–11–12–01–11–11–13–1
Dallas 2–01–13–10–22–0–2–31–13–14–12–03–10–42–01–14–12–01–12–01–11–30–43–13–22–21–31–1
Denver 1–11–12–31–12–03–2–0–22–24–10–22–20–42–01–15–02–01–12–01–11–32–24–01–32–20–41–1
Detroit 2–32–22–04–14–11–12–0–1–11–14–11–11–13–13–22–04–04–05–01–32–01–12–01–11–11–14–0
Golden State 0–21–12–20–21–11–32–21–1–2–21–13–11–42–01–13–12–00–22–01–10–52–23–21–32–32–21–1
Houston 0–20–24–11–12–01–41–41–12–2–1–12–22–21–11–12–21–11–12–01–12–21–34–02–22–23–21–1
Indiana 3–23–11–13–22–30–22–01–41–11–1–0–20–23–13–21–14–01–34–10–41–11–11–11–11–11–13–1
L.A. Clippers 1–11–12–21–11–11–32–21–11–32–22–0–1–40–21–13–12–00–22–00–20–40–52–30–43–20–41–1
L.A. Lakers 2–02–04–01–11–14–04–01–14–12–22–04–1–2–01–14–02–02–01–11–13–12–35–02–24–02–21–1
Miami 0–40–51–10–40–40–20–21–30–21–11–32–00–2–2–21–11–41–53–10–50–20–21–10–20–21–12–3
Milwaukee 2–32–22–01–42–31–11–12–31–11–12–31–11–12–2–2–04–02–25–01–31–11–11–11–12–00–23–1
Minnesota 1–11–12–20–21–11–40–50–21–32–21–11–30–41–10–2–1–11–11–11–10–41–32–21–41–30–51–1
New Jersey 2–21–51–11–30–40–20–20–40–21–10–40–20–24–10–41–1–1–41–31–40–20–21–10–20–20–22–3
New York 3–11–41–11–32–21–11–10–42–01–13–12–00–25–12–21–14–1–2–22–31–10–22–01–11–11–15–0
Orlando 0–50–41–12–31–40–20–20–50–20–21–40–21–11–30–51–13–12–2–2–20–20–21–11–10–21–10–4
Philadelphia 2–22–32–02–22–21–11–13–11–11–14–02–01–15–03–11–14–13–22–2–1–11–11–11–11–11–15–1
Phoenix 2–01–13–10–21–13–13–10–25–02–21–14–01–32–01–14–02–01–12–01–1–2–35–00–43–23–12–0
Portland 1–12–04–01–11–14–02–21–12–23–11–15–03–22–01–13–12–02–02–01–13–2–4–03–13–22–21–1
Sacramento 1–10–23–11–10–21–30–40–22–30–41–13–20–51–11–12–21–10–21–11–10–50–4–0–42–21–31–1
San Antonio 1–11–15–01–11–12–33–11–13–12–21–14–02–22–01–14–12–01–11–11–14–01–34–0–3–13–22–0
Seattle 1–10–24–01–11–12–22–21–13–22–21–12–30–42–00–23–12–01–12–01–12–32–32–21–3–1–32–0
Utah 1–11–15–02–01–13–14–01–12–22–31–14–02–21–12–05–02–01–11–11–11–32–23–12–33–1–2–0
Washington 2–23–22–01–31–31–11–10–41–11–11–31–11–13–21–31–13–20–54–01–50–21–11–10–20–20–2—
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Game log

Playoffs

More information 1990 playoff game log, Game ...
1990 playoff game log
First round: 2–3 (home: 2–1; road: 0–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1 April 26 New York W 116–105 Larry Bird (24) Larry Bird (18) Larry Bird (10) Boston Garden
14,890		 1–0
2 April 28 New York W 157–128 Kevin McHale (31) Robert Parish (16) Larry Bird (16) Boston Garden
14,890		 2–0
3 May 2 @ New York L 99–102 Larry Bird (31) Robert Parish (10) Larry Bird (8) Madison Square Garden
18,212		 2–1
4 May 4 @ New York L 108–135 Kevin McHale (24) Larry Bird (8) Johnson, Bagley (6) Madison Square Garden
18,212		 2–2
5 May 6 New York L 114–121 Larry Bird (31) Bird, Parish (9) Dennis Johnson (10) Boston Garden
14,890		 2–3
1990 schedule
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Player statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Regular season

More information Player, GP ...
Boston Celtics statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
John Bagley 541720.3.459.056.7441.65.5.7.14.3
Larry Bird 757539.3.473.333.9309.57.51.4.824.3
Kevin Gamble 711013.9.455.167.7941.61.7.4.15.1
Dennis Johnson 756527.1.434.042.8432.76.51.1.27.1
Joe Kleine 81416.9.480.000.8304.4.6.2.35.4
Reggie Lewis 795431.9.496.267.8084.42.81.1.817.0
Kevin McHale 822533.2.549.333.8938.32.1.41.920.9
Robert Parish 797830.3.580.74710.11.3.5.915.7
Jim Paxson 722517.8.453.250.8111.11.9.5.16.4
Ed Pinckney 775014.1.542.000.7732.9.9.4.54.7
Charles Smith 6008.7.444.000.6971.21.7.6.12.9
Michael Smith 6579.5.476.071.8281.51.2.1.05.0
Kelvin Upshaw† 1409.4.308.400.667.92.0.1.12.1
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Playoffs

More information Player, GP ...
Boston Celtics statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
John Bagley 5014.0.533.000.750.83.4.8.23.8
Larry Bird 5541.4.444.263.9069.28.81.01.024.4
Kevin Gamble 302.7.600.3.7.0.02.0
Dennis Johnson 5532.4.484.3331.0002.85.6.4.413.8
Joe Kleine 5015.8.765.000.8332.8.4.4.66.2
Reggie Lewis 5540.0.597.000.7715.04.41.4.420.2
Kevin McHale 5538.4.609.333.8627.82.6.42.022.0
Robert Parish 5534.0.574.94410.02.61.01.415.8
Jim Paxson 5012.4.500.000.750.01.41.0.03.8
Ed Pinckney 406.3.857.7781.5.0.0.04.8
Charles Smith 303.0.500.31.0.3.0.7
Michael Smith 404.0.625.0001.000.0.0.3.04.3
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Awards and records

Transactions

See also

References

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