This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/1/2011
Boston's opponents in the 1976 NBA Finals were the Phoenix Suns, who had posted a 42–40 regular-season record. The Team in Green was the oddsmakers' choice in the contest. The Celtics took the first two games at Boston Garden, but the Suns came back to win games 3 and 4 on their home court. Game 5 ranks among the all-time thrillers in NBA history. The Suns trailed by 5 points with less than a minute left on the clock, but Westphal made up the deficit almost single-handedly, sending the game into a first overtime period, which ended in a tie. John Havlicek's basket with 2 seconds remaining in double overtime gave the Celtics a one-point lead, which Boston stretched to two points after sinking a technical foul. Then the Suns' Garfield Heard hit a last-second basket to send the contest into a third overtime. The longest game in NBA history finally ended, after three extra periods, with the Celtics winning 128–126. Two days later Boston captured yet another NBA championship, the 13th in franchise history. Produced in commemoration of the Celtics 1976 NBA championship, this 9-1/2" (diam.) glass plate features the leprechaun logo at center encircled by the proclamation, "13 World Championships 1976". The facsimile signatures of all Celtics players and personnel encircle the outer rim. The plate remains in perfect condition and comes in its original presentation box. Includes a letter of provenance from the Auerbach estate.