On this day in Boston Celtics history, legendary forward John Havlicek stole the ball. In Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals, Hondo — as Havlicek was called — made one of the most iconic plays in NBA history.
With just five seconds remaining and Boston holding a 110-109 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers, Havlicek tipped an inbound pass to Boston’s Sam Jones, who then dribbled out the clock to secure the win. Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most immortalized the event in his play-by-play calling that featured him shouting, “Havlicek stole the ball! It’s all over! It’s all over!”
The crowd of course went wild, and Boston would go on to win their eighth title in the Finals over the Los Angeles Lakers after the triumph.