'Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you' – Kevin McHale had an unusual response after lifting the Celtics past the Lakers

Each time the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers face each other, the top players of each franchise give it their all. However, bad nights are not exempt.

For the Cs, the usually prolific Kevin McHale had a poor outing. He finished with only 10 points in a January 1985 matchup, but it was his basket in the final seconds that mattered the most.

It was a dramatic win for Boston, which did not let the fans at their iconic Garden down. LA seemed to be in control until the play centered on Larry Bird and McHale deprived the Purple and Gold of a road win.

Keeping the faith in McHale

Although "The Herman Munster" was having a bad game, that did not stop "Larry Legend" from keeping the faith in his teammate. With about 15 seconds remaining, Bird was tasked with finding the right teammate to take the shot. That player turned out to be the 6'10" forward who converted on a jumper for the crucial points.

Celtics coach K.C. Jones admitted that the play was designed for McHale. However, the Minnesota standout needed the right moment to get the ball from Bird. The Black Hole got that opportunity and later heaved a huge sigh of relief.

"We have a saying on the Celtics, 'Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you,'" McHale said via UPI. "Well, it had me in a headlock until that last shot."

The Lakers brushed off the loss, with Magic Johnson saying that it was only a regular-season loss. However, Jones begged to disagree. The C's head tactician believed the victory gave his team some boost, and considering the two teams had just featured in the previous season's NBA finals, bragging rights on who was better was relevant.

Lakers have the last laugh

Both teams would end up jostling in the finals of that same year. The Lakers enjoyed the home-court advantage, but the Celtics gave them a battle.

The 1985 Finals went to six games, and the Purple and Gold came out on top. However, what made that Game 6 triumph sweeter was the fact that LA copped the crown at the Boston Garden.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar savored that NBA championship, pointing out how rare it was. He stressed that the Lakers were the only team to win an NBA title at that iconic arena, something that the Bean Town squad will have to live with forever.

"We're the only team to win a world championship in Boston Garden other than the Boston Celtics," Abdul-Jabbar said. "They gotta live with that forever. That was awesome. That made my career. It was that good to me. I enjoyed 1985, and I'm still enjoying it."

KAJ had a point. Prior to their 1985 triumph, only the Celtics had secured nine of their championships on their home court: in 1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1984, and 1986. The Celtics would leave the Garden in 1995, relocating to the Fleet Center, now known as the TD Garden.