The 1990–91 NBA season was the 45th season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Celtics hired Chris Ford as their new head coach. After playing in Italy the previous season, former Celtics guard Brian Shaw would return to the team after a one-year absence. After failing to advance past the first round in the two previous seasons, it appeared going into the 1990–91 season that the Celtics were fading as NBA title contenders. However, the Celtics burst to a 29–5 start reminiscent of their title years of the 1980s, and once again established themselves as contenders, holding a 35–12 record at the All-Star break. Beginning in January, Larry Bird began to miss significant playing time due to back injuries (Bird would miss 22 regular season games) and the team struggled in his absence. The team limped to the finish, losing 6 of their final 8 games to finish at 56–26 (still good for the Atlantic Division title and #2 seed in the East). The Celtics also qualified for the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season. Bird averaged 19.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game, while sixth man Kevin McHale averaged 18.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, and Robert Parish provided the team with 14.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Bird, McHale and Parish were all selected for the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, with Ford coaching the Eastern Conference, but Bird did not participate due to injury. In addition, Reggie Lewis finished second on the team in scoring with 18.7 points per game, while Kevin Gamble contributed 15.6 points per game, Shaw provided with 13.8 points, 7.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and top draft pick Dee Brown averaged 8.7 points and 4.2 assists per game off the bench, was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and also won the Slam Dunk Contest during the All-Star Weekend in Charlotte. Bird also finished tied in ninth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while McHale finished in third place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, Gamble finished in second place in Most Improved Player voting, and Ford finished in third place in Coach of the Year voting. In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Celtics survived a scare from the 7th-seeded Indiana Pacers, going the full five games before winning a classic finale (in which Bird went to the locker room during the game with injury, only to return and finish with 32 points). In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Celtics held home court advantage against the 2-time defending NBA Champion Detroit Pistons, but Bird missed Game 1 with injury and the Pistons took the game at Boston Garden, 86–75. Bird returned for the remainder of the series and the Celtics rallied to win Games 2 and 3 (Game 3 a blowout win in Detroit, 115–83), but Detroit won 3 in a row afterwards to take the series.

Draft picks

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs

Player statistics

Season

14.9

Playoffs

Awards and records

Transactions

Player Transactions Citation: