Havlicek stole the ball

[1] Havlicek was in his third year with the Celtics, and had already won two NBA championships with the team under coach Red Auerbach.

In a run that would span a total of 11 championships in 15 years (including four before Havlicek joined the team) with center Bill Russell among a lineup of future Hall of Fame members, Auerbach singled out his swingman Havlicek as the "guts of the team".

Their opponents would be the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by star center Wilt Chamberlain, a player they had acquired just that season in a mid-year trade.

Philadelphia had its own cast of future Hall of Famers to support Chamberlain, including Hal Greer and Chet Walker.

Havlicek was playing a bit off from Walker, giving Greer an opening to inbound the ball.

Greer's high lob to Walker was cut short when Havlicek leaped and with his right hand deflected the ball to teammate Sam Jones, who dribbled out the rest of regulation.

As the buzzer sounded, Jones passed the ball back to Havlicek, who launched a half-hearted shot towards the basket, it inconsequentially fell to the floor as time expired, preserving the win for the Celtics, and giving them the Eastern Division championship en route to their seventh straight NBA championship.

Havlicek would later mention how he'd always encounter random Celtic fans over the years who would show him a piece of the torn jersey that they acquired.

[5][6] The New England Historical Society dubbed it the greatest broadcast moment in basketball history.