This Date In Celtics History: Cedric Maxwell fights 76ers fan in stands

The City of Brotherly Love had no such feelings toward Cedric Maxwell on May 1, 1981.

Exactly 39 years ago Friday, Maxwell's Boston Celtics entered The Spectrum for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers needing a win to force Game 7.

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The contest got chippy in a hurry, and tensions eventually boiled over into the stands, as Maxwell got into a scuffle with a 76ers fan under the basket after Darryl Dawkins pushed him in that direction.

Once order was restored, a thrilling finish unfolded: The Celtics stormed back from a 17-point deficit, while Maxwell hit two clutch free throws late to help Boston survive for a 100-98 win.

Maxwell later was fined for his altercation, but the C's went on to win Game 7 after trailing 3-1 in the series.

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Here are a few other notable May 1 performances from the C's, who are 7-7 all-time in games played on this date:

May 1, 2013: Paul Pierce (16 points, four rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (16 points, 18 rebounds) lead the Celtics to a 92-86 first-round playoff win over the New York Knicks in what will be their last win together as Celtics teammates.

May 1, 2003: Exactly a decade earlier, Pierce puts the Celtics on his back with 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists to help Boston eliminate the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the first round.

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