Paul Westphal

Cross-checked official NBA, Celtics, and Suns histories, Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor coverage, 1976 Finals retrospectives, playoff series records, career highs, and archived box scores. The order centers Westphal's cerebral and statistical authorship of Phoenix's first Finals run, then preserves the 1979 near-breakthrough, his scoring summit, and the Boston championship that formed his winning foundation.

1. #1. Westphal scored 25 points and made the audacious decision to call an unavailable timeout with one second left in the second overtime, accepting a technical free throw to advance the ball and create the tying play in the 1976 Finals Game 5 classic. Suns: Hall of Famer Paul Westphal and the timeout that extended Game 5 · NBA official Suns–Celtics Finals Game 5 box score
2. #2. Westphal supplied 28 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and three steals as Phoenix beat Boston 109–107 in overtime in 1976 Finals Game 4, evening the franchise's first championship series at two games apiece. Suns: Westphal's first season in Phoenix reaches the NBA Finals · NBA official Celtics–Suns Finals Game 4 box score
3. #3. Westphal produced 27 points and five assists as Phoenix won 99–93 at Seattle in 1979 Western Conference finals Game 5, giving the Suns a 3–2 lead and moving them within one victory of a second Finals trip. NBA: Phoenix's 1979 conference-finals run · NBA official Suns–SuperSonics Game 5 box score
4. #4. Westphal set his career scoring high with 49 points on 19 field goals while adding two rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block as Phoenix won 125–116 at Detroit during his third and final All-NBA First Team season. NBA: Paul Westphal's three All-NBA First Team selections · NBA official Suns–Pistons box score
5. #5. Westphal contributed 12 points, six assists, three rebounds, and a steal as Boston routed Milwaukee 102–87 on the road in 1974 Finals Game 7, earning the championship that supplied the winning experience Phoenix sought when trading for him one year later. Suns: Westphal's Boston championship and Phoenix Hall of Fame legacy · NBA official Celtics–Bucks Finals Game 7 box score

Reviewed through 2026-07-18