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Forty-Eight Minutes: A Night in the Life of the NBA
This study of a game between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers provides an in-depth look at the plays, the players, the strategies--and the business concerns behind them all--in the world of professional basketball
372 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 16, 2014
Too much play-by-play The best parts of the book when it pulls away. Refs have a hard job.
October 18, 2018
I imagine this book is still a joy for basketball aficionados. Since I’m not, and just have a more general interest in sports writing, I found the play-by-plays interminable (and often impenetrable in their language, which definitely excludes the non-expert!). I skimmed much of the detailed game description, but I did thoroughly enjoy the pre-game, post game and ‘pull away’ sections.
June 3, 2026
An absolute delight to read. A time portal to a bygone era in the NBA and in sports coverage.
Two exceptional sports reporters from different cities joining forces to document every conceivable facet of a game their teams played in Boston in 1987 (from the chatter in the huddles to remarks from random people in bathrooms during halftime).
As a rabid 80’s/90’s hoops junkie, I absolutely ate this up. Casual fans will likely find the majority of the book tedious at times. But you learn so much about not merely the game but how it’s played and the people playing it. I thought I had heard every Bird story by now. But this book had several anecdotes I had never before heard and I loved learning it. I also found out just how much John Bagley’s unjustified obsession with chucking three’s grated on Lenny Wilkens. And how crazy the Cavaliers trainer was.
My favorite part were the entire pages devoted to the likes of random players like Fred Roberts.
This book so vividly captures this Celtics-Cavs game, it’s as if you’re in the Garden; transported to 1987 Boston and sitting courtside.
What a great read.
Two exceptional sports reporters from different cities joining forces to document every conceivable facet of a game their teams played in Boston in 1987 (from the chatter in the huddles to remarks from random people in bathrooms during halftime).
As a rabid 80’s/90’s hoops junkie, I absolutely ate this up. Casual fans will likely find the majority of the book tedious at times. But you learn so much about not merely the game but how it’s played and the people playing it. I thought I had heard every Bird story by now. But this book had several anecdotes I had never before heard and I loved learning it. I also found out just how much John Bagley’s unjustified obsession with chucking three’s grated on Lenny Wilkens. And how crazy the Cavaliers trainer was.
My favorite part were the entire pages devoted to the likes of random players like Fred Roberts.
This book so vividly captures this Celtics-Cavs game, it’s as if you’re in the Garden; transported to 1987 Boston and sitting courtside.
What a great read.
July 10, 2023
Super unique look at life in the NBA. In a world where every fan thinks of himself as a budding GM, willing to lose on purpose for a better draft pick, or trade every player on a whim, this book really puts the human element of the game into focus. It’s really hard work to win most nights.
Side note: I did not expect my Ohio Bobcats to catch so much collateral damage courtesy of Ron Harper.
Side note: I did not expect my Ohio Bobcats to catch so much collateral damage courtesy of Ron Harper.
March 26, 2018
Great Breakdown of a whole game plus what happens Pre Game and Post Game. I really enjoyed popping in and out of this one during ad breaks while watching current day games.
October 18, 2021
Great concept for a book but likely not worth your time if not a fan of the mid-80's Celtics.
February 3, 2025
IF YOU DONT LIKE THAT, YOU DONT LIKE NBA BASKETBALL
March 9, 2014
What a surprise! This book is 27 years old and I found it for a dollar at a book fair. Deal of the year for sure. This book should be read by anyone who is a fan of basketball, especially those that grew up watching the NBA in the mid to late 80s like myself. Authors Bob Ryan and Terry Pluto took you inside a regular season game between the then-champion Boston Celtics and the then-up-and-coming Cleveland Cavaliers played at the old Boston Garden. Great reporting and writing that takes you inside the game and how plays develop and the reason for them. Great stories on a lot of the players like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, Ron Harper, John "Hot Rod" Williams and others. Really took me back to the days where I still watched NBA games. One of the best basketball books I've ever read, I can see myself reading this again in a few years.
May 8, 2008
Baseball is the rightful magnet of writers but forty-eight minutes is a great sports book about basketball. Written by beat writers for the Boston Globe and the Akron Press, this book is a play by play minute by minute recounting of a game on January 16, 1987 between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics win in overtime. It doesn't hurt that we are talking about one of the all time best teams in NBA history: Bird, Parrish, McHale, Ainge, and Dennis Johnson. There are digressions about the players, the coaches, the franchises, the game. For anyone who loves the game of basketball, this book nails it
September 5, 2016
Classic play by play breakdown of an NBA Game.
May 26, 2009
probably my favorite sports book... I'm such a geek
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews