Philadelphia 76ers: 15 greatest NBA playoff moments

6. Andrew Toney activates ‘Boston Strangler’ in 1982

An oft-forgotten name from those late 1970s, early 1980s Sixers teams is Andrew Toney. While foot injuries ended up shortening his career, Toney was as dynamic a scorer as any in his prime, offering the Sixers a go-to option next to Maurice Cheeks in the backcourt.

Over the course of his career, Toney became known for his standout performances against the Boston Celtics — the Sixers’ biggest rivals, both then and now. He was dubbed ‘the Boston Strangler’ as a result.

In the 1982 playoffs, Philadelphia and Boston were pitted against one another in the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a hard-fought series that ended up going seven games, with both teams throwing haymakers as the series progressed.

While it wasn’t a smooth ride, Toney was spectacular throughout, accumulating three 30+ point outings. All three came in wins. Perhaps his most memorable performance, however, was Game 7 — when Toney dropped 34 points in an exclamation that ended Boston’s season.

Toney was so effective that Boston traded for defensive specialist Dennis Johnson ahead of the 1983-84 season to slow him down. Johnson would go on to drop this gem.

"“Am I the answer to Andrew Toney? I don’t know. I don’t know if anyone can stop him. I’ve had some success against him, he’s had some success against me.” — Philly.com, via BallisLife"

In modern terms, Toney lived rent-free inside the Celtics’ head — and it was obvious. He was near the peak of his powers in 1982. His scoring went a long way in securing the Sixers’ conference title that season. Which led to the “Beat L.A. chants,” which carried into the following season’s title run.

When discussing all-time Sixers greats, don’t leave Toney out of the conversation.