 In the playoffs, they eliminated the Washington Bullets in two games, and the Atlanta Hawks in five games.In the Eastern Conference Finals, the 76ers faced NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner Larry Bird and the 61–win Celtics, and owing to the core's three consecutive playoff appearances, the more experienced 76ers were favored to win the series.Proving the prognosticators right, Philadelphia won in five games, preventing the first Celtics–Lakers final since 1969.