query: when is the last time the celtics went to the finals

pos: Boston Celtics championships since the league's founding. The Celtics have a notable rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, and have played the Lakers a record 12 times in the NBA Finals (including their most recent appearances in 2008 and 2010), of which the Celtics have won nine. Four Celtics players (Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Larry Bird) have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for an NBA record total of 10 MVP awards. Both the nickname "Celtics" and their mascot "Lucky the Leprechaun" are a nod to Boston's historically large Irish population. After winning 16 championships throughout the 20th

pos: NBA Finals Dwight Howard in 2009. The Lakers defeated Orlando in five games, with Bryant earning the Finals MVP award. The Lakers met the Celtics once again in , trailing 3–2 before winning the last two at home, marking the first time in the history of the Celtics that they lost a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Bryant was named Finals MVP, with the triumphs in 2009 and 2010 becoming Phil Jackson's 10th and 11th NBA titles. With these championship victories, Jackson surpassed both Red Auerbach's record for most NBA titles of all time. He also passed Auerbach's and National Hockey

pos: Celtics–Lakers rivalry of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the early 1990s, but in when the two teams met in the Finals for the first time since , with the Celtics winning the series 4–2. They met again in the 2010 NBA Finals, which the Lakers won in 7 games. The rivalry was renewed again on July 1, 2018 when LeBron James signed with the Lakers and when his former teammate Kyrie Irving was traded to the Celtics the previous year. The two had played for the Cleveland Cavaliers during 2014–17 and won a championship together in 2016. Additionally, former Celtics star

pos: Amway Arena the Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers. The final NBA game at Amway Arena was Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics on May 26, 2010; the Magic won the game, telecast on ESPN on ABC. The Celtics would then win Game 6 in Boston, advancing to face the Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals. Other sporting events include the 1992 United States Figure Skating Championships and the IHL Finals in 1996, 1999 and 2001, when the Orlando Solar Bears won the Turner Cup in the IHL's last season of operations. During the 1993–94 NHL season,

pos: Paul Pierce In game 3 of the first round between the Celtics and Miami Heat in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, Pierce hit a 21-foot jumper at the buzzer to beat Miami 100–98, and give the Celtics a 3–0 series lead. The Celtics went on to win that series, and also defeated the heavily favored Cavaliers in the second round. They faced the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals, and beat them in 6 games to advance to their second Finals appearance in the Big 3 era. They faced off against the Lakers in a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals, and

neg: Boston Celtics champion Celtics for more than a decade. With Bill Russell, the Celtics advanced to the 1957 NBA Finals and defeated the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, the first of a record 17 championships. Russell went on to win 11 championships, making him the most decorated player in NBA history. In 1958, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals, this time losing to the Hawks in 6 games. However, with the acquisition of K.C. Jones that year, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for more than a decade. In 1959, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after

neg: 2008 NBA Finals played in the NBA finals. The Lakers appeared in the Finals for the first time since and a record 29th time overall. The Celtics appeared in the Finals for the first time since and second-best 20th time overall. Going into the series, the Celtics had won the most championships of all-time with 16, and the Lakers were second with 14. The two clubs, the most successful teams in NBA history, looked to renew a longstanding rivalry 21 years after their last Finals meeting in 1987. They narrowly missed meeting each other in 2002, when the Lakers advanced to the Finals,

neg: 2010 NBA Playoffs Lakers beat the Suns, who defeated them in the first round in 2006 and 2007. The Celtics defeated the Magic, who eliminated them in 2009. And in the finals, the Lakers beat the Celtics who defeated them in the 2008 NBA Finals. Game 5 of the Magic-Celtics series was the last game played at Amway Arena (formerly known as Orlando Arena and TD Waterhouse Centre). The Magic, who last year upset the top-seeded Cavaliers in 6 after they went 8-0 through the first two rounds, also went 8-0 through two playoff series, only to suffer the same fate as the

neg: 1987–88 Boston Celtics season won 4-1) (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Detroit Pistons: "Pistons win series 4-2" Last Playoff Meeting: 1987 Eastern Conference Finals (Boston won 4-3) The Celtics would end up losing to the Detroit Pistons in the conference finals as an aging Celtics team was beginning to falter against a younger and fresher pistons team. This would be the first time in 5 years that the Celtics would not make it to the finals and would not return to another finals until 2008. 1987–88 Boston Celtics season The 1987–88 Boston Celtics season was the 42nd season of the Boston Celtics in the

neg: 1962 NBA Playoffs Semifinals (1) Boston Celtics have division semifinals byes. (2) Philadelphia Warriors vs. (3) Syracuse Nationals: "Warriors win series 3-2" Last Playoffs meeting: 1961 Eastern Division Semifinals (Syracuse won 3-0). Division Finals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Philadelphia Warriors: "Celtics win series 4-3" Last Playoffs meeting: 1960 Eastern Division Finals (Boston won 4-2). (1) Boston Celtics vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers:"Celtics win series 4-3" Last Playoffs meeting: 1959 NBA Finals (Boston won 4-0; Lakers were in Minneapolis at the time). 1962 NBA Playoffs The 1962 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1961-62 season. The tournament concluded

neg: 1959 NBA Playoffs series 4-2" Last Playoff Meeting: 1957 NBA Western Division Finals (St. Louis won 3-0) Champion: Boston Celtics Division Semifinals (1) Boston Celtics have division semifinals bye. (2) New York Knicks vs. (3) Syracuse Nationals: "Nationals win series 2-0" Last Playoff Meeting: 1952 NBA Eastern Division Finals (New York won 3-1) Division Finals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Syracuse Nationals: "Celtics win series 4-3" Last Playoff Meeting: 1957 NBA Eastern Division Finals (Boston won 3-0) (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Minneapolis Lakers: "Celtics win series 4-0" Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Celtics and Lakers. 1959 NBA

neg: 1962 NBA Finals Instead, the game went into OT in which the Celtics then won the game and thus the title. For the Lakers, it would start the pattern of not winning the big games in the NBA Finals, something that lasted until 1972 when the Lakers finally won their first title in Los Angeles. The Lakers would not defeat the Celtics in the NBA Finals until 1985, which they did on the Celtics' home floor; they lost to the Boston Celtics in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1984 and 2008. After the 1985 Finals, the Lakers would beat the Celtics in the

neg: 1986–87 Boston Celtics season In the Finals, the Celtics faced off against their long time rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, in their third and final matchup in the NBA Finals in the 1980s. The Celtics would lose in six games to the Lakers, and it marked the last time the Celtics made it to the NBA Finals until 2008. Thanks to the 1984 trade of Gerald Henderson and the subsequent fall of the Seattle SuperSonics, at the end of the 1985–86 season the Celtics owned not only the best team in the NBA but also the second pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. The

neg: 1984–85 Los Angeles Lakers season defeating the Denver Nuggets in five games in the Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the fifth time in the 1980s, facing off against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in a rematch of last season's NBA Finals. This time, however, the Lakers were able to return to their championship ways and win their ninth NBA championship, avenging their NBA Finals loss and getting revenge on the Celtics, defeating them in six games, and marking the first time the Lakers had defeated the Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Lakers also became the only team to have

neg: Isiah Thomas held on to win. In the 1985 NBA Playoffs, Thomas and his team went to the conference semifinals against the 15-time NBA champion Boston Celtics led by future basketball Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. Detroit couldn't shake the Celtics in their six-game series, eventually losing. In the 1987 NBA Playoffs, Thomas and the Pistons went to the Eastern Conference Finals and faced the Celtics again. It was the furthest the team had advanced since moving from Fort Wayne, when they were the Zollner-Pistons. Detroit was able to tie the Celtics at two games

neg: 1986–87 Los Angeles Lakers season defeated the Golden State Warriors in five games in the Semifinals, and swept the Seattle SuperSonics in four games in the Conference Finals. The highlight of the season saw the Lakers winning the NBA Finals, and their tenth NBA title over the defending NBA champions and rivals, the Boston Celtics, in six games. This marked the third and final time the Lakers and Celtics faced off against each other in the NBA Finals in the 1980s, as well as the last time the Lakers and Celtics faced off against each other in the NBA Finals until 2008, where the Celtics

neg: 1985 NBA Finals fell in five games to the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. The Celtics defeated the Rockets in six games in 1986, the franchise's sixteenth championship. Bird was named Finals MVP for the second time in three seasons. The Lakers and Celtics met again in 1987 with Los Angeles winning in six games. It was the last time Magic Johnson and Larry Bird would meet in the NBA Finals. The Lakers and Celtics would not square off again for the championship until 2008. 1985 NBA Finals The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National

neg: Ben Kerner next season gave Kerner and the Hawks their championship, as the Hawks and Celtics met in the 1958 NBA Finals for the second consecutive year. This time the Hawks won, defeating the Celtics four games to two. Pettit scored 50 points in the deciding game, tipping in the final basket for a 110-109 victory at home. The Celtics, still coached by Auerbach, and the Hawks (coached by Ed Macauley) met for a third time in the 1960 NBA Finals. The finals went seven games, with the Celtics winning game seven 122-103 at the Boston Garden. Pettit averaged 25 points per

neg: 1963 NBA Playoffs for the Syracuse Nationals under that name; they moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the following season and became known as the Philadelphia 76ers. This was the first time that both Division Finals series went to a deciding Game 7, and will be the last until 1979 and again until 2018. Champion: Los Angeles Lakers Division Semifinals (1) Los Angeles Lakers have division semifinals byes. (2) St. Louis Hawks vs. (3) Detroit Pistons: "Hawks win series 3-1" Division Finals (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) St. Louis Hawks: "Lakers win series 4-3" Champion: Boston Celtics Division Semifinals (1) Boston Celtics have division

neg: 1984–85 Boston Celtics season In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the First Round in four games, the Detroit Pistons in the Semifinals in six games, and the Philadelphia 76ers in the Conference Finals in five games to advance to the NBA Finals. In the Finals, they faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers, the team who they beat in last season's NBA Finals in seven games, and have beaten a total of 8 consecutive times in their NBA Finals matchups. However, the Celtics were defeated in six games by the Lakers, marking the first time the Celtics were defeated by

neg: NBA Finals wins from ten franchises; the Western Conference has 32, from nine franchises. The Boston Celtics went 11–1 in the NBA Finals during 13 seasons (1956–57 to 1968–69). They won eight straight NBA championships from 1959 through 1966. This period marks the largest stretch of seasons that a single team made up over 65% of Finals appearances, and also includes the only ever time the NBA Finals was decided in double overtime. With the establishment of the Celtics dynasty in 1957 spearheaded by center Bill Russell, the team saw great success, only ever encountering difficulty when up against teams led by

neg: 1974 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals (Los Angeles won 4-2) Last playoff meeting: This is the first meeting between the Bulls and the Pistons. Last playoff meeting: This is the first meeting between the Bucks and the Bulls. Champion: Boston Celtics Last playoff meeting: This is the first meeting between the Celtics and the Braves. Last playoff meeting: 1973 Eastern Conference Semifinals (New York won 4-1) Last playoff meeting: 1973 Eastern Conference Finals (New York won 4-3) (1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (1) Boston Celtics: "Celtics win series 4–3" Last playoff meeting: This is the first meeting between the Bucks and the Celtics. 1974

neg: 1985 NBA Finals Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Celtics four games to two to defeat the Celtics for the first time in Laker history in the NBA Finals. It would mark the last time the NBA World Championship Series branding would be in use as the NBA Finals branding would replace it the next season. The video documentary "Return to Glory" recaps the 1985 NBA Playoff action. After losing to the Celtics in the previous year's finals, the Lakers entered the 1984–85 NBA season with a mission. Once again using the effective Showtime offense, they ran away with the Western Conference-leading 62 wins.

neg: 1968 NBA Playoffs "Lakers win series 4-0" Last Playoff Meeting: 1967 Western Division Semifinals (San Francisco won 3-0) Champion: Boston Celtics Division Semifinals (1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (3) New York Knicks: "76ers win series 4-2" Last Playoff Meeting: 1959 Eastern Division Semifinals (Syracuse, the predecessor to Philadelphia, won 3-2) (2) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Detroit Pistons: "Celtics win series 4-2" This is the first playoff meeting between the Celtics and the Pistons. Division Finals (1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (2) Boston Celtics: "Celtics win series 4-3" Last Playoff Meeting: 1967 Eastern Division Finals (Philadelphia won 4-1) (2) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers:

neg: History of the Boston Celtics build the Celtics for more than a decade. Russell, who delayed joining until the middle of the 1957 season in order to play for the U.S. Olympic Team, had an immediate impact. Russell joined the Celtics in December 1956 and went on to play most every game during which the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals and defeated the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, giving the Celtics the first of their record 17 NBA Championships. In 1958, the Celtics again advanced to the NBA Finals, this time losing to the Hawks in 6 games. However, with the acquisition of

neg: 2008 NBA Finals the Utah Jazz by 42 points, 96–54. The Celtics also improved their overall record against the Lakers to 9–2 in Finals meetings, beating them in the Finals for the first time since 1984. This was the Celtics' 17th championship, their first since , extending their record for most NBA championships won by a single team. All this capped off the Celtics' best regular season (66–16) since their previous championship season in which they went 67–15. It was also a sense of relief, as the Celtics set an NBA record for most playoff games ever needed to win a championship, with

neg: 1987 NBA Finals 1987 NBA Finals The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1986–87 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference and defending NBA champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2. The key moment of the series was Magic Johnson's junior sky hook in Game 4. This was the tenth time that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals (more than any other Finals matchup). It would be the Celtics' last Finals appearance until the two teams met in 2008. This was

neg: Celtics–Lakers rivalry to the Finals. The Lakers had home court advantage for the first time and won the first two games, but the Celtics rebounded to force and win a dramatic Game 7 at the Los Angeles Forum, defying Laker's owner Jack Kent Cooke's infamous prediction of a Lakers celebration. West was named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team, but it was small consolation in a decade where the Lakers went without a championship, every one of their Finals' losses in that decade coming at the hands of the Celtics. The 1969 Finals also caused a deterioration in the relationship

neg: 1987 NBA Finals O'Brien when he attended the birth of his son. Brown was on for Games 3 and 4. Both Brown and O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. While Lesley Visser was on for all the games as sideline reporter for CBS as she reported on the Celtics' sideline. The 1987 Finals would be the Celtics' last until 2008, but would be the last for the 'Big Three' of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. In K.C. Jones' final season as Celtics' coach they still won the Atlantic Division title by winning 57 games, but the Celtics fell in six games

neg: 1980–81 Boston Celtics season series 4–2" Last Playoff Meeting: 1980 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Boston won 4-0) 1980–81 Boston Celtics season In 1980–81 the Boston Celtics went 62-20 under coach Bill Fitch. Despite losing center Dave Cowens to retirement late in training camp, the Celtics went on to capture the 1981 NBA Championship over the Houston Rockets. The highlight was that this championship was achieved just two years after Larry Bird had been drafted. Cedric Maxwell was named NBA Finals MVP. After the 1979-80 season, Auerbach completed what may be the most lopsided trade in NBA history. Auerbach had always been a fan of stockpiling

neg: 1960 NBA Finals the last time the NBA Finals would be played in the month of March. "Boston Celtics win series 4–3" 1960 NBA Finals The 1960 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1960 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association 1959–60 season. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion St. Louis Hawks and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. It was Boston's fourth trip to the NBA Finals and St. Louis' third. The Celtics beat the Hawks 4–3. The Finals featured Hall of Famers Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, Frank Ramsey, Sam Jones,

neg: Brad Stevens Celtics to the 2017 playoffs as the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a 53–29 record. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. On July 4, 2017, Stevens was reunited with his former college player Gordon Hayward when Hayward signed a contract to play for the Celtics. In the 2017–18 season, the Celtics' roster saw a massive change, as two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Kyrie Irving. Stevens and the Celtics went 55–27, finishing the season as the second seed in

neg: 2008 NBA Finals XLIX, and LI (2014 and 2016 seasons). The Celtics won this series by winning Games 1, 2, 4, and 6; coincidentally, the last time the two teams met in , the Lakers won that series in identical fashion. It was also the same identical fashion when the Celtics won the NBA Finals in before this championship. | align="left" | || 6 || 6 || 41.0 || .507 || .524 || .867 || 5.0 || 2.5 || 1.3 || 0.7 || 20.3 | align="left" | || 5 || 0 || 7.0 || .556 || .333 || .500 || 1.8 || 0.2

neg: 1960 NBA Playoffs Lakers: "Lakers win series 2-0" Last Playoff Meeting: 1959 NBA Western Division Semifinals (Minneapolis won 2-1) Division Finals (1) St. Louis Hawks vs. (3) Minneapolis Lakers: "Hawks win series 4-3" Last Playoff Meeting: 1959 NBA Western Division Finals (Minneapolis won 4-2) Champion: Boston Celtics Division Semifinals (1) Boston Celtics have division semifinals bye. (2) Philadelphia Warriors vs. (3) Syracuse Nationals: "Warriors win series 2-1" Last Playoff Meeting: 1958 NBA Eastern Division Semifinals (Philadelphia won 2-1) Division Finals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Philadelphia Warriors: "Celtics win series 4-2" Last Playoff Meeting: 1959 NBA Eastern Division Finals (Boston won 4-0) (1)

neg: 1980–81 Boston Celtics season Points; AVG = Average" The Celtics have a first-round bye. Boston defeats the Chicago Bulls four games to none (4-0) in a best of seven series. (1) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Chicago Bulls: "Celtics win series 4–0" Last Playoff Meeting: Not available (first playoff series) Boston defeats the Philadelphia 76ers four games to three (4-3) in a best of seven series after making a comeback when they were losing 3-1. (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: "Celtics win series 4–3" Last Playoff Meeting: 1980 Eastern Conference Finals (Philadelphia won 4-1) (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W6) Houston Rockets: "Celtics win

neg: 1987 NBA Playoffs 4-2" This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning eight of the first nine meetings. 1987 NBA Playoffs The 1987 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1986–87 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Lakers earned their 10th NBA championship, and Magic Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP for a then-record third time. This was the last time the Celtics would appear in the NBA Finals until 2008.

neg: 1955 NBA Playoffs Pistons vs. (2) Minneapolis Lakers: "Pistons win series 3-1" Last Playoff Meeting: 1953 NBA Western Division Finals (Minneapolis won 3-2) Champion: Syracuse Nationals Division Semifinals (1) Syracuse Nationals have division semifinals bye. (2) New York Knicks vs. (3) Boston Celtics: "Celtics win series 2-1" Last Playoff Meeting: 1953 NBA Eastern Division Finals (New York won 3-1) Division Finals (1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (3) Boston Celtics: "Nationals win series 3-1" Last Playoff Meeting: 1954 NBA Eastern Division Finals (Syracuse won 2-0) (1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (1) Fort Wayne Pistons: "Nationals win series 4-3" Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting

neg: 1986 NBA Finals streak to 48 games and went on to win 59 games, 39 of which came at either Boston Garden or Hartford Civic Center. The Celtics went the distance in the 1987 NBA Playoffs; save for a three-game sweep of the Chicago Bulls in the first round, they were pushed to a Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons before eventually returning to the NBA Finals. The Celtics faltered down the stretch due to injuries, fatigue and age. This would also be the last championship for a team in the Boston area until the New England Patriots won Super

neg: 1983 NBA Finals in five games to the then-defending NBA champions. The Lakers would return to the Finals again in , but were defeated for the second straight year, this time by their arch-rivals, the Boston Celtics in seven games. They would, however, defeat the Celtics in 1985 in six games, and win two more titles in 1987 and 1988. The 1983 Finals was the last to end within the month of May. All Finals series thereafter would end within the month of June. This was the only championship not to be won by either the Celtics or Lakers between and and the

neg: 1983–84 Boston Celtics season five series. (1) Boston Celtics vs. (5) New York Knicks: "Celtics win series 4-3" Last Playoff Meeting: 1974 Eastern Conference Finals (Boston won 4-3) Boston defeats the New York Knicks four games to three (4-3) in a best of seven series. (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Milwaukee Bucks: "Celtics win series 4-1" Last Playoff Meeting: 1983 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Milwaukee won 4-0) Boston defeats the Milwaukee Bucks four games to one (4-1) in a best of seven series. (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W1) Los Angeles Lakers: "Celtics win series 4-3" Last Playoff Meeting: 1969 NBA Finals (Boston won 4-3) The

neg: 1957 NBA Playoffs semifinals bye. (2) Syracuse Nationals vs. (3) Philadelphia Warriors: "Nationals win series 2-0" Last Playoff Meeting: 1956 NBA Eastern Division Finals (Philadelphia won 3-2) Division Finals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Syracuse Nationals: "Celtics win series 3-0" Last Playoff Meeting: 1956 NBA Eastern Division Semifinals (Syracuse won 2-1) (1) Boston Celtics vs. (1) St. Louis Hawks: "Celtics win series 4-3" Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Hawks and Celtics. 1957 NBA Playoffs The 1957 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1956-57 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston

neg: 1958 NBA Playoffs Semifinals (1) Boston Celtics have division semifinals byes. (2) Syracuse Nationals vs. (3) Philadelphia Warriors: "Warriors win series 2-1" Last Playoffs meeting: 1957 Eastern Division Semifinals (Syracuse won 2-0). Division Finals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia Warriors: "Celtics win series 4-1" Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Celtics and Warriors. (1) Boston Celtics vs. (1) St. Louis Hawks: "Hawks win series 4-2" Last Playoffs meeting: 1957 NBA Finals (Boston won 4-3). 1958 NBA Playoffs The 1958 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1957-58 season. The tournament concluded with the Western

neg: 1987–88 Boston Celtics season trailed 3–2 to Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks, but won the final two games. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth consecutive time, becoming the first team to do so since the 1968–69 Boston Celtics (which reached the previous thirteen). However, they would lose to Isiah Thomas and the 2nd-seeded Detroit Pistons in six games. (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) New York Knicks: "Celtics win series 3-1" Last Playoff Meeting: 1984 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Boston won 4-3) (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks: "Celtics win series 4-3" Last Playoff Meeting: 1986 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Boston

neg: History of the Houston Rockets him as "the greatest moment of my basketball career". The Rockets competed in the finals for only the second time in team history, once again facing the Celtics. Boston sportswriters were not happy about not getting a shot at revenge against the Lakers who had beaten the Celtics in the Finals the year before, yet the matchup was interesting with the young front court challenging the playoff-hardened Celtics front court of Bird, McHale and Parish. The Celtics won the first two games at the Boston Garden, only for the Rockets to win two games once the series went back to

neg: 2008 NBA Finals scored over 13 points, with 25. The Lakers jumped out to a 35–14 lead after the first quarter, which was the largest first-quarter lead in NBA Finals history. The Lakers held their ground for most of the third quarter, leading by as many as 24 points. However, the Celtics went on a 21–3 run to end the third quarter, closing the deficit to only two points (73–71). With 4:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Celtics took their first lead in the game when Celtics' reserve Eddie House made an jumper. With House's shot, the Celtics were in the lead

neg: 1953 NBA Playoffs Baltimore Bullets: "Knicks win series 2–0" Last Playoff Meeting: 1949 Eastern Division Semifinals (New York won 2–1) (2) Syracuse Nationals vs. (3) Boston Celtics: "Celtics win series 2–0" Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Nationals and Celtics. Division Finals (1) New York Knicks vs. (3) Boston Celtics: "Knicks win series 3–1" Last Playoff Meeting: 1952 Eastern Division Semifinals (New York won 2–1) (1) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (1) New York Knicks: "Lakers win series 4–1" Last Playoff Meeting: 1952 NBA Finals (Minneapolis won 4–3) 1953 NBA Playoffs The 1953 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the

neg: 76ers–Celtics rivalry Warriors, bringing the Chamberlain/Russell matchup back into the rivalry as well. The Celtics and Sixers met in the Eastern Conference Finals that season with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. The series went the distance, with Game 7 being held at the Boston Garden. With 5 seconds left and Boston leading 110-109, Russell tried to inbound the ball when it hit a guy wire that supported the backboard, which resulted in a turnover. However, the Sixers failed to capitalize when Celtics forward John Havlicek deflected the inbound pass to Sam Jones, who ran out the clock. The

neg: 1963 NBA Playoffs 1963 NBA Playoffs The 1963 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1962-63 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won their 5th straight and 6th overall, NBA title. Boston defeated L.A. in the NBA Finals for the second straight year, something that happened regularly in the 1960s. The Cincinnati Royals advanced to the Division Finals for the first time since 1952, extending the Celtics to seven games. This was the last playoff appearance

neg: History of the Boston Celtics Famers on the team the Celtics had a core in place to become a dominant team in the NBA. The Celtics went 62–20 under coach Bill Fitch in 1980–81, despite losing center Dave Cowens to retirement late in training camp. Once again the Celtics matched up with the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics fell behind 3 games to 1 before coming back to win a classic 7th game, 91–90. The Celtics went on to capture the 1981 NBA Championship over the Houston Rockets, just two years after Bird had been drafted. Maxwell was named NBA Finals MVP.

neg: Larry Bird against the Rockets in the Finals. Bird averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game for the championship round, leading Boston to victory in six games. The '86 Celtics are commonly ranked as one of the greatest basketball teams of all-time, with the "Boston Globe"s Peter May and Grantland's Bill Simmons listing them at number one. In 1987, the Celtics made their last Finals appearance of Bird's career, fighting through difficult series against the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons but as they reached the NBA Finals, the Celtics, hampered by devastating injuries, lost to a dominant Lakers team

neg: 1983–84 Boston Celtics season won 4–3, and the first time the two teams met in the Finals in the 1980s. The Celtics would go on to defeat the Lakers in seven games, winning their fifteenth NBA championship, and extending their NBA Finals victories over the Lakers to 8. "Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Scoring Average" (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Washington Bullets: "Celtics win series 3-1" Last Playoff Meeting: 1982 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Boston won 4-1) Boston defeats the Washington Bullets three games to one (3-1) in a best of

neg: 1987 NBA Playoffs 1987 NBA Playoffs The 1987 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1986–87 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Lakers earned their 10th NBA championship, and Magic Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP for a then-record third time. This was the last time the Celtics would appear in the NBA Finals until 2008. Boston only advanced as far as the Conference Finals twice in that stretch: losing the following year to the Detroit Pistons

neg: 2008 NBA Finals but the Celtics, who led 2–1 in the Conference Finals, eventually fell to the favored New Jersey Nets 4–2. This was the 11th time the teams met in the championship round; the Celtics won eight of their previous ten Finals meetings against the Lakers, winning in , , , , , , and —the Lakers won in and . The Celtics' 66–16 record gave them home court advantage over Los Angeles (57–25). This was the first time since , when the Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz for the championship, and the only time in the 2000s decade that an

neg: 1983–84 Boston Celtics season In the game the Lakers rallied from a 14-point-deficit to three with one minute remaining when Cedric Maxwell knocked the ball away from Magic Johnson. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. The series was the eighth time in NBA history that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA finals, with Boston winning each time. 1983–84 Boston Celtics season The 1983–84 Boston Celtics were champions of the National Basketball Association (NBA) led by regular season and finals MVP Larry Bird. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated

neg: 1985–86 Houston Rockets season Boston Celtics in a rematch of the 1981 NBA Finals, where the Celtics won in six games. Just like in their previous NBA Finals meeting, the Rockets would lose in six games against the Celtics. (2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Sacramento Kings:"Rockets win series 3–0" Last Playoff Meeting: 1981 Western Conference Finals (Houston won 4–1; Kings were in Kansas City, Missouri) (2) Houston Rockets vs. (3) Denver Nuggets: "Rockets win series 4–2" Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Rockets and Nuggets. (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Houston Rockets: "Rockets win series 4–1" Last Playoff Meeting:

neg: NBA Finals the Heat won their first championship in game six. The Lakers returned to the finals in 2008, against the Boston Celtics. Renewing the teams' rivalry, this marked the 11th time that these two teams met in the Finals, the last meeting happened in 1987. The Celtics, who defeated the Lakers 4–2, were led by their "Big Three" superstars of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce, who was also named Finals MVP. The Lakers bounced back from their 2008 loss and returned to the Finals in 2009, where they faced the Orlando Magic, led by Defensive Player of the Year

neg: 1990 NBA Finals 1990 NBA Finals The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989–90 NBA season. The series pitted the Detroit Pistons (the previous year's champions) against the Portland Trail Blazers. This was the first NBA Finals since 1979 not to involve either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Boston Celtics. The Pistons became just the third franchise in NBA history to win back-to-back championships, joining the Lakers and Celtics. The Trail Blazers last made the NBA Finals when they won the NBA championship in 1977. In between Finals appearances, the Blazers made the playoffs every year except 1982, but

neg: 1981 NBA Finals first of four in franchise history. It would be the only time two conference finalists in the playoffs both had losing records, and the second and last time to date a team with a losing record made it all the way to the Finals round (the first being the 1959 Minneapolis Lakers). This was the Celtics' first appearance in The Finals since their 1976 championship winning team against the Phoenix Suns. The Celtics were not quite the same team as five years before, as they added the likes of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, a trio that would

neg: 2001–02 Boston Celtics season lead. Following the season, Kenny Anderson was traded along with Vitaly Potapenko to the Seattle SuperSonics, and Rogers signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets. (3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers Last Playoff Meeting: 1985 Eastern Conference Finals (Boston won 4-1) (2) Detroit Pistons vs. (3) Boston Celtics Last Playoff Meeting: 1991 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Boston won 4-2) (1) New Jersey Nets vs. (3) Boston Celtics Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Nets and Celtics. 2001–02 Boston Celtics season The 2001–02 NBA season was the 56th season for the Boston Celtics in

neg: 1973 NBA Playoffs Conference Finals (2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Golden State Warriors: "Lakers win series 4-1" Last playoff meeting: 1969 Western Division Semifinals (Los Angeles won 4-2) Champion: New York Knicks Conference Semifinals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks: "Celtics win series 4-2" Last playoff meeting: 1972 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Boston won 4-2) (2) New York Knicks vs. (3) Baltimore Bullets: "Knicks win series 4-1" Last playoff meeting: 1972 Eastern Conference Semifinals (New York won 4-2) Conference Finals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) New York Knicks: "Knicks win series 4-3" Last playoff meeting: 1972 Eastern Conference Finals (New York won

neg: 1986 NBA Playoffs 1986 NBA Playoffs The 1986 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985–86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time. This was the second NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Rockets; they met in the 1981 NBA Finals with the same result. It was the third of four straight Eastern Conference championships for Boston, who won 67 games that year, and went 40–1 at home.

neg: 1983–84 Boston Celtics season 1983–84 Boston Celtics season The 1983–84 Boston Celtics were champions of the National Basketball Association (NBA) led by regular season and finals MVP Larry Bird. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in the First Round in three games, defeated the New York Knicks in the Semifinals in seven games, and defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the Conference Finals in five games, advancing to the NBA Finals. In the Finals, the Celtics faced their long time rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, the first time the two teams faced off against each other since 1969 in which the Celtics

neg: Celtics–Pistons rivalry Detroit played 6 in the first and 5 in the second. The Celtics won a hard fought series in 6. Boston went on to capture their 17th NBA title by defeating the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals. Boston wins series 4–2. Celtics–Pistons rivalry The Celtics–Pistons rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. The two teams played each other in the NBA playoffs five times from 1985–1991, with Boston winning in 1985 and 1987, and Detroit winning en route to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 1988 and 1989, and 1991. The

neg: 1959–60 St. Louis Hawks season a 7th game. In St. Louis the Hawks won 97–86 to earn a trip to the NBA Finals. The Hawks challenged the Boston Celtics for the 3rd time in 4 years. The Hawks and Celtics alternated wins as the series went to a 7th game. In Game 7 the Celtics would claim the title as Bill Russell scored 18 points in the 2nd Quarter. The Hawks had a division semifinal bye. (1) St. Louis Hawks vs. (2) Minneapolis Lakers: "Hawks win series 4–3" (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W1) St. Louis Hawks: "Celtics win series 4–3" 1959–60 St. Louis Hawks season

neg: 1985–86 Boston Celtics season reach the NBA Finals for a third consecutive season. In the NBA Finals, the Celtics faced off against the Houston Rockets in a rematch of the 1981 NBA Finals, which the Celtics won in six games. The Celtics would go on to win their 16th championship and the last for 22 years, defeating the Houston Rockets in six games in the NBA Finals, and had won 82 combined regular season and playoff games, a record that stood until the Chicago Bulls racked up 87 combined wins en route to a title (the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors broke that record with

neg: Boston Celtics points in the fourth quarter of Game 1, guard Avery Bradley went down with a hamstring injury, making him sit out for the rest of the series. The Celtics lost the series 4–2 to the Hawks, ending their season. On July 8, 2016, the Celtics signed 4-time All-Star Al Horford. The Celtics finished the 2016–17 season with a 53–29 record and clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference. After a hip injury ended Thomas' impressive playoff run in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics eventually lost to the Cavaliers in five games. For the 2017 NBA

neg: 1960 NBA Playoffs Boston Celtics vs. (1) St. Louis Hawks: "Celtics win series 4-3" Last Playoff Meeting: 1958 NBA Finals (St. Louis won 4-2) 1960 NBA Playoffs The 1960 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1959-60 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. This was the second straight and third overall NBA title for Boston, who got revenge for the Hawks' win over them in 1958. The 1960 Finals was the third Celtics–Hawks Finals in the past four

neg: 76ers–Celtics rivalry straight NBA Championship. The next year the Sixers brought in Alex Hannum as head coach. Hannum had also coached the Bob Pettit-led St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 NBA Championship-the last year someone had defeated the Celtics in the championship. The Sixers went a then-NBA record 68-13 while the Celtics were 60-21. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Sixers overpowered Boston, beating them in five games and ending Boston's eight-year reign as NBA champions. The Sixers won the NBA Championship by beating the San Francisco Warriors in six games, giving the Sixers and Chamberlain their first title. The 1966-67 76ers

neg: 1977 NBA Playoffs not make the postseason again until 1984. For the first time since 1956, the Eastern Conference Finals had neither the Celtics nor Knicks participating. The referees went on strike during these playoffs. Champion: Portland Trail Blazers (1) Los Angeles Lakers & (2) Denver Nuggets have first round byes. (3) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (6) Chicago Bulls: "Blazers win series 2–1" Last playoff meeting: This is the first meeting between the Bulls and the Trail Blazers. (4) Golden State Warriors vs. (5) Detroit Pistons: "Warriors win series 2–1" Last playoff meeting: 1976 Western Conference Semifinals (Golden State won 4-2) (1) Los

neg: History of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1983 NBA Finals. Byron Scott joined the team the next year, in a trade for the popular Norm Nixon, and the Lakers got off to a roaring start. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set the NBA all-time scoring record against Utah on April 5, 1984, topping Wilt Chamberlain's 31,419. The Lakers returned to the finals to face Larry Bird's Boston Celtics. The 1984 Finals were a brutal slugfest with games 1, 2, 5, and 7 played in the June heat and humidity of Boston Garden. The Celtics won the last match 111–102 to clinch the championship. By the 1984–85 season, the

neg: Boston Celtics and Ray Allen in the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals the Celtics defeated the Pistons in 6 games to advance to the NBA Finals where they went on to beat the Lakers also in 6 games. The rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers involves the two most storied franchises in NBA history. It has been called the NBA's best rivalry. The two teams have met a record twelve times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first Finals meeting in . They would go on to dominate the league in the 1960s and the 1980s, facing each other

neg: 1961 NBA Playoffs 1961 NBA Playoffs The 1961 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1960-61 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. The Lakers made the playoffs for the first time after moving to Los Angeles. They were one game away from their first Finals in L.A. as the St. Louis Hawks defeat them. For the Celtics, it was their third straight NBA title and fourth overall. This would be the last Finals appearance for the Hawks franchise

neg: Ralph Sampson victory and a shocking series upset. In the NBA Finals the Rockets faced the Boston Celtics. Boston sportswriters were not happy about not getting revenge against the Lakers who had beaten the Celtics in the Finals the year before, but the matchup was interesting with the young front court challenging the old guard of the Celtics. During the season at the Boston Garden, the Rockets were playing the Celtics well until Sampson suffered a jarring fall on his back. At the start of the Finals, Sampson quickly found himself in foul trouble early in Game 1 as Boston easily went

neg: 1986 NBA Finals of June. It was also the last NBA Finals series to schedule a game on a Monday until 1999 and also the last NBA Finals game to be played on Memorial Day. Until the 2018 series, it was the last to conclude before June 10. CBS Sports used Dick Stockton and Tom Heinsohn as the play-by-play man and color commentator respectively. Meanwhile, Brent Musburger was the host and Pat O'Brien (the Rockets' sideline) and Lesley Visser (the Celtics' sideline) were the sideline reporters. The Celtics made the 1985 NBA Finals, but lost in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers.

neg: 1968 NBA Playoffs "Celtics win series 4-2" Last Playoff Meeting: 1966 NBA Finals (Boston won 4-3) 1968 NBA Playoffs The 1968 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1967-68 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won their 10th NBA title, first under player/coach Bill Russell after Red Auerbach's retirement. In the Eastern Division Finals, the Celtics became the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 series deficit to win, as they knocked off

neg: 2010 NBA Finals top seed has been eliminated since the Dallas Mavericks' first round loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2007. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics went on to eliminate the Orlando Magic in six games. In reaching the Finals the Boston Celtics became the first team in NBA history to do so with a better regular season road record than home. Also, the Boston Celtics became the second team in NBA history to reach the NBA Finals after beating the team with the best record, Cleveland Cavaliers, and team with second-best record in the league, Orlando Magic, after the

neg: History of the Boston Celtics K.C. Jones that year, the Celtics began a dynasty that would last for more than a decade. In 1959, with Cousy at point guard, Russell at center and Heinsohn at forward, the Celtics won the NBA Championship after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers. Still coached by Auerbach, the Celtics won seven more consecutive championships, extending their streak to eight in a row. During that timespan, the Celtics met the Lakers in the Finals six times, starting an intense and often bitter rivalry. The Celtics would eventually meet the Lakers a total of 11 times in the NBA Finals. In 1964, Auerbach

neg: 2009–10 Boston Celtics season for the twenty-first time in franchise history. The Celtics made it back to the NBA Finals after a one-year hiatus and played against the defending NBA champion and their rival, the Los Angeles Lakers. In a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals, in which the Celtics defeated the Lakers in six games to capture their seventeenth championship, the Celtics were defeated this time by the Lakers in seven games. 2009–10 Boston Celtics season The 2009–10 Boston Celtics season was the 64th season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics finished with a record of 50–32,

neg: 1985–86 Boston Celtics season the Celtics defeated the Bucks in the 1984 Eastern Conference Finals. (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Houston Rockets: "Celtics win series 4–2" Following the conclusion of the 1986 NBA Finals, a video documentary of the 1986 NBA season, known as "Sweet Sixteen", was released. David Perry was the narrator after Dick Stockton had narrated the last three NBA season documentaries. 1985–86 Boston Celtics season In 1985–86, the Boston Celtics won 67 games, going 40–1 at home (37–1 at the Boston Garden, 3–0 at the Hartford Civic Center). Those 40 home wins set an NBA record which would only be matched

neg: 1986 NBA Finals 1986 NBA Finals The 1986 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1985–86 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It pitted the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets, in a rematch of the 1981 Finals (only Allen Leavell and Robert Reid remained from the Rockets' 1981 team). It was the second and last NBA Championship Series of the 1980s not to feature the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics defeated the Rockets four games to two to win their 16th NBA championship. The championship would be the Celtics'

neg: Paul Pierce most Game 7 points in franchise history with 41 as the Celtics edged the Cavaliers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics went on to defeat the Detroit Pistons in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning two road games. On June 5, 2008, in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Pierce was injured in the third quarter and was carried off the court in serious pain. However, he came back to the court only a few minutes later to spark the Celtics with 15 points in the third quarter en

neg: Celtics–Lakers rivalry feat unrivaled in North American professional sports. Despite finishing second in the division standings for the first time in a decade, Boston would return to the Finals for a record tenth straight time . After the Los Angeles Lakers' comeback overtime win in Game 1, Red Auerbach, who had challenged the entire league to topple the Celtics from their reign by announcing he would retire after 1965–1966 before the season had started (thus giving his detractors "one last shot" at him), announced Bill Russell as the Celtics coach for 1966–1967 and beyond, the first African-American coach in the NBA. Laker

neg: 2002–03 Boston Celtics season in the fall of 2002. Bold = All-Star selection (3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Boston Celtics Last Playoff Meeting: 1992 Eastern Conference First Round (Boston won 3-0) (2) New Jersey Nets vs. (6) Boston Celtics Last Playoff Meeting: 2002 Eastern Conference Finals (New Jersey won 4-2) 2002–03 Boston Celtics season The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Celtics acquired Vin Baker from the Seattle SuperSonics. The Celtics posted a six-game winning streak after losing their first two games, and got off to a solid 16–7 start.

neg: 2007–08 Los Angeles Lakers season the NBA Finals since 2004. In the NBA Finals, the Lakers faced off against their rivals, the Boston Celtics, renewing their storied rivalry, and marking the first time the two teams faced off against each other in the NBA Finals since 1987. However, the Lakers would lose against the Celtics in the NBA Finals in six games, ending with a blowout defeat to the Celtics in Game 6 by 39 points, losing 92–131, and marking the Lakers' ninth defeat to the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Following the 2006–07 NBA season, their offseason was marred with surgeries to their two

neg: 1986–87 Boston Celtics season 1986–87 Boston Celtics season The 1986–87 Boston Celtics season was the 41st season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics entered the season as the defending NBA Champions, having defeated the Houston Rockets in the 1986 NBA Finals in six games, winning their sixteenth NBA championship. In the playoffs, the Celtics swept the Chicago Bulls in the First Round in three games, defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the Semifinals in seven games, and the Detroit Pistons in the Conference Finals in seven games to reach the NBA Finals for the fifth time in the 1980s.

neg: Boston Celtics center Robert Parish and the Warriors' first round pick, the 3rd overall. He then used the pick to select University of Minnesota power forward Kevin McHale. With the addition of star prospect Larry Bird, the Celtics' new "Big 3" put the team back on the path to dominance. Despite losing center Dave Cowens to retirement late in training camp, the Celtics went 62–20 under coach Bill Fitch in 1980–81. Once again the Celtics faced the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals, falling behind 3 games to 1 before coming back to win the 7th game 91–90. The Celtics went on

neg: History of the Boston Celtics beat the Celtics in Atlanta. The series went seven games, with the home team winning each game. The second round against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers also went to seven games, with each match won by the home team. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics faced Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and the Detroit Pistons. In Game 2, the Celtics finally lost at home, and rumors began to fly that the Celtics had gotten too tired from consecutive seven-game series to pull off a title, especially with the Pistons having taken their first two series in six and five

neg: Celtics–Lakers rivalry of an era for the Celtics. They did not reach the Finals again until 2008. The Lakers, meanwhile, went on to win the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons, before losing to the Pistons the following year in 1989, and win titles again in 2000, 2001 and 2002, all while the Celtics wallowed in mediocrity. Several journalists hypothesized that the Johnson–Bird rivalry was so appealing because it represented many other contrasts, such as the clash between the Lakers and Celtics, between Hollywood flashiness ("Lakers Showtime") and Boston/Indiana blue collar grit ("Celtic Pride"), and between blacks and whites. A 1984

neg: 1969 NBA Finals 1969 NBA Finals The 1969 NBA World Championship Series to determine the champion of the 1968–69 NBA season was played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, the Lakers being heavily favored due to the presence of three formidable stars: Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Jerry West. In addition, Boston was an aging team; they made the playoffs as the 4th place team in the Eastern Division, and were not favored to make it to the finals. The Celtics' finals victory – the last championship of the Bill Russell dynasty – is considered one of the great upsets in

neg: 1980–81 Boston Celtics season 1980–81 Boston Celtics season In 1980–81 the Boston Celtics went 62-20 under coach Bill Fitch. Despite losing center Dave Cowens to retirement late in training camp, the Celtics went on to capture the 1981 NBA Championship over the Houston Rockets. The highlight was that this championship was achieved just two years after Larry Bird had been drafted. Cedric Maxwell was named NBA Finals MVP. After the 1979-80 season, Auerbach completed what may be the most lopsided trade in NBA history. Auerbach had always been a fan of stockpiling draft picks, so even after the success of 1979-80 the Celtics had

neg: Boston Celtics as the series started, and on-court tensions seemed to spill into the stands. Celtics' fans berated Kidd and his family with chants of "Wife Beater!" in response to Kidd's 2001 domestic abuse charge. When asked about the fan barbs being traded, Kenyon Martin stated, "Our fans hate them, their fans hate us." Bill Walton said at the time that Nets-Celtics was the "beginning of the next great NBA rivalry" during the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002 with the Nets advancing to the NBA Finals, though New Jersey would go on to sweep Boston in the 2003 playoffs. In 2012, the

neg: 1984–85 Boston Celtics season when playing for Boston 1984–85 Boston Celtics season The 1984–85 Boston Celtics season was the 39th season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics entered the season as the defending NBA Champions, coming off an NBA Finals victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games, and increasing their NBA Finals victories over the Lakers to 8. On March 3, 1985, Kevin McHale surpassed Larry Bird's Celtics single game scoring record when he netted 56 points against the Detroit Pistons. Less than two weeks later, on March 12, Bird answered, scoring a career-high 60 points

neg: History of the Boston Celtics believed momentum in the series had shifted the Lakers' way. However, the Celtics did not give up. Led by a bench that outscored the Lakers bench by 20 points, they fought back. The Celtics locked up their defense and took over Game 4 with a crushing 97–91 victory, the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history. Although the Lakers took Game 5, 103–98, the series went back to Boston for Game 6, and the Celtics finished it off with a dominating 131–92 victory. This game would mark the largest margin of victory for a clinching finals game in NBA history. The

neg: 1966 NBA Playoffs 1966 NBA Playoffs The 1966 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1965–66 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won their eighth consecutive NBA title and ninth overall, defeating the Lakers in the Finals for a fifth straight time. This was the last NBA playoffs under the "top team in each division gets a first-round bye" format established in the 1955 NBA Playoffs; the 1967 NBA Playoffs featured an eight-team tournament with no

neg: Magic Johnson season MVP award. The Lakers met the Celtics for the third time in the NBA Finals, and in Game 4 Johnson hit a last-second hook shot over Celtics big men Parish and Kevin McHale to win the game 107–106. The game-winning shot, which Johnson dubbed his "junior, junior, junior sky-hook", helped Los Angeles defeat Boston in six games. Johnson was awarded his third Finals MVP title after averaging 26.2 points on .541 shooting, 13.0 assists, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.33 steals per game. Before the 1987–88 NBA season, Lakers coach Pat Riley publicly promised that they would defend the NBA title,

neg: Dennis Johnson at Rodman in the last moments of the game and mimicked his taunting gesture. In the 1987 NBA Finals, however, the Celtics succumbed to the Los Angeles Lakers 4–2 as Lakers playmaker and Finals MVP Magic Johnson put up a great performance, averaging 26 points and 13 assists throughout the series. The next three seasons were disappointing for the aging Celtics. In the 1987–88 season, Johnson averaged 12.6 points and 7.8 assists, but in the 1988 Playoffs, the Celtics were unable to beat the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the next season, Johnson (who statistically declined to

neg: Celtics–Lakers rivalry a 63–19 record while the Lakers compiled a 62–20 record. For the first time, the Finals went to a 2–3–2 format with games one and two in Boston while the next three games were in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Celtics four games to two. Game 1 became known as the "Memorial Day Massacre" as the Celtics soundly beat the Lakers 148–114. Celtic reserve forward Scott Wedman made all 11 out of 11 field goal attempts. The Lakers responded in Game 2 with a 109–102 victory as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 30 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, and

neg: 76ers–Celtics rivalry Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games for their seventh straight title. In the 1966 season, the Sixers looked poised to end Boston's 7-year reign as NBA Champions; Philadelphia won the regular season series against Boston 6-4 and finished 55-25 to beat out the Celtics by one game and win the number one seed in Eastern Division. Chamberlain also won the MVP over Russell, who had won three of the previous four awards. When they met in the Conference Championship however, Boston defeated Philadelphia 4-1 and went on to win their eighth

neg: 1959 NBA Finals 1959 NBA Finals The 1959 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1958–59 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1959 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Minneapolis Lakers and the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. It was Boston's third trip to the NBA Finals and Minneapolis's sixth. The Boston Celtics swept the Lakers 4–0. That was the start of the Celtics' 8 consecutive championships, from 1959–1966. To date, this is the most recent time that an NBA team from Minnesota appeared in an NBA Finals, as well

neg: 1984–85 Boston Celtics season the Lakers in the NBA Finals. This also marked the only time the Celtics lost the NBA Finals at home. A majority of this team moved onto coaching later in their careers. Kevin McHale, Rick Carlisle, Larry Bird, Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, and Sam Vincent have all coached in the NBA. (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Cleveland Cavaliers: "Celtics win series 3-1" (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Detroit Pistons: "Celtics win series 4-2" (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers: "Celtics win series 4-1" (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W1) Los Angeles Lakers "Lakers win series 4-2" <nowiki>*</nowiki> – Recorded statistics

neg: 1961 NBA Finals who last played in the NBA Finals in 1951. "Celtics win series 4–1" 1961 NBA Finals The 1961 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1961 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1960–61 season. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion St. Louis Hawks and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. This was the fourth and final World Championship Series meeting between the two teams. It was also Celtics' fifth straight trip to the championship series, and they won the series against the Hawks, 4–1. , this remains the Hawks franchise’s