The Boston Celtics survived Game 7 against the Miami Heat to head back to their first NBA Finals since the 2009-10 season. They’ll now have a chance to win their first championship since the 2007-08 campaign.
The 2007-08 season saw the formation of the Celtics’ “Big 3” when the C’s brought in Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to help Paul Pierce win a title. The Celtics would dominate the league, winning a league-best 66 games.
The C’s would battle through some tough series in the Eastern Conference to make the NBA Finals. There, they’d face their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Game 1: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics were looking to get back to their championship ways in the 2008 NBA Finals, as the franchise hadn’t won a title since the 1985-86 season. The problem for the C’s was that Kobe Bryant was looking to win his first title since the 2001-02 season.
Bryant was on a mission to prove his doubters wrong. These haters repeatedly said that Bryant only won three titles because of Shaquille O’Neal.
So, the Celtics knew they’d have a battle on their hands, but they were ready. The Celtics battled the Lakers hard in Game 1, but things did not look to be in their favor.
In the third quarter, the Celtics trailed the Lakers 62-58 with 6:50 remaining. Bryant just hit a running jumper, and Paul Pierce fell to the floor in obvious pain.
This would be the most dramatic moment of the series, and many say it was fictitious. Pierce hurt his leg so badly that he was taken off the court in a wheelchair.
If Pierce’s injury forces him to miss the remainder of the series, the Celtics’ chances of winning drop drastically. Luckily for the Celtics, Pierce returned minutes later to a standing ovation.
Pierce would enter the game and hit back-to-back three-pointers that gave the Celtics the lead, and they wouldn’t lose it. The Celtics took Game 1 by a score of 98-88.
Game 2: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip-kLFbUDXU
After a great win to open the series, the Celtics were looking for the same type of performance in Game 2. Would they get a repeat?
Well, there wouldn’t be any dramatic wheelchair exits, but the game would feature a few theatrical runs. First, the Celtics would go on a 10-0 run at the start of the second quarter after trailing by two.
This gave the C’s momentum as they continued with their great play. The Celtics took a 54-42 lead into halftime.
Then, with about eight minutes left in the game, the Lakers would find themselves in a run. The Celtics held a 24-point lead but would see that lead evaporate when the Lakers went on a 31–9 run.
Despite this great effort by the Lakers, the Celtics would hang on to win 108-102. If there was any doubt about Pierce’s health, he put that to bed.
Pierce led the Celtics in scoring with 28, and though he lost the scoring battle to Kobe Bryant, who scored 30, the Celtics won the team battle. With a 2-0 series lead, the Celtics would have to travel to LA, where they know the Lakers would play better.
Game 3: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=039qjM2RjRo
The Celtics and Lakers both battled in Hollywood. Each team took their best shots, but this time the Lakers would come out on top.
The Lakers star, Kobe Bryant, had his best game of the series. He scored 36 on 12-20 shooting. The Celtics star, on the other hand, Paul Pierce, struggled to shoot, going 2-14 for 6 points.
Ray Allen was the only bright spot for the Celtics, as he scored 25 on 8-13 shooting and 5-7 from three. The Celtics succumbed to the Lakers, losing 87-81. This now became a real series.
Game 4: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LrKNNaPRGc
The Boston Celtics looked to be dead in the water early in Game 4. The Lakers were on their way to evening the series at 2-2 after taking a commanding 45-21 lead in the second quarter with 6:44 remaining.
The Celtics dominated the Lakers during their rivalry from the 1950s to the 1960s. The two franchises met seven times during this span, with the Celtics winning all seven meetings.
Then, the 1980s came around. The Celtics took the first Finals meeting in 1984, but the Lakers would win in 1985 and 1987.
The Lakers looked to keep their recent dominance over the Celtics alive in Game 4. Then, the Celtics used a little of that leprechaun magic from their glorious past.
The Celtics stormed back into the game and put the Lakers away down the stretch of the fourth quarter. The final score was 97-91, and the Celtics now took a 3-1 lead as they looked to be in full control of the series.
Game 5: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Celtics had a chance to become champions in Game 5, and Paul Pierce proved he was ready. Pierce scored a game-high 38 points on 10-22 shooting and 16-19 from the free-throw line.
Pierce went off for the Celtics, but he didn’t get enough help as the Lakers defeated the Celtics 103-98. Bryant led five Lakers in double figures with 25 points.
The Lakers stayed alive, now trailing 3-2 in the series. They still believed in their chances, but with the remaining two possible games in Boston, the Lakers’ chances weren’t good.
Game 6: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics
Game 6 was one of those games that didn’t go how anyone predicted. After the Lakers only trailed by four points after the opening quarter, the Celtics pushed this lead to 23 by halftime.
The second half wouldn’t get much better for the Lakers. The Celtics continued their assault as they massacred the Lakers, defeating them by a series-clinching record margin of 39 points.
The final score ended up being 131-92, and Paul Pierce was named the Finals MVP. The Celtics rose banner number 17 in 2008, and the question now remains, will they raise number 18 after the 2022 NBA Finals?
