Announcement: Browse our extensive inventory of Boston Celtics tickets. Be sure to check out specially marked 'discount' games in the schedule below.
| Dec 4, 2009Fri 7:00 PM | Oklahoma City Thunder vs Boston Celtics 12/4 | Ford CenterOklahoma City, OK | Buy Tickets |
Easily one of the most successful franchises in NBA history, the Boston Celtics are back to their old winning ways. With the addition of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett the Celtics were able to capture their 17th NBA title in 2008 and hope to begin a new dynasty, much like the teams great run in the 1950’s and 1960’s. In one stretch from 1959-1966, the Boston Celtics won eight consecutive NBA Championships. The title run is a record not only for the NBA, but for all professional sports in U.S history. The Championships of the 1950's and 60's were due in large part to the efforts of NBA and Celtic legends Bill Russell, K.C. Jones and coach Red Auerbach. It was during these 'golden years' that the intense rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics was born. Between 1959 and 1966 these two teams met in the NBA Finals 6 times. Overall the two teams have met eleven times in the Finals, with Boston holding the series advantage 9-2.
The Celtics had another run of dominance in the 1980's. Led by superstars Larry 'Legend' Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale the Boston Celtics went on to play in five NBA Finals, winning in 1981, 1984, and 1986. After the 1986 Championship, the franchise struggled for many seasons and endured some awful moments including the death of their first round draft pick in 1986, Len Bias, due to a cocaine overdose. In the 1996-1997 season, the Celtics had the worst record in the NBA and figured that they would at least be getting the number one pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, but instead it went to the San Antonio Spurs who would select Tim Duncan.
Similar feelings arose when the Celtics finished the 2006-2007 season with only 24 wins and were slotted for either the first or second picks of the 2007 NBA Draft. Again, the lottery did not go Boston’s way and they ended up with the overall fifth pick. General Manager Danny Ainge went to work, trading the pick away for veteran shooting guard Ray Allen. He then pulled off a 7 for 1 player deal to land Kevin Garnett in Boston. The two new additions joined Captain Paul Pierce to form the new 'big three.'
Together the three longtime All-Stars led the revamped 2008 Celtics to a 66-16 regular season record and a long awaited franchise championship. Boston fans were happier than ever to see their team back in the finals once again. Not only were the Celtics back on top, but they were competing in the finals against their historic rival Los Angeles Lakers. The Magic/Bird show-downs in the 1980's created one of the best rivalries in sports, and for the first time in 21 years the city was alive and ready again for another Celtics/Lakers classic. The Celtics put on a show in game six to seal the deal at the TD Banknorth Garden, crushing the Lakers 131-92.
The 2009 Celtics seemed to be on the right track again for another chance at an NBA championship. They set a franchise record win streak at 19 games, and had the best season start in NBA history with a 27-2 record. After losing Garnett to knee problems, the Celtics slipped into second place four games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. The C's entered the playoffs without KG and battled with the Chicago Bulls in what could be recognized as one of the most competitive playoff series ever. In a series comprising a total of seven played overtimes, the Celtics managed to come out on top with a win in game seven 109-99. After a grueling set of games, the Celtics went on to lose to the Orlando Magic in another seven-game series. The Magic then beat Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals and matched up against LA in the championship, where Kobe and Gasol prevailed for the Lakers to win their 16th NBA championship. The Celtics for 2010 are looking to get back where they were two years ago. Garnett is working towards a full recovery, and the organization has recently made a move to get Rasheed Wallace. They also were able to re-sign Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis and acquire veteran forward Shelden Williams to add depth to their frontcourt. A healthy Celtics team with a need for Sheed may be just the answer to get Boston back in the finals where they can make a run to claim their 18th NBA championship.
