Rondo would miss his final 3-pointer and the Lakers won Game 7 against the Celtics for the first time in franchise history, clinching their 16th NBA title.[132]. This was the eighth meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers in the NBA Finals, with Boston having won the previous seven. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named MVP of the series, making him the oldest player (38 years, 1 month, 24 days) ever to win the MVP of an NBA Finals series. Boston's new Big Three reached the NBA's big stage. Despite having numerous opportunities, the Lakers couldn't get over the hump and Don Nelson would make an incredible foul-line jump-shot which bounced off the back iron and fell in. Boston earned its first trip since 1987 by beating the Detroit Pistons in six games in the Eastern Conference finals. Boston Celtics 2. However, the Lakers have been the dominant team in the postseason, compiling a 12-3 record. 1 being Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, No. Crushed by the Houston Rockets in … But while the Celtics were able to return to the playoffs over the next three seasons and even made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017 and 2018, the Lakers found themselves in a lengthy rebuilding process. However, the Lakers opened up a massive lead in Game 6, peaking at 27. [26] Chamberlain (whose knee was so bad that he could not play the entire offseason and ruptured it in the next season) was livid at Russell and saw him as a backstabber. [48] In Game 5, the Celtics prevented the Lakers from celebrating in the Boston Garden by coming away with a 123–108 win. The Celtics–Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. During those 10 years, every single NBA Finals included at least one of the two teams, and they faced off on three occasions. Despite an impressive 38-point performance from Bryant in Game 5, the Celtics would win 92–86 led by Paul Pierce's 27 points, and would take a 3–2 lead heading back to L.A. [22] The Celtics won all of those match-ups. by spotoneout Plays Quiz not verified by Sporcle . It can never again be said that 'the Lakers have never beaten the Celtics'". With House's shot, the Celtics were in the lead for good, winning 97–91. The Celtics and the Lakers are the two most storied franchises in the NBA, and the rivalry has often been called the greatest in the NBA. This was the third straight year in which the L.A. Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals. [114][124] However, for the 1994 Knicks, the first round was a best-of-five. Before the game started, Laker's owner Jack Kent Cooke placed flyers in every seat stating "When, not if, the Lakers win the title, balloons will be released from the raftors, the USC marching band will play "Happy Days Are Here Again" and broadcaster Chick Hearn will interview Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain in that order. "We were aware we were testing the future of pay television", Lakers general manager Lou Mohs told reporters. [19] The Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers to enter the Finals, marked by Johnny Most's famous call of "Havlicek stole the ball! The Celtics ended the series with an 89-81 victory Friday and will host Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday night. They did not reach the Finals again until 2008. Magic had a triple-double with 15 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds; Worthy had 28 points on 11 for 15 shooting. Awaiting the Celtics were the powerful Los Angeles Lakers who had a nucleus of Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and newly acquired Wilt Chamberlain. Under Hall of Fame head coach John Kundla, and with the NBA's first superstar in George Mikan, they would win three more titles in 1952, 1953, and 1954. [38] The following year, behind the "Big Three" of future Hall of Famers Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, the Celtics won the 1981 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets. [48] In Game 3, the Celtics posted a 109–103 win, led by Bird, who had 30 points and 12 rebounds. Cooke then came down to personally order the defiant coach to insert Wilt, but to no avail. 2020 NBA Finals > (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Miami Heat. [122] The Celtics won Game 1 98–88, highlighted by a dramatic comeback by Paul Pierce after a third quarter knee injury. This would prove critical as the Celtics held on and triumphed 108–106. The series shifted to Boston with only one full day off for both teams. Paul Pierce's nickname, "The Truth", was accorded to him by Shaquille O'Neal after a 112-107 Lakers' victory over the Celtics on March 13, 2001 in which Pierce scored 42 points on 13 of 19 shooting. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics are poised to do battle once again in the NBA Finals, right here in 2008. Los Angeles eliminated the San Antonio Spurs in five games, wrapping up the series with a 100-92 victory on Thursday. [46] The Celtics tied the series in Game 4, 107–105 as Dennis Johnson hit a jumper at the buzzer. Magic said of the games against the Celtics, "when the new schedule would come out each year, I'd grab it and circle the Boston games. [51][52] A 1984 Converse commercial for its "Weapon" line of basketball shoes (endorsed by both Bird and Johnson) reflected the perceived dichotomy between the two players. When Magic Johnson won the MVP Finals plum, the following year Larry Bird would snatch the crown. Game 1: Lakers 116, Heat 98 Game 2: Lakers 124, Heat 114 Game 3: Heat 115, Lakers 104 Game 4: Lakers 102, Heat 96 Game 5: Heat 111, Lakers 108 Game 6: Lakers 106, Heat 93 COMPLETED ROUNDS 2020 NBA Western Conference Finals After the game, a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. However, Boston's bench would prove to be the deciding factor, outscoring the Lakers 13–2 for nearly half the quarter, en route to a 96–89 victory. [114], This was the Boston Celtics' eighth consecutive NBA Championship, a feat unrivaled in North American professional sports. Season Summary Ron Artest would sink a key 3-pointer for the Lakers and make other clutch moves, leading Phil Jackson to call him the MVP of Game 7. Garnett and Allen were acquired in offseason trades, and together with Pierce led the Celtics to the largest turnaround in NBA history. Both the Celtics and Lakers missed the playoffs in the 2013–14 season, marking only the second time it has happened in the rivalry's history. [134] This was also the first time since 2002 that a team has won back-to-back championships; that team was also the Lakers, led by Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal. Then Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West retired, and the Lakers missed the playoffs in 1975 and 1976.In between, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was acquired, and the Lakers returned to prominence in 1977, … [114] Paul Pierce was named Finals MVP. East Division Finals. The Celtics, however, would begin to show their age when they began missing shots and turning the ball over and Laker Jerry West pulled L.A. to within one. "[96] The Lakers ended the season with the West's best record, while the Celtics would enter the playoffs as the number four seed. [118], This was the first time the Celtics made the Finals since 1987, while the Lakers' last appearance had been in 2004. When angry crowds showed up in Los Angeles to buy playoff tickets that were not available, the Lakers quieted the crowd by offering closed circuit TV viewing for $2.50 a head. The Lakers and Celtics are tied for the highest number of championships in the NBA at 17 apiece, (12 as the L.A. Lakers and 5 as the Minneapolis Lakers). [44] In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137–104 victory as Johnson dished out 21 assists. Lakers outlast Celtics in Game 7 for NBA title", "NBA Finals Game 7 Averages 28.2 Million Viewers, Highest Since 1998", "Ray Allen hits record-breaking 3-pointer", "Latest chapter of Lakers-Celtics rivalry nears end", "Lakers-Celtics rivalry in its last breath", "Selvy's miss in 1962 finals still stings", "Celtics Seize First NBA Title In 22 Years", "Los Angeles Lakers 1965–66 Roster and Statistics", "Furious comeback gives Celtics 3–1 lead", "Celtics Remain Mindful Of a Missed Opportunity", "Allen shoots lights out to take homecourt from Lakers", "Fisher's offensive heroics the difference for Lakers", "Big Baby, Celtics bench provide spark as Celtics tie Finals", "Bryant, Artest rally Lakers to 16th championship", "Game 7 of Finals pulls in 28.2 million viewers", "Lakers Championship Sets NBA Broadcast Record For Canada", "Everything you could possibly want to know about the NBA Finals", "Kevin Garnett has special shoes just for the Lakers", "Celtics win Finals rematch despite Kobe Bryant's 41 points", The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Celtics–Lakers_rivalry&oldid=999938322, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, First Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, Second Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, Third Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, Fourth Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, Fifth Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, Seventh Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, Lakers achieve league record 33-game winning streak and franchise record 69 wins, Lakers were the eventual Western Conference champions, Eighth Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, Ninth Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, Tenth Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, Both teams did not qualify for the playoffs, Eleventh Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, Twelfth Finals meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers, This page was last edited on 12 January 2021, at 18:29. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever,[35] Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. They also looked to be in control of Game 4, holding their ground for most of the third quarter, leading by as many as 24 points. The Celtics' victory in Game 4 was the largest comeback in the NBA Finals since 1971. [46], The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Celtics four games to two. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first Finals meeting in 1959. The Lakers - Celtics duel is one of sport’s most celebrated. The Celtics would again defeat the Lakers. Remarkably, Boston would pull away and entered the fourth quarter up by 18. Worthy had 29 points while Abdul-Jabbar had 26 points and 14 rebounds. [105][106], On February 20, 2013, the Lakers played their first game since the death of long time owner Jerry Buss who had died two days earlier, paying tribute to him at the Staples Center before facing off against the Celtics. The chant originated during Game 7 of the 1982 Eastern Conference Championships at Boston Garden when the Boston fans urged the victorious Philadelphia 76ers to "Beat L.A.! However, the Lakers would edge out for close victories in Game 2 and Game 3. [21], With Bill Russell and Sam Jones in their final season, and plagued with injuries, the Celtics struggled to make the NBA playoffs as the fourth and final seed in the Eastern Conference. [101][102] The Lakers won Game 7 against the Celtics for their very first time, bringing their total number of NBA championships to sixteen (they have one NBL championship in 1948), just one fewer than the Celtics' seventeen. As the series shifted to Los Angeles, the Lakers stifled Pierce and Garnett in Game 3, winning 87–81. In Game 1, the Los Angeles Lakers came away with a 126–113 victory. [118], One of the lasting effects on the Lakers–Celtics rivalry was the usage of the famous "Beat L.A.!" However, the Celtics would close out the series in Game 6 with a dominant 131–92 win. [15] It was after this move, and during this decade, that the rivalry would truly escalate. The Celtics won in six games with an impressive come-from-behind victory in Game 4 and a blow-out of the Lakers in Game 6. Boston's streak of 10 consecutive Finals appearances had been snapped in 1967 by the 76ers. The Celtics and Lakers are meeting again in the NBA Finals, with Kobe and KG taking their place alongside the likes of Magic and Bird in the league's most storied rivalry. [48] Magic Johnson was named unanimous MVP of the series, averaging 26.2 points, 13.0 assists, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals, leading the Lakers in all four categories. [53] Despite their on the court rivalry, the two became friends after filming the commercial together. In Game 2, the Lakers led 113–111 with 18 seconds left when Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass to score a game tying layup and the Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124–121. Build up for a rematch began with the Lakers taking a 2–0 lead over the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals, with chants of "We Want Boston!" Despite this, the Celtics upset the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks and made it to the Finals. The Celtics' 66–16 record gave them home court advantage over Los Angeles (57–25). [82] Without O'Neal, the Lakers missed the playoffs the following year and failed to advance to the Finals for the next three years.[83][84][85]. Three of those series (1962, 1966, and 1969) went seven games. However, it would ultimately prove to be the decade of the Celtics, who won the finals every year in the 1960s except for 1967. However, while Perkins was ruled out because of his injury, Bynum was cleared to play in Game 7. Boston's new Big … [31] They would not make it to the Finals again in this decade, but in 1975 they acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[32]. [44] The Celtics went on to win in seven games, increasing their record of Finals' series victories against the Lakers to 8–0.[45]. The Celtics win over the Lakers in 1966 marked an unprecedented eight consecutive championships, the longest streak of any North American professional sports team. 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. [77] The Lakers' title in 2000 came against the Indiana Pacers who were coached by Celtic legend Bird. The two teams emerged as the strongest in the NBA, featuring greats such as Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, John Havlicek, Sam Jones and head coach Red Auerbach for Boston and Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and coach/GM Fred Schaus for Los Angeles. [12], The first NBA Finals match-up between the two teams was in 1959 when on April 9, the Boston Celtics swept the Minneapolis Lakers 4-0 for the first sweep in the history of the NBA Finals. Minneapolis would win the first ever Championship Series of the newly formed NBA in 1950 (three BAA Finals were played between 1947–1949 and retroactively counted as NBA Championships, one of which was won by the Lakers in 1949). Los Angeles was led by MVP Kobe Bryant and All-Star Pau Gasol.[45]. The Celtics’ lead contracted slightly during the ’80s, which some consider the single greatest era in the rivalry. The two biggest figures of the '80s took home eight championships between them, five league MVPs (Bird-3, Magic-2) and five Finals MVPs (Magic-3, Bird-2). [4][5][6] Under Hall of Fame head coach John Kundla, and with the NBA's first superstar in George Mikan,[7] they would win three more titles in 1952,[8] 1953,[9] and 1954. With the addition of Allen and Garnett alongside Pierce to become the new "Big Three", the Celtics returned to the top of the NBA in the 2007–2008 season by posting the best record in the league and reaching the Finals. [10] The Celtics would emerge behind early NBA star Bob Cousy by winning the 1957 NBA Finals[11] and losing in 1958. [44] Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would go after Bird later on in the third quarter, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure. Chamberlain was pleading for Breda Kolff to put him back in, but he refused. "[79] In 2002, the Celtics, with Pierce and Antoine Walker, made an impressive run for the Finals and the two teams narrowly missed each other. Game 1 became known as the "Memorial Day Massacre" as the Celtics soundly beat the Lakers 148–114. The Celtics have the edge with 17 NBA crowns and the Lakers have 16. [59] This would prove to be a defining moment of the NBA, a changing of the old guard as the Lakers and Celtics fell into mediocrity, while the Bulls won six titles led by Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson, who would cement their respective reputations as the greatest player and coach in NBA history. [112][113], The Lakers and Celtics would meet the following year in 1963. However, Magic Johnson made three shots while Abdul-Jabbar added four more shots, and the Lakers came away with a 120–111 victory to take a 3–2 series lead. In contrast to the frequent Lakers-Celtics championship match-ups, the Dodgers and Red Sox were meeting in the World Series for the first time (since the Dodgers franchise relocated to Los Angeles).[58]. However, Ray Allen would respond in Game 2 by scoring 32-points and sinking a record eight 3-pointers, leading the Celtics to a 103–94 victory.[125]. Boston would face a tough seven-game series against the Syracuse Nationals but would eventually emerge victorious, leading Celtic star Bob Cousy to predict that Boston would sweep Minneapolis. A defiant Bill Russell denied that any such thing was going to happen. This was the first NBA Finals to go the full seven games since 2005, and only the fourth since the NBA switched the Finals to a 2–3–2 format in 1985. However, the Lakers began the rebuilding process in 1996 by trading for Kobe Bryant, who was drafted from high school that year by the Charlotte Hornets. During the 1978–79 NCAA season, Michigan State was led by Magic Johnson to the championship game of the NCAA Tournament, where they faced Indiana State University, which was led by senior Larry Bird. [46] In Game 5, the Lakers raced out to a 64–51 lead and stretched it to 89–72 before the Celtics cut the deficit to 101–97 with six minutes remaining. [123], The Lakers would win Game 5 103–98, despite blowing another large lead, and the series shifted back to Boston. The Lakers won 11 of the 19 NBA Finals … McHale was directly involved in one of the defining moments of the rivalry, when he clotheslined Lakers forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup during Game 4 of the 1984 finals in Los Angeles. [45], Playing off their rivalry in the NCAA and NBA, Johnson and Bird reunited to promote Game 5 of the 2018 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers (of which Johnson is a part-owner) and Boston Red Sox. The Celtics swept the Bucks. In Game 5, the Celtics took a 3–2 series lead as Bird scored 34 points. [60][61][62] Both teams also faced set backs in the form of personal misfortune. No team won back-to-back. [101], The Celtics signed Shaquille O'Neal for the 2010–2011 season to replace the injured Kendrick Perkins, adding to the rivalry by bringing the Shaq-Kobe feud to the Celtics-Lakers. It's a play that lives in Celtics lore, the gritty, Northern Minnesota forward blasting the Showtime Lakers right in front of Jack Nicholson. [46] Michael Cooper had 22 points, making 8 out of 9 field goals attempted. Local leaders strike hopeful tone as Biden, Harris take... New documentary shows fight to save historic Blue Moon... Report: Pederson, Seahawks OC candidate, may take 2021 off, Here's how the 2020 housing market compared to 2019. [43], The Celtics would get a new head coach in K.C. The Celtics were forced to foul Sasha Vujačić, he went to the line and made both free throws to give the Lakers a definitive 83–79 lead. Sure enough, despite several close games, including the decisive game only having a three-point differential once again, the Celtics would only require six games to close out the Lakers this time. On November 7, 1991, Johnson announced he had tested positive for HIV and would retire immediately. Although the Celtics would take Game 4, the Lakers would win Game 5 and fuel speculation that the young Lakers were about to surge past the older Celtics. New Orleans Buccaneers vs. Pittsburgh Pipers; Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics; 1967-68 Reg. Minneapolis hadn't made an appearance in the Finals since winning four of the first five NBA Championships between 1950–1954, while Boston was making its third straight Finals appearance after winning in 1957 and losing in 1958. The Celtics have the edge with 17 NBA crowns and the Lakers have 16. [115][116], After they both missed the NBA Finals in 1967, the Lakers and the Celtics would meet again in 1968. Magic’s Lakers of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy first took on Larry’s Celtics including Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, and Dennis Johnson in the 1984 Finals. "[25], By virtue of a 62–20 record, the Celtics had homecourt advantage over the Lakers who finished the regular season with a 54–28 mark. Bryant helped the Lakers win three consecutive titles from 2000-02, and they fell short of another with a loss to the Pistons in 2004. [48] In Game 4, the Celtics had a 16-point lead in the third quarter before the Lakers stormed back into the game. NBA Finals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Houston Rockets: Celtics win series 4–2 The following year, the Lakers again faced the Knicks in the 1973 NBA Finals and lost. The Lakers and the Celtics have met 11 times already in the NBA Finals, with Boston winning the first eight meetings, and Los Angeles winning the next two both in the 80s . [126] Game 4 would prove to be a close and hard-fought game, with the Lakers up by two at the end of the third quarter. [118] Despite this, West was inconsolable. "[40] Despite the encouragement, the 76ers lost the 1982 NBA Finals to the Lakers, who were led by new head coach Pat Riley. [133] Game 7 was watched by an average audience of 1.1 million viewers on TSN, making it the largest Canadian audience ever recorded for an NBA game. During the 1990s, the rivalry died down. The 1968 Eastern Division Finals rematch between the Celtics and the 76ers, which started on April 21, was marred by the April 4 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., but the decision was made not to delay the series. However, the final game of that series is memorable to the rivalry because Boston fans chanted for the 76ers, who were just about to eliminate their Celtics, to "Beat L.A.! They won 62 games in the regular season, which was five fewer than Boston, but the Lakers and Celtics still won the West and East by 11 and 10 games, respectively, and entered the playoffs on a collision course. [118], After being eliminated in the Western Conference Finals a year earlier, the Lakers returned to the NBA Finals and were awarded homecourt advantage as they accumulated a 65–17 record while the Celtics finished the season with a 59–23 record. Only the Lakers made an appearance in the NBA Finals that decade, losing the 1991 NBA Finals to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, the first championship in the Bulls' dynasty. [118], This was the Celtics' 17th championship, their first since 1986, extending their record for most NBA championships won by a single team. Together, they account for 34 of the 74 championships (or 45%) in NBA history. And just like their predecessors, they'll share it with the Los Angeles Lakers. In addition, the Celtics went on to sign All-Star free agents Al Horford and Gordon Hayward in addition to acquiring Kyrie Irving from the Cavaliers. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, Boston's three All-Stars, are all in the Finals for the first time. They met again in the 2010 NBA Finals, which the Lakers won in 7 games. The start of the decade saw the Lakers' woes in the NBA Finals continue, with a loss to the New York Knicks in 1970. [23] The Lakers posted the best record in the West during the 1968–1969 season. [44] After the game, Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. [93] In 2009, the Lakers signed Ron Artest (now Metta World Peace). Lakers win series 4-2. "[57] Sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN asserted that Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy. The Lakers responded in Game 2 with a 109–102 victory as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 30 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, and three blocks. Boston won only 24 games in 2006-07, but led the NBA with a 66-16 mark this season. Even though it seems like the Celtics and Lakers met constantly in the Finals during the Bird/Johnson era, they actually only met three times, with the Celtics severely hampered by … The Celtics later won the Finals in 6 games. Boston and the Lakers of Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dominated the NBA in the 1980s: From 1980-88, the two rivals won all but one of the nine NBA championships -- three for Boston, five for Los Angeles (and one for the Philadelphia 76ers) -- and met for the title three times in four years. [19] The Celtics would win the series in Game 5 with a 129–96 victory over the Lakers. In this era of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, the Lakers won two of the three finals in which the teams met. They fell on hard times after that, following the trade of Shaquille O'Neal, missing the postseason in 2005 and getting knocked out in the first round the next two years. The Lakers were the defending champions, having beaten the Orlando Magic 4–1 in the 2009 NBA Finals. Back in 1986, the Lakers were the defending champs. In the game the Lakers rallied from a 14-point deficit to three points down with one minute remaining, when Maxwell knocked the ball away from Magic Johnson. 1985 NBA Finals. Prior to Johnson and Bird's arrival, the NBA had gone through a decade of declining interest and low TV ratings. Lakers vs. Boston Celtics ' 66–16 record gave them home court advantage over Los Angeles eliminated San... Bryant was named MVP of the Finals in 2004, they hired head coach [ 69 that! 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