Remembering the greatest Game 7s in Garden history
The Celtics have played a Game 7 on the Garden floor 22 times in franchise history.
No franchise has played more Game 7s (29) in NBA history than the Boston Celtics. While the Celtics have a terrific overall record (21-8) in those contests, they are even better in Game 7s on the Garden parquet. Boston is 18-4 all-time when playing a Game 7 on their home floor, and those contests have produced some of the most memorable matchups in playoff history. Here’s a look back at five of those unforgettable contests.
May 3, 1981: Celtics beat 76ers 91-90 in Eastern Conference Semifinals
It was only fitting that as the Celtics produced one of the greatest comebacks ever in a playoff series, they needed a rally to finish the job in Game 7 at the Garden. The Celtics climbed out of a 3-1 series hole with a pair of two-point wins in Games 5 and 6, setting up a final showdown between Larry Bird and Julius Erving in Game 7. Boston fought back from a 89-82 deficit late in the fourth quarter and closed out the contest with a 9-1 run, capped by a 16-foot bank shot by Bird which proved to be the game-winner. Bird’s performance (23 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) set the stage for a legendary run of big Game 7 performances throughout the 1980s.
May 30, 1987: Celtics beat Pistons 117-114 in Eastern Conference Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClBgA0mKNt4
The Celtics played with fire throughout the 1987 postseason, nearly falling to the Milwaukee Bucks during a Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, before being pushed to the limit by the Detroit Pistons in the Conference Finals. A scorching hot day inside the Garden (88 degrees) did little to slow down Bird as the 6-foot-9 forward flirted with a triple-double (37 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) while playing a full 48 minutes. Joe Dumars scored 35 points for the Pistons in the defeat.
May 22, 1988: Celtics beat Hawks 118-116 in Eastern Conference Semifinals
Hawks forward Dominique Wilkins delivered one of the best postseason performances by a Celtics opponent ever on the Garden floor, scoring 47 points as the young Hawks pushed an aging Boston team to the brink in Game 7. The visitors had no answer for Bird in the final frame though, as the Hall of Fame forward scored 20 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to come out on the winning end of the duel.
May 18, 2008: Celtics beat Cavaliers 97-92 in Eastern Conference Semifinals
The newly formed Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen had no tougher test on their way to a 2008 championship than a second round showdown against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The home team won all seven games in the series and none were better than an epic Game 7 where Pierce (41 points) battled James (45 points) on the parquet for 48 minutes. Ultimately, it was an unlikely name (P.J. Brown) that served as a late-game hero for Boston. The late-season free agent addition hit a late jumper in regulation that gave the Celtics the cushion they needed to hold on for the tight win.
May 2, 2009: Celtics beat Bulls 109-99 in Eastern Conference 1st Round
Game 7 between the Bulls and Celtics in 2009 put an exclamation point on one of the best first round series in NBA history. With Boston missing an injured Kevin Garnett in the frontcourt, the young Bulls began their Eastern Conference ascent by giving the second-seeded Celtics all they could handle during a compelling first six games of the series, which included four overtime contests. The Chicago underdogs, led by Derrick Rose, did not quit in Game 7 either, rallying to within three points of Boston with five minutes to play after falling behind by double digits in the first half. The healthy members of the Big Three closed the deal for the hosts as Ray Allen (23 points) and Paul Pierce (20 points) put the game away down the stretch.
