"il Basket non è matematica"

Scritto da Francesco Movy Apicella   

Lunghi giocano divinamente e non fanno rimpiangere Garnett, Powe su tutti oltre i 20 punti. Pierce capitano coraggioso, Rondo lucido e in controllo, Allen efficace nella seconda metà gara. 105-94 con i Celtics che riescono ad andare oltre l'assenza di Davis cacciato per un Flagrant di tipo 2 a inizio del terzo. Segnale lanciato alla lega, come era prevedibile, i Celtics ci sono.

RECAP

Primo Quarto
Inizio estremamente nervoso, lo si vede in ordine sparso da un'errore in schiacciata di Perkins, un sottomano mancino di Pierce, un passaggio a nessuno di Varejao, un clamoroso errore in schiacciata in contropiede di James. Difese selvagge attacchi in divenire. Come sempre la difesa Celtics concede il piazzato a Ilga a segno 2 volte su 3, i Cavs raddoppiano costantemente Allen in uscita dai pick & roll, concedendo piazzati a Davis. Le impennate adrenaliniche le da Rondo che ruba e va ad appoggiare e inventa un assist per un coinvoltissimo Perkins in fase offensiva, ma soprattutto le giocate difensive di entrambe le squadre, da ricordare una stoppatona in aiuto di Perkins al prescelto, che nella sua metacampo fa faticare Pierce, costretto a tiri a centro area ad un coefficiente di difficoltà pazzesco anche per lui.
Ray Allen non apre il campo nemmeno quando Pierce gli regala il piazzato con spazio.

A 4 dalla fine Rondo si gira la caviglia destra in un movimento "normale" di ritorno difensivo (ah le scarpe slacciate e larghe della next generation), entra House per nostra fortuna i tiratori di Cleveland, James compreso sentono la tensione.
I Celtics provano a girare la gara con un doppio 2+1 targati Davis e Pierce (17-10).
Szczerbiak finalmente, per la squadra dell'Ohio, apre un pò la scatola, una pessima invenzione arbitrale (fallo offensivo su splendida palla di Davis per Perkins, con Davis chiaramente in controllo dopo lo scarico. 17-12 timeout Cleveland.
2 liberi di James, Davis a segno dopo autoritario rimbalzo offensivo (ennesimo errore di Pierce che però stavolta fa muovere la difesa).
19-14 quando è Perkins a griffare il rimbalzo nella metacampo offensiva, ancora lui a segno in tap in, è entrato Marbury e si vede, fallo su West a tiro (dubbio ma pessimo movimento difensivo) 2+1 per l'ex Celtics.
LeBron affonda di mancino a centro area, ultimo pessimo possesso(House da 3 fuori equilibrio e senso) con Marbury che non ha ancora la dimestichezza per guidare l'attacco e House non può certo dargli una mano.
21-19 per i Celtics il finale del primo parziale.

Secondo Quarto
Moore e il Leone per noi, i Cavs senza James (Gibson in campo). Pierce attacca Wally e va a segno, dopo un attacco troppo statico dei Cavs va a segno House da oltre l'arco. Piace l'intensità di Moore che si fa sentire a rimbalzo e mette anche la ciliegina della schiacciata su scarico di Marbury e la gran difesa sull'uno contro uno con la sua nemesi di mercato Smith.
I Cavs ci provano solo debolmente da oltre l'arco, mai a segno. Siamo 28-22 ma perdiamo qualche occasione offensivamente (Marbury Moore pasticciano ed è lo stesso lungo a farsi battere a rimbalzo offensivo e a concedere un extra possesso e 2 liberi a dei Cavs in apnea.
Timeout Rivers. Marbury prende dei tiri concessigli ma non sembra avere la tranquillità per mettergli a segno, non così il solito efficacemente sfrontato House, Powe sale di livello, difesa, rimbalzo difensivo autorevole e appoggio offensivo contro uno Smith spostato.
32-23 e a fermare il gioco è Brown. Rientra LeBron ma è Williams ad attaccare con efficace Marbury, Moore mostra buon intelligenza e tocco servendo Powe, Varejao raccatta dalla spazzatura un appoggio per il 34-27. Rientrano Perkins e, per fortuna, Rondo (peccato per un Marbury che litiga con il ferro).
Ancora il Leone su assist di un paziente Allen, poi grandissima di fesa di Pierce e di squadra su LeBron. Il Leone esaltato dà il +11 ai suoi attaccando dal palleggio Ilgauskas, ma Z si rifa' nell'altra metacampo con il solito piazzatone.
Difesa stellare dei Celtics. Perkins a segno da quella che sembra diventata la sua mattonella dopo quella del gancetto, con lo svitamento e tiro dai 3 metri. Ilgauskas ancora a segno, è da sempre una palese scelta tecnica per non dare ritmo offensivo a rimbalzo ai Cavs e per evitare di gravarci di falli con gli aiuti in area, ma a segno con questa sistematicità il lituano può farci ripensare alle nostre priorità difensiva, difatti: timeout Celtics.
I Cavs rientrano decisi, stoppata di Ilgauskas e LeBron che attacca il ferro e guadagna 2 liberi.
Si va tanto dalla lunetta, le difese sono probabilmente stanche, siamo 41-37 con la bomba di Williams con troppo spazio. Un copione già visto, con l'immaturità degna di un omaggio alla march madness, quando vedono l'appropinquarsi della pausa di metatempo, I Celtics si rilassano e con un parziale guidato da Williams (7 punti) e chiuso dalla rubata e dal libero di James, Cleveland si regala il 14-5 che porta i Cavs a soli 2 punti di svantaggio.
45-43. Tanto per chiudere pessima ultima azione Celtics.

Terzo Quarto
Ottimo segno il canestro di Allen dopo il ricciolo, poi ancora rimbalzo per l'ultratrentenne da Connecticut, quindi Davis dalla media.
LeBron va a prendersi il centro area e i 2 liberi a segno, i Celtics invece vanno continuativamente da Allen che ci ripaga con il canestro dalla media.
Fallo durissimo di Davis e reazione ancor sostenuta dei giocatori Cavs, un flagrant 2, con Davis cacciato dal campo, situazione tecnica ed emozionale tutta a favore dei Cavs.
A segno il libero di Allen e uno di quelli di Varejao. Palla Cavaliers 55-49, bomba di LeBron, l'area degli uomini di Brown si chiude a riccio, Williams da il -1 ai CAvs.
Powe si fa sentire sottocanestro, ma Varejao dalla lunetta impone la parità a 57. Finalmente un'iniziativa sicura di Pierce la partita si è accesa all'inverosimile.
5 punti di Ray Allen abbastanza casuali per costruzione ma veramenti importanti per far pensare gli avversari. Gioco fermato da Mike Brown, 64-57, continua la fisarmonica classica degli ultimi Celtics Cavs al garden, speriamo il risultato sia il solito (nelle ultime 14 occasioni tra le 2 superpotenze dell'Est ha vinto la compagini di casa).

Un eccesso di zelo arbitrare (ennesimo 3 secondi difensivo in una partita così tesa). Powe segna in area, Smith dalla media dopo gioco a 2 con LeBron, l'han pagato per quello.
Ottima difesa Cavs, Varejao a segno dalla lunetta (66-61) Cavaliers sempre attaccati. Varejao continua ad andare a segno sugli scarichi, forse si sta troppo spingendo sugli esterni, doppia bomba di Pierce e siamo a +11 74-63.
10 Assists su 11 canestri per i Celtics che si affidano a Powe e ai suoi giochi in backdoor che gli permettono ricezioni profondissime, è Smith a tenere in linea di galleggiamento Cleveland.
Finale di quarto che vede i Celtics in vantaggio 78-69, ma è facile pronosticare sia ben lungi dall'essersi indirizzata in direzione biancoverde la gara.5 Celtics già in doppia cifra.

Quarto Quarto
Riproposta la coppia Marbury House, il primo a segno al primo possesso. Pierce ci porta con una delle sue conclusioni in avvicinamento di sinistro a una dozzina di punti di vantaggio.
Continua il mastodontico lavoro di "creazione" di linee di passaggio di Powe se qualche esterno Celtics riesce a battere l'avversario diretto, Cleveland prova a giocarsi la carta del post di Ilgauskas che viene mandato in lunetta e incredibilmente non ci punisce 1/4 per lui.
9 minuti dal termine e siamo già in bonus, per fortuna la mano dalla lunetta dei Cavs è incerta, mentre non trema quella del capitano allo scadere dei 24, sfrutta il blocco di Perkins e va a segno di tocco dalla lunetta. Situazioni dubbie, fischi a sfavore, che ci stanno, i Celtics comunque a +14 (86-72), Ilga dalla lunetta, timeout televisivo.
James a segno da 3, 4 punti di un positivo Moore, siamo 90-77. Varejao, Williams soluzioni veloci per i Cavs.
Cosa vogliamo dire, saremo dei piangina, ma ancora un fischio contro per un presunto fallo di Moore con Williams che più che entrare nel cilindro del rimbalzista ex-Nets va proprio a cercalo.
Solo +7 (90-83), il capitano in azione per tenerli distanti, il Leone con la stoppata in aiuto, e poi il 2+1 offensivo. Pierce in lunetta per dare il 96-83 ai suoi che a 4 minuti dalla fine è più di una mano sulla partita.
Williams da 3 prova a riaprre la gara. Rivers chiama tempo sul 98-86, sarà decisivo non giocare con l'orologio a 3 dalla fine, ma continuare ad attaccare e sfruttare l'assenza di Ben Wallace che lascia spazio e opportunità a un Leone decisivo.
Allen a segno dopo il ricciolo, West dalla lunetta (in quest'azione LeBron piazza un cattivissimo ma corretto blocco a centrocampo su Rondo), poi sono i 2 protagonisti principe della gara a mettere le olive nel Martini, Pierce dalla media, Powe che prende lo sfondo da West.
40 punti 21 rimbalzi dai 3 lunghi, la chiave della gara. La bomba di Ray Allen a 1 dalla fine per togliere ogni dubbio alla tensione. E' finita, 105-94 grande prestazione della squadra attualmente campione in carica NBA.

Il migliore
Tanti candidat, dal Rondo che piace più così in controllo con l'area chiusa che non quando distilla triple doppie, R.Allen chiave della partita nella seconda parte, scardinando una difesa che l'ha sempre contenuto con sicurezza.Davis dominante finchè è stato in campo. Allora ci concediamo almeno l'accoppiata Pierce-Powe il primo risponde come sa quando conta, Powe domina la gara sugli scarichi pomiciando col tabellone per tutti i 4 quarti.

Il peggiore
Dai no... Moore e Marbury danno quello che devono, stavolta giusto celebrare il gruppo.

Statistiche
Pierce 2p 9r 4a, 20p+11r e 9/11 al tiro. 31 assist su 45 canestri, vittoria esigua ma importante a rimbalzo (36-35), Davis Allen e Perkins in doppia cifra per punti, Rondo per rimbalzi. James tenuto al 33% dal campo. I numeri stavolta non mentono. Solo Williams sopramedia con 26 talentuosissimi punti.

Classifica e appuntamenti
I Celtics tornano a -1 dai Cavs e adesso affronteranno Orlando per continuare a perorare la loro candidatura al vantaggio del fattore campo nei playoffs.
Spero non mi siano chiesti diritti d'autore per questo: Celtics follow  the dream

Celtics - Raptors 94-87

La POESIA e l'IMMENSITA' del Basket sono entrate in Paul Pierce; e ancora una notte l'hanno reso immortale! un quarto quarto che porterò da oggi dentro di me... ho i brividi sulla pelle.

3° Giornata

Olimpia Lubiana - Roma 67-78

Dopo Badalona in casa, la Virtus Roma ottiene una importante vittoria sul difficile campo di Lubiana, andando a battere l´Olimpija per 78-67. Sani Becirovic stellare, e sempre più leader, con 23 punti a segno guida i capitolini. Ma bene anche De La Fuente con 9 rimbalzi e 10 punti (Campione Assoluto) e Jennings (14) secondo top scorer della squadra. Fischiatissimi gli ex della gara, sotto un dominio palese di Roma - che con parziali che tagliano le gambe alle rimonte, si impone per tutti e 40 i minuti.

Boston Celtics, anni '70

dal sito ufficiale dei Celtics

1969-74: Russell Retires, And Dynasty Dies

The following season the inevitable finally occurred: Bill Russell retired after having won 11 championships in 13 years. Sam Jones's retirement was a loss to the team as well. Although the Celtics had a promising youngster in rookie guard Jo Jo White, a journeyman fourth-year 7-footer named Henry Finkel didn't exactly fill the gap that Russell left in the middle. The 1969-70 Celtics, under new head coach Tom Heinsohn, went 34-48 and finished out of the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. The dynasty was officially dead.

The Celtics made wholesale changes before the 1970-71 campaign. Their new center was 6-9 rookie Dave Cowens. John Havlicek and nine-year veteran Don Nelson occupied the forward positions, and Don Chaney and Jo Jo White, a pair of 24-year-olds, provided both defense and scoring at the guard positions. The Celtics improved to 44-38 but finished out of the playoffs for the second year in a row. Cowens shared NBA Rookie of the Year honors with Portland's Geoff Petrie, marking the only time two players have tied for the award.

It didn't take the Celtics long to return to contention. Fielding the same lineup for the 1971-72 season, they climbed all the way back to the top spot in the Atlantic Division with a 56-26 record. Havlicek was now Boston's undisputed star. He finished third in the league in scoring (27.5 ppg) and fifth in assists (7.5 apg). Cowens snared 15.2 rebounds per game to rank fifth in the NBA. But the team was not yet ready to make a convincing playoff run-Boston survived a six-game conference semifinal series against Atlanta, then fell to the New York Knicks in the conference finals.

The 1972-73 Celtics put together a remarkable regular season. The only change on the court was the addition of Paul Silas, a solid rebounder who came to Boston from the Phoenix Suns. Havlicek had another fine year (23.8 ppg), but Cowens emerged as the engine that drove the team, earning NBA Most Valuable Player honors by averaging 20.5 points and 16.2 rebounds. The team looked much like the Celtics of legend-a fast-breaking club that could outrun, outrebound, and outpass any opponent. Boston finished the regular season with a 68-14 record, just one victory shy of the NBA's all-time win mark. Still, the club wasn't quite championship caliber. The 1973 Playoffs were a repeat of the previous postseason, as Boston got by Atlanta in the conference semifinals before losing to the Knicks in the next round.

It had taken only a couple of years for the Celtics to become a balanced, seasoned team, and they were hungry for a championship. The lineup stayed the same for the 1973-74 campaign-John Havlicek, Paul Silas, and Dave Cowens up front, Don Chaney and Jo Jo White in the backcourt. Don Nelson and Paul Westphal provided support off the bench. After placing first in the Atlantic Division with a 56-26 record, Boston eliminated the young Buffalo Braves and then got past the Knicks easily in an Eastern Conference Finals matchup.

1974-75: One Of The Greatest Finals Ever

The NBA Finals saw the Celtics face off against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks. It was one of the greatest Finals in NBA history. The teams split the first four games, and after the Celtics won Game 5 in Milwaukee they headed back to Boston leading three games to two, with a chance to claim the title on their home court. But the Bucks won Game 6 when Abdul-Jabbar nestled in a hook shot with three seconds left in the game's second overtime, and the series returned to Milwaukee. Cowens was the hero in Game 7, scoring 28 points as the Celtics brought the title back to Boston for the first time in five years.

The Celtics used the same formula in the 1974-75 season to claim another Atlantic Division crown. With an emphasis on team balance, Boston continued to win without a giant in the middle. The team showed its depth by playing well even after losing Cowens to a broken foot halfway through the season. When he returned the club cruised to a 60-22 record. In the playoffs, however, Boston was ousted by the Washington Bullets (who had also posted a 60-22 mark) in the Eastern Conference Finals.

1975-76: Westphal Nearly Returns To Haunt Celtics

The Celtics lost Don Chaney to the American Basketball Association before the 1975-76 season. To fill the gap in the backcourt they traded Paul Westphal to Phoenix for Charlie Scott, who had averaged more than 20 points in each of the previous three seasons. Despite an uncharacteristically weak bench, the Celtics finished in first place in their division with a 54-28 record, second best in the league. Boston earned a shot at another NBA title by defeating Buffalo and then the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs.

Boston's opponents in the NBA Finals were the Phoenix Suns, who had posted a 42-40 regular-season record. The Team in Green was the oddsmakers' choice in the contest. The Celtics took the first two games at Boston Garden, but the Suns came right back to win Games 3 and 4 on their home court. Game 5 ranks among the all-time thrillers in NBA history. The Suns trailed by five points with less than a minute left on the clock, but Westphal made up the deficit almost single-handedly, sending the game into a first overtime period, which ended in a tie.

John Havlicek's basket with two seconds remaining in double overtime gave the Celtics a one-point lead, which Boston stretched to two points after sinking a technical foul shot. Then the Suns' Garfield Heard hit a last-second basket to send the contest into a third overtime. The longest game in NBA Finals history finally ended, after three extra periods, with the Celtics winning, 128-126. Two days later Boston captured yet another NBA championship, the 13th in franchise history.

1976-78: A Two-Year Dry Spell

After owning the top spot in the Atlantic Division for five years running, the Celtics entered a short period of decline with the 1976-77 season. John Havlicek, at age 36, was slowing down. Bad luck also played a role, as Charlie Scott missed almost half the season with a broken arm and Dave Cowens took a two-month leave of absence for personal reasons. Boston had an entirely new frontcourt in Sidney Wicks (acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers) and Curtis Rowe (who came from the Detroit Pistons in a three-way trade that sent Paul Silas to the Denver Nuggets); both players struggled with the new system. The Celtics finished in second place with a 44-38 record. After bouncing San Antonio with a two-game sweep in a first-round series, Boston was eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers in a seven-game conference semifinal matchup.

The 1977-78 campaign was a total failure. After an 11-23 start Head Coach Tom Heinsohn was replaced by former Celtics player Satch Sanders. Partway through the season Boston sent Charlie Scott to Los Angeles for Don Chaney and Kermit Washington (who had spent 60 days on the suspended list after seriously injuring the Houston Rockets' Rudy Tomjanovich in an early-season fight). Adding to the team's woes, Jo Jo White missed 36 games with a broken foot. Ultimately, Boston won only 32 games, the team's lowest total since the 1949-50 season.

1978-79: Boston Acquires Rights To Bird

Prior to the 1978-79 campaign the Celtics were involved in an unusual deal that saw owner Irv Levin, a California businessman who was very unpopular in Boston, trade franchises with John Y. Brown, owner of the struggling Buffalo Braves. Levin was anxious to own a club that played in his home state, and the NBA let him take the Braves to San Diego, where they became the Clippers.

The deal included a complicated seven-player trade in which Boston acquired Nate Archibald, Billy Knight, Marvin Barnes, and two future draft choices and San Diego received Freeman Williams (who was the Celtics' first-round selection in the 1978 NBA Draft), backup center Kevin Kunnert, and power forwards Kermit Washington and Sidney Wicks. Most importantly, Boston retained the draft rights to Larry Bird, although he didn't join the Celtics until the following year.

For all the wheeling and dealing, the Celtics had a dreadful season. John Havlicek had retired, and the Celtics won only 2 of their first 14 games, prompting the dismissal of Coach Sanders. Dave Cowens was named player-coach but he couldn't do much to improve the team, and the Celtics finished in the Atlantic Division cellar with a 29-53 record.

1979-80: From Worst To First

Boston went from worst to first the following season. The catalyst for the turnaround was Bird. Red Auerbach had waited patiently while Bird returned to Indiana State for the 1978-79 season to lead the Sycamores to the NCAA title game, which they lost to Michigan State and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. When Bird and Johnson entered the league together for the 1979-80 season (Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers), it marked the beginning of an era of unprecedented popularity for the NBA.

Although Johnson came away with an NBA championship in his first pro season, Bird earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors after putting up stellar first-year numbers: 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Out of the ashes of the previous two seasons, the Celtics emerged with a solid core of players. Third-year veteran Cedric Maxwell teamed up with Bird in the frontcourt, and Cowens continued to patrol the middle. The guards were Chris Ford, who had come to the Celtics the season before from Detroit, and Nate "Tiny" Archibald, who shook off injuries that had slowed him the previous three years to finish second in the league in assists with 8.4 per game.

After winning only 29 games the season before, the Celtics roared back in 1979-80 to post a 61-21 record. The 32-game improvement was a league record (later surpassed by San Antonio in 1989-90), and new coach Bill Fitch was named NBA Coach of the Year. Back in the playoffs after a two-year hiatus, Boston swept Houston in the conference semifinals before losing to Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Finals.

2° Giornata

Roma - Badalona 85-71

Una Grande Virtus Roma  tra il 3° e 4° quarto regola il Badalona nella seconda giornata di Eurolega e fa suo così il primo match di EL! Grande prova di Jaaber (17 punti) e Becirovic (immenso nel terzo quarto con, 15 punti). Bene anche Ray (finalmente di carattere), Gigli e il bimbo Jennings (6 punti e buone iniziative). Pochi i momenti di sofferenza, alternati a puro godimento. Una Roma dunque che sa mischiare alla perfezione cinismo, e contropiedi in puro stile "spettacolo"!

Celtics: la consegna degli Anelli

Biella- Roma 85-94

Una grande Virtus Roma fa sua la terza vittoria consecutiva in campionato... e ciò non succedeva da tempo! Dopo la Fortitudo, è quindi Biella a pagare il sistema di gioco di Repesa (con tiri per tutti e ampie rotazioni) mai così funzionante. Fondamentale il dominio sotto le plance di Brezec (17 punti per lui), il quale partita dopo partita sta dimostrado il suo immenso valore Nba! MVP dell'incontro è Datome, che libero da tutto e tutti sta mostrando talento da vendere. Soliti, preziosi e instancabili... De La Fuente (13 + 4 rimbalzi), Becirovic (13 con 6/6 dalla linea della carità) e Ray (in costante crescita nelle rotazioni di squadra). La classifica si allunga con Siena e Bologna "nera" in vetta al fianco di Roma. Arrancano invece Milano e Fortitudo, con giocatori da tagliare (clamoroso il probabile taglio di Forte) oppure da recuperare - vedi Vitale.

2° giornata

Fortitudo Bo - Roma 58-82

Una Lottomatica Roma completamente "rivoluzionata" nell'animo rispetto ad una settimana fa... trova bandolo della matassa, geometrie difensive... e dilaga in quel di Bologna, travolgendo la Fortitudo Bologna (colei che più aveva impressionato nel primo turno). Da stropicciarsi gli occhi Rodrigo De La Fuente con 10 punti e ben 13 rimbalzi. Ma anche Brezec (19 punti) e Allan Ray (10 punti) hanno saputo dare "mattoni" importanti all'interno del match. Roma in fin dei conti sempre avanti di 13-20 punti, con un parziale tra le mani, e il totale controllo della partita da parte di Jasmin Repesa, che ha annullato Forte con Jaaber, e ha impallato i sistemi offensivi di Sakota (troppo legato a uomini come Woods e Mancinelli) dopo pochi scampoli di gara! Da segnalare l'ottimo apporto di Datome (9) che con la sua striscia di 5 punti nell'ultimo quarto ha firmato il break decisivo per la vittoria finale! In una settimana cambia l'umore e con essa la speranza. E' tempo di ritornare in palestra. L'Eurolega sta per iniziare!

1° giornata

Roma - Caserta 83-81 dts

Boston Celtics, anni '60

dal sito ufficiale dei Celtics -

http://www.nba.com/celtics/history/Recap_1960s.html

1959-62:  Celtics Prove That Five Stars Are Better Than One

The Celtics' success continued in the following season. Each of the five starters-Frank Ramsey, Tom Heinsohn, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, and Bob Cousy-averaged better than 15 points, and Auerbach had a bench that included Sam Jones, K. C. Jones, and Gene Conley, who was an All-Star pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason. The 1959-60 Celtics reeled off a 17-game winning streak on their way to winning the division title by 10 games. The Eastern Division Finals featured a matchup between rookie sensation Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors and Russell of the Celtics. Chamberlain had turned the league upside down, averaging 37.6 points and 27.0 rebounds during the regular season and claiming the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. But even a superstar wasn't enough to defeat the formidable Celtics, as Boston prevailed in six games.

Boston's victory set up a Hawks-Celtics Finals for the third time in four years. The 1960 matchup saw the two teams split the first four games once again. Boston whipped St. Louis by 25 points in Game 5, but the Hawks responded with a three-point win in Game 6. In the seventh and deciding game at Boston Garden the Celtics pulled out all the stops-Russell snared 35 rebounds, and Boston repeated as champions by virtue of a 122-103 victory. The club marched to another Eastern Division crown in the 1960-61 season. The roster was basically the same, although Bill Sharman saw a little less time when Sam Jones moved into the starting lineup and K. C. Jones took over as the Celtics' sixth man. The results were almost identical to the season before, as the team chalked up 57 wins.

That year's playoff run proved to be the Celtics' easiest to date-Boston lost only two games on the way to a third straight championship. Facing St. Louis in the Finals yet again, the Celtics dashed any hopes of a Hawks upset by winning the first two games by an average of 21 points. The Hawks staved off a sweep with a win in Game 3, but that was all they would get-Boston took the next two games to win the series. In postseason honors, Russell claimed his second NBA Most Valuable Player Award. When the 1961-62 season got underway there was a new professional circuit, the American Basketball League. Bill Sharman ended his career with the Celtics to become head coach of the new league's Los Angeles franchise. Otherwise, it was business as usual for "the Team in Green." Bob Cousy averaged 15.7 points and 7.8 assists, while Russell pulled down 23.6 rebounds per game and became the league's first repeat MVP. Second-year player Thomas "Satch" Sanders snared 9.5 rebounds per contest at one forward position, while Tom Heinsohn matched Sanders's rebounding numbers and added 22.1 points per game at the other. Frank Ramsey contributed 15.3 points per contest off the bench. The Celtics became the first team in NBA history to win 60 games in a season. They finished with their sixth consecutive Eastern Division title, besting Philadelphia by 11 games.

If the previous year's playoffs had been a cakewalk, the 1962 postseason was like running a gauntlet for the Celtics. Wilt Chamberlain had averaged 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds for the Philadelphia Warriors that year, and he gave the Celtics all they could handle in the Eastern Division Finals. With the series tied at three games apiece, the teams battled it out in a closely played Game 7. Sam Jones hit a basket with two seconds remaining and the Celtics held on to win, 109-107.

Boston faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Elgin Baylor had powered Los Angeles to a 54-26 record during the regular season, and after he scored 61 points in Game 5 the Lakers led the series, three games to two. But the Celtics weren't ready to give up the throne, beating the Lakers, 119-105, in Game 6. In Game 7, after the fourth period ended with the game tied at 100, Boston pulled ahead in overtime to beat Los Angeles, 110-107. The Celtics had now won a record four straight championships and five in the previous six seasons.

1962-63: Cousy Retires With Yet Another Ring

As the 1962-63 campaign began, Bob Cousy, at age 34, announced that the season would be his last. It was clear that Boston was ready for the future, however, when rookie John Havlicek joined the Celtics as the team's first-round draft pick. Boston also added 33-year-old Clyde Lovellette, an experienced center who could provide solid backup for Bill Russell. The season went according to form. Boston posted a 58-22 mark and won the Eastern Division by 10 games, and Russell won his third straight MVP Award. The Cincinnati Royals gave the Celtics a bit of a scare in the division finals, thanks to the brilliant play of Oscar Robertson. After surviving a seven-game matchup with the Royals, Boston moved on to the NBA Finals and dispatched the Lakers in six games.

1963-65: Russell Keeps Dynasty Going

The big question for the Celtics as the 1963-64 campaign rolled around was how the loss of Cousy would affect the team. For years aficionados of the game had debated whether it was Cousy or Russell who provided the foundation for the Celtics' dynasty. Russell answered the question by leading the club to a 59-win season. Yet as important as Russell's contributions were, Boston prospered by virtue of a total team effort. The guard tandem of Sam Jones and K. C. Jones offered the perfect balance of scoring and defense, while Tom Heinsohn and Satch Sanders anchored the forward positions. The team's highest scorer didn't even start-Havlicek came off the bench to average 19.9 points. Boston waltzed through postseason play to a sixth straight championship, ousting the Cincinnati Royals in five games and then defeating Wilt Chamberlain and the San Francisco Warriors in the title series.

Owner Walter Brown passed away before the 1964-65 season. Brown, one of the founding fathers of modern professional basketball, had owned the Celtics since starting the team in 1946. The club dedicated its season to him and kicked it off with 11 straight victories. Overall, Boston won 62 games and ended the regular season with a 14-game cushion over second-place Cincinnati.

Boston faced the Philadelphia 76ers (formerly the Syracuse Nationals) in the opening round of the playoffs. Philadelphia had established itself as a contender with the acquisition of Wilt Chamberlain from San Francisco midway through the season. The teams traded victories, with Boston winning Games 1, 3, and 5 and Philadelphia claiming Games 2, 4, and 6. Holding a seven-point lead with 2:00 left in Game 7, Boston appeared to have the contest in hand, but then Chamberlain scored six quick points to pull the 76ers within one at 110-109. With five seconds left, Russell inbounded the ball with a pass that hit a wire supporting the basket, and possession went to Philadelphia. But when the Sixers' Hal Greer threw the ball in to Chet Walker, John Havlicek stepped in and snatched the pass, inciting announcer Johnny Most's legendary shouts of "Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball!"

By comparison, Boston's NBA Finals matchup with Los Angeles seemed anticlimactic. The Lakers were playing without the injured Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West by himself was no match for the Celtics. Boston won Game 1 by 32 points and Game 5 by 34. In between, the Celtics lost only once as they earned their seventh consecutive championship. Red Auerbach was named NBA Coach of the Year.

1965-66: Eight Straight

The following season marked the beginning of a transitional period for the Celtics. Tom Heinsohn retired before the 1965-66 campaign, and three of the team's five starters-Sam Jones, K. C. Jones, and Bill Russell-were more than 30 years old and nearing retirement. Midway through the year Auerbach announced that it would be his final campaign as the team's head coach. (The following season he assumed the post of general manager for the club.)

After a season-long battle for the Eastern Division crown, the Philadelphia 76ers won 18 of their final 21 games. They posted a 55-25 record to edge the Celtics by a single game, ending Boston's 10-year reign as the top team in the East. The second-place finish meant that the Celtics had to get past Cincinnati in the first round of the playoffs in order to face the 76ers in the Eastern Division Finals. Boston lost two of the first three games to the Royals, then took the final two to advance. Seasoned by the tough five-game series, the Celtics sliced right through the 76ers in the second round, losing only one game.

The 1966 NBA Finals once again pitted Los Angeles against Boston. After the Lakers' surprise overtime victory in Game 1, Auerbach announced that the team would be coached the following year by none other than Bill Russell, a move that inspired the club to win the next three games. Los Angeles managed to extend the series with a victory in Game 6, but the Celtics finished off the Lakers in Game 7, 95-93. Auerbach stepped down as coach with an unprecedented record of eight consecutive championships.

1966-69: Sixers And Celtics Clash In East

Auerbach's retirement as coach coincided with the emergence of the 76ers as the powerhouse of the NBA. The 1966-67 Philadelphia club steamrolled through the league behind Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, and Billy Cunningham, at one point posting a 45-4 record en route to a season mark of 68-13.

Boston actually improved under player-coach Russell. General Manager Auerbach added a pair of veterans in Bailey Howell and Wayne Embry. Russell piloted the team to 60 wins, good for a second-place finish behind Philadelphia. After ousting the New York Knicks in the division semifinals, the Celtics earned a shot at the 76ers in the Eastern Division Finals. Philadelphia won the first three games and then smashed the Celtics in Game 5 to take the series. That defeat ended the most impressive championship streak in American sports history. It was the first time in 10 seasons that the Celtics had failed to reach the NBA Finals, and it ended a string of eight straight NBA titles.

The Celtics' dynasty seemed to be on the wane. The club took the floor at the start of the 1967-68 season with an aging lineup. K. C. Jones had retired during the offseason, but Russell rallied the team. After the Celtics posted a 54-28 record during the regular season to finish eight games behind the 76ers, the two teams squared off in the Eastern Division Finals for the fourth straight season.

Heavily favored Philadelphia jumped out to lead the series after four games, but Boston rallied to take the next two contests. Game 7 was a thriller. The Celtics were holding a two-point lead with less than a minute to play when Russell took over the game-sinking a free throw, blocking a shot, grabbing a rebound, and then dishing out an assist to secure the victory. Once again the Celtics were on their way to the championship round, in which they beat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. Boston had captured its ninth title in 10 years.

As the 1968-69 season began the Celtics seemed to have lost their spark. Sam Jones was now 35 years old, Russell 34. The team won 48 games, its lowest win total since the 1956-57 campaign when it played a 72-game schedule. Once again, however, Boston turned on the magic during the playoffs, making short work of the 76ers in the division semifinals and then outlasting the Knicks in the Eastern Division Finals.

Boston moved on to face Los Angeles in the NBA Finals. It was the sixth time in eight years that the two teams had butted heads for the right to wear the crown, and the Celtics had yet to lose. But the Lakers, featuring Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor, entered the series as the favorites and took the first two games. Boston won Game 3 and then eked out a win in Game 4 when Sam Jones hit a shot at the buzzer to give the Celtics an 89-88 victory. The teams split the next two contests. In Game 7, played at The Forum in Los Angeles, the Celtics built a 17-point fourth-quarter lead, then held off a Lakers rally to win the championship by two points, 108-106.