NBA Playoffs 2013: Ranking 5 Best Performances in Celtics History
When dealing with a franchise as rich in history as the Boston Celtics, selecting the “greatest” or “best” of anything is never an easy task. With an NBA-record 17 championships, Boston fans have seen their fair share of amazing playoff performances throughout the team’s history. Here, we will rank the five best playoff performances in Celtics’ history.
Rajon Rondo is one of the league’s best playoff performers. Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule, Flickr.com
5. Rajon Rondo – Game 4, 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals
One of the league’s greatest playoff performers, Rajon Rondo has had a number of outstanding statistical performances throughout his career. Perhaps the best of his career came in 2010 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Rondo dominated the game in every aspect as he amassed an incredible triple-double on the way to an important Celtics victory. Rondo finished the game with 29 points, 13 assists and a career-high 18 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 97-87 win. It was a statistical mark that had only been reached by the likes of NBA legends Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson. With the Celtics “Big Three” in foul trouble, Rondo played all but one minute in the game and showed he had elevated his game to the next level.
Rondo also had a game for the ages in the Celtics’ 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. In Boston’s game two loss against the Miami Heat, he scored 44 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 10 assists.
4. Paul Pierce – Game 7, 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals
In one of the NBA’s greatest-ver playoff shootouts, Celtics captain Paul Pierce and LeBron James lit up the nets in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2008. In the deciding game of the series, Pierce went for 41 points as LeBron put up 45 of his own as the two went toe-to-toe down to the final moments of the game.
Pierce was unstoppable as he shot 13-of-23 from the field, 4-of-6 from three and added five assists and four rebounds to one of his greatest-ever performances. The win was huge for the Celtics, who rode the momentum from the series win all the way to the 2007-08 NBA championship, where Pierce won the Finals MVP.
Celtics captain Paul Pierce is a big-time playoff performer.
Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
3. Bob Cousy – Game 3, 1953 Eastern Division Semifinals
The great Bob Cousy set an NBA playoff record with an unbelievable 50-point performance in a Game 2 victory over the Syracuse Nationals. In the deciding game of the three-game series, Cousy was unstoppable as he got to the free-throw line all game, finishing an incredible 30-of-32 from the line. This meant in his 50-point performance, Cousy scored just 10 field goals.
Cousy’s clutch performance pushed the game into overtime, where he scored nine points and brought the Celtics home to a memorable victory.
2. Larry Bird – Game 6, 1986 NBA Finals
In what he describes as the best game in his career, Larry Bird produced one of the greatest NBA Finals performances in a deciding Game 6 against the Houston Rockets in 1986. Bird had guaranteed a victory and did not disappoint, producing a 29-point, 11-rebound, 12-assist triple-double as the Celtics defeated the Rockets 114-97.
The game was the icing on the cake for Bird who had produced a spectacular finals series and was awarded with the Finals MVP.
Of course, Larry Bird was a renowned playoff performer and had more than one spectacular performance. The other, most famous was his 1988 game seven duel with Dominique Wilkins. While Wilkins would finish with 47 points to Bird’s 34, it was Larry Legend who took over the game in the fourth quarter. He had 20 points in the quarter, shooting 9-from-10 and led the Celtics to a 118-116 victory in the decider.
Bill Russell (left) won an amazing 11 NBA championships.
(Photo: New York World-Telegramand the Sun staff photographer/derivative work: Sportingn/via Wikimedia Commons)
1. Bill Russell – Game 7, 1962 NBA Finals
The greatest winner the Celtics franchise has ever produced is also responsible for the team’s greatest all-time playoff performance. The 11 time NBA Champion Bill Russell entered game seven of the 1962 NBA finals having won the previous three seasons in a row and it would take all his greatness to lead his Celtics to a fourth consecutive title.
Russell finished the game with 30 points and an unimaginable 40, yes 40 rebounds as the Celtics edged out the Lakers 110-107. This would be the fourth in a record eight consecutive titles for the Russell-led Celtics but none were more individually impressive than this classic victory.