GREEN DAY!!!
Celtics capture 17th title with blowout of Lakers
Celtics 131, Lakers 92
When the Celtics’ journey began with a preseason trip through Rome, they were hoping to build the next great empire.
Last night, they laid the final brick.
The Celtics won their 17th world championship by beating the Lakers, 131-92 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the Garden. They won the series, 4-2, to claim their first title since 1986, a drought that spanned 1,912 games.
And it was a process of historic proportions. After losing more than twice as many games as they won last season, the front office called for a complete overhaul, shipping out young talent in exchange for Kevin Garnett (26 points and 14 rebounds last night) and Ray Allen (26 points) to go alongside Paul Pierce (17 points, 10 assists), who solidified his place in the rafters with his Finals heroics.
Before anything, the Celtics preached defense, and they painted their Mona Lisa last night, suffocating the Lakers’ passing lanes and picking their pockets to a tune of 19 forced turnovers that resulted in 32 Celtics points. And after Kobe Bryant scored 11 of the Lakers’ first 13 points, he was rendered invisible for the remainder of the contest, finishing with 22.
Then, the C’s urged a team-first philosophy, meshing three superstar egos as equals with the last men on the bench, and the role players were vital one more time. Rajon Rondo again headlined that bunch with 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals.
The Celtics’ regular season seemed too easy, as they won 66 games and completed the biggest turnaround ever. But they took their lumps in the playoffs, going seven games with the pesky Hawks and hard-nosed Cavaliers, who were the best team the C’s faced in their championship run.
It turned out that adversity paid dividends against the Pistons and Lakers, who weren’t nearly as headstrong in crucial moments. The Celtics eliminated Detroit on their home court before stealing Game 4 of the Finals against the Lakers, who blew a record 24-point lead.
And the mission culminated last night. It took the Celtics 26 playoff games, more than any team in history, to claim their title. But after 22 years of mediocrity, this franchise knew a thing or two about waiting.
Judging by the champagne-soaked locker room, it was worth it.