The Boston Celtics returned home for Game 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers up 3-2 in the series. Boston was ready to clinch Banner 17 and wasted no time doing so. The Celtics embarrassed the Lakers 131-92 in one of the biggest wins in NBA Finals history. The victory gave the Cs their first championship in 22 years.
We at Hardwood Houdini thought we would highlight the best night the Celtics and their fanbase have had in the last fifteen years.
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Some background heading into the game is that the Celtics lost Game 5 103-98 and had trouble with their flights. The Cs had problems flying back to Boston, and they did not get in until the morning of Game 6. Ray Allen also was running on fumes as he had been in the hospital with his son in the days leading up to the game.
None of that mattered as Kevin Garnett set the tone for the Boston Celtics with 10 points in the first quarter. The Cs fed off Garnett’s energy as they exploded for a 26-6 run to end the first half, and they had a 23-point half-time lead.
Boston controlled the second half and was able to rest the starters for the majority of the fourth quarter. The game is iconic because it was a dominant performance against an all-time great player and coach Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson. Now let’s dive into the main categories of our rewatch series.
Biggest moment of the game: Kevin Garnett’s push shot on Lamar Odom
The best and most iconic moment from this game came at the end of the second quarter. The Boston Celtics were in the middle of a 26-6 run, and Garnett capped it off with an amazing push shot as he was falling back. Garnett received a pass from Paul Pierce and rose before being pushed by Odom. KG threw it against the backboard, and it miraculously went in.
The shot prompted Mark Jackson to say his iconic line, “Mama, there goes that man.” The shot from Garnett is forever in Cs fans’ brains because it highlighted who he was as a player. Also, the shot showed that the Celtics were not going to lose Game 6 because nothing phased them.
Star of the game: Kevin Garnett
The star of Game 6 has to be Garnett because he set the tone for the game. The Boston Celtics were able to jump out to a fast start because of Garnett’s early offense and energy. Garnett was effective on the block in this game, and he added 26 points and 14 rebounds.
Twelve years ago today, the Boston #Celtics captured Banner 17. ☘️🏆 pic.twitter.com/kYJtG7ACFI
— ☘️ 𝘽𝙊𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙉 𝘾𝙀𝙇𝙏𝙄𝘾𝙎 𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ☘️ (@BosCelticsNews_) June 17, 2020
Garnett also showed why he was the Defensive Player of the Year as he had three steals and a block. The game was a culmination of the strong season that Garnett had and his overall impact on the Cs winning the title.
Winners of the game: Paul Pierce/Ray Allen/Boston Celtics Nation
Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are winners in this game because their performances were also a culmination of their strong seasons. Although Pierce struggled from the field, he did finish with 17 points and 10 assists. Allen is a winner in this game because he tied a Finals record with seven three-pointers, which is impressive considering he did not get much sleep heading into the game.
Celtics Nation is also a winner in this game because they finally got a championship that they had been waiting 22 years for. Boston Celtics fans suffered through many tough losing seasons before they finally got back on top in 2008. The night is one Cs fans will never forget.
Losers: Doc Rivers Suit/Los Angeles Lakers organization
Doc Rivers suit is a loser of this game(this is mostly a joke) because the Boston Celtics celebrated like a Super Bowl winner. Most Cs fans remember Pierce taking a Gatorade cooler and pouring it on Rivers as the time ran off the clock. This is an iconic moment in Celtics history, but Rivers’s suit suffered the brunt of it.
The Lakers organization is also a loser because they suffered the most embarrassing loss in team history. The night left a sour taste in the Laker’s mouths that would fuel them in future seasons.
Impact of the game
The impact of the game for the Celtics is that it’s the only championship they’ve won this millennium. The Big 3 was unable to win another title, but they did make it back to another Finals, just to fall to these same Lakers. On the flip side, the Lakers used this loss as fuel to win back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.