Lopsided Run Keys Boston's Win over Detroit
First there was the 36-6 run against the Atlanta Hawks to close out the third quarter of the deciding game of the 1986 Eastern Conference Semis. The Celtics scored the last 24 points of the third quarter, and started the fourth quarter with a 100-61 lead. Bill Walton called it the greatest exhibition of basketball he ever witnessed. Danny Ainge still has a Celtics Gone Wild video tape of the game.
Then came the overlooked 31-6 run, which began near the end of the second quarter of the deciding game of the 2008 NBA Finals and concluded a few minutes into the third quarter. Once that run was in the books, all that remained remained was a series of threes by Ray Allen, a Doc Rivers' Gatorade bath courtesy of Paul Pierce, and a locker-room celebration marked beer, champagne, and Cornbread's bright yellow slicker.
The 26-8 run that Boston mounted against Detroit on Thursday won't go down in the annals of Celtic history. But it was still pretty good. Down 14-3 to start the game, Boston clamped down on D and heated up on O. Tying the game at 14, the Celtics fell behind again, this time by five.
Thus commenced the run.
Nine minutes and forty-five seconds later, the Celtics were ahead for good, 40-27. The lead eventually hit 29.
I always thought of the 1980s Lakers as the team best at putting together impressive runs.
But this group of Celtics might be better.
No lead is safe against them, and all leads are subject to quick evaporation. This might also help explain the nonchalance they exhibit coming out of the gates night after night.
First there was the 36-6 run against the Atlanta Hawks to close out the third quarter of the deciding game of the 1986 Eastern Conference Semis. The Celtics scored the last 24 points of the third quarter, and started the fourth quarter with a 100-61 lead. Bill Walton called it the greatest exhibition of basketball he ever witnessed. Danny Ainge still has a Celtics Gone Wild video tape of the game.
Then came the overlooked 31-6 run, which began near the end of the second quarter of the deciding game of the 2008 NBA Finals and concluded a few minutes into the third quarter. Once that run was in the books, all that remained remained was a series of threes by Ray Allen, a Doc Rivers' Gatorade bath courtesy of Paul Pierce, and a locker-room celebration marked beer, champagne, and Cornbread's bright yellow slicker.
The 26-8 run that Boston mounted against Detroit on Thursday won't go down in the annals of Celtic history. But it was still pretty good. Down 14-3 to start the game, Boston clamped down on D and heated up on O. Tying the game at 14, the Celtics fell behind again, this time by five.
Thus commenced the run.
Nine minutes and forty-five seconds later, the Celtics were ahead for good, 40-27. The lead eventually hit 29.
I always thought of the 1980s Lakers as the team best at putting together impressive runs.
But this group of Celtics might be better.
No lead is safe against them, and all leads are subject to quick evaporation. This might also help explain the nonchalance they exhibit coming out of the gates night after night.
2 comments:
The best team I have ever seen put together big runs were the Chicago Bulls teams of the 1990's. This team has a similar swagger in that you know that they can explode at any time and it's never over until the final buzzer.
You got me on that one, Kid.
I don't remember much about those teams except Jordan and Rodman.
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