On this day in 1957, the Boston Celtics won the first of their 17 championships, a 125-123 double-overtime thriller at the Boston Garden against the St. Louis (now, Atlanta) Hawks.
The Hawks and Celtics had been tied three games to three, and saw rookie and future legendary big man Bill Russell grab a record 32 rebounds, the most-ever for a rookie in a Finals game.
It also saw Tommy Heinsohn, a 6-foot-7 rookie forward, score 37 points and 23 rebounds in the win. The victory sparked a short-lived rivalry between the two clubs that would end in the early 1960s, supplanted by the Los Angeles Lakers.
It is also the date that former Celtic forward Jim Loscutoff was drafted by Boston in the 1955 NBA Draft — third overall — out of Oregon.
Loscutoff would play for the Celtics for nine seasons, averaging 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds over that stretch. Boston would win six championships while he was on the team, with his bruising defense being a significant factor in many of them.
Jim Loscutoff (1930-2015) The # 3 overall pick (Oregon) in 1955, Loscy won 7 @NBA titles in 9 seasons w/ @Celtics pic.twitter.com/qsnIDPkBLR
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) December 2, 2015
He requested “Loscy”, his nickname — not his jersey number, No. 18 — be retired so future Celtics would still be able to wear it in what may someday soon prove a prescient move.
In 1986, Boston ended the 1985-86 season with a 135-107 blowout over the then-New Jersey Nets at Boston Garden.
Larry Bird talks about how the 1986 team went 40-1 in the regular season.
Catch more: https://t.co/dalX1aIzhn pic.twitter.com/pgWgaZiaPn
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 3, 2020
This left the Celtics with a 40-1 record at home, a record for both the most home wins and highest home winning percentage (.976) over a season in league history.
It is also the anniversary of three wins since the season of the team’s last NBA championship in 2007-08. The first was a 112-102 victory over the New York Knicks that saw both teams sit most of their starters.
Guard Avery Bradley scored a then-career high 20 points and center Glen Davis added 17 points and 8 boards.
Boston also routed the Orlando Magic 120-88 on this date in 2013 as the Celtics veterans did not sit for a late season contest, using the game as a bit of a warm-up instead.
Wing Courtney Lee led the team with 20 points off the bench, and forward Jeff Green had 17 points and 6 rebounds. Kevin Garnett added 14 points and 9 boards, and Paul Pierce 12 points and 8 rebounds as all five starters and seven players hit double figures.
Finally, the Celtics beat the Heat 98-88 on this date in 2016 after coming back from being down 26 points.
Point guard Isaiah Thomas had 21 points and 6 assists to lead the team, Bradley added 17 points and 7 rebounds, and wing Evan Turner contributed 16 points from the bench.
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