On this day in 1962, the Boston Celtics drafted Hall of Fame forward John Havlicek.
Taken seventh overall in the 1962 NBA Draft out of Ohio State (with whom he would win an NCAA championship in 1960), the Martins Ferry Native would go on to play sixteen seasons for Boston.
In his tenure with the team, he would win eight NBA championships, play in 13 All-Star games, and be elected to eight All-NBA defensive teams among many other honors over the course of his long career.
He would finish his career averaging 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game for the Celtics, never playing for another club in the league.
Boston has won a number of games on this date since the season of their last championship (2007-08) as well, starting with a 117-97 blowout of the Phoenix Suns in 2008.
It was a huge game for Kevin Garnett, who put up 30 points and 6 assists, and Paul Pierce added 27 points and 6 rebounds as well.
The Celtics also beat the Sacramento Kings 94-86 on this date in 2010 behind 22 points and 8 boards from Pierce.
Ray Allen added 20 points and Garnett 18 points and 13 rebounds, and point guard Rajon Rondo logged a career-high 18 assists in the victory.
“He affects the game in so many different ways,” Garnett said via the Associated Press at the time. “You want your point guard setting the tone every night. You want your point guard leading us. I’m telling you, man, he’s just growing up in front of us. It’s great to watch.”
A win over the then-Charlotte Bobcats in 2012 also fell on this date, Boston taking it 102-95 with a 36-point, 10-rebound night from Pierce, who’d been carrying more of the scoring burden with UConn product Allen out injured.
KG added 24 points, and Rondo contributed 13 assists into a tie for first in the Atlantic division.
“I wanted to be aggressive and just saw lanes tonight and I just wanted to mix it up between driving to the hole and hitting jump shots,” Pierce related courtesy of the Associated Press. “My teammates set me up with a lot of down screens and pick-and-rolls that enabled me to get into the lane.”
On this day in 2016, the Celtics defeated the Suns again, this time just barely. Boston came away with a 102-99 victory that saw point guard Isaiah Thomas hang 28 points and 6 boards on his former team.
The game was secured with a block by wing Evan Turner with just 3.9 second left to play, who added 17 points and 11 boards to the win while reserve center Kelly Olynyk added 16 points off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting.
Boston edged the Miami Heat 112-108 at home today in 2017 with another big game for IT.
The Washington product would register 30 points, and forward Jae Crowder added 25 points and 6 rebounds as the team challenged the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers for first in the East.
“It’s just a tie, though, so it’s not that cool,” noted Thomas via the Associated Press. “Hopefully we can secure that spot and be No. 1. We’ve just got to control what we can control and take it game by game.”
The Suns would fall to the Celtics yet again in 2018, behind 23 points and 6 rebounds from forward Jayson Tatum and 19 points, 9 boards and 7 assists from big man Al Horford.
Point guard Terry Rozier added 16 points and 7 rebounds in starting floor general Kyrie Irving’s absence, and Marcus Morris (he was not yet a Sr.) added 20 points off the bench.
Finally, Boston beat the Cavs 116-106 a year ago today with Tatum and guard Marcus Smart both putting up 21 points, and Horford contributing 19 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Veteran forward Gordon Hayward added 15 points and 5 boards off the bench, snapping a four-game losing streak.
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