Tag: 1988 eastern conference finals

On this day: Celtics defeat Pistons to advance to first NBA Finals since ’87

On this date in 2008, the Boston Celtics defeated the Detroit Pistons to advance to their first NBA Finals since 1987 on their way to Banner 17.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team defeated the Detroit Pistons 89-81 in Game 6 of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals to advance to their first NBA Finals since 1987. They faced their longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers on their way to winning their 17th banner.

The Celtics beat the Pistons on the strength of their future Hall of Fame trio. Small forward Paul Pierce led the way with 27 points and 8 rebounds. Shooting guard Ray Allen contributed 17, and big man Kevin Garnett added 16 points and 6 rebounds. Detroit led by as many as 10 points in the final frame, but could not hold it. The Game 6 loss in the conference finals was their third such exit in three years.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Garnett said via ESPN. “Probably hasn’t even hit me yet because we haven’t slept in about four days, going on five days now. Going to the finals, I’m just hoping to get some sleep.”

On this day: Bird, Wilkins battle in ’88 ECF G7; Siegfried, Brown born

On this day in 1987, Boston’s Larry Bird went shot for shot with Atlanta’s Dominique Wilkins in that year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, legendary Larry Bird went basket for basket with the Atlanta Hawks’ Dominique Wilkins in the final frame of Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Boston would somehow squeak out a 118-116 win despite the Human Highlight Film — as Wilkins was often called — scoring 47 points in the contest, while Bird logged 34, 20 of them coming in the fourth quarter. “The basket was like a well, I couldn’t miss,” recalled Wilkins via Uproxx. “He couldn’t miss. That’s the greatest game I’ve ever played in or seen played. It was two guys who just did not want to lose.”

The Celtics won the series against the Hawks to advance to the NBA Finals but would fall to longtime rivals the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.