Tag: 2009 nba playoffs

Former Orlando Magic guard Rafer Alston on the time he slapped Eddie House

Per Alston, it was “the dumbest reaction I ever had in my life.”

To be fair, former Boston Celtics shooting guard and current Boston broadcaster Eddie House has been known to celebrate quite a bit on a made shot.

In a recent interview with Bally Sports’ Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, former Orlando Magic guard Rafer Alston opened up about the time he lost his cool with the Celtics sharpshooter in the 2009 NBA playoffs.

“I thought Eddie was talking trash, and every time he scores, he’s used to celebrating, so I thought he was trying to throw a shot,” said Alston. “We were getting our butts kicked, so that was one time I didn’t want to hear it, and it was just the dumbest reaction I ever had in my life.”

“Most expensive slap I ever had,” he added, laughing.

After the game, the Magic guard had a different story, saying (via Bleacher Report’s Patrick Parsons), “I could have sworn there was a giant insect on his headband, a real nasty, bloodsucking-looking thing”.

House, evidently, took it in stride. “At first, I had no idea why he slapped me, but after hearing his explanation, I am satisfied, and I want to thank him.”

The league’s approach was a bit different, however. It suspended Alston for a game for his benevolent attempt to remove a bug from House’s headband.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On this day: Pitino hired; DJ retired; 1965 NBA draft; 1968 expansion draft

On this day, Rick Pitino was hired as head coach and team president of the Boston Celtics, Dennis Johnson retired, and 3 Cs were taken in the ’68 expansion draft.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, former head coach and team president Rick Pitino was hired as head coach and general manager of the team in 1997. He had previously coached at the NBA level as a moderately successful head coach of the New York Knicks between 1987 and 1989, and most recently at Kentucky in the NCAA ranks.

His tenure with the Celtics went considerably worse, with the pressure to return to greatness after the longest losing streak in team history undoubtedly a factor in the several questionable ‘win-now’ decisions made by Pitino. The New Yorker would throw in the towel after four seasons with the franchise, amassing a 102-146 record in the regular season, good for a .411 winning percentage.

He never made the postseason in his role as team president and head coach.

Joakim Noah tells the Bulls side of Chicago’s near-upset of 2009 Boston Celtics

Boston’s doomed effort to repeat as champs in 2009 nearly died in the first round thanks to Noah and company.

The 2009 NBA playoffs nearly saw the Boston Celtics’ attempt to repeat as NBA champions derailed almost before it started. An upstart Chicago Bulls squad took the Celtics to seven games in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

A young big man who was fresh off winning two NCAA titles with the Florida Gators (alongside future Celtics big man Al Horford, interestingly) named Joakim Noah played a role in that epic series. He recounted it on a recent episode of the “Old Man and the Three” podcast hosted by former NBA player JJ Redick.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear the story of that historic first-round matchup from Noah’s perspective.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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‘NBA moments you almost forgot about’ reel features the Boston Celtics in a memorable playoff series

Among several other games, this one almost saw Boston fall down 0-2 to the Chicago Bulls in the 2009 NBA playoffs.

During this period on the NBA calendar, ranking teams and players for the season to come with a forward-looking eye and turning back the clock to remember the game of yesteryear are the primary sources of content for fans of the league.

Deep in the dog days of summer, fans of the Boston Celtics are getting antsy. To that end, we dug up this compilation of “NBA moments you almost forgot about” put together by the folks over at the House of Highlights YouTube channel that features the Celtics in it with a return to the era of the last “big three” in Boston.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to see where the Celtics were playing and whom in the video that was considered worthy of inclusion in this offseason special collection assembled for your viewing pleasure.

Among several others, this series looked like curtains for the Celtics until they charged back to win in seven games.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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WATCH: breaking down Boston’s Game 5 win over Chicago in ’09 playoffs

The Boston Celtics could have lost in the first round the season after they won it all; watch this video to find out how they turned the first round series vs. the Chicago Bulls around.

It was a pivotal game in a series against an upstart Chicago Bulls team that very nearly could have left the Boston Celtics owners of an embarassing first-round playoff exit as defending NBA champions.

The series tied two games each, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and a young, dangerous Bulls squad gave the Celtics all they could handle in the two teams’ first four meetings.

It would take unexpected contributions from role players to get the team past their Central Division foes in the chippiest game of an already tight series, and late heroics from Paul Pierce would be needed to secure the critical win.

Watch the video embedded above for an excellent breakdown of how Boston won the game from the staff over at BballBreakdown.

The clip gives you a detailed analysis of how the Celtics escaped with the victory that would set them on a path to advance, though injury would prevent them from a proper defense of their title.

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WATCH: Celtics defeat Bulls in epic 2009 G2 East first-round showdown

The Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls didn’t just clash in the first round of the 1986 playoffs; 23 years later, the battle would be renewed.

The duel between Michael Jordan and the Bulls against the 1986 Boston Celtics depicted in the ESPN documentary “The Last Dance” wasn’t the only epic battle fought between the two juggernauts of NBA history.

23 years later, the two storied franchises faced off yet again with a new roster of heavyweights, Boston again the big brother to an emerging Chicago team that seemed poised to be the next big thing out of the Windy City.

Point guard Derrick Rose’s emergence caught the Banner 17 Celtics by surprise, allowing the defending champs to be caught off guard in Game 1 of the 2009 Eastern Conference First Round.

After an embarrassing defeat, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and company responded in a big way, but the Bulls didn’t go quietly into the night, either.

The end result was one of he most epic battles in recent postseason history — and in the first round, no less.

Watch the video embedded above to see the intensity for yourself — and make sure to stay until the end; you’ll thank us later.

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