Prior to 2014, the Lakers only missed the playoffs four times since moving to Los Angeles, and five times in franchise history. When Magic Johnson won the MVP Finals plum, the following year Larry Bird would snatch the crown. The Celtics win over the Lakers in 1966 marked an unprecedented eight consecutive championships, the longest streak of any North American professional sports team. [46] Michael Cooper had 22 points, making 8 out of 9 field goals attempted. [22], After losing the first two games in the Forum in L.A., no one thought Boston would even pull out a victory. This was the first NBA Finals series between the Lakers and the Celtics, and the only such meeting to occur while the Lakers were still in Minneapolis. However, the foundation for the renewed Celtics–Lakers rivalry of the 1980s was actually laid down in college basketball of the late 1970s. Los Angeles was led by MVP Kobe Bryant and All-Star Pau Gasol.[45]. [44] In Game 4, the Lakers had a five-point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129–125 victory in overtime. As of the end of the 2019–20 season, Boston is the only team with a winning overall record against the Lakers.[3]. No team won back-to-back. Paul Pierce's nickname, "The Truth", was accorded to him by Shaquille O'Neal after a 112-107 Lakers' victory over the Celtics on March 13, 2001 in which Pierce scored 42 points on 13 of 19 shooting. They met three times in the FINALS during the 80's from 1984,1985,1987. [70][71] Meanwhile, in 1998, the Celtics drafted Paul Pierce, a native of Inglewood, California who had grown up as a Lakers fan. [46] In Game 3, the Celtics had a 48–38 lead in the second quarter before the Lakers, led by James Worthy, took a 65–59 lead at halftime and then pulled away in the second half to come away with a 136–111 victory. It was a grueling seven-game matchup ultimately won by the Celtics. [14], The Lakers relocated to Los Angeles in 1960. [92] They went on to win the 2009 NBA Finals that season, but the Celtics were eliminated by eventual Eastern Conference champions Orlando Magic. [64][65][66][67][68] In 1994, neither the Lakers nor the Celtics made the playoffs, marking the first time in the history of the NBA that both teams missed the playoffs in the same season. In this era of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, the Lakers won two of the three finals in which the teams met. However, while Perkins was ruled out because of his injury, Bynum was cleared to play in Game 7. Sports Quiz / 80s Celtics Lakers Finals Random Sports or NBA Quiz Can you click on the members of the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers who played in the 1984, 1985 and/or 1987 NBA Finals? [101][102] The Lakers won Game 7 against the Celtics for their very first time, bringing their total number of NBA championships to sixteen (they have one NBL championship in 1948), just one fewer than the Celtics' seventeen. [130] After the Celtics had built a 13-point lead late in the third quarter, the game was tied at 64 with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The start of the decade saw the Lakers' woes in the NBA Finals continue, with a loss to the New York Knicks in 1970. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever,[35] Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. This was the third time in four years that the Bucks and the Celtics had met in the playoffs; the Bucks defeated the Celtics in the 1983 Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the Celtics defeated the Bucks in the 1984 Eastern Conference Finals. The home team won Games 5 and 6 which set up a dramatic seventh game. [21], With Bill Russell and Sam Jones in their final season, and plagued with injuries, the Celtics struggled to make the NBA playoffs as the fourth and final seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Lakers opened up a massive lead in Game 6, peaking at 27. NBA Finals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Houston Rockets: Celtics win series 4–2 However, the Lakers proceeded to miss the playoffs a record six consecutive seasons, highlighted by four straight seasons with over 50 losses and a franchise-low 17–65 mark during the 2015–16 season. [112][113], The Lakers and Celtics would meet the following year in 1963. The following players have played for both the Celtics and the Lakers in their careers: The following individuals have also played, coached and/or managed both the Celtics and Lakers in their careers: 1950s: Minneapolis Lakers dynasty and Boston Celtics, 1960s: Boston Celtics dynasty and Los Angeles Lakers, 2010s: Roles reversed Lakers tie championship record, 1962 NBA Finals: Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers, NBA on CBS 1982 Celtics/Sixers Game 7 Finish ("Beat LA"), National Basketball Association rivalries, Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, "NBA : Series records : Los Angeles Lakers - select an opponent (sorted by all-time win %)", "Lakers: First Champs of Newly Formed NBA", "Celtics Officially Launch Their Dynasty", "Unbreakable" Sports Records (The World Almanac), "Celtics, Lakers Work OT to Start Rivalry", "Red Lights Cigar to Close Coaching Career", "West's Heroics Can't Deprive Russell of 11th Title", "Chat Transcript: Celtics Legend Bill Russell", "Lakers' Legendary Season Leads to Elusive Title", "Celtics Win First Title of Post-Russell Era", "Triple-OT Classic Highlights Boston's 13th Title", "Rookie Makes the Lakers Believe in Magic", "Region revs up for an East-West rivalry reborn", "Moses Helps Dr. J, Sixers Reach Promised Land", "Celtics Win First Bird-Magic Finals Showdown", "Kareem, Lakers Conquer the Celtic Mystique", "Frontcourt Vaults Celtics to Front of the Pack", "Waiting Game Ends for Impatient Pistons", https://www.mlb.com/cut4/magic-johnson-and-larry-bird-created-a-world-series-intro-video/c-299881438, "Bulls Finally Get That Championship Feeling", "15 years since Magic's HIV announcement", "Say It Ain't So (Transactions that broke our hearts)", "NBA – Lakers Sign O'Neal Raise Ticket Prices", "Shaq signs multi-million contract with LA Lakers", "Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers Bos Score, March 13, 2001", Daily Dime: Pierce elevates his game for the Lakers, "Lakers Acquire Odom, Butler, Grant and a Future First Rounder for Shaq", Doc Rivers goes back to the bench, hired to coach Boston Celtics, Celtics Acquire Seven-Time All-Star Ray Allen from Sonics, Celtics Acquire 10-Time All-Star Kevin Garnett, "Gasol sparks Lakers' late run to end Celtics' win streak", "L.A. Finishes Off Magic, Claims 15th Championship", "Artest says he's leaving Rockets for LA", "NBA free agents: Ron Artest gets his wish, finally becomes a Los Angeles Laker", "Lakers, Celtics aiming at Finals rematch", "Celtics overpower Magic to cruise to 3-0 advantage in East finals", "2010 NBA Playoffs - Conference Finals - Suns vs. Lakers", "2010 NBA Playoffs - Conference Finals - Celtics vs. Magic", "Revenge! https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/5-biggest-rivals-la-lakers-ranked Lakers win series 4-2. Nevertheless, the rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers remained fairly even during this recent period, with the two teams managing a split in the season series four of the last six times. [44] The Celtics went on to win in seven games, increasing their record of Finals' series victories against the Lakers to 8–0.[45]. erupting in the Staples Center. The Lakers have won 14 championships -- nine in Los Angeles and five in Minneapolis. This was the first NBA Finals to go the full seven games since 2005, and only the fourth since the NBA switched the Finals to a 2–3–2 format in 1985. May 30, 2008 Updated: March 23, 2011 2:11 p.m. Facebook Twitter Email. The series shifted to Boston with only one full day off for both teams. [137][138] The Celtics won the game, 109–96.[139]. Minneapolis would win the first ever Championship Series of the newly formed NBA in 1950 (three BAA Finals were played between 1947–1949 and retroactively counted as NBA Championships, one of which was won by the Lakers in 1949). Their win in Game 6 was also a sense of relief. [82] Without O'Neal, the Lakers missed the playoffs the following year and failed to advance to the Finals for the next three years.[83][84][85]. Jones, who was also a former Celtics player, and two teams finally had their long-awaited rematch in the 1984 NBA Finals,[44] a grueling seven game series that had many memorable moments, including a 137–104 blowout in Game 3 that led Bird to call his Celtic teammates "sissies", the Kevin McHale takedown of Laker forward Kurt Rambis which led to increased physical aggression by both teams, the sweltering heat of the infamously un-airconditioned Boston Garden in Game 5, and Cedric Maxwell's 24-point performance in Game 7. I knew he could play, but I didn't know he could play like this. [4][5][6] Under Hall of Fame head coach John Kundla, and with the NBA's first superstar in George Mikan,[7] they would win three more titles in 1952,[8] 1953,[9] and 1954. Boston Celtics 2. The Celtics would again defeat the Lakers. When angry crowds showed up in Los Angeles to buy playoff tickets that were not available, the Lakers quieted the crowd by offering closed circuit TV viewing for $2.50 a head. Together, they account for 34 of the 74 championships (or 45%) in NBA history. The Lakers responded in Game 2 with a 109–102 victory as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 30 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, and three blocks. [78] O'Neal pulled a Boston reporter over and gestured toward his notepad. [120] For the first time, the Finals went to a 2–3–2 format with games one and two in Boston while the next three games were in Los Angeles. [134] This was also the first time since 2002 that a team has won back-to-back championships; that team was also the Lakers, led by Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal. A frustrated Bryant criticized the front office following last summer's loss to Phoenix and said he wanted to be traded, but instead the Lakers kept him and upgraded the team around him. In the game the Lakers rallied from a 14-point deficit to three points down with one minute remaining, when Maxwell knocked the ball away from Magic Johnson. Under Jackson's guidance, and with O'Neal and Bryant leading the way, the Lakers won three straight championships in 2000,[75] 2001,[76] and 2002. [21] The Lakers would get what they wished for and face the Celtics, but ultimately to the same result. [15] It was after this move, and during this decade, that the rivalry would truly escalate. Boston's new Big … The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first Finals meeting in 1959. They met again in the 2010 NBA Finals, which the Lakers won in 7 games. This was the eighth meeting between the Celtics and the Lakers in the NBA Finals, with Boston having won the previous seven. [127] The Celtics won the game and evened the series. Prior to Johnson and Bird's arrival, the NBA had gone through a decade of declining interest and low TV ratings. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97 °F-heat, and without any air conditioning at the infamous Boston Garden. [123], The Lakers would win Game 5 103–98, despite blowing another large lead, and the series shifted back to Boston. [99][100], The 2010 series had many memorable moments, including impressive performances from Bryant who led in points for six of the seven games, Ray Allen's Finals' record eight 3-pointers in Game 2, Derek Fisher carrying his team to victory and then crying in Game 3, a hard-fought Game 4 where Glen Davis screamed so loud he drooled while Nate Robinson rode on his back, a dominant Lakers performance in Game 6, and a close Game 7 that became the highest rated NBA game since Michael Jordan's second retirement in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. The Celtics won in six games with an impressive come-from-behind victory in Game 4 and a blow-out of the Lakers in Game 6. Kobe Bryant, the league MVP, scored 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and is averaging 31.9 points in the postseason. With the New York Knicks also failing to make the playoffs that season, it marked the first time in NBA history that neither the Celtics, Lakers nor the Knicks qualified for the playoffs in the same season. Even though it seems like the Celtics and Lakers met constantly in the Finals during the Bird/Johnson era, they actually only met three times, with the Celtics severely hampered by … Boston guard Danny Ainge made 5 out of 6 three-pointers attempted, including a 45-footer as the first half expired. [21], The Lakers, led by new head coach Butch van Breda Kolff, would actually root for the Celtics to win the series, thinking that Bill Russell would be easier to defeat than 76er Wilt Chamberlain (Chamberlain would become a Laker the following season). [128] The Lakers would win the game 89–67 and set up an epic Game 7. [20] The Celtics raced out to a huge lead, but down by 16 entering the fourth quarter, and 10 with a minute and a half to go, the Lakers mounted a furious rally in the closing moments which fell just short. Rondo would miss his final 3-pointer and the Lakers won Game 7 against the Celtics for the first time in franchise history, clinching their 16th NBA title.[132]. Magic said of the games against the Celtics, "when the new schedule would come out each year, I'd grab it and circle the Boston games. This would prove critical as the Celtics held on and triumphed 108–106. Season Summary Game 1 became known as the "Memorial Day Massacre" as the Celtics soundly beat the Lakers 148–114. However, he would score 10 of his game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter. Garnett and Allen were acquired in offseason trades, and together with Pierce led the Celtics to the largest turnaround in NBA history. [17] In the Game 5 victory, Baylor grabbed 22 rebounds and set the still-standing NBA record for points in a finals game with 61,[109] despite fouling out of the game. Boston's streak of 10 consecutive Finals appearances had been snapped in 1967 by the 76ers. [43], The Celtics would get a new head coach in K.C. "[44] In Game 7, the Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell, who had 24 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists as they came away with a 111–102 victory. [12], The first NBA Finals match-up between the two teams was in 1959 when on April 9, the Boston Celtics swept the Minneapolis Lakers 4-0 for the first sweep in the history of the NBA Finals. The last time the Lakers won the NBA championship was in 1972.In the eight years between championships, the Lakers made the NBA Finals again in 1973 and lost to the New York Knicks in five games. [46] It was the only time a visiting team claimed an NBA championship in Boston Garden. In 2008 the two teams met in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987, with the Celtics winning the series 4–2. However, Boston's bench would prove to be the deciding factor, outscoring the Lakers 13–2 for nearly half the quarter, en route to a 96–89 victory. [45] Celtics founder Walter A. "[25], By virtue of a 62–20 record, the Celtics had homecourt advantage over the Lakers who finished the regular season with a 54–28 mark. East Division Finals. [18], The Celtics would make their ninth straight appearance in the NBA Finals and face the Lakers for the fourth time. 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