Celtics chomp LA Lakers 131-92

June 17, 2008. Boston, MA The Boston Celtics capped off one of their greatest season's ever, winning the NBA Championship for the 17th time... on the 17th of June with #17 (John Hondo Havlicek) in the house. Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Larry Bird did not come walking through that door, but the 2007-8 edition of 'The Big 3' most certainly did. Beginning with preseason practices in Europe, these were men on a mission and everything they set out to do was accomplished by winning it all.

At times, they stumbled through the playoffs, having difficulties winning on the road in Atlanta, Cleveland and Detroit. They were able to win game 4 in Los Angeles and that set the stage for what was about to happen. Intensity and defense. That was what won this last game for them. The Big 3 combined for 73 points and 25 rebounds. Ray Allen tied the playoff record with seven 3 pt field goals.

Where's Kobe? Who is this Kobe dude? He scored 11 points in the first seven minutes of the game and pretty much disappeared after that as the tough Celtic defense smothered him completely. This is a 'team game'... it's not all about Kobe Bryant. Take a lesson from the Boston Celtics. Defense and team unity are two elements that these world champions possessed.

With Russell and Havlicek sitting courtside, and Red surely lighting up a victory cigar somewhere, the Celtics returned to glory like the great teams before them, dominating in a way the Finals have never seen. On a new parquet floor below aging championship banners hung in the rafters two decades back, the Celtics won their 17th NBA title and a first one -- at last -- for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen -- their Big Three for a new generation.

"It means so much more because these are the guys, the Havliceks, the Bill Russells, the Cousys," Pierce said. "These guys started what's going on with those banners. They don't hang up any other banners but championship ones.
"And now I'm a part of it."

Rajon Rondo came up big, had 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals as the Celtics, who built a 23-point halftime lead and obliterated the Lakers, who were trying to become the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. They didn't stand a chance.
Boston's 39-point win surpassed the NBA record for the biggest margin of victory in a championship clincher; the Celtics beat the Lakers 129-96 in Game 5 of the 1965 NBA Finals.

It's was Boston's first title since the passing of Auerbach, whose presence was the only thing missing on this night. Even Auerbach, who died in 2006, got some satisfaction. Led by Rivers, Auerbach's beloved team denied Lakers coach Phil Jackson from overtaking him with a 10th championship. The Boston-Los Angeles rivalry, nothing more than black-and-white footage from the 60s and TV highlights of players wearing short shorts in the 80s to young hoops fans, remains tilted toward the Atlantic Ocean. The Celtics are 9-2 against the Lakers in the Finals.