Will any Celtic join these great performances from Game 7s of East Semis?
May 15, 2017
Kelly Olynyk averaged just 9.0 points during the 2016-17 regular season, but Game 7 against the Wizards was anything but regular.
With the C’s leading by just six points entering the fourth quarter, a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals hung in the balance. KO poured in 14 points (5-6 FG, 2-2 FT) in a little over seven minutes to put away the Wiz, finishing with 26 for the game.
“The Kelly Olynyk Game” was born.
May 26, 2012
OK, not all six wins were powered by all-time basketball performances. The Celtics beat the 76ers 85-75 in this horrible game.
Doug Collins, in one of the most incredible coaching jobs in recent memory, turned Andre Iguodala, Jrue Holiday, and Lou Williams into a boring slog. But this game was etched in time by Kevin Garnett’s star-making performance in "Uncut Gems."
That’s history right there, you understand?
May 18, 2008
An all-time duel reminiscent of another game on this list.
LeBron James carried Cleveland’s sorry supporting cast, scoring 45 points in just under 47 minutes of play. Paul Pierce went toe-to-toe with The King, dropping 41 points of his own.
But it wasn’t a bucket that was the lasting image of this Game 7; it was Pierce diving past James to recover a loose ball with 1:00 remaining and the Celtics hanging onto a 3-point lead. Low man wins.
May 22, 1988
20 years prior to Lebron and Pierce duking it out, Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins had perhaps the most legendary one-on-one duel in NBA history.
The C’s led by two entering the fourth, with Wilkins scoring a game-high 31, while Bird had a quiet 14. That didn’t last long. Larry Legend scored 20 points in the final frame, just outpacing Wilkins’ 16 as the Celtics advanced.
Poor ‘Nique, always the bridesmaid.
May 17, 1987
After starting the series with two wins, the Celtics lost three of the next four to the Bucks to force a Game 7. Sound familiar to this year? The similarities don’t end there.
Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish all put up 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in Game 7 to lead the Celtics to the ECF. No trio of NBA teammates were able to put up 20-10 in the same playoff game until Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart did it on Wednesday night.
May 13, 1984
The 1984 Celtics are remembered for their Game 7 win over the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but they almost didn’t get there. Two series earlier, they needed a Game 7 win over the Knicks to stay alive.
Larry Joe Bird notched a triple-double with 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists to deal the Knicks another heart-breaking loss.
I Love (beating) New York.
