An overwhelming Boston Celtics squad humiliated the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 Tuesday, capturing their first National Basketball Association title since 1986.
Boston outfit humiliates Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 to win the best-of-seven NBA finals 4-2
BOSTON: An overwhelming Boston Celtics squad humiliated the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 Tuesday, capturing their first National Basketball Association title since 1986 in record-shattering fashion.
In claiming the best-of-seven NBA Finals four games to two, the Celtics took a record 17th league crown by humbling the Lakers in the second-most lopsided blowout in NBA Finals history, the worst rout in any title-clinching game.
Kevin Garnett scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Ray Allen added 26 points while Rajon Rondo contributed 21 points and six steals and Paul Pierce added 17 points and 10 assists in one of the all-time devastating NBA efforts.
“Other than my kid being born, this has got to be the happiest day of my life. I don’t plan on sleeping for a month,” Garnett said. “Ever have a bully pick on you in school? I knocked the bully out. That’s what it feels like.”
Garnett, Pierce and Allen completed a championship quest after years of NBA frustration. Pierce struggled for nine seasons in Boston. Garnett had 12 years of frustration in Minnesota while Allen spent 11 seasons without an NBA title. But the Celtics obtained Allen and Garnett last July and together they turned their title dreams into reality by crushing the Lakers.
“This is all we talked about and it’s finally here,” Pierce said. “Kevin, Ray and myself, we sacrificed so much. We got all sorts of rewards in this league but we never got to the mountain top. Today it’s a breath of fresh air. “Nothing beats this.”
Pierce was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, averaging 21.8 points and 6.3 assists in the series. One year after Boston finished with the NBA’s second-worst record, the Celtics became champions. “This is what makes those other things so sweet, knowing you were at rock bottom a year ago,” Pierce said. “To climb all the way back to the top, this is a dream come true. I’m going to cherish this one forever. It means everything.”
The Celtics surpassed their own mark for the biggest title-clinching blowout set in 1965 when they ripped the Lakers 129-96 to take the crown in five games.
The only NBA Finals game more one-sided came in 1998 when the Chicago Bulls ripped Utah 96-54. Boston led by as many as 43 points but relaxed in the final minutes.
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