The Celtics were finally able to make room in the rafters for their league-best 17th championship banner, claiming the NBA title last night by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, 131-92, in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at TD Banknorth Garden.
"Oh, it's a great feeling, man," said Finals MVP Paul Pierce, "just knowing that these guys, what they accomplished and those things that hang over our head every day, and for us to go out there and make history in front of those guys. It means so much more because these are the guys, the Havliceks, the Bill Russells, the Cousys. These guys started what's going on today with those banners.
"They don't hang up any other banners but championship ones, and now I'm a part of it. And just all the years talking to Bill and John, Cousy, finally I feel like we've come out of that shadow now and created our own, and now we can stand up and look them eye to eye and say, 'Hey, we accomplished it, too.' "
The Celtics, winning this series, four games to two, are now 9-2 in Finals history against their bitter rivals, the Lakers. They finished these playoffs with a 13-1 record at home and played an NBA-record 26 postseason games.
The All-Star trio of Pierce (17 points), Kevin Garnett (26 points, 14 rebounds), and Ray Allen (26 points) won a championship in their first season together.
"We just ignored the Big Three talk, and if people are going to place the stigma on the team after we won, everyone is going to be fine with it because we did win," Allen said.
Just over a year ago, Pierce begged Celtics management for help, as his team was finishing with the second-worst record in the league. He was rewarded with the addition of Garnett and Allen, among others. Pierce rewarded management by having a superb Finals in which he averaged 21.8 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in the six games.
"I give that credit to my teammates," Pierce said. "I just worked so hard to be here, and I'm just so happy."
The Celtics also kept Lakers coach Phil Jackson from earning a 10th title, which would have broken a tie with Auerbach for most in NBA history by a coach. Auerbach, whose name is on the parquet floor, died in October of 2006.
