2008 NBA Finals - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs

2008 NBA Playoffs

The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....

. The Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...

, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference (NBA)

The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...

, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference

Western Conference (NBA)

Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....

, four games to two in a best-of-seven series. This was Boston's first title since 1986 and 17th overall.

2008 marked the first time since that the top seeds from both conferences met in the Finals and the first time since 2003 that any top seeded team played in the NBA finals. The Lakers appeared in the Finals for the first time since and a record 29th time overall. The Celtics appeared in the Finals for the first time since and second-best 20th time overall.

Going into the series, the Celtics had won the most championships all-time with 16, and the Lakers were second with 14. The two clubs, the most successful teams in NBA history, looked to renew a longstanding rivalry 21 years after their last Finals meeting in 1987. They narrowly missed meeting each other in 2002

2002 NBA Playoffs

The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...

, when the Lakers advanced to the Finals, but the Celtics, who led 2-1 in the Conference Finals, eventually fell to the favored New Jersey Nets

New Jersey Nets

The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

4-2. This was the 11th time the teams met in the championship round; the Celtics won eight of their previous ten Finals meetings against the Lakers, winning in , , , , , , and —the Lakers won in and .

The Celtics' 66–16 record gave them home court advantage over Los Angeles (57–25). This was the first time since , when the Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

beat the Utah Jazz

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

for the championship, and the only time in the 2000s decade that an Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference (NBA)

team had the home court advantage and the first Finals

NBA Finals

The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....

since 1998

1998 NBA Finals

The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1997-98 National Basketball Association season. The Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference played against the Utah Jazz of the Western Conference, with the Jazz holding home-court advantage with the first 2 games in Salt Lake City...

not to feature either Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan

Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...

or Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...

.

Rodd Houston narrated the Boston Celtics' championship season documentary on NBA Entertainment

NBA Entertainment

NBA Entertainment is the production arm of the National Basketball Association and produces numerous NBA-related films including team championship videos and blooper and entertainment reels. It was previously associated with CBS/Fox Video, but now distributes its films through Warner Bros....

. The made-for-TV version of this documentary is narrated by Kevin Harlan

Kevin Harlan

Kevin Harlan is an American television sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he currently broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS. Harlan is also a play-by-play announcer for the NBA on TNT...

Series summary

Game	Date	Home Team	Result	Road Team
Game 1	Thursday, June 5	Boston Celtics	98-88 (1-0)	Los Angeles Lakers
Game 2	Sunday, June 8	Boston Celtics	108-102 (2-0)	Los Angeles Lakers
Game 3	Tuesday, June 10	Los Angeles Lakers	87-81 (1-2)	Boston Celtics
Game 4	Thursday, June 12	Los Angeles Lakers	91-97 (1-3)	Boston Celtics
Game 5	Sunday, June 15	Los Angeles Lakers	103-98 (2-3)	Boston Celtics
Game 6	Tuesday, June 17	Boston Celtics	131-92 (4-2)	Los Angeles Lakers

2008 NBA Playoffs

Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... (Western Conference Western Conference (NBA) Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks.... Champion)
57–25 (.695) 1st Pacific, 1st West, 3rd overall	Regular season	66–16 (.805) 1st Atlantic, 1st East, 1st overall
Defeated the (8) Denver Nuggets Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams... , 4–0	First Round	Defeated the (8) Atlanta Hawks Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:... , 4–3
Defeated the (4) Utah Jazz Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... , 4–2	Conference Semifinals	Defeated the (4) Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team... , 4–3
Defeated the (3) San Antonio Spurs San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association .... , 4–1	Conference Finals	Defeated the (2) Detroit Pistons Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where... , 4–2

Regular season series

The Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

won both games in the regular season series:

Game summaries

All times listed below are Eastern Daylight Time

Eastern Time Zone

The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...

Game 1

Paul Pierce scored 15 points in the third quarter to give Boston the lead for good, and Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett

Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...

paced the Celtic attack with 24 points and 13 rebounds including a powerful two-handed putback dunk late in the game. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...

struggled with his shooting touch, finishing 9–26 from the field with 24 points.

Pierce apparently injured his knee by falling awkwardly on Kendrick Perkins' leg, and was taken off the court in a wheelchair. Despite what Pierce's reaction suggested was a highly debilitating injury, he returned to action minutes later to raucous cheering from the crowd. Some suggested later that the episode was orchestrated by Pierce as an inspirational "Willis Reed moment". He soon hit two three-pointers on consecutive offensive possessions that gave Boston the lead for good and finished with 22 points.

The Lakers, who had had home court advantage throughout the first three rounds and had not trailed a series in that same time, now had to do without both luxuries for the first time.

Game 2

The Lakers jumped out to an early 15–8 first quarter lead, but the Celtics answered with a 10–0 run at the start of the second quarter and ended the first half with a 54–42 lead.

The Celtics held a 24-point lead with less than eight minutes to go in the 4th quarter before the Lakers cut the lead to two points with 38.4 seconds to go with a 31-9 run. Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce

Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...

and James Posey

James Posey

James Mikely Mantell Posey, Jr. is an American professional basketball player, currently a small forward for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.-Early life:...

then closed out the game with two free throws each. The Lakers had a chance to cut into Boston's four point lead with 14 seconds left, but the ball failed to get into the hands of Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant

, resulting in a shot by Saša Vujačić that was blocked by Pierce. Bryant finished the game with 30 points and 8 assists.

Leon Powe

Leon Powe

Leon Powe, Jr. is an American professional basketball power forward who last played for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association . Drafted in 2006 by the Denver Nuggets, Powe grew up in Oakland, California and played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley...

, a second year bench player, scored 21 points on 6–7 shooting from the field and 9-13 from the line in 15 minutes of play, including back-to-back dunks in the last minute of the 3rd quarter. Over the course of the game, Leon Powe shot 13 free throws while the Lakers shot 10.

Despite injuries suffered by Pierce (sprained knee) and Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins

Kendrick Perkins is an American professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA....

(high ankle sprain), both players started in Game 2 and appeared to be mostly unhampered by the injuries, especially Pierce who finished with 28 points.

Boston finished the game 27-for-38 from the line, while the Lakers were 10-for-10. Some analysts viewed this as favorable treatment toward the Celtics, while others noted that a difference in playing styles may have led to the discrepancy, and that the actual foul discrepancy was only 28–21 in favor of Boston.

Game 3

The Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

won game 3 on a strong shooting night from regular season MVP Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant

, who scored a series-high 36 points, leading the Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

to their first series win and adding to their undefeated streak at home in the 2008 post-season. Saša Vujačić scored 20 points in 28 minutes, Paul Pierce had a poor shooting game, making only two of his 14 field goal attempts. Kevin Garnett also had trouble shooting, finishing with only 12 points. Ray Allen was the only member of Boston's Big Three that scored over 13 points, with 25.

Game 4

The Lakers jumped out to a 35–14 lead after the first quarter, which was the largest first-quarter lead in NBA Finals history. The Lakers held their ground for most of the third quarter, leading by as many as 24 points. However, the Celtics went on a 21–3 run to end the third quarter, closing the deficit to only two points (73–71). With 4:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Celtics took their first lead in the game when Celtics' reserve Eddie House

Eddie House

Edward L. House II , commonly referred to as Eddie House, is an American professional basketball player in the NBA for the Miami Heat.-Early life:...

made an 18 feet (5.5 m) jumper. With House's shot, the Celtics were in the lead for good. The Celtics' victory in Game 4 was the largest comeback in the NBA Finals since .

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant

had 17 points on 6 of 19 shooting from the field to go along with 10 assists. The Celtics bench outscored the Lakers bench 35–15, 29 of those points coming from House and James Posey

James Posey

James Mikely Mantell Posey, Jr. is an American professional basketball player, currently a small forward for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.-Early life:...

. Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett

finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds in support of Allen(19) and Pierce(20).

Game 5

As in Game 4, the Lakers jumped out to an early lead, leading 43–24 with 11 minutes to play in the second quarter. And as in Game 4, the Celtics came back, taking a 62–60 lead behind the strong play of Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce

.

The Lakers finally regained their composure, outscoring Boston 24–18 in the 3rd quarter. In previous games, the Lakers were outscored by Boston in the 3rd quarter (22–31 in Game 1, 19–29 in Game 2, 17–25 in Game 3, and 15–31 in Game 4) by a total of 43 points (73–116).

The Lakers built a 14-point lead in the 4th quarter, but the Celtics again came back with a 16–2 run to tie the game at 90. With less than one minute left in the game, the Celtics had the ball with the Lakers leading 97–95. Pierce beat Bryant off the drive, but Bryant knocked the ball out of Pierce's hands from behind. Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom

Lamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...

picked up the loose ball and passed downcourt to Bryant for a breakaway dunk, giving the Lakers a 99–95 lead. The Lakers went on to win 103–98, sending the series back to Boston.

Kobe Bryant shot 8 of 21 from the floor for 25 points, to go with five steals. Pau Gasol contributed 19 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists, Odom 20 points and 11 rebounds. For Boston, Pierce had a memorable 38 point effort, but outside of Allen (16 points) and Garnett (13 points and 14 rebounds) did not receive enough support from his teammates to clinch the championship at Staples.

As for the odds stacked against the Lakers to come back from a 3–1 deficit, Jackson said, "We're young enough and dumb enough to do this."

Game 6

Entering Game 6, the Celtics set a record of most playoff games played in one season, with 26, breaking the previous record of 25 set by both the 1994 New York Knicks, whom Celtics Coach Doc Rivers

Doc Rivers

Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...

played for, and the 2005 Detroit Pistons

2004–05 Detroit Pistons season

-NBA Draft:-Depth chart:-Player stats:Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; STL= Steals; REB = Rebounds; ASST = Assists; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points-External links:* * -References:...

, both of whom lost in their respective finals in seven games (Knicks in , Pistons in ). However, for the 1994 Knicks, the first round was a best-of-five.

After a rocky first quarter, the Celtics dominated the rest of the game. Maintaining a lead of more than 25 points, the Celtics' Big Three performed phenomenally, while the whole team smothered the Lakers' offense with their tight defense. Boston dominated in numerous statistical categories, including rebounds (48–29, with a 14–2 disparity in offensive boards), turnovers (7–19), steals (18–4), assists (33–16) and blocks (4–0). Five Celtics finished in double figures. Allen hit seven three pointers to tie what was then the Finals record (which he subsequently broke during the 2010 NBA Finals against the Lakers during game two), Rajon Rondo had an all-around spectacular performance (21 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals), the Celtics only turned the ball over seven times and set a Finals record with 18 steals, and every Boston player who saw action scored.

The 39-point margin of victory was the largest ever in an NBA championship-clinching game, breaking the old record of 33, also set by the Celtics over the Lakers in Game Five of the , 129–96. This lead was close to the Finals point-spread record set in Game 3 in where a Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...

-led Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls

team beat the Utah Jazz

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

by 42 points, 96–54. The Celtics also improved their overall record against the Lakers to 9-2 in Finals meetings, beating them in the Finals for the first time since 1984

1984 NBA Finals

The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1983-84 NBA season. In 1984, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111-102. Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the award of...

.

This was the Celtics' 17th championship, their first since , extending their record for most NBA championships won by a single team. All this capped off the Celtics' best regular season (66-16) since their previous championship season in which they went 67-15. It was also a sense of relief, as the Celtics set an NBA record for most playoff games ever needed to win a championship, with 26, surpassing the previous record of 24 by the Lakers in .

The Celtics' win was also seen as an addition to the recent success of Boston-area sports teams

Sports in Boston

Boston, Massachusetts, is home to several major league sports teams, including the Boston Red Sox , Boston Celtics , and Boston Bruins . The New England Patriots and New England Revolution play at Gillette Stadium in nearby Foxborough.The city is home to two renowned sporting events: the Boston...

, following the wins by the New England Patriots

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

in Super Bowls XXXVI

Super Bowl XXXVI

Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...

, XXXVIII

Super Bowl XXXVIII

Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....

, and XXXIX

Super Bowl XXXIX

Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...

(2001, 2003 and 2004 seasons) and the Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

's World Series wins in (death of the Curse of the Bambino

Curse of the Bambino

The Curse of the Bambino was a superstition cited as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86-year period from 1918 to 2004...

) and .

The Celtics won this series by winning Games 1, 2, 4, and 6; coincidentally, the last time the two teams met in , the Lakers won that series in identical fashion.

Awards

2008 NBA Champion: Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
Finals MVP: Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...

Rosters

{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #6137ad; color: #ffcd35; text-align: center;" | 2008 Los Angeles Lakers Finals roster
|- style="background-color: #ffcd35;color: #6137ad; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-

{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #008040; color: white; text-align: center;" | 2008 Boston Celtics Finals roster
|- style="background-color: #efe196;color: #008040; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-

International broadcasts

Aside from ABC (U.S.) and TSN

The Sports Network

The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...

(Canada), other broadcasters across the world covered the Finals:: Canal 7

Canal 7 Argentina

Canal Siete, TV Pública or TV Pública Digital is an Argentine television network founded on October 17, 1951. Between 1979 and 1999, the network was known as Argentina Televisora Color . During the 1978 World Cup, it was known as A78TV.Owned, financed and operated by the Argentine State, Canal 7 is...

: ESPN

ESPN Australia

ESPN Australia is a 24 hour sports channel offered in Australia and New Zealand.Initially, ESPN was known as Sports ESPN on the Optus Vision cable television system, and focused on sports aired by its home network in the United States, including American football, baseball, and basketball...

: Be 1

Be 1

-Programmes:Be 1 broadcasts many programmes made by Canal+ France's:* Le Grand Journal* Les Guignols de l'info* 7 jours au Groland* + clair* Al Dente* Fais pas le sorcier-Transmission:...

and Prime Sport 1: Great Belize Television

Great Belize Television

Great Belize Television, or as it is locally known, Channel 5, is a Belize City-based local television station established in December of 1991. Channel 5 airs mostly American and Caribbean programs, as well as a variety of locally produced programs...

and Tropical Vision Limited

Tropical Vision Limited

Tropical Vision Limited, or as it is locally known, Channel 7, is a Belize City based television station operating since 1981.Its Managing Director is Nestor Vasquez.- Schedule :Weekdays...

(all games except games 2 and 5 joined in progress; Sunday games covered in full): ESPN Latin America

ESPN Latin America

ESPN Latin America is an ESPN channel that broadcasts in Latin America, not to be confused with ESPN Deportes, which is another channel which broadcasts in the United States in Spanish. ESPN Latin America is not available in the U.S., because is not authorized to air most of the programming seen on...

: TSN

The Sports Network

, NBA on ABC: CCTV-5

CCTV-5

CCTV-5 , also known as the Sports Channel, part of the China Central Television family of networks, is the main sports broadcaster in the People's Republic of China. CCTV-5 began broadcasting on 1 January 1995...

, several provincial broadcasters: DK4 Sport: Antena Latina: Urheilukanava: Sport+

Sport+ (France)

Sport+ is a French television channel on cable and satellite which is owned by Canal+ and which is devoted to live sport....

: Premiere Sport

Premiere (pay television network)

Sky Deutschland AG, branded as Sky, is a German media company which operates the first pay television platform in Germany and Austria, offering several channels of digital content via satellite and cable....

: Sport+

Sport+ (Greece)

Sport+ was a digital terrestrial television station by ERT, which was a 20-hour commercial-free channel. It was the third digital terrestrial channel launched in Greece on . It broadcasted in Attica, Central Macedonia and Thessaly....

: Tele Caraibes: ESPN

ESPN

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

, Cable TV Hong Kong Sports Channel

Cable TV Hong Kong

Cable TV Hong Kong , previously known as Wharf Cable before October 1998, is owned and operated by i-CABLE Communications Limited...

, Star Sports

STAR Sports

STAR Sports is a cable sports network owned by STAR TV and ESPN. It shows sports programs. In partnership with ESPN, its corporate name is ESPN STAR Sports. They are the official Asian station of the Barclays Premier League...

, TVB HD

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

: Sport1, Sport2: ESPN

ESPN

: ESPN

ESPN

, Jak TV, Star Sports

STAR Sports

: Sky sport

Sky Italia

Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian digital satellite television platform owned by News Corporation launched on 1 August 2003, when the former platforms TELE+ and Stream TV merged together...

: Sport 5

Sport 5

Sport 5 , also known as the Sports Channel is an Israeli television company. Available on cable and satellite , the company have seven channels which are devoted to sport.-Sport 5:...

: J Sports Plus, NHK BS-1, SkyPerfecTV: SBS Sports, Star Sports

STAR Sports

: LTV7: TVC Middle East, North Africa

North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...

: ART Sport 3: Sport1

Sport1

Sport1 is a Dutch premium television service owned by Chellomedia, the European content division of Liberty Global. Sport1 launched together with its sister service Film1 on February 1, 2006 and replaced the Canal+ Netherlands channels. At launch the service consisted of two main channels, six...

: C/S Sports on RPN

Radio Philippines Network

Radio Philippines Network, Inc. is a broadcast television network in the Philippines co-owned by the Government Communications Group, Solar Entertainment Corporation, Far East Managers and Investors Inc., and private sectors. This station studios are located at Broadcast City, Old Balara, Capitol...

, Basketball TV

Basketball TV

Basketball TV or BTV is a 24-hour all-basketball cable channel in the Philippines owned by the Solar Entertainment Corporation. It was launched on October 1, 2006, rebranding the Sports Plus channel....

: Canal+Sport1

Canal+ Poland

Canal+ Poland is Poland's variation of the French television network Canal+. It is similar in many ways, including continuity and presentation. It also shows similar programs to Canal+ France like the tv-series The Simpsons....

: Sport TV 1: NBA TV: Canal +

Canal+ Spain

Canal+ 1, formerly known simply as Canal+ is a Spanish commercial television channel, launched in September 1990 on terrestrial television frequencies. The channel is operated by Sogecable. The main staples of Canal+ 1 are Spanish football, bullfighting and recent movies.In 1997 new channels using...

, Cuatro: TV4 AB

TV4 AB

TV4 Group is a Swedish media company that owns the largest commercial television channel in Sweden, TV4.Since 2007, the company is fully owned by Bonnier through Nordic Broadcasting Oy...

: Videoland

Videoland Television Network

Videoland Television Network is a cable network program provider in Taiwan, founded in 1983 by Koos Group. Videoland is one of Taiwan's major satellite television providers, offering seven channels of programming...

: ESPN

ESPN

: NTV

NTV Turkey

NTV is a Turkish nationwide television news channel. NTV was founded in 1996 by Turkish businessman Cavit Çağlar as the first news channel of Turkey and has partnered with MSNBC since May 2000. Aired on this channel is usually the news but also provides football games, especially La Liga matches,...

: Five: Sport Plus

Aftermath

In the 2008-09 season the Celtics raced to a 27-2 start, the best through 29 games in NBA history, until that fateful finals rematch against the Lakers on Christmas Day ended a franchise-high 19-game winning streak. Then days after the All-Star Game

2009 NBA All-Star Game

The 2009 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on February 15, 2009 at US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the Phoenix Suns. The game was the 58th edition of the National Basketball Association All-Star Game and was played during the 2008–09 NBA season...

Kevin Garnett

injured his right knee, and was lost for the season. The Celtics won 62 games, but the absence of Garnett affected the team as they were eliminated in seven games by the Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...

in the Eastern Conference Semifinals

2009 NBA Playoffs

The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...

.

The Lakers rebounded to win 65 games in the aforementioned season, then proceeded to win the NBA title

2009 NBA Finals

The 2009 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2008-09 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and defending Western Conference champions, and the Orlando Magic, champions of the...

in five games over the Magic. Even though another mid-season injury to Andrew Bynum

Andrew Bynum

Andrew Bynum is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year, breaking Jermaine...

threatened their title drive, he did come back late in the season. The Lakers became the first team since the 1988-89 Pistons to win the NBA Finals after losing it in the previous year.

Both teams would eventually meet again in 2010

2010 NBA Finals

The 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2009–10 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and defending NBA champions, and the Boston Celtics, champions of the Eastern Conference...

where the Lakers defeated the Celtics in seven games.

The Celtics' 17th championship raised the total of major professional sports championships in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

to 32, and it continued a string of championships for the city this decade. The NFL

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

's New England Patriots

New England Patriots

won the Super Bowl

Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

in 2001

Super Bowl XXXVI

, 2003

Super Bowl XXXVIII

Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....

and 2004

Super Bowl XXXIX

, and nearly won a fourth on Super Bowl XLII

Super Bowl XLII

Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...

, only to have a perfect season denied by the New York Giants

New York Giants

The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

five months earlier. Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

's Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

won the their second World Series

World Series

The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...

title of the decade nine months earlier

2007 World Series

-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...

, adding their total to seven. With the NHL

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

's Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

winning the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals

2011 Stanley Cup Finals

The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the 118th year of the Stanley Cup's presentation. The Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference Champion Vancouver...

, the city of Boston became the first city to win championships in all four major sports in a seven-year span. The city's total title tally now stands at 33.

External links

Official site

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Series summary

2008 NBA Playoffs

Regular season series

Game summaries

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

Game 5

Game 6

Awards

Rosters

International broadcasts

Aftermath

See also

External links