NBA Finals: Game 6

SI Staff | Jun 18, 2008

NBA Finals: Game 6 /

NBA Finals: Game 6

With a 131-92 rout of the Lakers in Game 6, the Celtics and their fans celebrated the franchise's first championship in 22 years.

The Celtics punctuated the biggest single-season turnaround in NBA history by producing the most lopsided Finals-clinching victory ever. In dismantling the Lakers, Boston finished the postseason 13-1 at home.

Kevin Garnett vowed to rebound after describing his Game 5 performance as "garbage." Garnett delivered on his promise, collecting 26 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

After a decent start, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers crumbled in the second quarter. They were outscored 34-15 in the period, and things only got worse from there for the favored Western Conference champions.

A year after being the leading scorer on a 24-win Celtics team, Paul Pierce was named Finals MVP after averaging 21.8 points and 6.3 assists against the Lakers.

Game 6 was a microcosm of the series for Kobe Bryant, who shot 7-of-22 from the field and committed four turnovers. The Celtics limited the league's MVP to an average of 25.7 points on 40.5 percent shooting in the Finals.

After struggling mightily for much of the series, the Celtics' second-year point guard, Rajon Rondo, delivered a gem in Game 6. He finished with 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and six of the Celtics' Finals-record 18 steals. Lakers coach Phil Jackson called Rondo the star of the game.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers and captain Paul Pierce hadn't won a playoff series in three previous years together before getting past Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit and the Lakers this season.

While Paul Pierce was selected as series MVP, Ray Allen (pictured) made a pretty good case, too. His early playoff slump long behind him, Allen set a Finals record with 22 three-pointers (including a record-tying seven in the clincher) and averaged 20.3 points in the series.

Kevin Garnett, a 13-year veteran, likened winning his first championship to knocking out the school bully.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis got his first taste of the Finals in Game 6 as coach Doc Rivers went to the rookie forward after other big men landed in foul trouble. Davis was on the floor for a good part of the Celtics' big second-quarter surge.

Doc Rivers not only won a title in his first Finals appearance but also prevented the Lakers' Phil Jackson from breaking a tie with Celtics legend Red Auerbach for most championships by a coach. Jackson and Auerbach have won nine apiece.

Published Jun 18, 2008

SI STAFF