By There’s no way around it. Game 4 was an absolute dud for the Celtics. They suffered their worst NBA Finals loss ever, , in a massacre that was as lopsided as it sounds.
But as is the case after most embarrassing losses, there’s often a silver lining. In this case, it’s courtesy of Celtics radio play-by-play announcer Sean Grande. Grande noted, at 1:06 a.
m., that the last three Celtics championship teams all lost a close-out game on the road before responding to win the title in Boston the next game. What do the last three Celtics championship teams.
.. 2008 1986 1984 .
..have in common? All three lost a close-out game on the road, then came back to Boston to win the title in the next game.
The losses may not have been quite as jarring, but they did happen. In 1984, the Lakers beat the Celtics, 119-108, in Los Angeles in Game 6, then Boston closed out the series with a 111-102 triumph at home. Two years later, in 1986, the Rockets flattened the Celtics, 111-96, in Houston in Game 5.
Boston then dominated Game 6, 114-97, to win it all in convincing fashion. In 2008, the Lakers outlasted the Celtics, 103-98, in Game 5 in Los Angeles, then Boston obliterated Los Angeles, 131-92, in Game 6 for banner 17. That Celtics beatdown happened to be the second-largest margin of victory (39) in a Finals game ever, behind only the Bulls over the Jazz (42) in 1998.
Friday’s game was one point closer. If the Celtics still finish on top, their 38-point loss would be the largest of any .
