On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team defeated the Detroit Pistons 89-81 in Game 6 of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals to advance to their first NBA Finals since 1987. They faced their longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers on their way to winning their 17th banner.
The Celtics beat the Pistons on the strength of their future Hall of Fame trio. Small forward Paul Pierce led the way with 27 points and 8 rebounds. Shooting guard Ray Allen contributed 17, and big man Kevin Garnett added 16 points and 6 rebounds. Detroit led by as many as 10 points in the final frame, but could not hold it. The Game 6 loss in the conference finals was their third such exit in three years.
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“It’s kind of surreal,” Garnett said via ESPN. “Probably hasn’t even hit me yet because we haven’t slept in about four days, going on five days now. Going to the finals, I’m just hoping to get some sleep.”
Boston Celtics Kevin Garnett (C) runs into Detroit Pistons defenders Rodney Stuckey (L) and Theo Ratliff in the third quarter during Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals in Auburn Hills, Michigan, May 26, 2008. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk (UNITED STATES)
Finally, it is also the day we lost forward Ed Stanczak in 2004. A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, he joined the (defunct) Anderson Packers of the competing (and later absorbed) National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949.
Stanczak was drafted by the Celtics in the Packers dispersal draft after that team went under. He played just 19 games for Boston and averaging 3.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per game over that stretch.
Rest in peace.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Cs beat Pistons to reach 1st NBA Finals since ’87