DHL Dan CLXIX - The Right Side Of History

It's nteresting how two weeks can change things, especially for weathervanes like Shank. A fortnight ago he was telling you how easy this series would be for the Boston Celtics. Now that we're looking at Game 7 today, Shank's forced to play a different set of cards:

History is on Celtics’ side in another Game 7, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while wondering which Jayson Tatum shows up at the Garden Sunday …

▪ Hello Game 7, old friend.

We have Celtics-76ers in a winner-take-all conference semifinal game.

Historically, the Celtics are Mr. Game 7, the way Reggie Jackson is Mr. October, the way Billy Crystal is Mr. Saturday Night. Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart may know nothing of their forebears, but the fact remains that, historically, the Boston Celtics own Game 7.

The Celtics have played more Game 7s (35) than any other NBA team. Dating back to the days when Bill Russell roamed the parquet, the Celtics are 26-9 in Game 7s. Russell was 10-0 in ultimate games, winning the last game of his 13-year career with a Game 7 championship victory over the Wilt Chamberlain/Elgin Baylor/Jerry West Lakers in the LA Forum in 1969.

Boston’s fabled basketball team didn’t lose its first Game 7 until 1973, when Russell was gone and John Havlicek hurt his shoulder in an epic series with the New York Knicks.

What happened in those great old days has nothing to do with what will happen Sunday against Joel Embiid, but there’s some comfort in a legacy forged by Russell, Sam Jones, and Red Auerbach in ancient days when a smoke was still a smoke (Hoyo de Monterrey for Red) and having home court was a significant advantage in any winner-take-all NBA game.

Oddly, the New Garden has not been our friend this spring. The Bruins (remember them?) and Celtics have gone an aggregate 1-6 in seven playoff games on Causeway Street since the Bruins were first beaten by the Florida Panthers in Round 1 April 19.

Kind of shoots down the whole 'we got this game!' thingy, doesn't it? In karate, this is known as blocking a punch with your face.