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What I find odd is that the Celtics triple overtime victory over the Suns is widely considered the greatest NBA finals game ever and the double overtime loss to the Bucks is considered one of the greatest NBA finals games ever. Yet they've played the Lakers as often as they have, and none of the games really stand out the way those two do. There isn't one game that stands out so I'm going to look at the game I consider the most memorable. It's hard to find entire footage of the 1960's games they played so I'm going to look at the more recent ones. Lakers fans would consider game 6 of the 1985 Championship and game 4 of the 1987 series as being two of the most memorable. Celtics fans would consider game 4 of the 1984 series and game 4 of the series last season as being two of the most memorable.

For me, I would consider game 5 of the 1984 series as being the most enjoyable and most memorable. I was just watching it recently. Great performance by Bird and a joy to watch that game. I'm likely in the small minority here who feels that way. I am biased towards 1980's games since I consider basketball at its best in the era so that could be the reason. There are a few games I haven't seen so I'm willing to change my mind.

The NBA was certainly at its peak in the 1980s...I think the best game of Celtics-Lakers is up to who you root for. Of course us C's fans think the games we won are best, and the Lakers fans the one they won...for me, game 4 of 1987 still bothers me to this day (I remember being stunned while watching it live on TV with my dad)...

MyInsatiableOne wrote:The NBA was certainly at its peak in the 1980s...I think the best game of Celtics-Lakers is up to who you root for. Of course us C's fans think the games we won are best, and the Lakers fans the one they won...for me, game 4 of 1987 still bothers me to this day (I remember being stunned while watching it live on TV with my dad)...

Yeah, McHale losing the ball out of bounds being up by 1 cost Boston the game. Do you have any favorite? I still haven't seen game 4 of the 1985 series where DJ hits the game winner, and I think there's one or two others I've missed.

Game 4 in LA in 1984 was awesome, as was game 3 ( I believe) when Henderson stole the ball to send it into OT...

Game 7, 1969. The Lakers were so confident of victory that they had hundreds of celebratory balloons hung in a net above the LA Forum court. Russell and company had gotten older and limped through the regular season finishing fourth in the East, the last team to get in the playoffs.

The Lakers were supremely confident this was the year they would finally beat Russell. But The Celtics saw those balloons and vowed it would not happen.

At the end of game 7 the game was tight. With under a minute left young Don Nelson shot a jumper from just beyond the foul line. The ball hit the back rim and bounced straight up, what seemed like ten feet high, hanging there for a moment before dropping right down through the basket putting the Celtics ahead for good.

A short moment later Bill Russell, Sam Jones (playing their final game) and friends had won.

The balloons remained in the rafters.

MyInsatiableOne wrote:Game 4 in LA in 1984 was awesome, as was game 3 ( I believe) when Henderson stole the ball to send it into OT...

I believe that was game 2. Game 3 was the game where the Lakers blew Boston out.

Gant wrote:Game 7, 1969. The Lakers were so confident of victory that they had hundreds of celebratory balloons hung in a net above the LA Forum court. Russell and company had gotten older and limped through the regular season finishing fourth in the East, the last team to get in the playoffs.

The Lakers were supremely confident this was the year they would finally beat Russell. But The Celtics saw those balloons and vowed it would not happen.

At the end of game 7 the game was tight. With under a minute left young Don Nelson shot a jumper from just beyond the foul line. The ball hit the back rim and bounced straight up, what seemed like ten feet high, hanging there for a moment before dropping right down through the basket putting the Celtics ahead for good.

A short moment later Bill Russell, Sam Jones and friends had won.

The balloons remained in the rafters.

It was a memorable game, but I've only seen one quarter. It's hard to judge a game from just one quarter.

Celtsfan1980 wrote:

MyInsatiableOne wrote:Game 4 in LA in 1984 was awesome, as was game 3 ( I believe) when Henderson stole the ball to send it into OT...

I believe that was game 2. Game 3 was the game where the Lakers blew Boston out.

Yes you're right!

Celtsfan1980 wrote:

Gant wrote:Game 7, 1969. The Lakers were so confident of victory that they had hundreds of celebratory balloons hung in a net above the LA Forum court. Russell and company had gotten older and limped through the regular season finishing fourth in the East, the last team to get in the playoffs.

The Lakers were supremely confident this was the year they would finally beat Russell. But The Celtics saw those balloons and vowed it would not happen.

At the end of game 7 the game was tight. With under a minute left young Don Nelson shot a jumper from just beyond the foul line. The ball hit the back rim and bounced straight up, what seemed like ten feet high, hanging there for a moment before dropping right down through the basket putting the Celtics ahead for good.

A short moment later Bill Russell, Sam Jones and friends had won.

The balloons remained in the rafters.

It was a memorable game, but I've only seen one quarter. It's hard to judge a game from just one quarter.

Not only that, the 4th quarter is vastly overrated. If you actually watch it, basically the C's fritter away a large lead and only score a handful of baskets here and there and stave off the charging Lakers. The C's won and it's awesome and all, but other than Nellie's miracle shot you can't really say they finished the game strong...

For me it would be games 4 and 6, 2008. Why? Although the Lakers were rivals before, I never hated a Laker team more than I hate the present one.

MyInsatiableOne wrote:Not only that, the 4th quarter is vastly overrated. If you actually watch it, basically the C's fritter away a large lead and only score a handful of baskets here and there and stave off the charging Lakers. The C's won and it's awesome and all, but other than Nellie's miracle shot you can't really say they finished the game strong...

Nelson's shot was hilarious. An old Bill Russell still found a way to beat Chamberlain. I believe he had a very good game early on, they took a big lead, and held on at the end. Just for that, it's memorable. It's hard to judge the quality of a game you haven't seen much of, but just for Russell's performance it should go down in Celtics-Lakers history as being one of the most memorable.

cisco wrote:For me it would be games 4 and 6, 2008. Why? Although the Lakers were rivals before, I never hated a Laker team more than I hate the present one.

Agreed...while the Lakers of my youth (the 1980s) were blood-rivals too, and I desperately wanted the C's to win, I respected them (Magic, Worthy, a grumpy Kareem, although I **** HATED Byron Scott even then)...even Riley...you could respect them...

the current Lakers are so hatable and loathsome it's not even funny...Kobe, Fisher, Gasol, Vujacic, Farmar, Ariza, Phil Jackson....*barf*