Celtics vs Bulls - Best Playoff Series In NBA History

[SpursDynasty]

Enough said.

[JoeTait75]

For once, SD, you might not be completely full of shit.

[lefty]

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[Brazil]

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (1 members and 0 guests)

:lmao

[TampaDude]

Yeah...evenly matched doesn't even begin to describe these two teams...it's a WAR!!!

I hope Game 7 is at least half as good as the other 6!!!

[kamikazi_player]

We need one more Ben Gordon vs Ray Allen 4th quarter shootout before we can declare this one of the best first round series if not the best series ever.

[IronMexican]

History? Nets-Lakers, 2002 was great.

[DAF86]

Game 7 will be a 40 pts blowout.

[sook]

I agree


Everyone probably orgasmed last game

[TampaDude]

Game 7 will be a 40 pts blowout.

Yeah...you're probably right... :lol

[nkdlunch]

Game 7 will be a 40 pts blowout.

you are correct sir. But who will deliver the blowout is the question. Celtics are old overwheight buffet killing motherfuckers. My money is on the young hungry Bulls

[baseline bum]

Game 7 will be a 40 pts blowout.

I don't think so. Chicago should win this series, but no way the champs are going to go out without Chicago having to put up the fight of their lives.

[endrity]

I still think 2006 Mavs-Spurs is better, because the level of basketball was as close to perfect as you can get, whereas here we have two teams which at times have been a bit sloppy. Plus in 06 there was an epic game 7 to close it all out.

However, if game 7 is anything close to game 6 this year, then this might really be the best.

[JoeTait75]

Have to give strong consideration to the 1981 ECF between the Celtics and 76ers. Teams were tied for the best record in the NBA (62-20) and five of the seven games were decided by a total of eight points.

[xtremesteven33]

Mavs/Spurs 06 > Celtics/Bulls 09


So far.....

[Armando]

Nah nothing compares to the 2006 Finals.

[endrity]

Nah nothing compares to the 2006 Finals.

screw you! for real!

[Chieflion]

Might be one of the best, if not for that blowout game 2.

[blink]

you must not watch many basketball games if you call this the best series ever. this isnt even the best in recent memory, let alone the entire history

[jdev82]

Enough said.

you are fucking stupid. thats the dumbest thing ive ever read here.

[Indazone]

Go Bulls! I know these guys have all the talent they need to get past the Celtics and the Cavs!

[lil_penny]

This series has been nothing short of amazing, I love it..... and go bulls!

[tomtom]

hell yeah go bulls!

[Morg1411]

Bulls are playing great. I love that they haven't backed down from Boston Thugball. Salmons and Gordon are my fucking heros.

[Cry Havoc]

you must not watch many basketball games if you call this the best series ever. this isnt even the best in recent memory, let alone the entire history

What series in recent memory has been better?

[j-money24]

Mavs/Spurs 06 > Celtics/Bulls 09


So far.....

homer.

[ronni 21]

Best series recently, PHO-SAS (2006?) or SAS-DET(2005)...in sum there's San Antonio

[IronMexican]

Phoenix and SA didn't even meet in 2006?

[Spursfan092120]

homer.
that's hardly a homer statement..we lost that series.

[ronni 21]

Phoenix and SA didn't even meet in 2006?
I mistake...2008:toast........also 2007.... liked it......

[N4th4n]

I mistake...2008:toast........also 2007.... liked it......

2008 was retarded. Phoenix only won one game.

[IronMexican]

2008 had one great game, and the rest kinda sucked. Game 2 was alright, too. but 3-5 sucked ass.

[Allanon]

Whatever happens, Vinny Del Negro just got an extension on his contract.

[ronni 21]

Whatever happens, Vinny Del Negro just got an extension on his contract.
....I fire Rivers

[tomtom]

Whatever happens, Vinny Del Negro just got an extension on his contract.

true that, he's made some amazing plays down the stretch with wide open drives to the lane. didnt know he had it in him

I sitll say the mavs warriors series was better but this one is great too

[mystargtr34]

For quality of basketball, the Mavs, Spurs series was better - but for shear entertainment and enjoyment - this one is tough to top.

What is it now, 2 Double OT's, an OT and a triple OT? Thats ridiculous.

[baseline bum]

For quality of basketball, the Mavs, Spurs series was better - but for shear entertainment and enjoyment - this one is tough to top.

What is it now, 2 Double OT's, an OT and a triple OT? Thats ridiculous.

For quality of free-throw shooting maybe. Seriously, that was an outstanding series, but no way did it have the ridiculous back and forth this one has.

[endrity]

Mavs Spurs though was being played by arguably the two best teams of the season (The Heat were nowhere close to those teams). That was probably the true NBA finals and it was played at an amazing level.

However, if Game 7 of the current series is anything close to what we have seen up to now, than I will say that maybe it takes the crown.

[Caltex2]

Kings-Lakers in '02 was the best. Also, although it wasn't pretty, Knicks-Rockets from '94 was the closest NBA Finals ever, and back and forth too.

But this one is certainly the best first round series I can remember, even better than GS-Dallas. It's easier now days too, since the 7 game series format gives us more excitement than the old 5 game first round format.

[LnGrrrR]

Well, my favorite series was last years Celtics-Lakers for obvious reasons (history, we won... that's about it.) :)

But I've never seen a series where, besides Game 3, two teams have been so back and forth. Whenever one team looks like they're going to lose it, they rally back. It's truly amazing, getting to the point yesterday where I almost EXPECTED an overtime or two.

[BUMP]

you are fucking stupid. thats the dumbest thing ive ever read here.

must've missed 90% of what he posts

[florige]

You guys think this series would be this close if Garnett was playing?

[endrity]

Here is a list by Kelly Dwyer of the best 20 series since 1999. Mavs-Spurs in 06 is number 1 ofcourse.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Bulls-Celtics-and-the-top-20-series-of-the-post-;_ylt=Atkd2BQmnq1XppevMFb2jnm8vLYF?urn=nba,160612

Fri May 01, 2009 11:10 am EDT

Bulls-Celtics and the top 20 series of the post-lockout era
By Kelly Dwyer

1. Dallas over San Antonio, 2006

Simply the gold standard, for our time. Featuring an up-and-comer taking on the defending champs, this contest featured a two-point Spurs win to start it, followed by a shocking 12-point Mavs win in San Antonio. A one-point Mavs win and five-point Dallas overtime victory came next, with a one and five-point Spurs win to follow, ending with a classic Mavericks overtime win in San Antonio that featured a season-saving three-point play from Dirk Nowitzki (37 points, 15 rebounds) at the end of regulation.

Lots of emphasis on point differential? You bet. This whole list is based on how great and how close the actual games were, not any sort of misty recollections or credence slipped toward teams in the final four or two slots in the playoff bracket. This list is for those who were there, watching.

2. Boston/Chicago, 2009

We haven’t even hit Game 7, and yet this is still bordering on an all-timer. Seven overtime periods in six games thus far, alongside one three-point Boston win in Game 2 that turned on the heels of a desperate Ray Allen three-pointer shot over an approaching 7-footer. There may have been more "important" best of seven attempts, but have you ever been a part of one better than this? Assuming Game 7 goes according to script …

3. Utah over Sacramento, 1999

Game 1 featured the expected Jazz blowout win, replete with Greg Ostertag scoring at will over Chris Webber on a couple of possessions. Game 2? Things, shockingly, turned. What followed were two overtime games, and one one-point Jazz win, and some of the best personality-driven brand of playoff basketball that we’ve ever seen.

4. Los Angeles Lakers over Sacramento, 2001

This is a big favorite, but to us it’s a bit marred by the horrid officiating in Game 6, and a full-on Kings meltdown that took place in Sacramento during Game 7. Still, two incredibly fun and talented teams, essentially giving us the best NBA Finals of the last decade, should you consider the deep East/West divide that lasted from 1999 until recently.

5. Golden State over Dallas, 2007

A modern classic, the eighth-seeded Golden State had Dallas’ regular season number for two straight seasons heading into this first round matchup, and proceeded to act as (should have been) expected in this first round against the top-seeded Mavericks.

6. Los Angeles Lakers over Portland, 2000

People tend to remember Portland’s fourth quarter flameout in Game 7, one that saw the Trail Blazers give up a 15-point fourth quarter lead to the Lakers in the final 15 minutes. What few do remember is a dogged attempt from the Blazers, down 3-1 at one point, to get to a seventh game. This series featured Portland stealing the homecourt advantage, giving it up with two losses in Portland, before raring back (spurred on by a Steely Dan concert the night before, no doubt) to take Game 6. Only to toss it all away as the team’s lack of a go-to guy became obvious in Game 7.

7. Phoenix over Dallas, 2005

What stand out are two best friends, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, going at it on several switched screen and rolls. What also stands out are two of the best offensive teams of this generation trading high quality baskets and entertaining play.

8. Dallas over Houston, 2005

Sure, the series ended with a 40-point Dallas win in Game 7, but what we remember is the four games in the middle of this fun one that were decided by six points or less.

9. Dallas over Utah, 2001

A real shocker at the time, and a series that tipped a lot of us off to the fact that, while "playoff moxie" and "veteran doggedness" might be something to appreciate, let’s face it, talent is an asset. And Dallas had the talent enough to pull out a classic Game 5 win with Calvin Booth hitting a clutch shot down the stretch. OK, maybe "talent" isn’t the word …

10. Minnesota over Sacramento, 2004

An underrated one, with five of the seven games turning in at a six points or fewer difference, and Kevin Garnett turning in this Game 7 gem: 32 points, 21 rebounds, two assists, four steals, five blocks, two turnovers.

11. Phoenix over Los Angeles Clippers, 2006

A solid runner-up from the best recent postseason (2006) of the lot. Lots of scoring, a double-overtime classic, and Sam Cassell in his last healthy season. Yes, please.

12. Phoenix over Los Angeles Lakers, 2006

Only marred, and served second to the Clipper series, by a should-be classic Game 7 that saw Kobe Bryant apparently moping throughout the proceedings. On Saturday night. On TNT. Uh-oh. Otherwise, the series featured two overtime games and plenty of close contests. And Kobe calling Raja Bell (two years older than Mr. Bryant) "kid."

13. New York over Indiana, 1999

Now that the pace has picked up in this league, and scores have risen, it’s a chore for some to remember just how entertaining these fin de siècle slow-down contests were. Not pour moi. Sure, some parts were pretty dull, but these things tended to turn around by the fourth quarter. Here, I’ll play-by-play it for you.

14. Indiana over Milwaukee, 2000

The Bucks should not have been the eighth seed, they could have probably earned a top-four mark; but they slept through the entire regular season, and barely made it into the postseason over an upstart Magic team that sure seemed to want it quite a bit more. No matter, because once the postseason started, the Bucks stole home court advantage from the eventual conference champions, before eventually falling short in a nail-biting Game 5 that earned Tim Thomas several different Bentleys.

15. Milwaukee over Charlotte, 2001

Others may remember the series that follows at #16, but this one was so, so much more entertaining to watch. Sam Cassell, and a young Baron Davis. Elden Campbell. Stop laughing. You have no idea how good this one was.

16. Philadelphia over Toronto, 2001

Competitive, yes, but quite a lot of isolation play. Very slow, very fun in the last five minutes, but very typical Lenny Wilkens/Larry Brown-play.

17. Dallas over Sacramento, 2003

I’m sorry, but in 2003, to get to watch a seven-game series where the Kings averaged 111 points per game, and the Mavericks averaged 114.6? Come on. It was like the first time I heard the Beatles.

18. Utah over Houston, 2007

If only to give Carlos Boozer (23.5 points per game, 12.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists during the 2007 postseason) the chutzpah, after three double-scotches, to call his agent and ask to opt out of his contract this summer.

19. New York over Miami, 2000

Call it a perverse pleasure. I’m full of ‘em. I eat Marmite, daily. No joke. After Bill Simmons made a joke about this series being on NBA TV’s classic games roster back in 2002, I made a point a few days later to make out with an ex-girlfriend with this game flickering silently in the background, as if it were a Teddy Pendergrass record. I’m a sickie, and I love those old Knick/Heat games.

20. Detroit over Miami, 2005

Dampened slightly by Shaquille O’Neal’s thigh bruise and Dwyane Wade’s everything bruise in Game 7, this was still an entertaining back and forth.

Honorable mention: Philadelphia over Milwaukee, 2001; New Jersey over Indiana, 2002; Dallas over Portland, 2003; Miami over New Orleans, 2004; Los Angeles Lakers over San Antonio, 2004; San Antonio over Phoenix, 2005; Cleveland over Detroit, 2007; Boston over Atlanta, 2008; Boston over Cleveland, 2008; San Antonio over New Orleans, 2008.

[baseline bum]

Kings-Lakers in '02 was the best. Also, although it wasn't pretty, Knicks-Rockets from '94 was the closest NBA Finals ever, and back and forth too.

But this one is certainly the best first round series I can remember, even better than GS-Dallas. It's easier now days too, since the 7 game series format gives us more excitement than the old 5 game first round format.

No way is Kings-Lakers the best. Games 3 and 6 were awful. Games 1 and 2 were so-so. Games 4 and 5 were incredible. Game 7 was great too, but Sacramento choked huge with the airballs and all the missed free throws. In contrast, 5 of the 6 games so far in this series have been absolute classics reminiscent of some of the great shootouts I saw in the 80s, and it's really hard to argue that any team gave a game away like the Kings did 3 times in that series.

For the 94 Finals, Games 3 and 6 were amazing, but no way do two great games beat the 5 better ones we have seen in this series. If you're going to pick a Finals series, you have to pick 84 or 88.

[baseline bum]

9. Dallas over Utah, 2001

A real shocker at the time, and a series that tipped a lot of us off to the fact that, while "playoff moxie" and "veteran doggedness" might be something to appreciate, let’s face it, talent is an asset. And Dallas had the talent enough to pull out a classic Game 5 win with Calvin Booth hitting a clutch shot down the stretch. OK, maybe "talent" isn’t the word …


Probably the most underrated series in NBA history.

[JoeTait75]

15. Milwaukee over Charlotte, 2001

Others may remember the series that follows at #16, but this one was so, so much more entertaining to watch. Sam Cassell, and a young Baron Davis. Elden Campbell. Stop laughing. You have no idea how good this one was.

16. Philadelphia over Toronto, 2001

Competitive, yes, but quite a lot of isolation play. Very slow, very fun in the last five minutes, but very typical Lenny Wilkens/Larry Brown-play.

The East Playoffs that year were great. There were four or five teams that were just about equal and it was a toss-up when they met. Everyone knew that the winner would be road-kill for either L.A. or San Antonio (L.A. as it turned out) but watching it shake out was a lot of fun. And people who dog on AI forget how good he was that postseason. He carried the Sixers.

[baseline bum]

The East Playoffs that year were great. There were four or five teams that were just about equal and it was a toss-up when they met. Everyone knew that the winner would be road-kill for either L.A. or San Antonio (L.A. as it turned out) but watching it shake out was a lot of fun. And people who dog on AI forget how good he was that postseason. He carried the Sixers.

Iverson singlehandedly cutting a 30 point 4th quarter lead to 4 in Milwaukee in game 6 was ridiculous. I wanted him to finish that game so badly.

[IronMexican]

#4 was in 2002, not 01.

[Jacob1983]

True. The Lakers spanked the Kings' asses in the 2nd round in 2001. I believe it was a sweep.

I would put the 2001 ECF between the Sixers and Bucks on the list.

[DollarSlice]

Here's a good write up on NBA.com on why this is perhaps the best series ever (http://http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/rob_peterson/04/30/game6.20090430/index.html?cid=playoff1)... good read.

[Armando]

Whatever happens Ben Gordon is going to get paid this summer.

[IronMexican]

Yeah, 2001 was the year the Lakers swept the Blazers, Kings, and Spurs. I think game 3 vs SA they won by 38 and game 4 by 39.

[Stringer_Bell]

Most folks figured the Celtics would run up on the Bulls in the first round with a focus on the ECF and getting KG back in the next round. Same thing happened last year with the Hawks, went to 7 games when everyone was already saying they'd be in the ECF. That said...I hope Chicago wins this series. All the pressure is on the Celtics and I like to see Pierce get frustrated when things do go his way.