Celtics taste NBA glory for 17th time

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-18  |     ONLINE EDITION

IT is the reason Paul Pierce stuck around when the losses mounted and the end was far from clear. The reason Ray Allen was acquired as a draft-day consolation prize. And the reason Kevin Garnett agreed to leave the only pro team he'd ever known.

The Big Three has won the Big One.

The Boston Celtics rode their three All-Stars to their 17th championship yesterday night, blowing by the Los Angeles Lakers with a stunning show of second-quarter scoring to win 131-92 in Game 6 of the NBA finals.

Pierce, the finals MVP, had 17 points and 10 assists in the clincher, Garnett had 26 points with 14 rebounds, and Allen returned from a red-eye flight from the coast and a poked eye in the lane to add 26 points, including an NBA finals record-tying seven 3-pointers.

It was the first NBA title for each of them, and the first for the league's most-decorated franchise since the original Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish won No. 16 in 1986. Danny Ainge was the point guard for that team and the general manager for the one that won 66 games this season after winning 24 last year -- the biggest turnaround in NBA history.

"Where we came from a year ago, where I was at, to be here today celebrating with my teammates, putting a stamp on what a great year it was," Pierce told the jubilant fans after accepting the MVP trophy. "Everybody stuck with me throughout all the hard times. I know we didn't have a lot of great years, but you guys stuck with me, and now we bring home a championship to you."

The Celtics also joined the 1975 Golden State Warriors and the '77 Trail Blazers as the only teams to win it all a year after missing the playoffs.

It's not hard to see why.