And then there were four.
We're partnering with Strat-O-Matic, the market leader in sports simulations, this week for our "Settle the Argument" series, in which we'll attempt to crown the best Celtics team in franchise history by pitting six iconic Boston squads against each other in a simulated tournament.
That tournament kicked off Monday with our quarterfinal matchups, as the 1972-73 Celtics (No. 3 overall seed) bested the 1980-81 Celtics (No. 6 seed), while the 1961-62 Celtics (No. 4 seed) topped the 1964-65 Celtics (No. 5 seed). You can check out those full results here.
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The top two seeds in the tournament -- the 1985-86 squad (No. 1 seed) and the 2007-08 team (No. 2 seed) -- received first-round byes, setting up the following semifinal matchups:
- No. 1 seed 1985-86 Celtics vs. No. 4 seed 1961-62 Celtics
- No. 2 seed 2007-08 Celtics vs. No. 3 seed 1972-73 Celtics
Before we get into the semifinal results, here's a refresher on the six Boston teams we've selected and their starting lineups:
With the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds eliminated, will the favorites advance again in the semifinals? Let's break down both seven-game series with game-by-game recaps and box scores:
Semifinal #1: 1985-86 Celtics (No. 1) vs. 1961-62 Celtics (No. 4)
Game 1: '85-'86 Celtics 134, '61-'62 Celtics 103
The K.C. Jones-led '85-'86 squad lived up to its No. 1 billing, outscoring the '60s squad 39-22 in second quarter to race to a 22-point halftime lead and coasting from there.
Kevin McHale's 34 points and 10 rebounds and a Larry Bird triple double (32 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists) did the job for the 1-0 series lead.
Game 2: '61-'62 Celtics 106, '85-'86 Celtics 98
Sam Jones (29 points), Bill Russell (12 points, 15 rebounds) and Bob Cousy (18 points, 14 assists) said, "not so fast, my friends" to what looked like an '85-'86 series laugher, winning a tight one with a fourth-quarter rally.
After battling back from a pair of five-point deficits to tie the score at 89, the '61-'62 squad went on a 10-3 run to jump out to a 99-92 lead and didn't trail the rest of the way.
Game 3: '85-'86 Celtics 127, '61-'62 Celtics 120 (OT)
Bird exploded for 47 points -- including the tying bucket at the end of regulation and six more points in overtime -- as 85-86 took a 2-1 series lead.
Robert Parish had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds for the winners, while Bob Cousy's 24 points and 11 assists paced the '61-'62 team.
Game 4: '85-'86 Celtics 124, '61-'62 Celtics 118
The '85-'86 squad took a commanding 3-1 series lead with this road triumph, getting another 45 points and near triple double from Bird, who added 13 rebounds, nine assists and six steals.
Parish had another 16 points and 13 boards, while Bird fueled a late 13-2 run that erased a one-point deficit and gave the visitors a double-digit lead and the win.
Game 5: '85-'86 Celtics 124, '61-'62 Celtics 98
A 43-22 first quarter removed most of the drama from this one, as '85-'86 closed out the series in decisive fashion.
Another monster game from Bird (46 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists) keyed the rout, while Dennis Johnson had 25 and Kevin McHale added 14 to help '85-'86 advance to the finals.
Semifinal #2: 2007-08 Celtics (No. 2) vs. 1972-73 Celtics (No. 3)
Game 1: '72-'73 Celtics 103, '07-'08 Celtics 101
A tight Game 1 went the way of head coach Tommy Heinsohn's 1972-73 squad, as John Havlicek tallied a basket and two free throws in the closing moments to secure a 1-0 series lead.
Jo Jo White paced the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while 2007-08 got 22 points from Ray Allen (6 of 9 from 3-point range) and 20 points from Kevin Garnett.
Game 2: '07-'08 Celtics 110, '72-'73 Celtics 102
Doc Rivers' group evened the series with a solid win, taking a 13-point lead early in the fourth and keeping '72-'73 at arm's length the rest of the way.
Garnett's 25 points led four in double figures for the winners, while Havlicek's 29 and White's 27 stood out, as no other '72-'73 player had more than seven points.
Game 3: '72-'73 Celtics 111, '07-'08 Celtics 91
The pivotal Game 3 went to the hosts in a 20-point rout. Seven players reached double figures as '72-'73 built a 17-point lead by halftime and were off to the races from there.
This time it was '72-'73 which had the better scoring balance; Havlicek paced seven players in double digits, highlighted by Paul Silas' 12 points and 17 rebounds to help give his team the 2-1 series lead.
Game 4: '72-'73 Celtics 110, '07-'08 Celtics 105
The '72-'73 club pushed the No. 2 seed to the brink with a big fourth-quarter rally to take a 3-1 series lead. Trailing by 11 late in the third, '72-'73 chipped away at the deficit, took the lead for good with 3:09 left on two free throws by Silas, then scored 10 of the next 13 to secure the win.
Silas and Dave Cowens had 22 points each for Heinsohn's upset-minded group.
Game 5: '07-'08 Celtics 137, '72-'73 Celtics 130
In the highest-scoring game of the tournament to date, 07-08 took a contest that was close throughout, with neither team leading by more than the final margin of seven.
Garnett's 36 points led all scorers as '07-'08 avoided elimination by outscoring the visitors 14-4 down the stretch to overcome a three-point deficit with 3:17 remaining.
Game 6: '72-'73 Celtics 123, '07-'08 Celtics 104
Red Auerbach quietly lit a cigar from the general manager's box as his squad completed the upset with the runaway
win. '72-'73 built a double-digit lead in the second quarter and led by as many as 26 in the waning moments.
White's 29 points, 23 from Havlicek and a 16-14 double-double from Cowens did the trick as the No. 3 seed earned a date with '85-'86 in the finals.
