On this day, former Boston Celtics big man Hank Finkel was born in Union City, New Jersey in 1942.
Traded to Boston by the then-San Diego Rockets for cash considerations in 1969, Finkel became a regular part of the rotation for some years to come, eventually winning a championship with Boston in 1974.
Finkel averaged 4.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game over his six seasons with the team, having been released by Boston in November of 1975.
The New Jersey native would remain a media presence in Massachusetts for some years to come, broadcasting for the team and SportsChannel. he also opened his own office furniture store in Woburn.
It is the anniversary of three playoff wins since the season of the Celtics’ last title in 2007-08. The first was actually the very first game in Boston’s 2008 postseason title run, a 104-81 blowout of the Atlanta Hawks.
The Celtics were led by Ray Allen with 18 points and Kevin Garnett with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while point guard Rajon Rondo logged 16 points and 9 assists.
“I had to slow down as I ran through the tunnel and to hear the crowd, to hear the building rocking and the bleachers were shaking,” Garnett said of his first playoff experience in four seasons (via ESPN). “I had to take a minute for myself, man, just thank the lord I was back in this position.”
It was also on this date in 2009 that Boston defeated the Chicago Bulls 118-115 on a late Allen trey, beating back fellow UConn alum Ben Gordon’s 42-point performance to secure the win and bring the series to a 1-1 tie in Game 2.
The former Husky had 30 points of his own to lead the Celtics, with big man Glen Davis logging 26 points and 9 rebounds as well. Rondo added 19 points and 16 assists, and all five starters had double-digit contributions.
“It felt like we were at UConn in the summertime playing pickup,” Gordon said courtesy of the Associated Press. “He is a great shooter and I knew he would break out eventually.”
Finally, Boston crushed the Miami Heat 106-77 even without Garnett, who was out serving a single-game suspension.
The Celtics took a 2-0 series lead behind Davis’ 23 points and 8 boards, while Allen added 25 points and 5 boards. “Once we opened up Glen Davis [on offense], I thought they started to sink in a little bit more and it opened up Ray,” offered Paul Pierce via the A.P.
