1987–88 Boston Celtics season
| 1987–88 Boston Celtics season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | K. C. Jones |
| General manager | Jan Volk |
| Owners | Don Gaston Alan N. Cohen Paul Dupee |
| Arena | Boston Garden Hartford Civic Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 57–25 (.695) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Atlantic) Conference: 1st (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Eastern Conference finals (lost to Pistons 2–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | SportsChannel New England (Mike Gorman, Tom Heinsohn) WLVI, WTXX, WTIC-TV (Gil Santos, Bob Cousy) |
| Radio | WEEI, WTIC Radio (Johnny Most, Glenn Ordway) |
The 1987–88 Boston Celtics season was the 42nd season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. The Celtics had the 22nd overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Reggie Lewis out of Northeastern University.[1][2][3]
Coming off from an NBA Finals defeat to their rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, the Celtics won their first six games of the regular season, then later on posted a seven-game winning streak in January, and held a 32–13 record at the All-Star break.[4] At mid-season, the team traded Jerry Sichting to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jim Paxson.[5][6][7] The Celtics posted an eight-game winning streak between March and April, but then lost four of their final six games of the season afterwards, winning the Atlantic Division title with a 57–25 record, and earning the first seed in the Eastern Conference.[8]
Larry Bird averaged 29.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, contributed 98 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Kevin McHale averaged 22.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, led the league with .604 in field-goal percentage, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and Danny Ainge provided the team with 15.7 points, 6.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and also led them with 148 three-point field goals. In addition, Robert Parish provided with 14.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while Dennis Johnson contributed 12.6 points and 7.8 assists per game. Off the bench, Paxson contributed 8.7 points per game in 28 games with the Celtics after the trade, while Fred Roberts provided with 6.1 points per game, and Mark Acres averaged 3.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.[9]
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, Bird, McHale and Ainge were all selected for the 1988 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was Ainge's first and only All-Star appearance.[10][11][12] In addition, Bird and Ainge both participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout, in which Bird won for the third consecutive year.[13][11][14] Bird also finished in second place in Most Valuable Player voting, behind Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls,[15][16] while head coach K.C. Jones finished tied in sixth place in Coach of the Year voting.[16]
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1988 NBA playoffs, the Celtics faced off against the 8th–seeded New York Knicks, a team that featured All-Star center Patrick Ewing, Gerald Wilkins, and Rookie of the Year, Mark Jackson. The Celtics won the first two games over the Knicks at home at the Boston Garden, before losing Game 3 on the road, 109–100 at Madison Square Garden. The Celtics won Game 4 over the Knicks on the road, 102–94 to win the series in four games.[17]
In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 4th–seeded Atlanta Hawks, who were led by All-Star forward Dominique Wilkins, All-Star guard Doc Rivers, and Kevin Willis. The Celtics won the first two games over the Hawks at the Boston Garden, and took a 2–0 series lead. However, the Celtics lost the next three games, including a Game 5 home loss to the Hawks at the Boston Garden, 112–104 as the Hawks took a 3–2 series lead. However, the Celtics managed to win Game 6 on the road, 102–100 at the Omni Coliseum to even the series, and then won Game 7 over the Hawks at the Boston Garden, 118–116 to win in a hard-fought seven-game series.[18] The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth consecutive year, becoming the first team to do so since the 1968–69 Boston Celtics (which reached the previous thirteen).
In the Conference Finals, and for the second consecutive year, the Celtics faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Central Division champion Detroit Pistons, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Isiah Thomas, Adrian Dantley and Joe Dumars. The Celtics lost Game 1 to the Pistons at the Boston Garden, 104–96, but managed to win Game 2 at home in overtime, 119–115 to even the series. However, with the series tied at 2–2, the Celtics lost the next two games, including a Game 6 loss to the Pistons on the road, 95–90 at the Pontiac Silverdome, thus losing the series in six games; this was the first time since the 1982–83 season that the Celtics failed to reach the NBA Finals.[19] The Pistons would advance to the Finals, but would lose to the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in a full seven-game series in the 1988 NBA Finals.[20][21][22]
The Celtics finished sixth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 611,231 at the Boston Garden during the regular season.[9][23] Following the season, Jones resigned as head coach,[24][25][26] and Roberts was left unprotected in the 1988 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Miami Heat expansion team, who then traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks.[27][28][29]
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Reggie Lewis | SF | United States | Northeastern |
| 2 | 45 | Brad Lohaus | C/PF | United States | Iowa |
| 4 | 70 | Tom Sheehey | United States | Virginia | |
| 4 | 91 | Darryl Kennedy | United States | Oklahoma | |
| 5 | 114 | David Butler | United States | California | |
| 6 | 137 | Tim Naegeli | United States | Wisconsin–Stevens Point | |
| 7 | 160 | Jerry Corcoran | United States | Northeastern |
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
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Roster notes
- Center Bill Walton was on the injured reserve list due to a right foot injury, and missed the entire regular season.
Regular season
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Boston Celtics | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 36–5 | 21–20 | 19–5 |
| x-Washington Bullets | 38 | 44 | .463 | 19 | 25–16 | 13–28 | 13–11 |
| x-New York Knicks | 38 | 44 | .463 | 19 | 29–12 | 9–32 | 10–14 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 36 | 46 | .439 | 21 | 27–14 | 9–32 | 12–12 |
| New Jersey Nets | 19 | 63 | .232 | 38 | 16–25 | 3–38 | 6–18 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | c-Boston Celtics | 57 | 25 | .695 | – |
| 2 | y-Detroit Pistons | 54 | 28 | .659 | 3 |
| 3 | x-Chicago Bulls | 50 | 32 | .610 | 7 |
| 4 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 7 |
| 5 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 15 |
| 6 | x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 15 |
| 7 | x-Washington Bullets | 38 | 44 | .463 | 19 |
| 8 | x-New York Knicks | 38 | 44 | .463 | 19 |
| 9 | Indiana Pacers | 38 | 44 | .463 | 19 |
| 10 | Philadelphia 76ers | 36 | 46 | .439 | 21 |
| 11 | New Jersey Nets | 19 | 63 | .232 | 38 |
Game log
Regular season
| 1987–88 game log Total: 57–25 (home: 36–5; Away: 21–20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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November: 10–4 (home: 6–1; road: 4–3)
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December: 7–5 (home: 3–2; road: 4–3)
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January: 14–3 (home: 9–0; road: 5–3)
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February: 9–5 (home: 5–0; road: 4–5)
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March: 11–4 (home: 8–2; road: 3–2)
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April: 7–4 (home: 6–0; road: 1–4)
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| 1987–88 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playoffs
| 1988 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First round: 3–1 (home: 2–0; road: 1–1)
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Eastern Conference Semifinals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
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Eastern Conference Finals: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2)
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| 1988 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Season
Playoffs
The Celtics would end up losing to the Detroit Pistons in the conference finals, as an aging Celtics team was beginning to falter against a younger and fresher Pistons team led by Isiah Thomas. This also marked that franchise's "Bad Boy" era, noted for the team's penchant for fighting and rough, physical play. This would be the first time in five years that the Celtics would not make it to the finals and would not return to another finals until 2008.
Awards and records
References
- ^ Goldaper, Sam (June 23, 1987). "Guards Dominate Draft, But Robinson Goes First". The New York Times. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ Edes, Gordon (June 23, 1987). "Only Surprise in the NBA Draft Is the Big Demand for Guards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "1987 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "NBA Games Played on February 4, 1988". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "Jim Paxson Traded to Boston". The Washington Post. Associated Press. February 23, 1988. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "The Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday Traded Guard Jim Paxson,..." United Press International. February 23, 1988. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "Sports People; Paxson Traded". The New York Times. February 24, 1988. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "1987–88 Boston Celtics Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "1987–88 Boston Celtics Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ Barnard, Bill (February 7, 1988). "Today's NBA All-Star Game Will Be Homecoming of Sorts for 3 Players". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "1988 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "1988 NBA All-Star Game: East 138, West 133". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ Barnard, Bill (February 7, 1988). "NBA All-Star Game to Be Made Homecoming". The Press-Courier. p. 15. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "Jordan Named M.V.P." The New York Times. May 26, 1988. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "1987–88 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "1988 NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Knicks vs. Celtics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "1988 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals: Hawks vs. Celtics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "1988 NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Pistons vs. Celtics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ Goldaper, Sam (June 22, 1988). "N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Lakers Hold Off Pesky Pistons to Regain Their Title". The New York Times. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "Lakers Repeat as Champions in Tight Game". Los Angeles Times. June 22, 1988. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "1988 NBA Finals: Pistons vs. Lakers". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "1987–88 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
- ^ Berger, Jerry (May 3, 1988). "Boston Celtics Coach K.C. Jones Said Tuesday, He Will..." United Press International. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ "K. C. Jones to Retire as Coach". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 4, 1988. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ Cart, Julie (November 25, 1988). "A Celtic Crossroad: After 16 Years as an Assistant, Rodgers Lands Job He Wanted Most". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ Goldaper, Sam (June 24, 1988). "Miami Chooses "Who?" First". The New York Times. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ Edes, Gordon (June 24, 1988). "Billy Thompson Goes to Miami; Valentine Winds Up in Cleveland". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "1988 NBA Expansion Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 6, 2025.