The 2008-09 Boston Celtics began the season as the reigning NBA champions after their triumphant 2007-08 campaign. With a strong core of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, the Celtics were seen as a top contender to repeat their success. They finished the regular season with a 62-20 record, securing the second seed in the Eastern Conference, just behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.
During the regular season, the Celtics were dominant at home, posting a 35-6 record at TD Garden, and they were formidable on the road as well, going 27-14. Despite their impressive record, the season was marred by a significant injury to Kevin Garnett, who suffered a knee injury in February that would sideline him for the remainder of the season and playoffs. This injury proved critical to the team’s postseason performance.
In the playoffs, the Celtics faced the Chicago Bulls in a thrilling seven-game first-round series, which included multiple overtime contests and is often regarded as one of the most exciting series in NBA history. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they faced the Orlando Magic. Without Garnett, the Celtics struggled to contain the Magic’s offensive threats, ultimately losing the series in seven games. The absence of their defensive anchor, Garnett, was a major factor in their inability to defend their title.
- Regular Season Record: 62-20
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference First Round: 4-3, Eastern Conference Semifinals: 3-4
Boston Celtics Roster and Stats for 2008-09 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Paul Pierce | 81 | 20.5 | 5.6 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 39.1 | 14 | 21.0 | 5.8 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 33.3 |
| Ray Allen | 79 | 18.2 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 40.9 | 14 | 18.3 | 3.9 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 35.0 |
| Kevin Garnett | 57 | 15.8 | 8.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 25.0 | |||||||
| Rajon Rondo | 80 | 11.9 | 5.2 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 31.3 | 14 | 16.9 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 25.0 |
| Eddie House | 81 | 8.5 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 44.4 | 14 | 7.7 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 48.6 |
| Kendrick Perkins | 76 | 8.5 | 8.1 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 11.9 | 11.6 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 0.0 |
| Tony Allen | 46 | 7.8 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 22.2 | 10 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Leon Powe | 70 | 7.7 | 4.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Glen Davis | 76 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 40.0 | 14 | 15.8 | 5.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Mikki Moore | 24 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 10 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Stephon Marbury | 23 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 24.0 | 14 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 25.0 |
| Brian Scalabrine | 39 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 39.3 | 12 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 44.8 |
| Henry Walker | 29 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Gabe Pruitt | 47 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 29.2 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Patrick O'Bryant | 26 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| J.R. Giddens | 6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Boston Celtics in the 2009 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Chicago Bulls
In the 2009 NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics faced a grueling first-round battle against the Chicago Bulls, where the series became one of the most memorable in playoff history. Featuring seven games, including four that went into overtime, the series showcased epic performances from stars like Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, with Allen's 51-point explosion in Game 6 standing out. Ultimately, the defending champion Celtics emerged victorious in Game 7, advancing to the next round despite the absence of their injured star, Kevin Garnett.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 2009 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 105-103 | |
| Apr 20, 2009 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 118-115 | |
| Apr 23, 2009 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 107-86 | |
| Apr 26, 2009 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 121-118 | |
| Apr 28, 2009 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 106-104 | |
| Apr 30, 2009 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 128-127 | |
| May 02, 2009 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 109-99 |
Playoffs Second Round vs. Orlando Magic
In the 2009 NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics faced the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Despite a valiant effort and the leadership of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, the Celtics struggled without injured star Kevin Garnett and ultimately fell to the Magic in a hard-fought seven-game series. The series highlighted both the Celtics' resilience and the impact of Garnett's absence on their defensive prowess.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 04, 2009 | vs. Orlando Magic | L 95-90 | |
| May 06, 2009 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 112-94 | |
| May 08, 2009 | @ Orlando Magic | L 117-96 | |
| May 10, 2009 | @ Orlando Magic | W 95-94 | |
| May 12, 2009 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 92-88 | |
| May 14, 2009 | @ Orlando Magic | L 83-75 | |
| May 17, 2009 | vs. Orlando Magic | L 101-82 |
Boston Celtics 2008-09 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2008-09 season for the Boston Celtics.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2008 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 90-85 | |
| Oct 31, 2008 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 96-80 | |
| Nov 01, 2008 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 95-79 | |
| Nov 04, 2008 | @ Houston Rockets | W 103-99 | |
| Nov 05, 2008 | @ Oklahoma City Thunder | W 96-83 | |
| Nov 07, 2008 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 101-89 | |
| Nov 09, 2008 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 88-76 | |
| Nov 10, 2008 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 94-87 | |
| Nov 12, 2008 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 103-102 | |
| Nov 14, 2008 | vs. Denver Nuggets | L 94-85 | |
| Nov 15, 2008 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 102-97 | |
| Nov 18, 2008 | vs. New York Knicks | W 110-101 | |
| Nov 20, 2008 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 98-80 | |
| Nov 21, 2008 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 95-78 | |
| Nov 23, 2008 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 118-103 | |
| Nov 26, 2008 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 119-111 | |
| Nov 28, 2008 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 102-78 | |
| Nov 29, 2008 | @ Charlotte Bobcats | W 89-84 | |
| Dec 01, 2008 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 107-88 | |
| Dec 03, 2008 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 114-96 | |
| Dec 05, 2008 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 93-78 | |
| Dec 07, 2008 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 122-117 | |
| Dec 11, 2008 | @ Washington Wizards | W 122-88 | |
| Dec 12, 2008 | vs. New Orleans Hornets | W 94-82 | |
| Dec 15, 2008 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 100-91 | |
| Dec 17, 2008 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 88-85 | |
| Dec 19, 2008 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 126-108 | |
| Dec 21, 2008 | vs. New York Knicks | W 124-105 | |
| Dec 23, 2008 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 110-91 | |
| Dec 25, 2008 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 92-83 | |
| Dec 26, 2008 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 99-89 | |
| Dec 28, 2008 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 108-63 | |
| Dec 30, 2008 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 91-86 | |
| Jan 02, 2009 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 108-83 | |
| Jan 04, 2009 | @ New York Knicks | L 100-88 | |
| Jan 06, 2009 | @ Charlotte Bobcats | L 114-106 | |
| Jan 07, 2009 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 89-85 | |
| Jan 09, 2009 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 98-83 | |
| Jan 11, 2009 | @ Toronto Raptors | W 94-88 | |
| Jan 12, 2009 | vs. Toronto Raptors | W 115-109 | |
| Jan 14, 2009 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 118-86 | |
| Jan 17, 2009 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 105-85 | |
| Jan 19, 2009 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 104-87 | |
| Jan 21, 2009 | @ Miami Heat | W 98-83 | |
| Jan 22, 2009 | @ Orlando Magic | W 90-80 | |
| Jan 25, 2009 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 124-100 | |
| Jan 28, 2009 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 119-100 | |
| Jan 30, 2009 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 86-78 | |
| Feb 01, 2009 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 109-101 | |
| Feb 03, 2009 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 100-99 | |
| Feb 05, 2009 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 110-109 | |
| Feb 06, 2009 | @ New York Knicks | W 110-100 | |
| Feb 08, 2009 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 105-99 | |
| Feb 11, 2009 | @ New Orleans Hornets | W 89-77 | |
| Feb 12, 2009 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 99-92 | |
| Feb 19, 2009 | @ Utah Jazz | L 90-85 | |
| Feb 22, 2009 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 128-108 | |
| Feb 23, 2009 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 114-76 | |
| Feb 25, 2009 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 93-91 | |
| Feb 27, 2009 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 104-99 | |
| Mar 01, 2009 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 105-95 | |
| Mar 04, 2009 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 115-111 | |
| Mar 06, 2009 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 105-94 | |
| Mar 08, 2009 | vs. Orlando Magic | L 86-79 | |
| Mar 11, 2009 | @ Miami Heat | L 107-99 | |
| Mar 13, 2009 | vs. Memphis Grizzlies | W 102-92 | |
| Mar 15, 2009 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 86-77 | |
| Mar 17, 2009 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 127-121 | |
| Mar 18, 2009 | vs. Miami Heat | W 112-108 | |
| Mar 20, 2009 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 80-77 | |
| Mar 21, 2009 | @ Memphis Grizzlies | W 105-87 | |
| Mar 23, 2009 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 90-77 | |
| Mar 25, 2009 | @ Orlando Magic | L 84-82 | |
| Mar 27, 2009 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 99-93 | |
| Mar 29, 2009 | vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | W 103-84 | |
| Apr 01, 2009 | vs. Charlotte Bobcats | W 111-109 | |
| Apr 03, 2009 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 104-92 | |
| Apr 08, 2009 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 106-104 | |
| Apr 10, 2009 | vs. Miami Heat | W 105-98 | |
| Apr 12, 2009 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 107-76 | |
| Apr 14, 2009 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 100-98 | |
| Apr 15, 2009 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 115-107 |