Kevin Garnett’s sweet 22-foot jumper was on display for this game. The Celtics were playing the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and the game was tied at 105 with 9.3 seconds left. The ball was in-bounded to Paul Pierce, who always takes the last shot. He drew the double team, then kicked it out to Garnett at the top of the key. KG hit the buzzer-beater to silence the crowd and win the game 107-105.
It was the first playoff round for the Boston Celtics’ Big Three. The No. 8 seed Atlanta Hawks pushed the Celtics to the edge and forced a Game 7. The Celtics needed to get that first round of their back to be able to continue to meet their championship goal. Garnett led the charge and recorded his fourth double-double of the series while scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in just 27 minutes of play. The Celtics killed the Hawks 99 to 65.
The Celtics found themselves down by double-digits throughout the whole game. Kevin Garnett led the defense which only gave up eight points in the fourth quarter. The Celtics came back and won a scrappy, hard-fought battle against the Orlando Magic as Garnett had 12 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and four blocks. His hustle and determination led the Celtics to victory. In the post-game interview, KG was ecstatic and amped up as he kept yelling into the microphone, rather hysterically, “It was bar fight, man!” It was a great example of the intensity Celtics fans greatly miss.
The Boston Celtics beat the Detroit Pistons in a back-and-forth game, 106-102 and were able pull ahead in the series 3-2. Kevin Garnett scored a remarkable 33 points with seven rebounds. He hit clutch shots, including a buzzer-beater banker-three to end the half, a monster put-back, in which he soured above the rim to grab an offensive rebound and slam it home, and he also hit free-throws to seal the victory.
The Celtics had finally reached the NBA Finals to play their rival, Los Angeles Lakers. All the “experts” but one picked the Lakers to win. The Celtics were the underdog for this one. Kevin Garnett made sure the Celtics started the series right by leading them to a 98 to 88 victory. KG silenced the critics as he led the team with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
The Celtics were down two games to none against the Miami Heat in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics were back home and desperate for a win with Garnett’s unique personality on display. As he went up for a shot under the basket, he was then fouled hard and crashed to the ground. He was lying on the floor in pain but rolled over and began to do push ups on his knuckles as the crowd cheered and laughed. KG would lead the team to a 101 to 91 win with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The Celtics were the clear underdogs as they faced LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics surprised people by dismantling the Cavs in six games. Kevin Garnett’s defense was remarkable, and he was no match for the Cavs on offense. In Game 6, he led the Celtics to a 94-85 win to clinch the Eastern Conference as Garnett scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
The series was tied at two, and the Celtics would be playing the Heat in Miami for Game 5. There was no way the Celtics could pull off a win in Miami. The Celtics were already counted out in this series, but Boston pulled off the improbable win and held off the Heat in the fourth quarter, 94 to 90, to take a 3-2 series lead. Kevin Garnett had a monster game with 26 points and 11 rebounds. In a post-game interview, he was animated about how everyone counted him out and how he proved the critics wrong.
It was Game 6 in the NBA Finals, and the Celtics were one win away from a championship. Kevin Garnett made sure the opportunity would not slip away. He came out on fire with passion and intensity to set the tone for the game. He scored 26 points with 14 rebounds and three steals. On one particular play, he hung in the air, palming the ball. He was fouled and released the ball as he fell to the ground. The shot banked in, and Garnett let out a long, intense yell as he lay on his back.
The Celtics went on to beat the Lakers 131 to 92 and win the 2008 NBA championship. In a post-game interview, Garnett broke down in tears as he let out a pro-longed yell into the camera, “Anything’s possible!” His emotion and passion was incredible. It was great to see him win his first championship, and the intensity he brought to the Celtics was unforgettable. Thank you, Kevin Garnett!
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