On this day in Boston Celtics history, the team won their fifth NBA Championship, which was for the 1961-62 season. The banner came at the expense of their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in Game 7 of their series with the franchise at that time located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Boston won the critical game 110-107 in overtime with 30 points and 40 rebounds from legendary big man Bill Russell, part of an overall Finals series record of 189 total boards that still stands to this day. Iconic Celtics guard Sam Jones would add 27 points and 8 boards to the win as well.
Laker Frank Selvy missed a last-second shot that would have won the game for L.A., but it bounced off the rim, sending the game into the extra period that Boston would use to secure the victory.
Marcus Smart of the @celtics receives the 2021-2022 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award from Gary Payton! #KiaDPOY
He is the first guard to receive the award since Gary Payton in the 1995-96 season. pic.twitter.com/kunKEW6ujj
— NBA (@NBA) April 18, 2022
It is also the date that Marcus Smart won the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award, the first such nod to a backcourt player since Gary Payton Sr. won the award in 1996.
In a nice flourish by the league, the NBA had Payton hand the award to Smart in a surprise ceremony at Auerbach Center.
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