2008–09 Boston Celtics season
The 2008–09 Boston Celtics season was the 63rd season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They started the season as the defending NBA champions, where they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, winning their seventeenth NBA championship, as well as marking their ninth series victory over the Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Celtics started the season 27–2, which surpassed a mark set by the 1966–67 Philadelphia 76ers for the best two-loss start in NBA history. This run also included a 19-game winning streak, which improved a Celtics franchise record set in 1981–82. However, the Celtics lost seven out of the following nine games, and eventually finished with a 62–20 record. The Celtics had the fifth best team offensive rating in the NBA.
| 2008–09 Boston Celtics season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Doc Rivers |
| General manager | Danny Ainge |
| President | Danny Ainge |
| Owners | Boston Basketball Partners L.L.C. |
| Arena | TD Banknorth Garden |
| Results | |
| Record | 62–20 (.756) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Atlantic) Conference: 2nd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Conference Semifinals (lost to Magic 3–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | CSN New England |
| Radio | WEEI |
The team's star power forward Kevin Garnett suffered a season-ending injury in February. Despite not having Garnett, they defeated the Chicago Bulls in the first round in seven games, However, they lost to the Orlando Magic in the conference semifinals in seven games, eliminating them from the playoffs. The Magic would go on to the NBA Finals, their second NBA Finals appearance, only to lose to last year's Finals runner-up, the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
Until 2024, this was the last time that the Celtics won 60 or more games.