Seen this article this morning and thought i should post it, they also have the boxscores for each game and you can find it in this link.
Which is the greater franchise in NBA history, the Lakers or the Celtics? It's East Coast vs. West Coast; 16 championships vs. 14; Hollywood glamour vs. New England grit; victory cigars vs. Showtime; the Garden vs. the Forum; Magic vs. Bird; Russell vs. Wilt; Cousy vs. West; and now, Kobe vs. the Big Ticket, the Truth and Jesus (Shuttlesworth).
In an attempt to answer the debate, let's first phrase the question a little differently: What if a team of the greatest Lakers players of all-time faced a team of the greatest Celtics players of all-time?
We've simulated a seven-game series between the two teams 10,000 times. Just as they do this season, the Celtics get home-court advantage in the series due to the edge in championships.
The Rosters
We reached out to FOXSports.com NBA contributor Randy Hill to help us assemble the all-time Lakers and Celtics teams. Only stats that a player accumulated while with the Lakers are Celtics are used. We did our best to give adequate playing time to everyone, with preference given to starters and those who played more of their careers with the franchise.
Clearly, the Lakers are stacked in the paint with four definitive centers. They lack a true small forward and depth at power forward or at point guard behind Magic. Boston has a very strong starting five with some great role players and defensive specialists coming off the bench. Nationally, names like Tommy Heinsohn and Jo Jo White may not be as well known as Michael Cooper and Byron Scott, but they are well-rounded players who know exactly what to do to improve the team.
In fact, that is probably the biggest common factor among all of the great Celtics squads — that no player is ever really bigger than the team and everyone contributes. Disagree with the rosters? Build your own.
All-Time Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers:
Starters: Magic Johnson (PG), Jerry West (SG), Kobe Bryant (SF), Elgin Baylor (PF), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (C)
Bench: Gail Goodrich, Michael Cooper, Byron Scott, James Worthy, George Mikan, Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain
All-Time Boston Celtics:
Starters: Bob Cousy (PG), John Havlicek (SG), Larry Bird (SF), Kevin McHale (PF), Bill Russell (C)
Bench: Dennis Johnson, Jo Jo White, Sam Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, Kevin Garnett, Dave Cowens, Robert Parish
The Results
According to 10,000 simulations, the greatest franchise of all-time is the Boston Celtics. The Celtics won 61.5 percent of the series. Boston's stellar defense, passing and rebounding at every position leave them without an exploitable weakness. The most common series result is a Boston win in six games (eerily similar to the actual Finals preview).
What follows is an example series based on the most common result of those simulations. It includes box scores, play-by-play and stats for each game in the series. Click on the links after each brief summary to see the entire breakdown of the game.
Game 1
Celtics 108, Lakers 107: The first game in the Garden lives up to its billing and then some. Boston overcomes 13 blocks and 53.8 percent shooting by the Lakers to take Game 1 by just a point. Trailing by two with 11 seconds left in the game, Kevin McHale tosses it back out to Bob Cousy after being doubled on the block. Whether he's ever seen the line at his feet or not, Cousy nails a 3-point jumper from the right wing to put the Celtics ahead. On the final possession of the game, Bill Russell's defense keeps Kareem Abdul-Jabbar away from the hoop, forcing him into a 14-foot miss. John Havlicek leads the team with 26 points in a game the Celtics have no business winning.
Boxscore with play-by-play
Game 2
Celtics 99, Lakers 98: Another one-point nail-biter goes to the Celtics. This time it's well-deserved as Boston shoots 50 percent from the field and holds all Lakers players under 20 points. The Lakers' top scorer in the game, Elgin Baylor, actually has a chance to hit 20 points and win the game with four seconds remaining, but his 8-foot jumper goes awry. Abdul-Jabbar catches the errant shot and tries to throw it up off balance as time expires, but this putback is denied by McHale. Havlicek again leads the victors in scoring with 22 points. Sam Jones' 12 points in 13 minutes provide a great spark off of the bench for the Celtics, while Larry Bird earns Player of the Game honors with 17 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Boxscore with play-by-play
Game 3
Lakers 114, Celtics 110: The Lakers backcourt comes alive and the team shoots 57.1 percent from the field and 91.7 percent from the line as L.A. takes the first game played at the Great Western Forum. After two more balanced and defensively oriented games, the scoring stars come out in Game 3. Larry Bird leads five 20-plus point scorers with 30. Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson top the Lakers with 24 and 21 points, respectively. The duo combines to shoot an astounding 18-for-25 against a great Celtics defense. The win and offensive output breathes life in this ultimate version of Showtime.
Boxscore with play-by-play
Game 4
Lakers 116, Celtics 112: And just like that, the series is even. Apparently, Boston is only capable of winning by one, while L.A. can only win by four. Six players from both teams score in double figures as Red Auerbach and Pat Riley keep tinkering with the matchups to find something that works against such great players. James Worthy only plays 11 minutes for the Lakers, but his performance may be the most notable of the night. In those 11 minutes, Worthy shoots 7-of-10 for 14 points. Only Jerry West with 18 ends the game with more for L.A. Also notable are Bill Russell's 22 rebounds in the loss. The Celtics do not shoot as well as the Lakers, yet keep it close with 19 second-chance opportunities against the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan and Abdul-Jabbar.
Boxscore with play-by-play
Game 5
Celtics 110, Lakers 106: "Havlicek steals the ball ... twice!" John Havlicek comes up with two huge steals in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for Boston. The last steal comes with 2:14 remaining with the score tied and Jerry West looking to put L.A ahead since midway through the third quarter. Havlicek takes "Mr. Clutch's" dribble and leads a break that ends in Magic fouling Cousy for two go-ahead free throws. The game that Boston really needed before it headed back home is also Cousy's best game of the series. Mostly quiet for the first four games — outside of a game-winning 3 — the basketball pioneer and innovator scores 23 points to go with six assists and three rebounds. He hits seven straight free throws in the last 12:55 of the game. Who is Mr. Clutch?
Boxscore with play-by-play
Game 6
Celtics 99, Lakers 92: The defensive superiority and depth of the Celtics really shines in this decisive game. All 12 players score for Boston, with Cousy leading the way with 18 points. Eight Celtics grab four rebounds or more, including 10 from the shooting guard Havlicek and nine from Bill Russell. Russell, who only averages 11.2 points a game for the series, has anchored the defense with 14.2 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per contest — including six in Game 6.
Bird narrowly edges Havlicek and Russell for series MVP honors. Does that mean he is the greatest Celtic of all-time and better than Magic, Wilt, Kobe, West, Kareem, etc.? I'm not sure. But 18.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game (37.7 minutes played) on this team and against this competition is very good. Havlicek puts up 18.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 36.8 minutes a game for the series. Previously mentioned role players Heinsohn and White combine for 11.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 steals in just 24.5 minutes a game.
In an attempt to answer the debate, let's first phrase the question a little differently: What if a team of the greatest Lakers players of all-time faced a team of the greatest Celtics players of all-time?
We've simulated a seven-game series between the two teams 10,000 times. Just as they do this season, the Celtics get home-court advantage in the series due to the edge in championships.
The Rosters
We reached out to FOXSports.com NBA contributor Randy Hill to help us assemble the all-time Lakers and Celtics teams. Only stats that a player accumulated while with the Lakers are Celtics are used. We did our best to give adequate playing time to everyone, with preference given to starters and those who played more of their careers with the franchise.
Clearly, the Lakers are stacked in the paint with four definitive centers. They lack a true small forward and depth at power forward or at point guard behind Magic. Boston has a very strong starting five with some great role players and defensive specialists coming off the bench. Nationally, names like Tommy Heinsohn and Jo Jo White may not be as well known as Michael Cooper and Byron Scott, but they are well-rounded players who know exactly what to do to improve the team.
In fact, that is probably the biggest common factor among all of the great Celtics squads — that no player is ever really bigger than the team and everyone contributes. Disagree with the rosters? Build your own.
All-Time Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers:
Starters: Magic Johnson (PG), Jerry West (SG), Kobe Bryant (SF), Elgin Baylor (PF), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (C)
Bench: Gail Goodrich, Michael Cooper, Byron Scott, James Worthy, George Mikan, Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain
All-Time Boston Celtics:
Starters: Bob Cousy (PG), John Havlicek (SG), Larry Bird (SF), Kevin McHale (PF), Bill Russell (C)
Bench: Dennis Johnson, Jo Jo White, Sam Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, Kevin Garnett, Dave Cowens, Robert Parish
The Results
According to 10,000 simulations, the greatest franchise of all-time is the Boston Celtics. The Celtics won 61.5 percent of the series. Boston's stellar defense, passing and rebounding at every position leave them without an exploitable weakness. The most common series result is a Boston win in six games (eerily similar to the actual Finals preview).
What follows is an example series based on the most common result of those simulations. It includes box scores, play-by-play and stats for each game in the series. Click on the links after each brief summary to see the entire breakdown of the game.
Game 1
Celtics 108, Lakers 107: The first game in the Garden lives up to its billing and then some. Boston overcomes 13 blocks and 53.8 percent shooting by the Lakers to take Game 1 by just a point. Trailing by two with 11 seconds left in the game, Kevin McHale tosses it back out to Bob Cousy after being doubled on the block. Whether he's ever seen the line at his feet or not, Cousy nails a 3-point jumper from the right wing to put the Celtics ahead. On the final possession of the game, Bill Russell's defense keeps Kareem Abdul-Jabbar away from the hoop, forcing him into a 14-foot miss. John Havlicek leads the team with 26 points in a game the Celtics have no business winning.
Boxscore with play-by-play
Game 2
Celtics 99, Lakers 98: Another one-point nail-biter goes to the Celtics. This time it's well-deserved as Boston shoots 50 percent from the field and holds all Lakers players under 20 points. The Lakers' top scorer in the game, Elgin Baylor, actually has a chance to hit 20 points and win the game with four seconds remaining, but his 8-foot jumper goes awry. Abdul-Jabbar catches the errant shot and tries to throw it up off balance as time expires, but this putback is denied by McHale. Havlicek again leads the victors in scoring with 22 points. Sam Jones' 12 points in 13 minutes provide a great spark off of the bench for the Celtics, while Larry Bird earns Player of the Game honors with 17 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Boxscore with play-by-play
Game 3
Lakers 114, Celtics 110: The Lakers backcourt comes alive and the team shoots 57.1 percent from the field and 91.7 percent from the line as L.A. takes the first game played at the Great Western Forum. After two more balanced and defensively oriented games, the scoring stars come out in Game 3. Larry Bird leads five 20-plus point scorers with 30. Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson top the Lakers with 24 and 21 points, respectively. The duo combines to shoot an astounding 18-for-25 against a great Celtics defense. The win and offensive output breathes life in this ultimate version of Showtime.
Boxscore with play-by-play
Game 4
Lakers 116, Celtics 112: And just like that, the series is even. Apparently, Boston is only capable of winning by one, while L.A. can only win by four. Six players from both teams score in double figures as Red Auerbach and Pat Riley keep tinkering with the matchups to find something that works against such great players. James Worthy only plays 11 minutes for the Lakers, but his performance may be the most notable of the night. In those 11 minutes, Worthy shoots 7-of-10 for 14 points. Only Jerry West with 18 ends the game with more for L.A. Also notable are Bill Russell's 22 rebounds in the loss. The Celtics do not shoot as well as the Lakers, yet keep it close with 19 second-chance opportunities against the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan and Abdul-Jabbar.
Boxscore with play-by-play
Game 5
Celtics 110, Lakers 106: "Havlicek steals the ball ... twice!" John Havlicek comes up with two huge steals in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for Boston. The last steal comes with 2:14 remaining with the score tied and Jerry West looking to put L.A ahead since midway through the third quarter. Havlicek takes "Mr. Clutch's" dribble and leads a break that ends in Magic fouling Cousy for two go-ahead free throws. The game that Boston really needed before it headed back home is also Cousy's best game of the series. Mostly quiet for the first four games — outside of a game-winning 3 — the basketball pioneer and innovator scores 23 points to go with six assists and three rebounds. He hits seven straight free throws in the last 12:55 of the game. Who is Mr. Clutch?
Boxscore with play-by-play
Game 6
Celtics 99, Lakers 92: The defensive superiority and depth of the Celtics really shines in this decisive game. All 12 players score for Boston, with Cousy leading the way with 18 points. Eight Celtics grab four rebounds or more, including 10 from the shooting guard Havlicek and nine from Bill Russell. Russell, who only averages 11.2 points a game for the series, has anchored the defense with 14.2 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per contest — including six in Game 6.
Bird narrowly edges Havlicek and Russell for series MVP honors. Does that mean he is the greatest Celtic of all-time and better than Magic, Wilt, Kobe, West, Kareem, etc.? I'm not sure. But 18.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game (37.7 minutes played) on this team and against this competition is very good. Havlicek puts up 18.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 36.8 minutes a game for the series. Previously mentioned role players Heinsohn and White combine for 11.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 steals in just 24.5 minutes a game.
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