Celtics savor most dramatic turnaround in NBA history

BOSTON — When the Boston Celtics built a new practice facility, they surrounded the court with their 16 NBA championship banners and left a blank space for No. 17.

The message was a bit too subtle for Doc Rivers.

The Celtics coach turned a spotlight on the empty spot on the wall at the beginning of this season so there would be no doubt about the team's goal.

"They can turn that thing off now," guard Ray Allen said early Wednesday morning, his left eye still red from the first-half face-raking and the postgame champagne spraying that accompanied Boston's title-clinching, 131-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Allen returned to the floor after getting poked in the eye and scored 26 points, including an NBA record-tying seven 3-pointers, Kevin Garnett had 26 points with 14 rebounds and finals MVP Paul Pierce scored 17 with 10 assists on Tuesday night as the Celtics smoked the Lakers like one of Red Auerbach's legendary victory cigars.

A year after winning just 24 games, then drawing bad luck in the draft lottery, the Celtics completed the most dramatic turnaround in NBA history with a Game 6 blowout that was equally impressive.

It was the 17th title for the league's most-decorated franchise, but it was the first for Pierce, Garnett and Allen; for Rivers, after nine full seasons as a coach and 13 as a player; and for the owners who named their group Banner 17 when they took over in 2002 and now have to consider whether they set their sights too low.

"If I changed it I would change it to Banner 20 to set the right tone," owner Wyc Grousbeck said in an e-mail. "But Red always said the first one was his favorite, and in honor of our first one we are going to stay with Banner 17."

Allen and Garnett did what Allen joked is sports champions' present-day version of "We're going to Disneyland." They appeared Wednesday on the "Late Show with David Letterman" where they reveled in their new title.

"How you feeling, champ?" Allen asked Garnett during their interview with Letterman.

"I feel good," Garnett replied. "How you feeling, champ?"

Said Allen, "Oh, I'm doing good."

It was also the first title for Celtics general manager Danny Ainge since hanging up his own sneakers.

"I just feel happy for the players," said Ainge, who won twice as a Celtics player in the 1980s. "They put so much time and hard work into it."

So did Ainge.