On this day in Boston Celtics history, the NBA would cancel a game between the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers a day after the Boston Marathon terrorist attacks that occurred in 2013. The move was made out of respect for the victims of the bombing after an initial postponement, and the game was ultimately not rescheduled.
The cancellations did not impact the postseason, as seeds that could have otherwise been impacted were already locked into their position, marking the most recent season the NBA has had an odd number of regular-season games as a result, with 1,229 games played.
An NHL game between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators was also canceled on the day of the Marathon bombings which was also to be held at TD Garden.
Apr 17, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Celtics power forward Jeff Green (8) heads up the court and is wearing a black band on his jersey along with all the other members of the team in honor of the victims of the bombing at the Boston Marathon in play during the game against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
It is also the date in 2008 that the Celtics finished their season with 66 wins and 16 losses just one season after going 24-58.
It would be good for the record of the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA history.
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The win came in a 105-94 victory over the then-New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets, and Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen mostly rested, letting reserve forward Leon Powe score 27 points to lead the team, and reserve guard Tony Allen added 18.
“I’m glad we finished off the season on a winning note despite me, Kevin, and Ray not playing our normal minutes,” Pierce said via ESPN. “We’ll enjoy it tonight. But we’re a team on a mission starting tomorrow.”
Today is the birthday of former Celtics owner Ellis E. “Woody” Erdman, born this day in 1926 in Ashland Pennsylvania.
Erdman’s Trans-National Communications holding company bought the team in 1969 for a then-record $6 million and attempted to use the franchise to help cover the losses of other bad investments.
This damaged the team’s reputation financially to team president Red Auerbach’s disgust, but Trans-National Communications would go bankrupt in 1971, bringing in new ownership as a result.
Finally, it is also the day we lost Celtics wing Ron Bonham in 2016. The Cincinnati product was drafted by Boston in 1964, playing 76 games over two seasons with the team in a reserve role.
He’d win two titles with the Celtics in 1965 and 1966, averaging 6.3 points and 1.5 boards per game — rest in peace.
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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire
