Beat the Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA play-offs for a record 17th time. Revived by the off-season acquisition of experienced players Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics finished with a record of 66–16 and posted the best single-season turnaround in NBA history, improving by 42 wins from the previous season.
They finished first in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. Garnett was named Best Defensive Player of the Year and Danny Ainge was named Executive of the Year. Eventually they reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1986, beating the Lakers 4-2.
