NBA Play off : The Boston Celtics vs The Miami Heat on May 28 2012

The Boston Celtics also known as the "Celts" are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which they share with the Boston Bruins of the NHL. The Celtics' 17 NBA Championships are the most for any NBA franchise,with their Western Conference rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, following with 16 NBA Titles. From 1957 to 1969, the Celtics dominated the league winning 11 championships in 13 years, and eight in a row (1959–1966), the longest consecutive streak of any North American pro sports team.

The Celtics dominated the league during the late 1950s and through the mid 1980s, with the help of many Hall of Famers which include Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Larry Bird and legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach, combined for a 795–397 record that helped the Celtics win 16 Championships. Before the retirement of the “Big Three”, who included Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, thanks to some creative maneuvering by Auerbach, the Celtics had drafted second overall pick Len Bias but the team fell into decline as the college star died two days after he was drafted. Later, the team suffered another tragedy when their star player Reggie Lewis died of a heart attack in his prime.

The franchise returned to prominence during the 2007–2008 season when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce as the new "Big Three," leading the team to its 17th championship in 2008 and an Eastern Conference title in 2010. The Celtics have met the Lakers a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, including their most recent appearances in 2008 and 2010, with the Celtics winning nine and Lakers winning three. Later in 2010, the team made a remarkable comeback with point guard Rajon Rondo developing into a perennial all-star and having an outstanding performance throughout the season, bringing Celtics to higher record. Four Celtics (Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Larry Bird) have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for an NBA record total of 10 MVP awards.Their mascot 'Lucky the Leprechaun' is an ode to the team's Irish heritage, as well as an ode to the large Irish-American population in Boston.

The Boston Celtics vs The Miami Heat

Monday, May 28

8:30 PM

AmericanAirlines Arena

601 Biscayne Blvd.

Miami, FL 33132

The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami. The team is owned by Micky Arison, coached by Erik Spoelstra and managed by Pat Riley. The mascot of the team is Burnie, an anthropomorphic fireball.The Heat were formed in 1988 as an expansion franchise. The Heat along with the Orlando Magic are the two NBA franchises that represent the state of Florida. Since entering the league, Miami has fielded squads that have made the playoffs 16 out of 24 seasons, capturing nine division titles, two Eastern Conference Championships in five appearances, and one NBA Championship, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4–2 in the 2006 NBA Finals. According to Forbes Magazine, in 2010 the value of the franchise was about $425 million.