2006–07 Boston Celtics season

Key dates

The 2006–07 season for the Boston Celtics began with the 2006 NBA draft in New York City on June 28, followed by the start of free agency on July 1. Preseason action kicked off on October 10 with a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. On October 28, legendary figure Red Auerbach passed away at age 89 from a heart attack.

The regular season opened on November 1 with a loss to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. Paul Pierce suffered an injury during a December 20 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Tony Allen was injured in a January 10 loss to the Indiana Pacers, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Pierce returned from his injury on February 9 in a loss to the New Jersey Nets.

On February 14, the team snapped a franchise-record 18-game losing streak by beating the Milwaukee Bucks. Another tragic loss occurred on February 22, when Dennis Johnson died at 52 from a heart attack. The season ended on April 18 with a defeat to the Detroit Pistons.

Summary

The 2006–07 season began with tragedy when Celtics patriarch Red Auerbach passed away at 89 just before opening night. Boston then stumbled out of the gate, losing six of their first seven games and falling to a 5–13 record. A five-game winning streak in December offered hope, but that evaporated when All-Star Paul Pierce suffered a stress reaction in his left foot on December 20.

Without him, the team collapsed, winning only three of their next 42 contests. That stretch included a franchise-record 18-game losing streak from January 5 to February 14, dropping the Celtics to last place. During that skid, on January 10, Tony Allen tore both his ACL and MCL on an uncontested dunk, ending his season.

More sorrow followed on February 22 when Celtics legend Dennis Johnson, coaching Boston’s NBDL affiliate in Austin, died of a heart attack at age 52. Pierce returned in early February after seven weeks on the injured list, and the team briefly rallied, winning five of six games in late February and early March. On St. Patrick’s Day, Boston stunned the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 91–85 on the road, marking the Celtics’ first win against Tim Duncan—the player they missed out on in the 1997 draft lottery. But Pierce’s injuries lingered, and he sat out all of April.

The Celtics finished with a dreadful 24–58 record, the worst in the Eastern Conference and second-worst in the league, ahead of only the Memphis Grizzlies. Attention turned to the draft lottery, where Boston had strong odds for a top-two pick and the chance to select either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. But the lottery dealt one final blow: the Celtics landed the fifth overall selection, seemingly ensuring another long season ahead.