Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns

Lore & Background

The 1976 NBA Finals is the only championship series between these two teams. The Celtics' victory gave them their 13th title at the time. No other Finals meeting has occurred between the franchises.

In Their Own Story

The air in the arena was thick with humidity and anticipation. On one side, the green sea of Boston roared, a sound built on decades of tradition; on the other, the desert heat seemed to radiate from the Suns' orange-clad faithful. The ball snapped against the hardwood, echoing like a gunshot. A Celtics defender drove hard into the paint, colliding with a Suns center who refused to yield an inch. The whistle blew, but the tension did not break. It was another chapter in a story written in overtime and heartbreak, where every possession felt like a war for supremacy between two franchises that understood the weight of history better than any other.

Reader's Guide

The Celtics and Suns have not faced each other in the NBA Finals since 1976. The series record is Boston leads 1–0.

Did You Know?

• The only NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Suns was in 1976.
• The Celtics won the 1976 Finals 4–2.
• Larry Bird never played against the Suns in the NBA Finals.
• Charles Barkley never faced the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
• Steve Nash never faced the Celtics in the NBA Finals.