Memories galore in 2007-08 for Boston fans
Boston's best
Photos: Take a look back at some of Boston's best sports moments in the past year.
The Red Sox got things started by ending the Yankees' 11-year reign atop the American League East and winning the World Series for the second time in four years. The Patriots scored the most points in NFL history and became the first team to run the table in a 16-game regular season. And the Celtics executed the biggest single-season turnaround in NBA history, capping it off with their first championship in 22 years.
The 2007-08 Boston sports calendar year was so remarkable, in fact, that we've had to expand it to 14 months to include all the highlights.
April 5, 2007 — Red Sox fans get their first look at $103M acquisition Daisuke Matsuzaka as he makes his big-league debut in the rubber game of a three-game season-opening series in Kansas City. The result: 7IP, 6H, 1ER, 1BB, 10K and one very auspicious win for 2007.
2008 NBA Finals
 |
Tuesday's Game 6
Analysis
- Whitlock: A color-blind championship
- Kahn: Are Celtics a team for ages?
- Hill: Bad karma for Zen Master
- Kahn: Celtics win it with defense
- Kriegel: Celtics bring pride back
- Rosen: Boston at its best in finale
- Goodman: Kobe comes up short
Lakers-Celtics history
- Hill: Rivalry's 10 greatest moments
- Behrendt: Bird, Magic reminisce
- Hill: Ranking the Celtics-Lakers Finals
- Boeck: West revisits the rivalry
- Kahn: Gamesmanship marks rivalry
- Whatifsports.com: All-time teams series
Photos
Video
Also
April 29, 2007 — On the second day of the NFL draft the Patriots acquire Randy Moss for a 4th-round draft pick. The move is met with skepticism in New England that Moss, who has spent two seasons underachieving in Oakland, will be able to fit in with the team-first Patriots. Moss joins fellow offseason acquisitions Wes Welker and Donte' Stallworth in a revamped wide receiver corps.
May 22, 2007 — In what is seen as another cruel blow in the Celtics' two decades of bad luck, Boston fans learn they will not be cheering for Greg Oden or Kevin Durant for the next 15 years as the Celtics get the No. 5 pick in the draft lottery. The so-called "Ping-Pong Ball Massacre" begins a chain of events that will result in an NBA title.
June 28, 2007 — The Celtics acquire Ray Allen and the rights to the Sonics' second-round pick (Glen Davis) for Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and the rights to the No. 5 overall pick (Jeff Green). The move is met with curiosity in Boston as the Celtics now seem hopelessly conflicted about whether they are building for the future or trying to win now.
July 23, 2007 — In his first start since being diagnosed and treated for cancer, Red Sox lefty Jon Lester gets the win with six strong innings as Boston wins at Cleveland, 6-2, with Lester's parents in the stands.
July 31, 2007 — In a blockbuster trade executed between friends and former teammates Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale, the Celtics acquire 10-time All-Star Kevin Garnett in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and two first-round picks. This trade is not greeted with skepticism in Boston as it suddenly makes sense of the Ray Allen acquisition and makes Boston the instant favorite in the Eastern Conference.
September 1, 2007 — Red Sox rookie Clay Buchholz, 23, throws a no-hitter against the Orioles in his second Major League start. Buchholz, who struck out nine and walked three, is just the third pitcher since 1900 to pitch a no-no in his first or second big-league start.
September 9, 2007 — The Patriots blow out the Jets, 38-14, as Moss debuts with 183 receiving yards and a 51-yard TD. After the game, the Jets turn over evidence to the league that will result in a $500,000 fine for Bill Belichick, the forfeiture of the Pats' 2008 first-round pick and the introduction of "Spygate" to the sports lexicon.
September 28, 2007 — With Dice-K getting his 15th win, the Red Sox beat the Twins, 5-2, then watched the Yankees lose, 10-9, to the Orioles, officially ending New York's 11-year hammerlock on the American League East.
October 7, 2007 — Curt Schilling pitches seven scoreless innings and Ortiz and Ramirez go back-to-back off Jeff Weaver as the Red Sox roll 9-1 to complete the three-game ALDS sweep that also featured a complete-game shutout from Josh Beckett in Game 1 and a walk-off home run from Manny Ramirez in Game 2.
 |
| Needing a win over the Indians to keep their season alive, the Red Sox handed the ball to Josh Beckett in Game 5 of the ALCS and got the series back to Boston. (Greg Fiume / Getty Images) |
October 21, 2007 — With an 11-2 victory in Game 7, the Red Sox outscore the Indians, 30-5, over the final three games of the ALCS to complete an improbable comeback from a 3-games-to-1 deficit. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis combined to go 6-for-10 with five runs scored and seven RBI in the 1-2 spots in the order.
October 28, 2007 — Jonathan Papelbon strikes out pinch-hitter Seth Smith for a five-out save as the Red Sox win their second World Series in four seasons with a 4-3 victory. The win goes to Lester, less than one year after his final chemotherapy treatment.
November 2, 2007 — The Celtics open the regular season with a 103-83 blowout of the Wizards as Paul Pierce, Garnett and Allen combine for 67 points and K.G. grabs 20 rebounds.
November 4, 2007 — In a matchup of undefeated teams, the Patriots overcome a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Colts, 24-20, in Indy and improve to 9-0. Talk of 16-0 rises from a whisper to a roar.
November 12, 2007 — Pedroia wins the American League Rookie of the Year in a landslide.
December 3, 2007 — The Patriots' streak looks to be over in Baltimore before a fourth-down Ravens stop is waived off by an official who had heard a timeout called on the Baltimore sideline. After a key fourth-down defensive holding call, New England scores late and prevails, 27-24.
December 27, 2007 — Two days after Christmas, the Celtics match their '06-'07 win total as Pierce scores 37 in a road victory over the Sonics, improving Boston to 24-3.
December 29, 2007 — Keyed by the mother of all record-setting touchdown passes — Tom Brady's 50th TD toss and Moss' 23rd TD catch — the Patriots overcome a 12-point second-half deficit against the Giants in the Meadowlands to complete their 16-0 regular season.
 |
| Randy Moss' 23rd touchdown catch against the Giants in the final game of the 2007 regular season helped the Patriots clinch a perfect 16-0 mark. (Donald Miralle / Getty Images) |
January 12, 2008 — Tom Brady sets an accuracy record by going 26-for-28 for 266 yards and three touchdowns as the Patriots beat the Jaguars, 31-20, to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
January 20, 2008 — Laurence Maroney rambles for 122 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots overcome Brady's three interceptions to advance to the Super Bowl with a gritty 21-12 victory over the Chargers.
February 3, 2008 — Brady hits Moss for their final TD hookup of the season to give New England a 14-10 lead with 2:42 to play in the Super Bowl. But Eli Manning and David Tyree pull off the Greatest Play in Super Bowl History and Plaxico Burress scores the championship-winner with 35 seconds left, thwarting the Pats' run at perfection.
March 18, 2008 — The Celtics end the Rockets' 22-game winning streak by blowing them out by 20, 94-74, in Houston. Tracy McGrady is held to eight points in the loss on 4-of-11 shooting and would remark that the Celtics defense was the best he'd seen.
April 16, 2008 — With the Big Three all playing 17 minutes or less, Leon Powe came off the bench for 27 and 11 as the Celtics beat the Nets, 105-94, to complete the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA history, going from 24-58 to 66-16.
May 4, 2008 — Pushed to a seventh game in the opening round, the Celtics obliterate Atlanta, 99-65, as they hold the Hawks to 29-percent shooting. Kendrick Perkins has 10 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. In their four home wins over Atlanta, the Celtics win by an average margin of 25.3 points per game.
May 14, 2008 — Tied two games apiece against the Cavaliers, the Celtics trail by 14 in the second quarter of Game 5 when Rajon Rondo pulls them back from the brink. He feeds Garnett to cut the lead to 12 then hits consecutive 3-pointers — he's a career 23 percent shooter from deep — to trim the margin to six. Rondo finishes with 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting and 13 assists as Boston wins, 96-89.
May 18, 2008 — Paul Pierce and LeBron James engage in an epic Game 7 duel in Boston. James scores 45 on 14-of-29 shooting, while Pierce pours in 41 on 13-of-23 shooting. Pierce also hits 11 of 12 free throws, including the game clinchers as the Celtics advance to the conference finals.
May 19, 2008 — Jon Lester, 24, becomes the Red Sox's second under-25 pitcher in less than nine months to pitch a no-hitter, fanning nine and walking two in a 7-0 win over the Royals.
May 30, 2008 —Trailing 70-60 in the fourth quarter in Auburn Hills, the Celtics close out the game and the series against the Pistons with a 29-11 run as Pierce finishes with team-highs of 27 points and eight rebounds to reach the NBA Finals.
June 17, 2008 — In the biggest blowout in a clinching game in NBA history, the Celtics dismantle the Lakers, 131-92 to win the title. Garnett has 26 points and 14 rebounds. Allen scores 26 points, ties a Finals record with seven 3-pointers in one game and sets a Finals record with 22 treys in the series. Finals MVP Pierce finishes with 17 points and 10 assists. Rondo has 21 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals.
The Celtics held their parade on Thursday. The Red Sox are in first place. Now if only those Patriots could get it figured out, the fans in Boston could really celebrate.
advertisement
