BOSTON – The Celtics' 39-point margin in Tuesday night's championship clinching win is the largest in a decisive NBA finals game.
In fact, Boston now has four of the six biggest margins in games that clinched titles. The Lakers have the other two in championships won while they were in Minneapolis. The previous biggest winning margin in such games was 33 points by Boston on April 25, 1965, when it beat the Los Angeles Lakers 129-96.
On Tuesday night, the Celtics trounced the Lakers 131-92 to take the series 4-2.
Ray Allen set a record for most 3-pointers made in a finals series with 22. The previous mark of 17 was set by Dan Majerle with Phoenix in 1993 and matched by Derek Harper with New York in 1994. Allen's seven 3-pointers Tuesday night tied the finals record shared by Houston's Kenny Smith and Chicago's Scottie Pippen.
And Boston's 52 baskets from 3-point range erased the finals mark of 51 set by San Antonio in 2005.
The Celtics also put on a record-setting defensive performance Tuesday with 18 steals, eclipsing the single-game finals mark set by Golden State against Washington in 1975.
The Lakers put their own stamp on the record book, despite being crushed in the decisive game. League MVP Kobe Bryant's 16 steals in the series tied the mark held by some pretty special players — Julius Erving, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Dwyane Wade.
And Boston broke its own NBA record for most championships with 17. The Lakers are second with 14.
