CelticsBlog roundtable: Favorite memories of 2018

‘Tis the season to be nostalgic and reflective. Here are some of the staff’s favorite memories from the past year.

Andrew Doxy

I caught my first Celtics game at the TD Garden in 2018 which was a huge moment for me. In addition to it being my first game, it was also my first playoff game (2018 ECF G5), and the atmosphere was electric. Everything from the fake Larry Nance fight to Gino Time at the end all was a part of a experience I’ll never forget. Although that ended up being the last win of the season, the feeling of “we’re one win away from the NBA Finals” was a good one to carry around for a couple of days. Hopefully we seal the deal this time around. As sentimental as my answer was, if the game against Houston where Marcus Smart drew back-to-back charges on James Harden was eligible, that would have been my pick. That game was THAT special even from the comfort of my couch. (edited)

Chris Grenham

Jayson Tatum dunking on LeBron James in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals was pretty remarkable. Less than two minutes into the 2017-18 season, Tatum was welcomed into the NBA by getting a layup stuffed by James. Fast forward seven months, and Tatum has the confidence to not only be the Celtics’ go-to scorer in the postseason, but also posterize the best player in the world. It really showed how far he had come in just one season, and sticks out to me as much as any moment from the 2018 calendar year.

Sam Sheehan

The Confetti Game. There was a such an attitude of existential dread after Kyrie went down and it effectively signaled that the season was over going into the playoffs. National media wondered if teams would tank to get the #7 seed so they could play the Celtics in the first round. In contrast, the Sixers were the hottest team in the NBA and the darlings to go the Finals when the Cavaliers were on the ropes against the Pacers. The Confetti Game was just such a passing of demons from one team to another and if the Celtics (and their fans) a real psychic edge for any future playoff series. It felt like a real turning point in the Celtics postseason as well.

Jeff Clark

I think it would be cheating if I just said “the whole playoff run” so I’m going to pick the “Drew Bledsoe” beef between Terry Rozier and Eric Bledsoe. That one started out innocently enough, then escalated quickly when Eric got hyper-sensitive about it (to hype himself up perhaps?). In the end Terry had the last laugh though. Or perhaps it was Drew Bledsoe that laughed the longest. I wonder if he’s really working on a Terry Rosé for his winery.