LAWRENCE, Mass. — Mike Dowd had been waiting close to a lifetime to see this.
The 26-year-old Methuen, Mass., bartender knew this was the year, but he couldn't believe the score — a 39-point lead over a team that many said was unstoppable.
"I've been waiting for this. Forget the Red Sox, the Patriots. This is my team," Dowd said, before jumping up and down and pumping his fist. "When they lost Sunday, I knew the crowd would carry them through, but this?"
Close to 400 fans piled into the Claddagh Pub Tuesday night to watch the Boston Celtics trounce the Los Angeles Lakers in game 6 for the franchise's 17th National Basketball Association championship.
Many of the fans had tried getting tickets to attend the game at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston. Instead, they watched the game at the only local bar with a shamrock painted on its doorstep.
Within the first hour, the announcers were commenting on how Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the league's most valuable player, had not scored for 15 minutes and the Celtics were leading by 21 at the half. At first, the fans kept their composure, knowing how easily a 20-point lead could be cut down to a simple jump shot in a matter of minutes.
"We're doing good, but we can't jinx it, ya know," Devon Thompson of Lawrence said halfway through the third quarter. "Look what happened to the Pats."
But by the fourth quarter, the fans were glued to the television sets, knowing they were witnessing Boston sports history.
"Me and my brother are half season-ticket holders. I've had them for nine years, through all their losses," Dan Lang of Methuen said during a commercial break. "I've stuck with these guys."
The Celtics last won a championship in 1986 against the Houston Rockets in the original Boston Garden. They lost to the Lakers in the 1987 NBA finals and never made it to the championship again, until now.
"We knew a day like this would come," Lang said. "We treated it like stock. We knew it would be valuable someday. ... But this is unbelievable."
As the minutes ticked down and then the seconds, people started celebrating early, oohing and ahhing at every rebound and shot.
When Kevin Garnett looked like he was laughing at one point — during a 36-point lead — everyone in the bar rose to their feet and started screaming.
One person yelled out, "Was there ever any doubt?" which just made people scream harder, before singing, "Hey, hey, hey. Good-bye."
Dawn Taylor of Methuen downed green shots with her friends as they watched the confetti drop from inside the Garden.
Taylor, who had been at Game 2, wore her shamrock necklace, a throwback from St. Patrick's Day, and even had her nails painted in yellow and green with tiny shamrocks in the middle.
"It's so amazing. We went from the worst to the best," she said, doling out high fives and bear hugs to anyone close to her. "I want to cry right now. I really do. Paul Pierce deserves this so much."
Joe Downing of Haverhill sat with his son, Jeff Downing, 24, and a friend as they watched the final minutes of the game.
Downing said it was neat to watch with both the "old-timers" and the new fans who had never seen the Celtics reach the NBA finals. He was also happy they won it in Boston.
"I watched Larry Bird, (Kevin) McHale, (Robert) Parish. This is just as sweet," he said, before patting his son on the back, laughing. "He was just in diapers when they won the last time. He doesn't understand."
Crystal Bozek writes for The Eable-Tribune in North Andover, Mass.
CNHI News Service
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