Counting to 10

Celtics Insider, the official magazine of the Boston Celtics, and celtics.com now present to you 10 seminal moments from the 2001-02 season. But we don’t expect you to agree with every one of our selections. Should the comeback win at Memphis have made the list? How about the win over the Lakers in Beantown? Eric Williams’ game-winning trey and subsequent steal against the Knicks at home in January is bound to make some lists. Is there one game or one play that we might have missed which had a profound effect on the Celtics first run to the playoffs in seven years? Let us know what you think!

E-mail your choices to Celtics.com and we will post your comments within the coming days.

JANUARY 27 & 30, 2002: BACK ON THE MAP

(Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images) All-Star Game Highlights: 56k | 300k It was on these dates that the Celtics’ resurgence was somewhat legitimized by the fans, as well as the NBA. A year after both Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce failed to make the Eastern Conference All-Star squad despite impressive statistical outputs, Walker was selected by the fans to make his first start in the mid-season classic, while Pierce was chosen as a reserve for the East team on the latter date. It was the first time a Celtic had made an appearance in the All-Star game since Walker first did it 1998, and the first time two members of the Green played in the game since 1992. "We can have as many players contribute to this team as you could imagine,” said Eric Williams at one point during the season. “But everyone has to remember that everything on the Celtics starts with the two All-Stars, Antoine and Paul.”

DECEMBER 2, 2001: TEAM TURNAROUND

(Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images) Game Highlights: 56k | 300k In past years, the chances of the Celtics winning both ends of back-to-back road games -- especially when the first one went into OT -- were slim. But this game marked the start of a trend in which the Celtics proved they could find a way to win any ball game. It wasn¹t glamorous, but these are the types of wins that help make for the Celtics best season on the road in a decade. The odds were certainly stacked against the Green on this day. Toronto was five games over .500 at the time, had Vince Carter in the midst of a scoring tear and had to like their chances on a Sunday afternoon at home. But the Celtics got a big game from their bench and clamped down on the Raptors in the fourth period -- holding them to a franchise-low 9 points. On a day after a single player provided all the offense that was needed (see December 1), the entire team dug down deep on defense to steal this win.

NOVEMBER 1, 2002: DEFENSIVE STANCE

(Noren Trotman /NBAE/Getty Images) Throughout training camp, the coaches preached that the only way the Celtics could improve was through better defense. Dick Harter’s addition to the staff helped, as did Walker's and Pierce's commitments to "D." But when the team signed Erick Strickland, they added the pit-bull terrier mentality to the defensive end of the floor -- one that has since been adopted by his teammates. He is now called the Celtics' best on-the-ball defender and represents the Celtics' new dedication to defense.

DECEMBER 1, 2002: GETTING "JORDAN-LIKE" IN THE SWAMP

(Ray Amati /NBAE/Getty Images) Game Highlights: 56k | 300k For those who didn't follow the Celtics in years past, it’s important to know that the organization built much of its tradition on team play. But that doesn’t mean it didn't have its great individual performances. Add this one to that list. On this warm Saturday afternoon in New Jersey, Pierce recovered from a 1-for-16 first half to score 46 points in the second half and in overtime in a win over the Eastern Conference champs. “That was past Bird-like,” said Cedric Maxwell, who called the contest on radio. "After a while, I didn¹t have anything left to say. It was really more like Jordan-like. It was like he was out the playing with some kindergartners.” That was one of the first games that Pierce used to make his mark on the league. He finished the season as the NBA's No. 1 fourth quarter point producer.

DECEMBER 11, 2002: BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG SHOT

Walker's Game-Tying Shot: 3,074k avi | QuickTime This game was one of the first of many in which the Celtics not only showed survival skills on the road, but also skills that helped them overcome fourth quarter deficits. Trailing by nine at the start of the final period at Madison Square Garden, the Celtics came roaring back. And just when it seemed that their late rally would fall short (and a 49-point effort by Latrell Sprewell too much to overcome), Walker drained a three-pointer with 3.6 seconds left to send the game to overtime. The shot was big on several levels. It defied history (the Celtics had won just once in MSG in their last 16 tries), whipped his teammates into a frenzy that would carry them to six wins in their next seven games and shook the foundation of the Eastern Conference. But above all, the co-captain used the shot to make a bold statement: We may be down, but we are never, ever out.

NOVEMBER 14, 2001: THE TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGIN'

Pierce Dunk: 835k avi | QuickTime In 2000-01, the Celtics' run at a playoff spot was derailed when they couldn¹t beat the Pacers in two key head-to-head games in the final 30 days of the season. On this night, Walker had one of his finest performances of the season in this statement contest -- scoring 24 points, grabbing 18 boards and dishing nine assists, while Pierce scored 31. But the key to the game was the Celtics making good decisions down the stretch. In previous years, the Green were not outworked, but often outsmarted in the waning moments of the game. This year, the Celtics proved to the Pacers, as well as themselves, that times had changed.

NOVEMBER 27, 2001: 1,000 POINTS OF LIGHT

Pierce's Game-Winner: 1,731k avi | QuickTime It's funny what just one basket can do. But when people look back on the 2001-02 season, Pierce's game-winning hoop on this night should have counted for 1,000 points rather than just two. Seconds away from the first five-game slide of the Jim O’Brien era and from falling two games below the .500 mark, Pierce made a basket that arguably changed the course of the Celtics season. The co-captain swooped past Eddie Jones and over Alonzo Mourning for a bucket at the buzzer which tipped off a six-game winning streak. From that point on, they never looked back.

FEBRUARY 19, 2002: SHAQ, ATTACKED

Walker's Game-Winner: 1,330k avi | QuickTime Admit it. You fell asleep. It was a weeknight ... a 10:30 p.m. tip-off ... all the makings of a “honey, I am going to bed” game. Even those who only lasted into the third quarter did not witness the key plays that gave the Celtics the biggest road win of the O’Brien era. Trailing the two-time World Champion Lakers by 14 points with seven minutes to go, the Celtics made a furious run down the stretch, capped by Captain Comeback himself. It was déjà vu (see December 11) -- this time in the City of Angels. Walker hit a three with 1.2 seconds left that eventually gave the Celtics a 109-108 win. “This was a whole team effort,” said Kenny Anderson. “They are the World Champs, and we have a lot of respect for them. But we went out and played extremely hard, and we didn't give up. That shows you a lot about this team.”

FEBRUARY 20, 2002: TRADING PLACES

(Jesse D Garrabrant /Joe Murphy/NBAE/ Getty Images) The Celtics were mid-way through the dreaded West coast swing, and still had conference leaders New Jersey within their sights. And so from this day forth let this day officially be known as the day Boston went from young team to playoff-caliber team. By sending promising rookie Joe Johnson, as well as two popular members of the team in Milt Palacio and Randy Brown, the Celtics admitted they viewed themselves as contenders in a wide-open Eastern Conference race. Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk were brought to Boston for one reason -- to strengthen the team for the stretch run.

MARCH 4, 2002: COME TOGETHER...RIGHT NOW

Game Highlights: 56k | 300k Less than two weeks after the trade, it began to appear that tinkering with the club’s chemistry might not have been a good thing. The C's looked out-of-synch and out-of-touch with one another. The minutes that were once dispersed among three players at the off-guard/small forward position were now divvied up between five. But this game had all the overtones of the situation earlier in the season at Miami: Boston arrived in Philly having lost four straight and was heading into a building in which it has had very little success. That night, all the old elements came together with the new ones. Pierce and Walker were clutch down the stretch; Rogers and Delk made their first significant contributions to the team on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor; and the Celtics clamped down on Allen Iverson down the stretch. A potential season-long losing streak turned into the first game of a seven-game winningg streak -- the team's longest in seven years.

Compiled by Reagan Berube