Which players have played best against the Celtics all-time?

Celtics followers can’t cease naming the obscure gamers who torched their crew out of nowhere (even when it solely occurred as soon as). OG Anunoby’s game-winner within the bubble popped into my head the opposite day. It seems, he’s scored the fewest factors per recreation in his profession in opposition to the Celtics.

However that one shot.

It’s an everlasting Boston expertise and one which even persevered into some of the dominant championship seasons in franchise historical past. Within the Japanese Convention Finals, Andrew Nembhard and TJ McConnell made their unlikely bids to affix the All-Celtics Killer crew.

“A few of these guys became f***ing Michael Jordan or no matter,” Jaylen Brown mentioned after Sport 3 at Indiana. “It was like, ‘what’s going on?’”

It’s that surprising sustained success in opposition to the Celtics — enjoying above your head and having a memorable second — that offers you villain standing in Boston.

A fast search of the gamers who scored essentially the most factors per recreation all-time in opposition to the Celtics reveals the plain suspects. The precise Michael Jordan leads all of them with 30.7 factors per recreation in 56 torturous matchups. He’s an apparent headliner, particularly provided that his playoff breakout 63-point recreation in 1986 occurred at Boston Backyard. The Celtics received that recreation and the collection, however no one has stopped bringing it up since. Larry Hen known as him God disguised as Michael Jordan.

The 2024 Finals deflated a pair of previous Luka Dončić common season game-winners that, alongside together with his 29.9 PPG, made him an apparent Celtics killer to start his profession. No Boston followers, for now, will worry Dončić after seeing Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard sluggish him individually on the large stage.

Kevin Durant equally misplaced his attract in that 2022 first spherical collection, whereas Wilt Chamberlain and Joel Embiid have stacked up too many losses in opposition to the inexperienced. The Celtics have additionally slowed Giannis Antetokounmpo effectively in comparison with the league.

LeBron James, past his 28.8 PPG, modified his profession and have become a meme in Sport 6 of the 2012 Japanese Convention Finals at Boston. Who can neglect that look, however he’s solely 33-26 in his profession in opposition to the Celtics. He began sluggish, however when he’s overwhelmed them, he’s made it damage. He’s a licensed Celtics killer.

Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Bob Pettit and Steph Curry discovered methods to dent the Celtics’ most dominant moments. They’re Celtics killers, too. That provides us a fairly good six-man rotation.

So, let’s flip away from the celebrities and concentrate on function gamers and provides some like to the gamers who’ve made their names by beating up on Boston.

How can we begin with any identify aside from Ish Smith? Smith, who’s performed for 13 groups, has 12 double-figure scoring video games in opposition to the Celtics and averaged 9.6 PPG in opposition to them, regardless of posting 7.1 PPG in his profession. He shot 50% in 25 matchups, together with pouring 27 factors on them with the Wizards in a 2020 win, 20 factors with Detroit in 2018 on 8-for-9 taking pictures contained in the arc and a 19-point efficiency with eight rebounds and eight assists in a 2016 Pistons win. Smith did all that whereas solely hitting six threes, although three got here on six makes an attempt in a 2018-19 assembly.

Have many different gamers scored extra? Actually, however once more, a few of that is about gamers exceeding their customary in opposition to Boston. Smith’s scoring common vs. the Celtics is larger than it’s in opposition to every other crew.

That’s additionally the case for Caris LeVert, whose 51-point onslaught on the Backyard on Mar. 3, 2020 set his career-high whereas Brooklyn overcame a 21-point deficit to win 129-120 in time beyond regulation. It left a mark regardless of it simply being a midseason matchup in a yr the place the Celtics reached the ECF. Perhaps the months-long COVID hiatus, which occurred after solely 4 extra video games, let the loss linger longer than it will’ve in any other case. LeVert went on to attain 41 factors in 2022 in an early season win on the Backyard. He averaged 16.7 PPG in his 17 video games in opposition to Boston, his fourth-highest whole, however that elevated to twenty.1 PPG on the highway. His 21 factors helped the Cavs beat the Celtics in Sport 2 at TD Backyard in Could.

The 2 scariest Celtics opponents that I can keep in mind have been Khris Middleton and Dwyane Wade. It’s been exceptional to see age sluggish the injury Middleton used to do in opposition to Boston — a profession 15.5 PPG scorer in opposition to Boston (now twenty sixth amongst his opponents). Middleton scored 22 PPG in 2020 and 24 PPG in 2021 in opposition to Boston, however his 2018 first spherical efficiency throughout seven video games is what squarely clinched his spot on this crew, averaging 24.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG and three.1 APG (59.8% FG, 61% 3PT) and hitting a half-court shot to drive time beyond regulation in Sport 1.

He’s scored 20+ factors in opposition to Boston eight instances, 5 of them Bucks wins, whereas taking pictures 38.9% from three throughout all of the matchups. His absence within the 2022 seven-game second-round collection is a good Bucks-Celtics what-if.

Wade averaged 33.2 PPG on 56.4% taking pictures in opposition to the Celtics whereas Boston took care of Miami in 5 video games. One yr later, alongside LeBron James, he averaged 30.2 PPG on 52.6% taking pictures to flip the outcome. His takedown of Rajon Rondo, resulting in a grueling elbow harm the Celtics star performed by, didn’t endear him to Boston followers both. Like Middleton, Wade’s impression diminished with accidents and age, falling to 21.4 PPG within the 2012 East finals and 19.5 PPG in opposition to Boston in his profession. That’s under his profession common, however he makes the minimize.

Talking of Rondo, he went on to drive a 2-0 lead within the 2017 Bulls-Celtics collection and hit a game-winner with the Lakers on the Backyard. Rondo additionally received LA a championship, making him worthy of his personal consideration.

Donovan Mitchell: His 29.6 PPG in opposition to the Celtics is third all-time behind Jordan and Dončić, a excessive leap above his profession 24.8 PPG. Mitchell hit 16 threes throughout three video games in Could, averaging 31.7 PPG and dealing a 2-1 collection deficit earlier than an harm ended his collection. That’s why I can’t cease believing within the Cavaliers regardless of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen being the other of Celtics killers.

Jimmy Butler: Keep in mind the pull-up three try within the nook in opposition to Al Horford earlier than Derrick White’s well-known put-back saved Boston in Sport 6? Butler’s Warmth beat the Celtics within the East finals as an eight seed in 2023 and practically overcame each a 3-2 collection and 98-85 late Sport 7 deficit the yr prior. Even when Butler’s 18.9 PPG in opposition to the Celtics are in keeping with his profession common, these three free throws going by the rim and his pull-up three in transition over Horford that may’ve drastically altered current Celtics historical past if it fell are seared within the heads of Boston followers. He’s getting old, however vowed Miami would’ve overwhelmed the Celtics if he was wholesome for the primary spherical final yr. Does he have yet another act on this rivalry?

Kemba Walker: Kemba averaged 30.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 5.0 APG in 2018-19 in opposition to the Celtics, which possible performed some half within the crew deciding to signal him as Kyrie Irving’s alternative in 2020. His tenure began robust, then went sideways shortly resulting from accidents, sadly killing Boston in a couple of method. To wit, it’s fascinating what number of Celtics killer candidates later joined them: Tristan Thompson, Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Vacation, Oshae Brissett, Evan Fournier, Kyrie Irving, Enes Freedom, Danilo Gallinari, Greg Monroe, Dalano Banton, Marcus Morris and now Lonnie Walker IV all had success in opposition to the Celtics earlier than touchdown in inexperienced.

Andrew Toney: Earlier than my time, nevertheless it’s exhausting to not embody somebody whose nickname turned the Boston Strangler. Averaged 17.8 PPG in his profession in opposition to Boston on 50% taking pictures, scored 61 factors over the primary two video games of the 1981 East finals in Boston within the seven-game battle, then dropped 30 factors 3 times throughout their revenge collection one yr later, together with 39 to take a 3-1 lead in Sport 4.

Kyle Lowry: His 16.3 PPG in opposition to the Celtics are solely exceeded by his 16.6 PPG in opposition to Philadelphia. He now performs for the 76ers and has an opportunity to take care of his maddening impression on 4 or extra video games in opposition to Boston, already having irritated them for years between Toronto and Miami. His in-bounds move stole Sport 3 of the second spherical collection within the bubble, forcing the collection to go right down to the ultimate minutes of a seventh recreation. Lowry scored 33 factors with six threes, enjoying 53 minutes in Sport 6.

Honorable mentions: Dwight Howard, Devin Booker, Trae Younger, Caleb Martin, Moe Wagner, Bernard King, Ron Artest, Nikola Jokić, Rajon Rondo, Dominique Wilkins, Andrew Wiggins, Saddiq Bey, Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell, and Evan Fournier. Add extra within the feedback.