1998–99 Boston Celtics season 1998–99 Boston Celtics season The 1998–99 NBA season was the 53rd season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. The Celtics continued to build with youth as they selected Paul Pierce out of the University of Kansas with the tenth pick in the 1998 NBA draft. In the offseason, the team acquired second-year center Tony Battie from the Los Angeles Lakers. Pierce would get off to a fast start as he was named Rookie of The Month in February, after the season was delayed by a four-month lockout. However, after a 7–7 start to the season, the Celtics
2010–11 Boston Celtics season Conference standings during the All-Star break. However, after center Kendrick Perkins, who was working his way back from a torn ACL in last year's Finals, was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder mid-season, the Celtics then started to play mediocre basketball after the trade, winning just 15 of their final 27 games. Still, they managed a 56–26 record and enter the playoffs as the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference. They swept the New York Knicks, in four games in the first round to advance to the Conference Semifinals where they faced the Miami Heat, the team the Celtics defeated