after defeating the Brooklyn Nets in the Conference First Round (a rematch from last year's), the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks in the Conference Semifinals (a rematch from 2019), and finally the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals (a rematch from 2020). Attempting to win their 18th title to break a tie with the Lakers for the most titles, the Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games and, with an eventual Finals record of 17–5, remain tied with the Lakers for the most titles in franchise history. Finals summaries 1959 NBA Finals This was the first NBA Finals series between the Lakers and the Celtics, and the only such meeting to occur while the Lakers were still in Minneapolis. Minneapolis hadn't made an appearance in the Finals since winning four of the first five NBA Championships between 1950–1954, while Boston was making its third straight Finals appearance after winning in 1957 and losing in 1958. Minneapolis, led by rookie sensation Elgin Baylor, made the Finals by defeating the defending World Champion St. Louis Hawks. Boston would face a tough seven-game series against the Syracuse Nationals but would eventually emerge victorious, leading Celtic star Bob Cousy to predict that Boston would sweep Minneapolis. Cousy would prove his prediction correct, leading his team with 51 total assists (still a record for a four-game NBA Finals series) to defeat the Minneapolis Lakers in the first 4–0 sweep ever in the NBA Finals. This marked the first of Boston's record eight straight titles. 1962 NBA Finals This was the first NBA Finals series between the Lakers and Celtics after the Lakers moved to Los Angeles. Boston would win game one. However, the Lakers would edge out for close victories in Game 2 and Game 3. The Celtics would win Game 4 before the Lakers would come back and win another close victory in Game 5. In the Game 5 victory, Baylor grabbed 22 rebounds and set the still-standing NBA record for points in a finals game with 61, despite fouling out of the game. The Celtics won Game 6 to set up the first Game 7 between the two franchises. In Game 7, Laker Frank Selvy, after making two jumpers in the final 40 seconds to tie the game, missed a potential title-winning 18 foot jump shot in regulation, a miss which he said in June 2010 still haunted him more than