1988-89 Boston Celtics Game-by-Game Results
National Basketball Association (NBA)
Team Record: 42-40
Finishing 3rd in the NBA's Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference
Postseason: 0-3 Lost conference first round
Conference First Round - Lost to Detroit Pistons 3-0
Coach: Jimmy Rodgers (42-40)
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 611,537, Avg. 14,916 in 41 home dates
1988-89 Boston Celtics StatisticsTeam Record: 42-40
Finishing 3rd in the NBA's Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference
Postseason: 0-3 Lost conference first round
Conference First Round - Lost to Detroit Pistons 3-0
Coach: Jimmy Rodgers (42-40)
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 611,537, Avg. 14,916 in 41 home dates
1988-89 Boston Celtics Roster
The Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association ended the 1988-89 season with a record of 42 wins and 40 losses, finishing third in the NBA's Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team compiled a postseason mark of 0-3.
The Celtics netted 8,958 points and surrendered 8,863. Kevin McHale tossed in a team-best 1,758 points for Boston, while Robert Parish and Reggie Lewis scored 17 or more per game, too. Robert Parish contributed 996 boards. Dennis Johnson and Brian Shaw apiece dished out 472 assists for the squad.
On the defensive side of the ball, Reggie Lewis added 124 steals.
Jimmy Rodgers coached the team. The 1988-89 Boston Celtics lost in the conference first round.
Click on column headings to sort.
Regular Season Points For: 8958
Regular Season Points Against: 8863
| Date | Game | Res | Home | Road | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 4, 1988 | New York Knicks 115 at Boston Celtics 122 | W | 1-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | OT | |
| November 5, 1988 | Boston Celtics 115 at Philadelphia 76ers 129 | L | 1-0 | 0-1 | 1-1 | ||
| November 9, 1988 | Chicago Bulls 110 at Boston Celtics 104 | L | 1-1 | 0-1 | 1-2 | ||
| November 11, 1988 | Detroit Pistons 116 at Boston Celtics 107 | L | 1-2 | 0-1 | 1-3 | ||
| November 12, 1988 | Boston Celtics 100 at Milwaukee Bucks 108 | L | 1-2 | 0-2 | 1-4 | ||
| November 15, 1988 | Boston Celtics 84 at Miami Heat 65 | W | 1-2 | 1-2 | 2-4 | ||
| November 16, 1988 | Golden State Warriors 104 at Boston Celtics 107 | W | 2-2 | 1-2 | 3-4 | ||
| November 18, 1988 | Washington Bullets 108 at Boston Celtics 114 | W | 3-2 | 1-2 | 4-4 | ||
| November 19, 1988 | Boston Celtics 104 at Washington Bullets 108 | L | 3-2 | 1-3 | 4-5 | ||
| November 22, 1988 | Cleveland Cavaliers 114 at Boston Celtics 102 | L | 3-3 | 1-3 | 4-6 | at Hartford, CT | |
| November 23, 1988 | Charlotte Hornets 109 at Boston Celtics 114 | W | 4-3 | 1-3 | 5-6 | ||
| November 25, 1988 | Milwaukee Bucks 96 at Boston Celtics 115 | W | 5-3 | 1-3 | 6-6 | ||
| November 26, 1988 | Boston Celtics 91 at Atlanta Hawks 104 | L | 5-3 | 1-4 | 6-7 | ||
| November 29, 1988 | Boston Celtics 100 at New Jersey Nets 93 | W | 5-3 | 2-4 | 7-7 | ||
| November 30, 1988 | New Jersey Nets 100 at Boston Celtics 133 | W | 6-3 | 2-4 | 8-7 | ||
| December 2, 1988 | Boston Celtics 84 at Cleveland Cavaliers 112 | L | 6-3 | 2-5 | 8-8 | ||
| December 6, 1988 | Boston Celtics 100 at Chicago Bulls 105 | L | 6-3 | 2-6 | 8-9 | ||
| December 7, 1988 | Atlanta Hawks 106 at Boston Celtics 103 | L | 6-4 | 2-6 | 8-10 | ||
| December 9, 1988 | Philadelphia 76ers 107 at Boston Celtics 121 | W | 7-4 | 2-6 | 9-10 | ||
| December 13, 1988 | Boston Celtics 105 at Washington Bullets 115 | L | 7-4 | 2-7 | 9-11 | ||
| December 14, 1988 | Utah Jazz 104 at Boston Celtics 112 | W | 8-4 | 2-7 | 10-11 | ||
| December 16, 1988 | Los Angeles Lakers 96 at Boston Celtics 110 | W | 9-4 | 2-7 | 11-11 | ||
| December 18, 1988 | New York Knicks 104 at Boston Celtics 117 | W | 10-4 | 2-7 | 12-11 | ||
| December 21, 1988 | Cleveland Cavaliers 115 at Boston Celtics 114 | L | 10-5 | 2-7 | 12-12 | ||
| December 27, 1988 | Boston Celtics 109 at Denver Nuggets 130 | L | 10-5 | 2-8 | 12-13 | ||
| December 29, 1988 | Boston Celtics 115 at Dallas Mavericks 131 | L | 10-5 | 2-9 | 12-14 | ||
| December 30, 1988 | Boston Celtics 112 at San Antonio Spurs 99 | W | 10-5 | 3-9 | 13-14 | ||
| January 3, 1989 | Boston Celtics 107 at New York Knicks 109 | L | 10-5 | 3-10 | 13-15 | OT | |
| January 4, 1989 | Phoenix Suns 106 at Boston Celtics 104 | L | 10-6 | 3-10 | 13-16 | ||
| January 6, 1989 | Charlotte Hornets 92 at Boston Celtics 115 | W | 11-6 | 3-10 | 14-16 | ||
| January 9, 1989 | Los Angeles Clippers 84 at Boston Celtics 119 | W | 12-6 | 3-10 | 15-16 | ||
| January 11, 1989 | Indiana Pacers 127 at Boston Celtics 108 | L | 12-7 | 3-10 | 15-17 | ||
| January 12, 1989 | Boston Celtics 106 at New Jersey Nets 103 | W | 12-7 | 4-10 | 16-17 | ||
| January 15, 1989 | Boston Celtics 104 at Chicago Bulls 110 | L | 12-7 | 4-11 | 16-18 | ||
| January 16, 1989 | Boston Celtics 87 at Detroit Pistons 96 | L | 12-7 | 4-12 | 16-19 | ||
| January 18, 1989 | Boston Celtics 104 at Philadelphia 76ers 115 | L | 12-7 | 4-13 | 16-20 | ||
| January 20, 1989 | Philadelphia 76ers 109 at Boston Celtics 117 | W | 13-7 | 4-13 | 17-20 | ||
| January 22, 1989 | Detroit Pistons 99 at Boston Celtics 112 | W | 14-7 | 4-13 | 18-20 | ||
| January 25, 1989 | Boston Celtics 94 at Indiana Pacers 103 | L | 14-7 | 4-14 | 18-21 | ||
| January 27, 1989 | Sacramento Kings 116 at Boston Celtics 128 | W | 15-7 | 4-14 | 19-21 | ||
| January 29, 1989 | Miami Heat 103 at Boston Celtics 121 | W | 16-7 | 4-14 | 20-21 | ||
| January 31, 1989 | Boston Celtics 103 at Washington Bullets 110 | L | 16-7 | 4-15 | 20-22 | ||
| February 1, 1989 | Boston Celtics 107 at Charlotte Hornets 94 | W | 16-7 | 5-15 | 21-22 | ||
| February 3, 1989 | Washington Bullets 108 at Boston Celtics 117 | W | 17-7 | 5-15 | 22-22 | ||
| February 5, 1989 | Seattle Supersonics 89 at Boston Celtics 87 | L | 17-8 | 5-15 | 22-23 | ||
| February 8, 1989 | Indiana Pacers 102 at Boston Celtics 109 | W | 18-8 | 5-15 | 23-23 | ||
| February 14, 1989 | Boston Celtics 123 at Houston Rockets 137 | L | 18-8 | 5-16 | 23-24 | ||
| February 16, 1989 | Boston Celtics 114 at Utah Jazz 129 | L | 18-8 | 5-17 | 23-25 | ||
| February 17, 1989 | Boston Celtics 126 at Phoenix Suns 135 | L | 18-8 | 5-18 | 23-26 | ||
| February 19, 1989 | Boston Celtics 110 at Los Angeles Lakers 119 | L | 18-8 | 5-19 | 23-27 | ||
| February 21, 1989 | Boston Celtics 91 at Seattle Supersonics 96 | L | 18-8 | 5-20 | 23-28 | ||
| February 22, 1989 | Boston Celtics 99 at Sacramento Kings 91 | W | 18-8 | 6-20 | 24-28 | ||
| February 24, 1989 | Milwaukee Bucks 112 at Boston Celtics 125 | W | 19-8 | 6-20 | 25-28 | at Hartford, CT | |
| February 26, 1989 | Boston Celtics 110 at New York Knicks 122 | L | 19-8 | 6-21 | 25-29 | ||
| February 28, 1989 | Boston Celtics 112 at Charlotte Hornets 87 | W | 19-8 | 7-21 | 26-29 | ||
| March 1, 1989 | Atlanta Hawks 90 at Boston Celtics 104 | W | 20-8 | 7-21 | 27-29 | ||
| March 3, 1989 | Dallas Mavericks 106 at Boston Celtics 107 | W | 21-8 | 7-21 | 28-29 | ||
| March 4, 1989 | Boston Celtics 95 at New Jersey Nets 98 | L | 21-8 | 7-22 | 28-30 | ||
| March 8, 1989 | Chicago Bulls 95 at Boston Celtics 104 | W | 22-8 | 7-22 | 29-30 | ||
| March 12, 1989 | Denver Nuggets 115 at Boston Celtics 121 | W | 23-8 | 7-22 | 30-30 | ||
| March 13, 1989 | New Jersey Nets 91 at Boston Celtics 114 | W | 24-8 | 7-22 | 31-30 | at Hartford, CT | |
| March 16, 1989 | Boston Celtics 111 at Indiana Pacers 99 | W | 24-8 | 8-22 | 32-30 | ||
| March 17, 1989 | Boston Celtics 98 at Detroit Pistons 106 | L | 24-8 | 8-23 | 32-31 | ||
| March 20, 1989 | San Antonio Spurs 108 at Boston Celtics 119 | W | 25-8 | 8-23 | 33-31 | ||
| March 21, 1989 | Boston Celtics 86 at Milwaukee Bucks 98 | L | 25-8 | 8-24 | 33-32 | ||
| March 24, 1989 | New York Knicks 111 at Boston Celtics 115 | W | 26-8 | 8-24 | 34-32 | ||
| March 26, 1989 | Philadelphia 76ers 103 at Boston Celtics 105 | W | 27-8 | 8-24 | 35-32 | ||
| March 28, 1989 | Boston Celtics 115 at Philadelphia 76ers 117 | L | 27-8 | 8-25 | 35-33 | OT | |
| March 29, 1989 | Portland Trail Blazers 97 at Boston Celtics 106 | W | 28-8 | 8-25 | 36-33 | ||
| March 31, 1989 | Houston Rockets 109 at Boston Celtics 126 | W | 29-8 | 8-25 | 37-33 | ||
| April 2, 1989 | Boston Celtics 100 at Cleveland Cavaliers 117 | L | 29-8 | 8-26 | 37-34 | ||
| April 4, 1989 | Boston Celtics 124 at Los Angeles Clippers 108 | W | 29-8 | 9-26 | 38-34 | ||
| April 6, 1989 | Boston Celtics 118 at Golden State Warriors 132 | L | 29-8 | 9-27 | 38-35 | ||
| April 7, 1989 | Boston Celtics 100 at Portland Trail Blazers 113 | L | 29-8 | 9-28 | 38-36 | ||
| April 10, 1989 | New Jersey Nets 112 at Boston Celtics 113 | W | 30-8 | 9-28 | 39-36 | ||
| April 13, 1989 | Boston Celtics 118 at Atlanta Hawks 132 | L | 30-8 | 9-29 | 39-37 | ||
| April 14, 1989 | Cleveland Cavaliers 104 at Boston Celtics 113 | W | 31-8 | 9-29 | 40-37 | ||
| April 17, 1989 | Boston Celtics 113 at Charlotte Hornets 108 | W | 31-8 | 10-29 | 41-37 | OT | |
| April 18, 1989 | Washington Bullets 121 at Boston Celtics 113 | L | 31-9 | 10-29 | 41-38 | ||
| April 20, 1989 | Boston Celtics 117 at New York Knicks 137 | L | 31-9 | 10-30 | 41-39 | ||
| April 21, 1989 | Boston Celtics 110 at Indiana Pacers 120 | L | 31-9 | 10-31 | 41-40 | ||
| April 23, 1989 | Charlotte Hornets 110 at Boston Celtics 120 | W | 32-9 | 10-31 | 42-40 | ||
| April 28, 1989 | Boston Celtics 91 at Detroit Pistons 101 | L | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | ||
| April 30, 1989 | Boston Celtics 95 at Detroit Pistons 102 | L | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0-2 | ||
| May 2, 1989 | Detroit Pistons 100 at Boston Celtics 85 | L | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0-3 |
