Rashaan and Annabelle Powell are huge Boston Celtics fans, and before the birth of their second child, the couple watched their beloved team rally through the playoffs, taking a 3-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks.
With her baby due in just days, Powell and his wife didn't want to miss the Celtics winning the championship, but after losing Game 4 in Dallas, the Celtics are now playing Game 5 at home on June 17, the same day the team last won a championship in 2008.
The baby must have known. On Monday afternoon, Dorchester residents headed to St. Elizabeths Medical Center. The time was right, but there were still a few hours until the game.
“We weren't really sure when it was going to happen, but we're both big fans so we were excited for it even before it started,” said Annabelle Powell, 32. “Once I got involved it all just happened so naturally so quickly.”
“One of the nurses who was helping with the delivery, knowing we were Celtics fans, came in and said the baby was born at 6:17 p.m.,” Rashaan Powell, 30, added.
“That's a good sign,” the couple said in unison.
With their newborn son in their arms, the Powells “changed the name during the game.” They had decided on “Crew,” and in that moment, an incredible coincidence took on new meaning.
They decided to name him Jrue, after one of their all-time favorite Celtics players, Jrue Holiday.
“I was joking with Rashaan the day before and I said, 'If Jrue Holiday scores the winning goal, we should change his name to Jrue,'” Annabelle says. “That's the only way we can do it.”
According to Rashaan, even before Holiday joined the Celtics, the couple admired him not only for his skills on the court but also for how he carried himself as a teammate, and just hours after Holiday was born, he played an all-around great game as the Celtics won the championship.
“The young guys coming up have to definitely keep an eye on July Holiday. He does all the little things to help the Celtics win,” he added.
Thanks to Jrue's incredible timing, the Powells didn't miss a second of the Celtics' victory — they watched the first half in the delivery room and the second half in the post-delivery room.
“When he came out and the game hadn't even started, we thought, 'This is a good sign, hopefully he'll bring us some good luck,' and then the Celtics went out and did just that,” Annabelle said.
The couple, along with their own Jrue, got to watch Holiday and his teammates become champions.
“I'm happy to have won the title. [and] “Obviously, we have a healthy baby. It's just a historic moment with Drew coming into the world and the Celtics winning their 18th championship,” Rashaan added. “It's just been amazing all around.”
His 2-year-old son, Kai, is also a big fan and met his brother for the first time on Tuesday. To every game, he wears a Jayson Tatum jersey or a Celtics T-shirt. Now, Jrue plans to wear his old Celtics onesie.
“We're on a roll right now,” Annabelle said.
Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her Shannon Larson.
