The regular season series was split, with each team winning on the opponent's court by only a point: The Celtics finished the regular season as the Atlantic Division champion with a 50–32 record. [22], The Lakers returned to Los Angeles with a 3–2 deficit in the series. NBA Privacy Center | 2010 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Celtics vs. Magic League Champion: Los Angeles Lakers. Eastern Conference finals Miami defeated Chicago (4-1) Western Conference finals Dallas defeated Oklahoma City (4-1) NBA Finals Dallas defeated Miami (4 … Dallas defeated L.A. Lakers (4-0) The final quarter was dominated by the Celtics, though, as Rajon Rondo's 10 points in the quarter helped tie the series 1–1. Repeated baskets from starters Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Ron Artest brought the Lakers close to victory in Game 1. Meanwhile on the other end of the country, the Los Angeles Lakers were chasing history with its pursuit of another championship. Much of the Celtics' performance came from Kevin Garnett, who finished with 16 points (on 16 shots) and 2 rebounds. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics went on to eliminate the Orlando Magic in six games. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. For the Lakers, Bryant and Gasol, with 33 and 21 points respectively, accounted for most of the team's scoring. Privacy Policy | Accessibility and Closed Caption | Terms of Use | Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The Lakers reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in the best-of-seven Western Conference First Round, the Utah Jazz in the best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinals, and the Phoenix Suns in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals. The Lakers would continue their attack and managed to take the lead 57–56 early in the 3rd. [21], Boston started the game with a 6–0 run, and ended the first quarter leading by 2 on a strong performance by Paul Pierce. The 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s championship series for the 2009–10 season. The Dallas Mavericks, however, stole the show, dispatching the Lakers in a dominating second-round sweep en route to The Finals. [26], The Celtics opened the second half going on a 9–2 run which widened their lead over the Lakers by as much as 13 points, 49–36. Rondo played well, shooting 9–12 from the floor for 18 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. 8 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in six games during the Western Conference First Round Playoffs, with the final game ending when Kobe Bryant missed a jumper but Pau Gasol grabbed the offensive rebound and made a layup to clinch the win. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The Celtics won nine of their previous 11 Finals meetings against the Lakers, winning in 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1984, and 2008, while the Lakers won in 1985 and 1987. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (who were also defending NBA champions), and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history. Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant (28.6 / 8.0 / 3.9) 2010 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Kobe Bryant (671) TRB: Pau Gasol (255) AST: Rajon Rondo (223) WS: Pau Gasol (4.3) More playoffs info [26] It would prove to be the lethal blow for the Celtics. The game was capped off with a three-pointer by Kobe Bryant with 3.6 seconds left, securing his 10th 30-point game in his last 11. The average number of viewers of 18.1 million, was the highest since 2001. [26] The Celtics would not give up, however, as with Lakers leading by 6 with a minute-and-a-half remaining, Wallace hit a three-pointer to cut the Lakers' lead to 76–73. Oklahoma City defeated Denver (4-1)Eastern Conference semifinals The last Finals series to be tied at 1–1 after two games was the 2004 NBA Finals which involved the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers defeated the Celtics, four games to three, to win the franchise's 16th NBA championship. 1st seed in the West, 3rd best league record, 4th seed in the East, 12th best league record. Or write about sports? [14] The Celtics soon took advantage of the Lakers problems when Davis, Tony Allen, and Rasheed Wallace managed to successfully hit several critical shots to end the quarter on a six-point deficit. [26], At the start of the second quarter, the Lakers got back in the game by scoring 11 straight points to take a two-point lead over Boston. the official stats partner of the NBA. But again, his first half was key, as he did work off the dribble, hit pull-up jumpers and also got his teammates going with some solid feeds. The Celtics won Game 4; aided by the fact that they netted an excellent performance in baskets by the team’s reserves, while Paul Pierce led the team to a Game 5 win with 27 points on 57% shooting from the floor. [7], As the No. Do you have a sports website? [14] Odom, Farmar, and Bynum also made shots to widen the score to 17 points above Boston. WarnerMedia Privacy Center | Boston came out much more aggressively to begin game 2. Are you a Stathead, too? Exactly one year later, Butler fulfilled that prophecy due to his aggressive start and strong defense at the top of the zone throughout the night. Their opponent was the heavily-favored Heat, who gained fire and tore through the playoffs. [11], Both teams started strong, playing a close game for most of the 1st quarter until a 7–2 Los Angeles run inspired by bench players Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown to end the quarter. In addition to wreaking havoc at the top of the zone with Butler, the 36-year-old vet drilled four treys. "[54] Over 65,000 people were estimated to have attended the parade. [26] Wallace would later depart from the game after fouling out. All rights reserved. Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant (28.6 / 8.0 / 3.9) 2010 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Kobe Bryant (671) TRB: Pau Gasol (255) AST: Rajon Rondo (223) WS: Pau Gasol (4.3) More playoffs info Copyright © 2000-2020 Sports Reference LLC. All rights reserved. This was the first NBA Finals to go the full seven games since 2005 and only the fourth since the NBA Finals returned to a 2–3–2 format in 1985. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. To opt out of the sale of your personal information as permitted by the California Consumer Subscribe to our Free Newsletter, This Month in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. It was also his 13th title, as he had won two as a player with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973. 5 seed to make it to the NBA Finals (three lower seeds have done it before.). The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (who were also defending NBA champions), and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. -The HEAT will face the Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday at 9PM. [52] The team was transported around on an open-air float equipped with loudspeakers enabling the players to talk to the spectators. [39] In Boston, WEEI carried the Celtics' English broadcasts with Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell announcing.[39]. Boston again started the 2nd quarter strong. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. To end the 3rd quarter, Los Angeles went on a 15–4 run to give L. A. a 20-point lead going into the 4th quarter. The Finals was also broadcast on ESPN Radio, with Jim Durham, Hubie Brown and Jack Ramsay calling the action. In the 2nd quarter, Ray Allen hit an impressive five three-pointers (only missing once) to add to the two that he hit in the first quarter. Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant (28.6 / 8.0 / 3.9) 2010 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Kobe Bryant (671) TRB: Pau Gasol (255) AST: Rajon Rondo (223) WS: Pau Gasol (4.3) More playoffs info [8] Then in the Western Conference Semifinals, Los Angeles swept the Utah Jazz in four games, earning their right to play in their third straight Western Conference Final. Prior to the start of the game, singer Monica performed the national anthem. Join our linker program. This was the 12th Finals played between the two rival teams. The 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s championship series for the 2009–10 season. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history. Boston starting center Kendrick Perkins suffered a serious knee injury in the first quarter, rendering the Celtics more vulnerable on defense and rebounding. Early in the fourth quarter, the Celtics went on a run that gave them control of the game; with a lineup that featured four reserves, Boston outscored the Lakers 13–2 over nearly half the quarter. The series win brought the Lakers' franchise NBA championship total to 16,[28] second only to the Celtics' 17 championships. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? All rights reserved. Yes, four. Chicago defeated Atlanta (4-2) Both teams fought hard, leading to the 72–72 tie going into the 4th. Copyright © 2020 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Boston was outplayed by Los Angeles in nearly every statistical category, most notably in rebounding (31–42) and second-chance points (0–16). Although they trailed the Celtics by 13 points early in the third quarter, the Lakers rallied and won their second consecutive championship by taking over an exciting Game 7 aided by late contributions on offense by Pau Gasol and Artest and rebounding.