2010 NBA Finals
Encyclopedia
The 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association
(NBA) championship series for the 2009–10 season
. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers
, champions of the Western Conference
and defending NBA champions, and the Boston Celtics
, champions of the Eastern Conference
. The Lakers defeated the Celtics, four games to three, to win the franchise's 16th NBA championship. The 64th edition of the championship series
was played between June 3 and June 17, was broadcast on ABC
, and was watched by an average of 18.1 million people.
The Celtics earned their berth into the playoffs
by winning the Atlantic Division
. The Lakers won the Pacific Division
to earn their berth. The Celtics reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Miami Heat
in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference First Round, the Cleveland Cavaliers
in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals, and defending Eastern conference champion Orlando Magic
in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals. 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 NBA Finals were staged under a 2–3–2 rotation, with the Lakers holding home-court advantage as they had a better regular season record than the Celtics.
Repeated baskets from starters Kobe Bryant
, Pau Gasol
, and Ron Artest
brought the Lakers victory in Game 1. A record breaking performance from Ray Allen
’s eight three-point baskets ensured the Celtics a Game 2 triumph. Derek Fisher
’s 11 points in the fourth quarter helped the Lakers win Game 3. The Celtics won Game 4; it didn't hurt 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. The Lakers avoided elimination by winning a decisive Game 6 on the back of the team’s 24 bench points. Although they trailed the Celtics as much as 13 points early in the third quarter, the Lakers secured their second consecutive championship by winning a tense and nail-biting Game 7 aided by last minute offense by Gasol and Artest and defensive rebounding. For the second year in a row, Bryant was named Most Valuable Player of the Finals, despite shooting 6 for 24 in the last game.
This was the first NBA Finals to go the full seven games since and only the fourth since the NBA switched the Finals to a 2–3–2 format in . With the Lakers victory in this series, they now trail the Celtics' seventeen championships by only one.
The Lakers had won the previous season’s NBA Finals
against the Orlando Magic
for the franchise's 15th championship. The Celtics won their previous NBA Finals appearance against the Lakers the year before. This was the 12th Finals played between the two rival teams. The Celtics won nine of their previous 11 Finals meetings against the Lakers, winning in , , , , , , , , and , while the Lakers won in and .
champions with a 50–32 record. As the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference
, they eliminated the No. 5 seeded Miami Heat
in five games during the first round in the playoffs. Then in the conference semifinals, Boston defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers
in six games, the earliest that a top seed as been eliminated since the Dallas Mavericks
' first round loss to the Golden State Warriors
in 2007
. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics went on to eliminate the Orlando Magic
in six games. In reaching the Finals the Boston Celtics became the first team in NBA history to do so with a better regular season road record than home. Also, the Boston Celtics became the second team in NBA history to reach the NBA Finals after beating the team with the best record, Cleveland Cavaliers
, and team with second-best record in the league, Orlando Magic
, after the Houston Rockets
did it in their championship season of 1995
.
departed to the Houston Rockets
for free agent Ron Artest
. Longtime assistant coach and former head coach Kurt Rambis
left the organization to pursue a head coaching position with the Minnesota Timberwolves
.
The Lakers finished the regular season as the Pacific Division
champion, compiling a 57–25 record.
As the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference
, they eliminated the No. 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. 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. In the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns
, the Lakers won both of their first two games at home, but proceeded to lose the next two in Phoenix both by 9 points. In Game 5, Ron Artest
made an off balance layup to beat the buzzer off a Kobe Bryant miss to give the Lakers the victory. The Lakers then proceeded to beat the Suns on their home floor in Game 6 led by Kobe Bryant's 37 points. The Game 6 victory gave the Lakers their 31st NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. The team also earned their third straight appearance in the Finals, the last team to do so being the Los Angeles Lakers themselves (during the three-peat of –).
and Shannon Brown
to end the quarter. Boston again started the 2nd quarter strong. However, Los Angeles managed to extend the lead 50–41 at the end of the first half with another run led by Ron Artest
and Pau Gasol
. More of the same came in the 3rd quarter, as Los Angeles matched nearly all of Boston's attempts to get back in the game. 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. While the Celtics would try to get back into the game with Nate Robinson
and 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce
, they never got closer than 11 points. 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. Boston was outplayed by Los Angeles in nearly every statistical category, most notably in rebounding (31–42) and second-chance points (0–16). Much of the Celtics' performance came from Kevin Garnett
, who finished with 16 points (on 16 shots) and 2 rebounds. Ray Allen, who was hampered by foul trouble, finished with 12 points and 5 personal fouls.
had nine points in the quarter) and managed to reduce Boston's lead to seven points at the end of the 1st quarter. 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. This explosive offensive output pushed Boston forward and allowed them to lead by as many as 14 points. Kobe Bryant
and Los Angeles put up a quick 7–0 run to end the first half to cut it to a 54–48 Boston lead. Foul trouble plagued players of both squads, with many players having three fouls going into the break. The Lakers would continue their attack and managed to take the lead 57–56 early in the 3rd. Both teams fought hard, leading to the 72–72 tie going into the 4th. The final quarter was dominated by the Celtics, though, as Rajon Rondo
's 10 points in the quarter helped tie the series 1–1. Rondo finished with an impressive triple-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, and Allen hit eight of 11 three-pointers to secure the NBA Finals record. Gasol finished strong again with eight rebounds and 25 points on only 10 shots (0 in the 4th quarter), while Bryant ended on 8-of-20 shooting.
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
.
Prior to the start of the game, singer Monica performed the national anthem. Kevin Garnett scored the first six points of the game to give the Celtics a 6–0 lead and eventually helped the team to a seven-point lead (12–5) early in the first quarter. Following the first full timeout of the game, the Lakers scored 13 straight points thanks in part to free throws by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. After the score was tied at 16–16, the Lakers outscored the Celtics 10–1 for the remainder of the first quarter.
The Lakers' 32–8 run continued well into the second quarter when Bryant completed a free throw after being fouled by forward Glen Davis
en route to making a layup 43 seconds into the game. Further helping to widen the gap was Shannon Brown who made a 20-foot jumper from a Lamar Odom assist. Odom, Farmar, and Bynum also made shots to widen the score to 17 points above Boston. The Celtics would soon create their own comeback with a 11–4 run before the Lakers called for a full timeout. Bryant made jumper on a Gasol assist while Pierce shot another three-pointer on a Rondo assist. The final two minutes of the first half ended in a shootout both Celtics and Lakers starters resulting in a 52–40 Los Angeles lead.
The first few minutes of the second half proved to be a slow start for both teams as Boston piled 2–8 shooting while Los Angeles posted 2–11 shooting before the first full timeout. Gasol made a 20 foot jumper to give the Lakers their first points of the third quarter; Garnett responded by a 20-foot jumper. Shortly after making his third shot from beyond-the-arc, Pierce received his fourth foul sending him to the bench. Odom, who replaced a limping Bynum, also earned two fouls of his own in addition to bad passing. 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.
The Celtics continued their momentum into the fourth quarter eventually pulling to within one point after two minutes. After coming off the bench to replace a struggling Gasol in the fourth quarter, Derek Fisher made a 12-foot jumper in what would be another of his finest postseason performances in his career. He then made four consecutive shots to give the Lakers a 78–73 lead before earning a foul on Ray Allen. With 1:40 left in the game, Bryant made his lone shot of the quarter despite posting 25 points in the first three periods combined. Foul troubles for both Garnett and Pierce hurt the Celtics chances of closing the gap with the Lakers. Pierce made one final layup with five seconds left in the game, but the Lakers edged the Celtics with an 91–84 victory to take a 2–1 lead in the series. Bryant was the leading scorer of the game with 29 points; Garnett's 25 points bested all other Celtics players for Game 3. Derek Fisher scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Compared to his record eight three-point field goals in Game 2, Ray Allen went a near-record 0–13 in field goals for this game.
scored eight points in the quarter for Boston, while Pau Gasol
had eight points for Los Angeles. The Lakers rebounded to take a three-point lead entering halftime. Los Angeles maintained a two-point lead following the third quarter, in which Kobe Bryant
made three three-point baskets. 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 Celtics held an 11-point lead with 3:57 remaining, but the Lakers mounted a late comeback bid behind Bryant, who posted 10 of the final 12 points for Los Angeles. Three free throws with 1:08 remaining pulled the Lakers within 92–86, and they had an opportunity to get closer in the final minute; however, a Bryant pass was stolen by Rondo, who subsequently made a layup to extend the Celtics' lead. Pierce led Boston with 19 points in the game. The Celtics benefitted from strong bench play, as their reserves doubled the scoring of the Lakers' backups. Glen Davis
scored 18 points (nine in the fourth quarter) and Nate Robinson
added 12. For the Lakers, Bryant and Gasol, with 33 and 21 points respectively, accounted for most of the team's scoring. Andrew Bynum
was unable to play in the second half because of a knee injury.
suffered a serious knee injury in the first quarter, rendering the Celtics more vulnerable on defense and rebounding. The desperate Lakers opened up a massive lead, peaking at 27. The Lakers' bench had outscored Boston's bench 24–0 entering the fourth quarter.
It was later revealed that Perkins tore both his PCL
and MCL
, and he was ruled out for Game 7. His Lakers counterpart, Andrew Bynum
left the game early in the third quarter due to swelling in his knee from a torn meniscus. He, however, was not ruled out for Game 7.
At the start of the second quarter, the Lakers got back in the game by scoring 11 answered points to take a two-point lead over Boston. The lead proved to be brief, however, as Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett scored two-pointers to regain control the game. Nevertheless, the Lakers continued to score points with Ron Artest hitting 3 of his 4 free throws in the quarter to maintain a four point deficit from within Boston. Before the second quarter concluded, Paul Pierce sunk a pair of free throws to end the first half on a 40–34 lead.
The Celtics opened the second half going on a 9–3 run which widened their lead over the Lakers by as much as 13 points. The turning point for the Lakers however arrived after the team took a twenty second timeout. Bryant made a running jumper on a Lamar Odom assist in what would turn out to be a 6–2 run by the Lakers cutting their deficit to six points behind Boston. Pierce then scored hit a three pointer to restore the lead to nine. As the third quarter drew to a close, the Lakers continued their momentum as Byrant completed a 4-foot jumper while Gasol hit two free throws. Lakers reserve Lamar Odom made a tip shot to make the score 57–53 at the end of the quarter.
The Lakers' fortunes rode high midway through the fourth quarter as Fisher sunk a three-point field goal from 26-feet to tie the game at 64. Despite having a poor night offensively, Bryant hit two free throws and followed through with a 17-foot shot to give the Lakers a 68–64 lead, the team's first lead since early in the second quarter. Gasol hit two more free throws on a Garnett foul to extended that margin to six. The Celtics would not give up, however, and Wallace later hit a three-pointer to cut the Lakers' lead to 76–73. Although Artest exhibited shooting difficulties throughout the game, he answered in spectacular fashion by sinking a three point goal to restore his team's lead back to six. The Celtic offense suffered heavily in the fourth quarter as four key players (Garnett, Davis, Pierce, and Wallace) earned four or more personal fouls. Wallace would later depart from the game after fouling out. Bryant attained two more free throws on Wallace's foul to extend the lead to five. Rondo hit a 26-foot jumper to cut the Lakers' lead by two points, but the Celtics were forced to foul Sasha Vujacic consequently enabling the Laker guard to complete two free throws and help his team take a four point lead over Boston. With eleven seconds left in the game, Rondo made one last-ditch effort to revive the Celtics' hopes by attempting a three pointer. The ball missed the basket enabling Gasol to make a defensive rebound. Gasol passed the ball to Odom who quickly threw it to the opposite end of the court as the buzzer sounded. Bryant chased after the ball and rallied the Staples Center crowd in celebration of the Laker's 83–79 triumph over the Celtics.
In spite of his on-court struggles, Bryant ended up scoring a game-high 23 points, the most for any player in the game. Pierce lead the Celtics with 18 points and ten rebounds, but he shot a dismal 5–15 from the field. Notably, the Lakers out-rebounded the Celtics 53–40. After the game, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson hailed Artest, who scored 20 points in Game 7 including his last-second three pointer, as the "Most Valuable Player" of the game.
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;"
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! colspan="2" style="background-color: #6137ad; color: #ffcd35; text-align: center;" | 2010 Los Angeles Lakers Finals roster
|- style="background-color: #ffcd35;color: #6137ad; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #008040; color: white; text-align: center;" | 2010 Boston Celtics Finals roster
|- style="background-color: #efe196;color: #008040; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-
, Mark Jackson
and Jeff Van Gundy
provided commentary for the games. The Finals was also broadcast on ESPN Radio
, with Jim Durham
, Hubie Brown
and Jack Ramsay
calling the action. Game 1 was watched by 14.1 million viewers, the most watched Finals opening game since . The viewership for the opening game resulted in a ratings percentage of 8.6% of households in the United States. Game 7 had the highest average number of viewers with 28.2 million, since when 35.9 million watched the Chicago Bulls
defeat the Utah Jazz
in Game 6 of that year's Finals. The average number of viewers of 18.1 million, was the highest since . The flagship
radio stations of the respective teams broadcast all Series games with their local announcers. In Los Angeles, KSPN
carried the Lakers' English-language broadcasts, with Spero Dedes
and Mychal Thompson announcing, while KWKW
aired the team's Spanish broadcasts. In Boston, WEEI
carried the Celtics' English broadcasts with Sean Grande
and Cedric Maxwell
announcing.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|-
! Game !! Ratings
(households) !! Share
(households) !! American audience
(in millions)
|-
! 1
| 8.6 || 14 || 14.1
|-
! 2
| 9.2 || 15 || 15.5
|-
! 3
| 9.6 || 16 || 16.0
|-
! 4
| 9.9 || 18 || 16.4
|-
! 5
| 10.8 || 18 || 18.2
|-
! 6
| 10.4 || 18 || 18.0
|-
! 7
| 18.2 || 27 || 28.2
|}
Bill Walton
became the first and only (as of 2011) father and son to both have won multiple NBA championships Bill in and and Luke in and 2010.
On June 21, a victory parade took place for the Lakers. Unlike like previous years, however, there was no pep rally that followed after the end of the parade due to both security and financial reasons. The team was transported around on an open-air float equipped with loudspeakers enabling the players to talk to the spectators. The parade began at 11 a.m local time at Staples Center, turned east on Chick Heart Court
, turned south onto Figueroa Street
, then east onto Jefferson Boulevard
before entering beneath Interstate 110. The parade concluded at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Grand Avenue near the University of Southern California
's Galen Center
. Occasionally, Ron Artest
led the crowd in chanting "Boston sucks!" Over 65,000 people were estimated to have attended the parade. Most of the 2009–10 Lakers team were on hand to receive their championship ring
s before the start of the season opener against the Houston Rockets
on October 26. They also visited U.S. president Barack Obama
at the THEARC Boys and Girls Club in Washington, DC. in December 2010, presenting him with a banner declaring the Lakers as 2009–10 NBA World Champions.
In November, Time Capsule Press published a book entitled Journey to the Ring: Behind the Scenes with the 2010 NBA Champions Lakers. The book, written by coach Jackson, featured various photographs from sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein
chronicling the Lakers 2009–10 season en route to their triumph against the Celtics.
The following season, Lakers again won 57 games, but were unable to earn the top seed this time. Nevertheless, they won the Pacific Division
title for the fourth straight year. In the playoffs
, however, they were swept in the Conference Semifinals by the eventual champions Dallas Mavericks
. Head coach Phil Jackson
, who already announced the season was to be his last, subsequently retired. It was the first time Jackson had been swept in a playoff series as coach.
, a former Laker, and Jermaine O'Neal
. The Celtics were at the top of the Eastern Conference
during the All-Star break, but after trading Kendrick Perkins
to the Oklahoma City Thunder
, they sputtered to the third seed, yet still winning the Atlantic Division
with 56 wins. In the playoffs, however, the Celtics couldn't flick the switch this time, losing in the Conference Semifinals in five games to the eventual Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat
, who added LeBron James
and Chris Bosh
to join Dwyane Wade
.
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) championship series for the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, champions of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
and defending NBA champions, and the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, champions of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
. The Lakers defeated the Celtics, four games to three, to win the franchise's 16th NBA championship. The 64th edition of the championship series
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
was played between June 3 and June 17, was broadcast on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and was watched by an average of 18.1 million people.
The Celtics earned their berth into the playoffs
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
by winning the Atlantic Division
Atlantic Division (NBA)
The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Boston Celtics, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors...
. The Lakers won the Pacific Division
Pacific Division (NBA)
The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings...
to earn their berth. The Celtics reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference First Round, the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals, and defending Eastern conference champion Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals. The Lakers reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
in the best-of-seven Western Conference First Round, the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinals, and the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals. The NBA Finals were staged under a 2–3–2 rotation, with the Lakers holding home-court advantage as they had a better regular season record than the Celtics.
Repeated baskets from starters Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
, Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
, and Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
brought the Lakers victory in Game 1. A record breaking performance from Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
’s eight three-point baskets ensured the Celtics a Game 2 triumph. Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher
Derek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...
’s 11 points in the fourth quarter helped the Lakers win Game 3. The Celtics won Game 4; it didn't hurt that they netted an excellent performance in baskets by the team’s reserves, while Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
led the team to a Game 5 win with 27 points on 57% shooting from the floor. The Lakers avoided elimination by winning a decisive Game 6 on the back of the team’s 24 bench points. Although they trailed the Celtics as much as 13 points early in the third quarter, the Lakers secured their second consecutive championship by winning a tense and nail-biting Game 7 aided by last minute offense by Gasol and Artest and defensive rebounding. For the second year in a row, Bryant was named Most Valuable Player of the Finals, despite shooting 6 for 24 in the last game.
This was the first NBA Finals to go the full seven games since and only the fourth since the NBA switched the Finals to a 2–3–2 format in . With the Lakers victory in this series, they now trail the Celtics' seventeen championships by only one.
Series summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Thusday, June 3 | Los Angeles Lakers | 102–89 (1–0) | Boston Celtics |
| Game 2 | Sunday, June 6 | Los Angeles Lakers | 94–103 (1–1) | Boston Celtics |
| Game 3 | Tuesday, June 8 | Boston Celtics | 84–91 (1–2) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 4 | Thursday, June 10 | Boston Celtics | 96–89 (2–2) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 5 | Sunday, June 13 | Boston Celtics | 92–86 (3–2) | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Game 6 | Tuesday, June 15 | Los Angeles Lakers | 89–67 (3–3) | Boston Celtics |
| Game 7 | Thursday, June 17 | Los Angeles Lakers | 83–79 (4–3) | Boston Celtics |
The Lakers had won the previous season’s NBA Finals
2009 NBA Finals
The 2009 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2008-09 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and defending Western Conference champions, and the Orlando Magic, champions of the...
against the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
for the franchise's 15th championship. The Celtics won their previous NBA Finals appearance against the Lakers the year before. This was the 12th Finals played between the two rival teams. The Celtics won nine of their previous 11 Finals meetings against the Lakers, winning in , , , , , , , , and , while the Lakers won in and .
2010 NBA Playoffs
| Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... (Western Conference Western Conference (NBA) Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks.... Champion) | Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... (Eastern Conference Eastern Conference (NBA) The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all... Champion) |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| 57–25 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season The 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season is the 64th season of the franchise, 62nd in the National Basketball Association and 50th in Los Angeles. Coming off a championship in 2009, the Lakers successfully defended their title... (.695) 1st Pacific, 1st West, 3rd Overall |
Regular season 2009–10 NBA season The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010.... |
50–32 2009–10 Boston Celtics season The 2009–10 Boston Celtics season was the 64th season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association . The Celtics finished with a record of 50–32, a 12 win drop off from the previous season. They finished 1st in the Atlantic Division and 4th in the Eastern Conference... (.610) 1st Atlantic, 4th East, Tied-9th Overall |
|
| Defeated the (8) Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena.... , 4–2 |
First Round | Defeated the (5) Miami Heat Miami Heat The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami... , 4–1 |
|
| Defeated the (5) Utah Jazz Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... , 4–0 |
Conference Semifinals | Defeated the (1) Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team... , 4–2 |
|
| Defeated the (3) Phoenix Suns Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US... , 4–2 |
Conference Finals | Defeated the (2) Orlando Magic Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy... , 4–2 |
|
Regular-season series
The regular season series was split, with each team winning on the opponent's court by only a point:Boston Celtics
The Celtics finished the regular season as the Atlantic DivisionAtlantic Division (NBA)
The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Boston Celtics, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors...
champions with a 50–32 record. As the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
, they eliminated the No. 5 seeded Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
in five games during the first round in the playoffs. Then in the conference semifinals, Boston defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
in six games, the earliest that a top seed as been eliminated since the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
' first round loss to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in 2007
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics went on to eliminate the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in six games. In reaching the Finals the Boston Celtics became the first team in NBA history to do so with a better regular season road record than home. Also, the Boston Celtics became the second team in NBA history to reach the NBA Finals after beating the team with the best record, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
, and team with second-best record in the league, Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
, after the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
did it in their championship season of 1995
1995 NBA Finals
The 1995 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1994–95 NBA season. The series pitted the Orlando Magic against the Houston Rockets. The pre-series hype and build-up of the Finals was centered around the meeting of the two centers Shaquille O'Neal of the Magic and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets...
.
Los Angeles Lakers
After the Lakers won the Finals in the preceding year, the team management wasted no time in making changes to the roster. Their most notable offseason player change was when Trevor ArizaTrevor Ariza
Trevor Anthony Ariza is an American basketball player in the National Basketball Association who plays for the New Orleans Hornets. Primarily a small forward, he is listed at tall and 210 pounds.-Biography:...
departed to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
for free agent Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
. Longtime assistant coach and former head coach Kurt Rambis
Kurt Rambis
Darrell Kurt Rambis is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.-Biography:...
left the organization to pursue a head coaching position with the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
.
The Lakers finished the regular season as the Pacific Division
Pacific Division (NBA)
The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings...
champion, compiling a 57–25 record.
As the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
, they eliminated the No. 8 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
in six games during the Western Conference First Round Playoffs, with the final game ending when Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
missed a jumper but Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
grabbed the offensive rebound and made a layup to clinch the win. Then in the Western Conference Semifinals, Los Angeles swept the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in four games, earning their right to play in their third straight Western Conference Final. In the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
, the Lakers won both of their first two games at home, but proceeded to lose the next two in Phoenix both by 9 points. In Game 5, Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
made an off balance layup to beat the buzzer off a Kobe Bryant miss to give the Lakers the victory. The Lakers then proceeded to beat the Suns on their home floor in Game 6 led by Kobe Bryant's 37 points. The Game 6 victory gave the Lakers their 31st NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. The team also earned their third straight appearance in the Finals, the last team to do so being the Los Angeles Lakers themselves (during the three-peat of –).
Game summaries
- All times are in Eastern Daylight TimeEastern Time ZoneThe Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
(UTC−4).
Game 1
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 FarmarJordan Farmar
Jordan Robert Farmar is an American professional basketball point guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League and Euroleague. He is also under contract with the New Jersey Nets, and is expected to return to the team after the 2011 NBA lockout ends.In high school, he was the...
and Shannon Brown
Shannon Brown
Shannon Brown is an American professional basketball player who plays at the shooting guard and point guard positions. He last played in the National Basketball Association for the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown attended Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, was named Illinois Mr...
to end the quarter. Boston again started the 2nd quarter strong. However, Los Angeles managed to extend the lead 50–41 at the end of the first half with another run led by Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
and Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
. More of the same came in the 3rd quarter, as Los Angeles matched nearly all of Boston's attempts to get back in the game. 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. While the Celtics would try to get back into the game with Nate Robinson
Nate Robinson
Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder...
and 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
, they never got closer than 11 points. The game was capped off with a three-pointer by Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
with 3.6 seconds left, securing his 10th 30-point game in his last 11. Boston was outplayed by Los Angeles in nearly every statistical category, most notably in rebounding (31–42) and second-chance points (0–16). Much of the Celtics' performance came from Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
, who finished with 16 points (on 16 shots) and 2 rebounds. Ray Allen, who was hampered by foul trouble, finished with 12 points and 5 personal fouls.
Game 2
Boston came out much more aggressively to begin game 2. Los Angeles fought back (Pau GasolPau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
had nine points in the quarter) and managed to reduce Boston's lead to seven points at the end of the 1st quarter. In the 2nd quarter, Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
hit an impressive five three-pointers (only missing once) to add to the two that he hit in the first quarter. This explosive offensive output pushed Boston forward and allowed them to lead by as many as 14 points. Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
and Los Angeles put up a quick 7–0 run to end the first half to cut it to a 54–48 Boston lead. Foul trouble plagued players of both squads, with many players having three fouls going into the break. The Lakers would continue their attack and managed to take the lead 57–56 early in the 3rd. Both teams fought hard, leading to the 72–72 tie going into the 4th. The final quarter was dominated by the Celtics, though, as Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo
Rajon Pierre Rondo is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Rondo attended Eastern High School and Oak Hill Academy for his high-school basketball career, before receiving a...
's 10 points in the quarter helped tie the series 1–1. Rondo finished with an impressive triple-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, and Allen hit eight of 11 three-pointers to secure the NBA Finals record. Gasol finished strong again with eight rebounds and 25 points on only 10 shots (0 in the 4th quarter), while Bryant ended on 8-of-20 shooting.
The last Finals series to be tied at 1–1 after two games was the 2004 NBA Finals
2004 NBA Finals
The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage...
which involved the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
.
Game 3
The Lakers' 32–8 run continued well into the second quarter when Bryant completed a free throw after being fouled by forward Glen Davis
Glen Davis (basketball)
Ronald Glen Davis , commonly known as Glen Davis and by his nickname Big Baby, is an American basketball player who last played for the NBA's Boston Celtics...
en route to making a layup 43 seconds into the game. Further helping to widen the gap was Shannon Brown who made a 20-foot jumper from a Lamar Odom assist. Odom, Farmar, and Bynum also made shots to widen the score to 17 points above Boston. The Celtics would soon create their own comeback with a 11–4 run before the Lakers called for a full timeout. Bryant made jumper on a Gasol assist while Pierce shot another three-pointer on a Rondo assist. The final two minutes of the first half ended in a shootout both Celtics and Lakers starters resulting in a 52–40 Los Angeles lead.
The first few minutes of the second half proved to be a slow start for both teams as Boston piled 2–8 shooting while Los Angeles posted 2–11 shooting before the first full timeout. Gasol made a 20 foot jumper to give the Lakers their first points of the third quarter; Garnett responded by a 20-foot jumper. Shortly after making his third shot from beyond-the-arc, Pierce received his fourth foul sending him to the bench. Odom, who replaced a limping Bynum, also earned two fouls of his own in addition to bad passing. The Celtics soon took advantage of the Lakers problems when Davis, Tony Allen, and Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
managed to successfully hit several critical shots to end the quarter on a six point deficit.
The Celtics continued their momentum into the fourth quarter eventually pulling to within one point after two minutes. After coming off the bench to replace a struggling Gasol in the fourth quarter, Derek Fisher made a 12-foot jumper in what would be another of his finest postseason performances in his career. He then made four consecutive shots to give the Lakers a 78–73 lead before earning a foul on Ray Allen. With 1:40 left in the game, Bryant made his lone shot of the quarter despite posting 25 points in the first three periods combined. Foul troubles for both Garnett and Pierce hurt the Celtics chances of closing the gap with the Lakers. Pierce made one final layup with five seconds left in the game, but the Lakers edged the Celtics with an 91–84 victory to take a 2–1 lead in the series. Bryant was the leading scorer of the game with 29 points; Garnett's 25 points bested all other Celtics players for Game 3. Derek Fisher scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Compared to his record eight three-point field goals in Game 2, Ray Allen went a near-record 0–13 in field goals for this game.
Game 4
After the first quarter, the Celtics held a 19–16 lead; Paul PiercePaul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
scored eight points in the quarter for Boston, while Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
had eight points for Los Angeles. The Lakers rebounded to take a three-point lead entering halftime. Los Angeles maintained a two-point lead following the third quarter, in which Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
made three three-point baskets. 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 Celtics held an 11-point lead with 3:57 remaining, but the Lakers mounted a late comeback bid behind Bryant, who posted 10 of the final 12 points for Los Angeles. Three free throws with 1:08 remaining pulled the Lakers within 92–86, and they had an opportunity to get closer in the final minute; however, a Bryant pass was stolen by Rondo, who subsequently made a layup to extend the Celtics' lead. Pierce led Boston with 19 points in the game. The Celtics benefitted from strong bench play, as their reserves doubled the scoring of the Lakers' backups. Glen Davis
Glen Davis (basketball)
Ronald Glen Davis , commonly known as Glen Davis and by his nickname Big Baby, is an American basketball player who last played for the NBA's Boston Celtics...
scored 18 points (nine in the fourth quarter) and Nate Robinson
Nate Robinson
Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder...
added 12. For the Lakers, Bryant and Gasol, with 33 and 21 points respectively, accounted for most of the team's scoring. Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year, breaking Jermaine...
was unable to play in the second half because of a knee injury.
Game 5
Boston started the game with a 6–0 run, and ended the first quarter leading by 2 on a strong performance by Paul Pierce. After a short Laker run, the Celtics pushed the lead to 6 by the end of the half, with Pierce shooting 7–10, scoring 15 points, despite the Celtics only getting to the free-throw line six times. Pierce's three-pointer pushed the Celtics' lead to double digits, 50–39, early in the third quarter, but the Lakers chipped away at that lead to bring it down to 8, as the Celtics went into the fourth quarter attempting to maintain a 73–65 advantage. With the Celtics leading by 12 with less than three minutes to play, seven straight free throws by the Lakers cut the lead to 87–82 with a little over 40 seconds in the game. On an inbounds play, Garnett lobbed the ball to Pierce, who, while falling out of bounds, hurled it toward a streaking Rondo, who layed it up and in, essentially icing the game with a 7-point lead with 35 seconds to play. Garnett chipped in with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Rondo played well, shooting 9–12 from the floor for 18 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. The game featured a 38-point performance by Bryant (hitting numerous shots in the 3rd quarter), being the only Lakers player to score over 12 points and one of only two in double figures. Pierce, on the other hand, would dominate the game with 27 points on 57% shooting from the floor.Game 6
The Lakers returned to Los Angeles with a 3–2 deficit in the series. This was an elimination game for them, and the Celtics were one game away from the championship. Boston starting center Kendrick PerkinsKendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins is an American professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA....
suffered a serious knee injury in the first quarter, rendering the Celtics more vulnerable on defense and rebounding. The desperate Lakers opened up a massive lead, peaking at 27. The Lakers' bench had outscored Boston's bench 24–0 entering the fourth quarter.
It was later revealed that Perkins tore both his PCL
Posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur...
and MCL
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
, and he was ruled out for Game 7. His Lakers counterpart, Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year, breaking Jermaine...
left the game early in the third quarter due to swelling in his knee from a torn meniscus. He, however, was not ruled out for Game 7.
Game 7
This game was the first Game 7 in an NBA Finals since five years earlier. Christina Aguilera reprised her role as singer of the national anthem for the second straight game. Derek Fisher was the first player to post up points on the board via a three-point field goal on a Pau Gasol assist. Rasheed Wallace answered back with a 8-foot jumper. Both the Celtics and Lakers kept the game close early in the first quarter with the each team holding a one-point lead. Suddenly, the Lakers offense began to falter with the starters missing field goals and easy layups. The Celtics utilize their opponents struggles widen their lead. After the team their first full timeout, the Celtics managed to outscored the Lakers 6–1 with Glen Davis scoring four of Boston's points during that period to take a 23–14 lead ending the first quarter. Notably, Kobe Bryant missed a free throw giving the Lakers their lone point within that same time frame.At the start of the second quarter, the Lakers got back in the game by scoring 11 answered points to take a two-point lead over Boston. The lead proved to be brief, however, as Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett scored two-pointers to regain control the game. Nevertheless, the Lakers continued to score points with Ron Artest hitting 3 of his 4 free throws in the quarter to maintain a four point deficit from within Boston. Before the second quarter concluded, Paul Pierce sunk a pair of free throws to end the first half on a 40–34 lead.
The Celtics opened the second half going on a 9–3 run which widened their lead over the Lakers by as much as 13 points. The turning point for the Lakers however arrived after the team took a twenty second timeout. Bryant made a running jumper on a Lamar Odom assist in what would turn out to be a 6–2 run by the Lakers cutting their deficit to six points behind Boston. Pierce then scored hit a three pointer to restore the lead to nine. As the third quarter drew to a close, the Lakers continued their momentum as Byrant completed a 4-foot jumper while Gasol hit two free throws. Lakers reserve Lamar Odom made a tip shot to make the score 57–53 at the end of the quarter.
The Lakers' fortunes rode high midway through the fourth quarter as Fisher sunk a three-point field goal from 26-feet to tie the game at 64. Despite having a poor night offensively, Bryant hit two free throws and followed through with a 17-foot shot to give the Lakers a 68–64 lead, the team's first lead since early in the second quarter. Gasol hit two more free throws on a Garnett foul to extended that margin to six. The Celtics would not give up, however, and Wallace later hit a three-pointer to cut the Lakers' lead to 76–73. Although Artest exhibited shooting difficulties throughout the game, he answered in spectacular fashion by sinking a three point goal to restore his team's lead back to six. The Celtic offense suffered heavily in the fourth quarter as four key players (Garnett, Davis, Pierce, and Wallace) earned four or more personal fouls. Wallace would later depart from the game after fouling out. Bryant attained two more free throws on Wallace's foul to extend the lead to five. Rondo hit a 26-foot jumper to cut the Lakers' lead by two points, but the Celtics were forced to foul Sasha Vujacic consequently enabling the Laker guard to complete two free throws and help his team take a four point lead over Boston. With eleven seconds left in the game, Rondo made one last-ditch effort to revive the Celtics' hopes by attempting a three pointer. The ball missed the basket enabling Gasol to make a defensive rebound. Gasol passed the ball to Odom who quickly threw it to the opposite end of the court as the buzzer sounded. Bryant chased after the ball and rallied the Staples Center crowd in celebration of the Laker's 83–79 triumph over the Celtics.
In spite of his on-court struggles, Bryant ended up scoring a game-high 23 points, the most for any player in the game. Pierce lead the Celtics with 18 points and ten rebounds, but he shot a dismal 5–15 from the field. Notably, the Lakers out-rebounded the Celtics 53–40. After the game, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson hailed Artest, who scored 20 points in Game 7 including his last-second three pointer, as the "Most Valuable Player" of the game.
Awards
- 2010 NBA Champion: Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
- Finals MVP: Kobe BryantKobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
Statistics
| Category | |High | |Average | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... | |Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... | |Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... | |Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... |
|||||
| Player | Total | Player | Total | Player | Avg. | Player | Avg. | |
| Points Point (basketball) Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws .... |
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school... |
38 | Ray Allen Ray Allen Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of... |
32 | Kobe Bryant | 28.6 | Paul Pierce Paul Pierce Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the... |
18.0 |
| Rebounds Rebound (basketball) A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made... |
Pau Gasol Pau Gasol Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain... |
18 | Rajon Rondo Rajon Rondo Rajon Pierre Rondo is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Rondo attended Eastern High School and Oak Hill Academy for his high-school basketball career, before receiving a... |
12 | Pau Gasol | 11.6 | Rajon Rondo | 6.3 |
| Assists Assist (basketball) In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist... |
Pau Gasol | 9 | Rajon Rondo | 10 | Kobe Bryant | 3.9 | Rajon Rondo | 7.6 |
| Steals Steal (basketball) In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player... |
Ron Artest Ron Artest Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004... |
5 | Kevin Garnett Kevin Garnett Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he... |
5 | Kobe Bryant | 2.1 | Rajon Rondo | 1.6 |
| Blocks Block (basketball) In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot... |
Andrew Bynum Andrew Bynum Andrew Bynum is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year, breaking Jermaine... |
7 | Kevin Garnett | 4 | Pau Gasol | 2.6 | Kevin Garnett | 1.3 |
Rosters
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;"
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! colspan="2" style="background-color: #6137ad; color: #ffcd35; text-align: center;" | 2010 Los Angeles Lakers Finals roster
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! Players !! Coaches
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{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color: #008040; color: white; text-align: center;" | 2010 Boston Celtics Finals roster
|- style="background-color: #efe196;color: #008040; text-align: center;"
! Players !! Coaches
|-
| valign="top" |
{| class="sortable" style="background:transparent; margin:0px; width:100%;"
! Pos. !! # !! Nat. !! Name !! Ht. !! Wt. !! From
|-
Broadcasting
For the eighth consecutive year in the United States, ABC televised the Finals. Mike BreenMike Breen
Michael "Mike" Breen is a play-by-play commentator for the NBA on ABC and the lead commentator for New York Knicks games on the MSG network...
, Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson (basketball)
Mark A. Jackson is a retired American professional basketball player and the current head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He played point guard for the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets in the NBA in a career...
and Jeff Van Gundy
Jeff Van Gundy
Jeffrey William "Jeff" Van Gundy is a former American basketball head coach. He coached most recently with the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets...
provided commentary for the games. The Finals was also broadcast on ESPN Radio
NBA on ESPN Radio
The NBA on ESPN Radio is a broadcast of National Basketball Association games on the ESPN Radio network. Games on ESPN Radio are distributed on over 200 radio stations in the United States and Canada. The program began on January 21, 1996 and the current contract runs through the 2015-2016 season...
, with Jim Durham
Jim Durham
Jim Durham is an American sportscaster.Since 1995, he has called numerous National Basketball Association games for ESPN and ESPN Radio. Durham has spent more than 32 years calling NBA games on TV and radio; his previous assignments were with the Chicago Bulls, the Dallas Mavericks, TNT and TBS...
, Hubie Brown
Hubie Brown
Hubert Jude "Hubie" Brown is a retired American basketball coach and a current television analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years...
and Jack Ramsay
Jack Ramsay
Jack T. Ramsay is an American former basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" . He is best known for coaching the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA Title, and for his broadcasting work with the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat, and for ESPN TV and ESPN Radio...
calling the action. Game 1 was watched by 14.1 million viewers, the most watched Finals opening game since . The viewership for the opening game resulted in a ratings percentage of 8.6% of households in the United States. Game 7 had the highest average number of viewers with 28.2 million, since when 35.9 million watched the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
defeat the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in Game 6 of that year's Finals. The average number of viewers of 18.1 million, was the highest since . The flagship
Flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship is the broadcast which originates a television network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and broadcast syndication, but generally not backhauls...
radio stations of the respective teams broadcast all Series games with their local announcers. In Los Angeles, KSPN
KSPN
KSPN may refer to:* KSPN , a radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States* KSPN-FM, a radio station licensed to Aspen, Colorado, United States...
carried the Lakers' English-language broadcasts, with Spero Dedes
Spero Dedes
Spero Dedes is a Greek-American sportscaster born in Paramus, New Jersey. He is a graduate of Paramus High School and a 2001 graduate of Fordham University in New York....
and Mychal Thompson announcing, while KWKW
KWKW
KWKW is an American radio station licensed to serve Los Angeles, California. The station is owned by Lotus Communications Corporation.KWKW is one of the oldest Spanish-language radio stations in the Greater Los Angeles area...
aired the team's Spanish broadcasts. In Boston, WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
carried the Celtics' English broadcasts with Sean Grande
Sean Grande
Sean David Grande is an American television and radio sportscaster.Grande provides play-by-play coverage alongside analyst Cedric Maxwell for all Boston Celtics games. The duo is known as “Grande and Max.” As of the 2008-2009 season, only legendary Celtic voices Johnny Most and Mike Gorman have...
and Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Maxwell
Cedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
announcing.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|-
! Game !! Ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
(households) !! Share
(households) !! American audience
(in millions)
|-
! 1
| 8.6 || 14 || 14.1
|-
! 2
| 9.2 || 15 || 15.5
|-
! 3
| 9.6 || 16 || 16.0
|-
! 4
| 9.9 || 18 || 16.4
|-
! 5
| 10.8 || 18 || 18.2
|-
! 6
| 10.4 || 18 || 18.0
|-
! 7
| 18.2 || 27 || 28.2
|}
Impact and aftermath
Lakers head coach Phil Jackson earned his 11th title, further extending his record for most championships earned by either an NBA coach or any coach/manager in a major North American professional sports league. Bryant won his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP Award. He later said that this championship win was the "sweetest" because it was against the longtime, storied rivals and was the toughest series by far. Furthermore, Lakers forward Luke Walton and his father Hall of FamerBasketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
Bill Walton
Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
became the first and only (as of 2011) father and son to both have won multiple NBA championships Bill in and and Luke in and 2010.
Lakers
The series win brought the Lakers' franchise NBA championship total to 16, second only to the Celtics' 17 championships. This also marked the 11th title for the team since moving from Minneapolis in 1960, and it was the franchise's fifth Finals win in eleven seasons. Notably, this was the Lakers' first Game 7 win over the Celtics in Finals history, Boston had won all previous matchups. Moreover, the Lakers were now 3–9 against Boston since the two teams first competed against each other in the NBA Finals.On June 21, a victory parade took place for the Lakers. Unlike like previous years, however, there was no pep rally that followed after the end of the parade due to both security and financial reasons. The team was transported around on an open-air float equipped with loudspeakers enabling the players to talk to the spectators. The parade began at 11 a.m local time at Staples Center, turned east on Chick Heart Court
Los Angeles streets, 11-40
This article covers streets in Los Angeles, California between and including 11th Street and 40th Street. Major streets have their own linked articles; minor streets are discussed here.These streets run parallel to each other, roughly east-west....
, turned south onto Figueroa Street
Figueroa Street
Figueroa Street is a street in Los Angeles County, California named for General José Figueroa , governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835, who oversaw the secularization of the missions of California...
, then east onto Jefferson Boulevard
Jefferson Boulevard
Jefferson Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles and Culver City. Its eastern terminus is at Central Avenue east of Exposition Park. At its entrance to Culver City, it splits with National Boulevard. North of Sawtelle Boulevard, it merges with Sepulveda Boulevard...
before entering beneath Interstate 110. The parade concluded at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Grand Avenue near the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
's Galen Center
Galen Center
The Galen Center is a multipurpose indoor arena and athletic facility owned and operated by the University of Southern California. Located at the southeast corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles, it is right across the street from the campus and...
. Occasionally, Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
led the crowd in chanting "Boston sucks!" Over 65,000 people were estimated to have attended the parade. Most of the 2009–10 Lakers team were on hand to receive their championship ring
Championship ring
A championship ring is a ring presented to members of winning teams in professional sports leagues, and—in North America—college tournaments. In recent years, it has become common for American, and Canadian high schools to give championship rings to teams that win the state or provincial...
s before the start of the season opener against the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
on October 26. They also visited U.S. president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
at the THEARC Boys and Girls Club in Washington, DC. in December 2010, presenting him with a banner declaring the Lakers as 2009–10 NBA World Champions.
In November, Time Capsule Press published a book entitled Journey to the Ring: Behind the Scenes with the 2010 NBA Champions Lakers. The book, written by coach Jackson, featured various photographs from sports photographer Andrew D. Bernstein
Andrew D. Bernstein
Andrew D. Bernstein is the Senior Director of NBA Photos, NBA Entertainment.-Photography career:Currently the Senior Director of NBA Photos, Bernstein has served as the official photographer for the NBA since 1986....
chronicling the Lakers 2009–10 season en route to their triumph against the Celtics.
The following season, Lakers again won 57 games, but were unable to earn the top seed this time. Nevertheless, they won the Pacific Division
Pacific Division (NBA)
The Pacific Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings...
title for the fourth straight year. In the playoffs
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
, however, they were swept in the Conference Semifinals by the eventual champions Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
. Head coach Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
, who already announced the season was to be his last, subsequently retired. It was the first time Jackson had been swept in a playoff series as coach.
Celtics
Peter May of ESPN Boston attributed Boston's loss in the Finals to the lack of rebounding, especially in the last two games. The Celtics made key changes in the offseason, bringing in Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, a former Laker, and Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine Lee O'Neal is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. The 6 ft 11 in , 255 lb forward-center had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of high school...
. The Celtics were at the top of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
during the All-Star break, but after trading Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins is an American professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA....
to the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
, they sputtered to the third seed, yet still winning the Atlantic Division
Atlantic Division (NBA)
The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Boston Celtics, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors...
with 56 wins. In the playoffs, however, the Celtics couldn't flick the switch this time, losing in the Conference Semifinals in five games to the eventual Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
, who added LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
and Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....
to join Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...
.