2010 NBA Finals Game 7 vs Los Angeles Lakers
Lakers defeat Celtics 4–3 in 2010 NBA Finals.
The 2010 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2009–10 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs, held from June 3 to 17, 2010. A best-of-seven playoff series, it was contested between the Western Conference champion and defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. It was their twelfth Finals meeting overall, and their most recent to date. The Lakers earned home court advantage for finishing the regular season with a better record. After the Lakers won the opening game at home, the Celtics led 3–2 entering Game 6 before the Lakers won the next two games. Kobe Bryant was named the Most Valuable Player of the Finals for the second consecutive year.
- Final Score
- Boston Celtics 83, Los Angeles Lakers 79
- Series Result
- Celtics win 4-3
- Key Player (Celtics)
- Paul Pierce (24 points)
- Key Player (Lakers)
- Kobe Bryant (23 points)
- Venue
- Staples Center, Los Angeles
- Date
- June 17, 2010
Lore & Background
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 in 2008. 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 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1984, and 2008, while the Lakers won in 1985 and 1987.
In Their Own Story
The air inside Staples Center hung thick and stale, heavy with the collective exhaustion of seven grueling games. Paul Pierce moved with a visible limp, his legs screaming from the series' brutality, yet his eyes remained locked on Kobe Bryant. With forty seconds remaining and the score knotted, the roar of the sea of purple and gold was a deafening wall, but the Celtics heard only the rhythmic thud of their own hearts. Pierce drove into the teeth of the defense, absorbing contact before kicking it out to Ray Allen in the corner. For a heartbeat, time suspended itself. The ball left Allen's fingertips, tracing a perfect arc against the harsh arena lights. It swished through the net—a sound sharp as a knife cutting through the noise. The Celtics had done it again.
Reader's Guide
The series was tied 1–1 after two games. The Celtics led 3–2 entering Game 6 before the Lakers won the next two games. The final score of Game 7 was Los Angeles Lakers 83, Boston Celtics 79. The Lakers won the series 4–3.
Did You Know?
- This was the only Finals in the 2010s that didn't feature the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, or the Golden State Warriors.
- The Celtics became the first team in NBA history to reach the Finals with a better regular season road record than home.
- Ray Allen hit eight of 11 three-pointers in Game 2, breaking a Finals record previously set by Kenny Smith in 1995.
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