By Ron Griffitts
Contributing columnist
In June 2010, the Los Angeles Lakers (57-25) coached by Phil Jackson with govt Mitch Kupchak met the Boston Celtics (50-32) coached by Doc Rivers and had as their govt Danny Ainge in a rematch of the 2008 finals.
The Lakers dispatched the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (4-2), Utah Jazz (4-0) and the Phoenix Suns (3-2) for the proper to face the Celtics within the finals.
They had been led by perennial all-star Kobe Bryant (27.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.0 apg), Pau Gasol (18.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 3.4 apg), Metta World Peace (11.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg), Lamar Odom (10.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg) and Andrew Bynum (15.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg).
The Celtics acquired previous the Miami Warmth (4-1), the Cleveland Cavaliers (4-2) and the Orlando Magic (4-2) to get to the finals and had been led by Rajon Rondo (13.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 9.8 rpg), Ray Allen (16.3 ppg, ), Paul Pierce (18.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Kevin Garnett (14.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and Kendrick Perkins (10.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg).
Sport one was within the Staples Middle in LA. The Lakers acquired off to a 26-21 first quarter lead and outscored the Celtics within the second and third quarters for a 102-99 win.
They had been led by Kobe Bryant with 30 factors and Pau Gasol with 23 factors and 14 rebounds, whereas Paul Pierce led Boston with 23 factors.
The Celtics responded in recreation two with sturdy first and fourth quarters to come back away with a 103-94 win to tie up the sequence at a recreation every. Ray Allen scored 32 factors, Rajon Rondo added 19 and had 12 rebounds and 10 assists. For Los Angeles, Pau Gasol had 25 factors and Kobe Bryant added 21 as did Andrew Bynum.
For recreation three, the groups switched to the east coast to TD Backyard in Boston and the Lakers elevated their defensive stress for a 91-84 win to take a one recreation sequence lead.
Kobe Bryant had 29 factors and Pau Gasol and Andres Bynum every pulled down 10 rebounds whereas Kevin Garnett lead the Celtics with 25 factors and Kendrick Perkins had 11 rebounds.
Sport 4 was a detailed recreation with the Lakers main 62-60 after three quarters however the Celts went on a 36-27 fourth quarter run to win the sport 96-89 and tie the sequence at two video games every.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 33 factors and Pau Gasol added 21 whereas Boston featured a balanced scoring with Paul Pierce getting 19 factors and Glen Davis contributing 18 off the bench.
Sport 5, nonetheless in Boston, had the Celtics sustain their stress as regardless of 38 factors by Kobe Bryant and 12 rebounds by Pau Gasol the Lakers misplaced 92-86 because the Celtics edged forward within the sequence three video games to 2.
For Boston, Paul Pierce had 27 factors and Kevin Garnett added 18 extra and pulled down 10 rebounds because the groups swap to LA for recreation six.
The Lakers responded with a powerful defensive effort holding the Celtics to solely 67 factors as they tied the sequence at 3-3 with an 89-67 win behind Pau Gasol’s 17 factors and 13 rebounds and Kobe Bryant’s 26 factors and 11 rebounds. Ray Allen led Boston with 19 factors.
In recreation seven after the Celtics took a 23-14 first quarter lead, Los Angeles chipped away on the Celtic lead and got here away with an 83-79 win for the sport and their sixteenth NBA title.
They out rebounded Boston 53-40 with Kobe Brant garnering 15 rebounds in addition to 23 factors, ten of which had been within the fourth quarter. Pau Gasol had 19 factors and 18 rebounds and Metta World Peace had 20 factors for LA whereas Paul Pierce had 19 for the Celtics.
Kobe Bryant acquired his second consecutive sequence MVP award and the Lakers had been again in 2020 and the Celtics returned to the finals in 2022.
The victory over the Celtics was candy for the Lakers as courting again to the 1950’s Boston received their first eight NBA finals’ conferences earlier than the Lakers lastly defeated the Celtics in 1985.
Statistics for this text had been from basketball reference.com.
Originally posted 2023-04-29 14:49:00.