2010 NBA playoffs

Last updated

2010 NBA playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 17–June 17, 2010
Season 2009–10
Teams16
Final positions
Champions Los Angeles Lakers (16th title)
Runner-up Boston Celtics
Semifinalists
←  2009
2011  →

The 2010 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2009-10 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year.

Contents

Overview

Western Conference

For the 2nd time in 3 seasons and the first time since 2008, all Western Conference playoff teams had at least 50 wins. The 7 games separating 1–8 was tied for the smallest margin, also from 2008.

The Phoenix Suns returned to the playoffs after a one-season absence.

The Oklahoma City Thunder made their first playoff appearance since relocating from Seattle in 2008; the team's last appearance was as the Seattle SuperSonics in 2005. They made the most of their debut playoff appearance, pushing the eventual champion Lakers to six games.

The Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder entered the playoffs tied with 50 regular season wins. The Trail Blazers won the overall tie breaker, and were seeded sixth. The Spurs and Thunder were seeded seventh and eighth, respectively.

Eastern Conference

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the NBA Playoffs with the league's best record for the second straight season. Their 61 wins in the NBA was the smallest win total for best record since the Pacers won 61 in 2004. [1] However, due to LeBron James joining the Miami Heat the following season, this would be the Cavaliers' last postseason appearance until 2015, which was also James' first season back with the Cavaliers.

The Boston Celtics, who won the Atlantic Division, entered the playoffs as a fourth seed. This would be the first time since 2008 that this occurred.

The Charlotte Bobcats made their first playoff appearance in franchise history, and the first in the Charlotte NBA team's history since 2002.

The Detroit Pistons missed the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

First Round

Games 3, 4, and 6 of the Lakers-Thunder series were the first playoff games ever played at Ford Center (the arena's former tenants, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, didn't play a single playoff game in the building).

With their first round win over the Chicago Bulls, The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Bulls in a playoff series for the first time since The Shot .

With their first round win over the Dallas Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs became the first seventh seed since 1998 (and fifth overall) to beat a second seeded team in a playoff series. This would not happen again until 2023, when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies. In addition, the Spurs also avenged their own series losses to the Mavericks, who beat them twice in the previous four seasons. It was also the Spurs’ first series win against the Mavericks since 2003.

With their first round loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks earned the dubious distinction of losing 3 first round series while holding the top 2 playoff seeds. They lost to the seventh-seeded San Antonio Spurs in 6. They have also lost a playoff series against the Seattle SuperSonics (1987, as the second seed) and the Golden State Warriors (2007, as the top seed).

Conference Semifinals

With a conference semifinals sweep over the seventh–seeded San Antonio Spurs, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Spurs in the postseason for the first time since 2000. Prior to this, the Spurs won the previous four meetings. The Suns also made the conference finals for the first time since 2006.

With a conference semifinals sweep of the Atlanta Hawks, the Orlando Magic became the third team in NBA history to go 8–0 through the first two rounds of the playoffs. As of 2024, this remains the Magic's most recent series victory.

The Cavaliers–Celtics series was extremely notable because marked the first time that each team lost a home playoff game by record margins: Boston lost Game 3 124–95; Cleveland lost Game 5 120–88. The Cavaliers' second round playoff exit (4–2 vs. Boston) was the earliest for the top seed since the Dallas Mavericks' first round loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2007. Game 6 of the same series was LeBron James’ last game with the Cleveland Cavaliers until 2014.

Conference Finals

Game 5 of the Magic-Celtics series was the last game played at Amway Arena (formerly known as Orlando Arena and TD Waterhouse Centre).

With a Game 6 win over the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. With the win, the Celtics avenged the Magic for last year's Game 7 loss. With the loss, the Magic, who last year upset the top-seeded Cavaliers in 6 (after they went 8–0 through the first two rounds), suffered the same fate as last season's Cavaliers by becoming the third straight team to go 8–0 through the first two rounds, only to lose in the conference finals.

With a Game 6 win over the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals for the third straight season. In addition, the Lakers avenged the Suns for their first round losses in 2006 (in which the Lakers led 3–1 before losing the series) and 2007. The Suns would not return to the playoffs until 2021.

NBA Finals

The 2010 NBA Finals featured a 2008 Finals rematch between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, marking the first time since 2005 that the last two NBA Champions met in the NBA Finals.

The 2010 NBA Finals would be the last NBA Finals featuring Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Rasheed Wallace. It would also be the last NBA Finals to feature Phil Jackson as a head coach.

With a Game 7 win, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Celtics, who defeated them in the 2008 NBA Finals, to win their 16th NBA Championship. The Lakers also became the third team under the 2-3-2 format to come back from a 3–2 deficit to win the final two games at home (the other two teams being their 1988 team and the 1994 Houston Rockets. The Lakers would not return to the NBA Finals until 2020, while the Celtics would not return until 2022.

Format

The 3 division winners and 5 other teams with the most wins from each conference qualified for the playoffs. The seedings are based on each team's record; however, a division winner is guaranteed to be ranked at least fourth, regardless of record.

Tiebreak procedures

The tiebreakers that determine seedings were:

  1. Division leader wins tie from team not leading a division
  2. Head-to-head record
  3. Division record (if the teams are in the same division)
  4. Conference record
  5. Record vs. playoff teams, own conference
  6. Record vs. playoff teams, other conference
  7. Point differential, all games

If there were more than two teams tied, the team that wins the tiebreaker get the highest seed, while the other teams were "re-broken" from the first step until all ties were resolved. Since the three division winners were guaranteed a spot in the top four, ties to determine the division winners had to be broken before any other ties. [2]

Playoff qualifying

Eastern Conference

Team standings progression on the teams that qualified for the playoffs. 2010 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs qualifying.png
Team standings progression on the teams that qualified for the playoffs.
SeedTeamWinsClinched
Playoff berthDivision titleBest record
in Conference		Best record
in NBA
1 Cleveland Cavaliers 61March 8 [3] March 17 [4] April 2 [5] April 4 [6]
2 Orlando Magic 59March 16 [7] April 5 [8] ——
3 Atlanta Hawks 53March 21 [9] ———
4 Boston Celtics 50March 24 [10] March 26 [11] ——
5 Miami Heat 47April 6 [12] ———
6 Milwaukee Bucks 46April 6 [13] ———
7 Charlotte Bobcats 44April 6 [14] ———
8 Chicago Bulls 41April 14 [15] ———

Western Conference

Team standings progression on the teams that qualified for the playoffs. 2010 NBA Western Conference Playoffs qualifying.png
Team standings progression on the teams that qualified for the playoffs.
SeedTeamWinsTiebreakerClinched
Playoff berthDivision titleBest record
in Conference
1 Los Angeles Lakers 57—March 19 [16] April 3 [17] April 9 [18]
2 Dallas Mavericks 55—March 26 [19] April 9 [20] —
3 Phoenix Suns 54—March 30 [21] ——
4 Denver Nuggets 533–1 vs. UTAMarch 28 [22] April 14 [23] —
5 Utah Jazz 531–3 vs. DENMarch 28 [24] ——
6 Portland Trail Blazers 506–1 vs. SA and OKCMarch 31 [25] ——
7 San Antonio Spurs 503–4 vs. POR and OKCApril 4 [26] ——
8 Oklahoma City Thunder 502–6 vs. POR and SAApril 3 [27] ——

— = Not Applicable

Home-court advantage

The team with the better record earned the home-court advantage through any playoff round, regardless of seeding. (The NBA is the only one of the four major North American leagues that awards home advantage based strictly on record.)

RankTeamConferenceDivisionWinsLosses
1 Cleveland Cavaliers Eastern Central 6121
2 Orlando Magic Eastern Southeast 5923
3 Los Angeles Lakers Western Pacific 5725
4 Dallas Mavericks Western Southwest 5527
5 Phoenix Suns Western Pacific 5428
6 Denver Nuggets Western Northwest 5329
7 Atlanta Hawks Eastern Southeast 5329
8 Utah Jazz Western Northwest 5329
9 Boston Celtics Eastern Atlantic 5032
10 Portland Trail Blazers Western Northwest 5032
11 San Antonio Spurs Western Southwest 5032
12 Oklahoma City Thunder Western Northwest 5032
13 Miami Heat Eastern Southeast 4735
14 Milwaukee Bucks Eastern Central 4636
15 Charlotte Bobcats Eastern Southeast 4438
16 Chicago Bulls Eastern Central 4141

Bracket

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage in the NBA Finals does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record (for example, the 4th seed in the Western Conference could have a better regular season record than the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference and would therefore have home court advantage if the two met in the Finals); teams with home court advantage are shown in italics.

First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
            
E1 Cleveland * 4
E8 Chicago 1
E1 Cleveland* 2
E4Boston* 4
E4 Boston * 4
E5 Miami 1
E4Boston* 4
Eastern Conference
E2 Orlando* 2
E3 Atlanta 4
E6 Milwaukee 3
E3 Atlanta 0
E2Orlando* 4
E2 Orlando * 4
E7 Charlotte 0
E4 Boston* 3
W1LA Lakers* 4
W1 LA Lakers * 4
W8 Oklahoma City 2
W1LA Lakers* 4
W5 Utah 0
W4 Denver * 2
W5 Utah 4
W1LA Lakers* 4
Western Conference
W3 Phoenix 2
W3 Phoenix 4
W6 Portland 2
W3Phoenix4
W7 San Antonio 0
W2 Dallas * 2
W7 San Antonio 4

First round

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)

Eastern Conference first round

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Chicago Bulls

ABC
April 17
3:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 83, Cleveland Cavaliers 96
Scoring by quarter: 18–32, 23–24, 19–17, 23–23
Pts: Derrick Rose 28
Rebs: Hinrich, Noah 8 each
Asts: Derrick Rose 10		Pts: LeBron James 24
Rebs: Anderson Varejão 15
Asts: Mo Williams 10
Cleveland leads series, 1–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Eddie Rush, Bob Delaney, John Goble
TNT
April 19
8:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 102, Cleveland Cavaliers 112
Scoring by quarter: 22–28, 28–24, 27–25, 25–35
Pts: Joakim Noah 25
Rebs: Joakim Noah 13
Asts: Derrick Rose 8		Pts: LeBron James 40
Rebs: LeBron James 8
Asts: LeBron James 8
Cleveland leads series, 2–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Joe Crawford, Ron Garretson, Eric Lewis
TNT
April 22
7:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 106, Chicago Bulls 108
Scoring by quarter: 21–32, 24–24, 23–23, 38–29
Pts: LeBron James 39
Rebs: Antawn Jamison 11
Asts: LeBron James 8		Pts: Derrick Rose 31
Rebs: Joakim Noah 15
Asts: Derrick Rose 7
Cleveland leads series, 2–1
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,991
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Jason Phillips, Tony Brothers
ABC
April 25
3:30 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 121, Chicago Bulls 98
Scoring by quarter:24–21, 38–31, 37–24, 22–22
Pts: LeBron James 37
Rebs: LeBron James 12
Asts: LeBron James 11		Pts: Noah, Rose 21 each
Rebs: Joakim Noah 20
Asts: Derrick Rose 5
Cleveland leads series, 3–1
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,991
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Derrick Stafford, Mike Callahan
TNT
April 27
8:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 94, Cleveland Cavaliers 96
Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 22–28, 23–18, 23–23
Pts: Derrick Rose 31
Rebs: Taj Gibson 11
Asts: Derrick Rose 6		Pts: Antawn Jamison 25
Rebs: LeBron James 10
Asts: LeBron James 9
Cleveland wins series, 4–1
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, Zach Zarba

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first five meetings.

(2) Orlando Magic vs. (7) Charlotte Bobcats

TNT
April 18
5:30 pm
Charlotte Bobcats 89, Orlando Magic 98
Scoring by quarter: 20–31, 23–28, 23–17, 23–22
Pts: Gerald Wallace 25
Rebs: Gerald Wallace 17
Asts: Raymond Felton 4		Pts: Jameer Nelson 32
Rebs: Dwight Howard 7
Asts: Jameer Nelson 6
Orlando leads series, 1–0
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Dan Crawford, Tony Brothers, Sean Wright
TNT
April 21
7:00 pm
Charlotte Bobcats 77, Orlando Magic 92
Scoring by quarter: 14–18, 16–23, 25–34, 22–17
Pts: Stephen Jackson 27
Rebs: Boris Diaw 7
Asts: Diaw, Felton 4 each		Pts: Vince Carter 19
Rebs: Dwight Howard 9
Asts: Jameer Nelson 5
Orlando leads series, 2–0
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Rodney Mott, Bill Spooner
TNT
April 24
2:00 pm
Orlando Magic 90, Charlotte Bobcats 86
Scoring by quarter:29–27, 12–19, 25–20, 24–20
Pts: Jameer Nelson 32
Rebs: Gortat, Howard 8 each
Asts: Barnes, Howard, Lewis, Nelson 3 each		Pts: Stephen Jackson 19
Rebs: Gerald Wallace 8
Asts: Diaw, Felton 6 each
Orlando leads series, 3–0
Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Joe Crawford, Ed Malloy, Leon Wood
TNT
April 26
8:00 pm
Orlando Magic 99, Charlotte Bobcats 90
Scoring by quarter: 23–25, 20–20, 28–23, 28–22
Pts: Vince Carter 21
Rebs: Dwight Howard 13
Asts: Carter, Nelson 4 each		Pts: Tyrus Thomas 21
Rebs: Tyrus Thomas 9
Asts: Stephen Jackson 8
Orlando wins series, 4–0
Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 19,086
Referees: Joe DeRosa, Sean Corbin, Marc Davis

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hornets franchise winning the first meeting. Note that historical records of the original Charlotte Hornets franchise (later relocated and renamed the New Orleans Pelicans) from 1988 to 2002 are currently with the present Hornets/Bobcats franchise since the 2014–15 season.

(3) Atlanta Hawks vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks

April 17
5:30 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 92, Atlanta Hawks 102
Scoring by quarter: 17–34, 23–28, 30–19, 22–21
Pts: Brandon Jennings 34
Rebs: Kurt Thomas 9
Asts: Brandon Jennings 3		Pts: Joe Johnson 22
Rebs: Josh Smith 10
Asts: Joe Johnson 5
Atlanta leads series, 1–0
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 18,729
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ron Garretson, Sean Corbin
April 20
7:00 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 86, Atlanta Hawks 96
Scoring by quarter: 20–28, 26–24, 16–24, 24–20
Pts: John Salmons 21
Rebs: Ersan İlyasova 15
Asts: Delfino, Salmons 4 each		Pts: Joe Johnson 27
Rebs: Josh Smith 14
Asts: Josh Smith 9
Atlanta leads series, 2–0
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 18,938
Referees: Dan Crawford, Derrick Collins, Ed Malloy
April 24
7:00 pm
Atlanta Hawks 89, Milwaukee Bucks 107
Scoring by quarter: 19–36, 21–16, 17–26, 32–29
Pts: Joe Johnson 25
Rebs: Josh Smith 12
Asts: Crawford, Johnson 4 each		Pts: John Salmons 22
Rebs: Kurt Thomas 13
Asts: John Salmons 10
Atlanta leads series, 2–1
Bradley Center, Milwaukee
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tony Brothers, James Capers
April 26
8:30 pm
Atlanta Hawks 104, Milwaukee Bucks 111
Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 25–26, 24–31, 30–26
Pts: Joe Johnson 29
Rebs: Josh Smith 9
Asts: Joe Johnson 9		Pts: Brandon Jennings 23
Rebs: Kurt Thomas 9
Asts: Brandon Jennings 6
Series tied, 2–2
Bradley Center, Milwaukee
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Tom Washington, Tom Goble
TNT
April 28
8:00 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 91, Atlanta Hawks 87
Scoring by quarter:24–23, 19–23, 18–23, 30–18
Pts: Brandon Jennings 25
Rebs: Ersan İlyasova 7
Asts: John Salmons 5		Pts: Al Horford 25
Rebs: Al Horford 11
Asts: Joe Johnson 6
Milwaukee leads series, 3–2
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,304
Referees: Joe DeRosa, Dick Bavetta, Marc Davis
April 30
7:00 pm
Atlanta Hawks 83, Milwaukee Bucks 69
Scoring by quarter: 16–19, 15–15, 29–11, 23–24
Pts: Jamal Crawford 24
Rebs: Al Horford 15
Asts: Joe Johnson 6		Pts: Carlos Delfino 20
Rebs: Kurt Thomas 9
Asts: John Salmons 4
Series tied, 3–3
Bradley Center, Milwaukee
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Mike Callahan, Zach Zarba
ABC
May 2
1:00 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 74, Atlanta Hawks 95
Scoring by quarter: 13–20, 27–33, 20–20, 14–22
Pts: Brandon Jennings 15
Rebs: Ersan İlyasova 11
Asts: Brandon Jennings 5		Pts: Jamal Crawford 22
Rebs: Al Horford 15
Asts: Jamal Crawford 6
Atlanta wins series, 4–3
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,241
Referees: Joe Crawford, Scott Foster, Greg Willard

The Atlanta Hawks quickly took control of the series by winning the first 2 games against the Milwaukee Bucks, without star center Andrew Bogut. But the Bucks managed to take the next 3 games, including a shocking Game 5 win in Atlanta, where they overcame a 9-point deficit in the final 4 minutes. However, Atlanta managed to stave off elimination in front of a raucous Bradley Center crowd, coming away with an 83–69 Game 6 victory. The Hawks then finished off the Bucks in Game 7 and advanced to the next round.

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning two of the first three meetings.

(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Miami Heat

April 17
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 76, Boston Celtics 85
Scoring by quarter:29–28, 15–13, 22–23, 10–21
Pts: Dwyane Wade 26
Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 9
Asts: Dwyane Wade 6		Pts: Paul Pierce 16
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 9
Asts: Rajon Rondo 10
Boston leads series, 1–0
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Joe DeRosa, Dick Bavetta, Ed Malloy
TNT
April 20
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 77, Boston Celtics 106
Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 10–26, 26–36, 18–21
Pts: Dwyane Wade 29
Rebs: Michael Beasley 7
Asts: Dwyane Wade 5		Pts: Ray Allen 25
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 9
Asts: Rajon Rondo 12
Boston leads series, 2–0
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Eddie Rush, Bob Delaney, Marc Davis
April 23
7:00 pm
Boston Celtics 100, Miami Heat 98
Scoring by quarter: 27–29, 21–20, 32–23, 20–26
Pts: Paul Pierce 32
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 12
Asts: Rajon Rondo 8		Pts: Dwyane Wade 34
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 8
Asts: Dwyane Wade 8
Boston leads series, 3–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,500
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Eric Lewis, Bill Spooner
ABC
April 25
1:00 pm
Boston Celtics 92, Miami Heat 101
Scoring by quarter: 18–31, 25–18, 34–22, 15–30
Pts: Rajon Rondo 23
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 12
Asts: Rajon Rondo 9		Pts: Dwyane Wade 46
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 11
Asts: Wade, Chalmers 5 each
Boston leads series, 3–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,520
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, Greg Willard
April 27
7:00 pm
Miami Heat 86, Boston Celtics 96
Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 17–19, 27–23, 21–25
Pts: Dwyane Wade 31
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 10		Pts: Ray Allen 24
Rebs: Garnett, Rondo 8 each
Asts: Rajon Rondo 12
Boston wins series, 4–1
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Scott Foster, Derrick Stafford, James Capers

This was the first playoff meeting between the Celtics and the Heat. [31]

Western Conference first round

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Oklahoma City Thunder

ABC
April 18
3:00 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 79, Los Angeles Lakers 87
Scoring by quarter: 13–27, 26–20, 17–17, 23–23
Pts: Kevin Durant 24
Rebs: Nick Collison 8
Asts: Russell Westbrook 8		Pts: Kobe Bryant 21
Rebs: Pau Gasol 13
Asts: Bryant, Gasol 3 each
LA Lakers lead series, 1–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Jason Phillips, Tom Washington
TNT
April 20
10:30 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 92, Los Angeles Lakers 95
Scoring by quarter: 18–26, 29–19, 22–28, 23–22
Pts: Kevin Durant 32
Rebs: Kevin Durant 8
Asts: Sefolosha, Westbrook 3 each		Pts: Kobe Bryant 39
Rebs: Pau Gasol 12
Asts: Derek Fisher 6
LA Lakers lead series, 2–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Scott Foster, Zach Zarba
TNT
April 22
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 96, Oklahoma City Thunder 101
Scoring by quarter:27–22, 23–21, 25–31, 21–27
Pts: Kobe Bryant 24
Rebs: Pau Gasol 15
Asts: Kobe Bryant 8		Pts: Kevin Durant 29
Rebs: Kevin Durant 19
Asts: Durant, Westbrook 4 each
LA Lakers lead series, 2–1
Ford Center, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,342
Referees: Joe Crawford, Sean Wright, Marc Davis
  • This was the first playoff game at Ford Center in Oklahoma City
April 24
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 89, Oklahoma City Thunder 110
Scoring by quarter: 17–29, 25–26, 22–31, 25–24
Pts: Bynum, Gasol 13 each
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 10
Asts: Kobe Bryant 4		Pts: Kevin Durant 22
Rebs: Jeff Green 9
Asts: Russell Westbrook 6
Series tied, 2–2
Ford Center, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,342
Referees: Joe DeRosa, Sean Corbin, Michael Smith
TNT
April 27
10:30 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 87, Los Angeles Lakers 111
Scoring by quarter: 16–31, 18–24, 26–33, 27–23
Pts: Kevin Durant 17
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 9
Asts: Russell Westbrook 6		Pts: Pau Gasol 25
Rebs: Bynum, Gasol 11 each
Asts: Kobe Bryant 7
LA Lakers lead series, 3–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Leon Wood
April 30
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 95, Oklahoma City Thunder 94
Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 27–20, 23–26, 19–21
Pts: Kobe Bryant 32
Rebs: Pau Gasol 18
Asts: Derek Fisher 6		Pts: Kevin Durant 26
Rebs: Nenad Krstić 11
Asts: Russell Westbrook 9
LA Lakers win series, 4–2
Ford Center, Oklahoma City
Attendance: 18,342
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, Greg Willard
  • Pau Gasol tip-in hits the series-winning shot after his teammate Kobe Bryant's miss.

This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning five of the first seven meetings. All previous meetings took place while the Thunder franchise were still known as the Seattle SuperSonics.

(2) Dallas Mavericks vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs

TNT
April 18
8:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 94, Dallas Mavericks 100
Scoring by quarter: 18–23, 27–27, 24–26, 25–24
Pts: Tim Duncan 27
Rebs: Duncan, McDyess 8 each
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 6		Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 36
Rebs: Erick Dampier 12
Asts: Jason Kidd 11
Dallas leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,372
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Michael Smith, Bill Kennedy
TNT
April 21
9:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 102, Dallas Mavericks 88
Scoring by quarter:24–20, 34–26, 24–26, 20–16
Pts: Tim Duncan 25
Rebs: Tim Duncan 17
Asts: Tony Parker 8		Pts: Jason Terry 27
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 10
Asts: Jason Kidd 8
Series tied, 1–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,728
Referees: Ken Mauer, James Capers, Mike Callahan
April 23
9:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 90, San Antonio Spurs 94
Scoring by quarter: 16–23, 28–24, 26–19, 20–28
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 35
Rebs: Kidd, Nowitzki 7 each
Asts: Jason Kidd 5		Pts: Tim Duncan 25
Rebs: Antonio McDyess 6
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 7
San Antonio leads series, 2–1
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Dan Crawford, Rodney Mott
TNT
April 25
7:00 pm
Dallas Mavericks 89, San Antonio Spurs 92
Scoring by quarter: 17–20, 31–17, 11–29, 30–26
Pts: Butler, Nowitzki 17 each
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 11
Asts: Jason Kidd 5		Pts: George Hill 29
Rebs: Tim Duncan 11
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 7
San Antonio leads series, 3–1
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Bob Delaney, David Jones, Scott Foster
April 27
9:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 81, Dallas Mavericks 103
Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 25–26, 18–29, 17–21
Pts: Tony Parker 18
Rebs: DeJuan Blair 8
Asts: Tony Parker 6		Pts: Caron Butler 35
Rebs: Caron Butler 11
Asts: Jason Kidd 7
San Antonio leads series, 3–2
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,728
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Pat Fraher, Greg Willard
TNT
April 29
8:00 pm
Dallas Mavericks 87, San Antonio Spurs 97
Scoring by quarter: 8–22, 26–25, 29–23, 24–27
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 33
Rebs: Jason Kidd 8
Asts: Jason Kidd 6		Pts: Manu Ginóbili 26
Rebs: Tim Duncan 10
Asts: Tony Parker 8
San Antonio wins series, 4–2
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Bill Spooner, Tom Washington

The Mavs won 55 games and the Southwest Division title, but for the 3rd time in four years, they failed to escape the first round. The 2007 Mavericks were defeated by the Golden State Warriors as a No. 1 seed, and the 2008 Mavericks lost in the 1st round to the New Orleans Hornets. The Mavs took Game 1 in Dallas, but would go on to drop the next three games (including two in San Antonio) to wind up trailing 3 to 1. Dallas won Game 5 to keep their season alive, but the Spurs managed to finish them off with a 10-point win in Game 6.

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two series apiece.

(3) Phoenix Suns vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers

TNT
April 18
10:30 pm
Portland Trail Blazers 105, Phoenix Suns 100
Scoring by quarter:25–24, 19–19, 26–29, 35–28
Pts: Andre Miller 31
Rebs: Marcus Camby 17
Asts: Andre Miller 8		Pts: Steve Nash 25
Rebs: Jason Richardson 10
Asts: Steve Nash 9
Portland leads series, 1–0
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Scott Foster, James Capers, Derrick Stafford
April 20
10:00 pm
Portland Trail Blazers 90, Phoenix Suns 119
Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 23–31, 19–31, 22–25
Pts: Martell Webster 16
Rebs: Marcus Camby 10
Asts: Andre Miller 3		Pts: Jason Richardson 29
Rebs: Grant Hill 8
Asts: Steve Nash 16
Series tied, 1–1
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18.422
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tom Washington, Greg Willard
April 22
10:00 pm
Phoenix Suns 108, Portland Trail Blazers 89
Scoring by quarter:34–16, 32–21, 15–23, 27–29
Pts: Jason Richardson 42
Rebs: Jason Richardson 8
Asts: Steve Nash 10		Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 17
Rebs: Marcus Camby 10
Asts: Andre Miller 9
Phoenix leads series, 2–1
Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,271
Referees: Joe DeRosa, Pat Fraher, Bill Kennedy
TNT
April 24
4:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 87, Portland Trail Blazers 96
Scoring by quarter:27–26, 23–28, 22–20, 15–22
Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 26
Rebs: Grant Hill 12
Asts: Steve Nash 8		Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 31
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 11
Asts: Andre Miller 8
Series tied, 2–2
Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,151
Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Derrick Collins, Ron Garretson
TNT
April 26
10:30 pm
Portland Trail Blazers 88, Phoenix Suns 107
Scoring by quarter:28–27, 19–30, 19–27, 22–23
Pts: Andre Miller 21
Rebs: Marcus Camby 11
Asts: Marcus Camby 5		Pts: Channing Frye 20
Rebs: Frye, Richardson 8 each
Asts: Steve Nash 10
Phoenix leads series, 3–2
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Joe Crawford, Jason Phillips, Bill Spooner
TNT
April 29
10:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 99, Portland Trail Blazers 90
Scoring by quarter:24–17, 29–24, 21–24, 25–25
Pts: Jason Richardson 28
Rebs: Grant Hill 12
Asts: Steve Nash 6		Pts: Martell Webster 19
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 9
Asts: Jerryd Bayless 7
Phoenix wins series, 4–2
Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,313
Referees: Sean Corbin, Bob Delaney, Dan Crawford

This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning three series apiece.

(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Utah Jazz

April 17
10:30 pm
Utah Jazz 113, Denver Nuggets 126
Scoring by quarter: 28–30, 28–27, 30–31, 27–38
Pts: Deron Williams 26
Rebs: Paul Millsap 10
Asts: Deron Williams 11		Pts: Carmelo Anthony 42
Rebs: Kenyon Martin 12
Asts: Chauncey Billups 8
Denver leads series, 1–0
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,155
Referees: Joe Crawford, Greg Willard, Zach Zarba
TNT
April 19
10:30 pm
Utah Jazz 114, Denver Nuggets 111
Scoring by quarter:33–30, 30–21, 25–31, 26–29
Pts: Deron Williams 33
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 14
Asts: Deron Williams 14		Pts: Carmelo Anthony 32
Rebs: Anthony, Nenê, Smith 6 each
Asts: Chauncey Billups 11
Series tied, 1–1
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,155
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Spooner, Leon Wood
April 23
10:30 pm
Denver Nuggets 93, Utah Jazz 105
Scoring by quarter:27–21, 21–31, 20–32, 25–21
Pts: Anthony, Billups 25 each
Rebs: Kenyon Martin 13
Asts: Billups, Carter 3 each		Pts: Deron Williams 24
Rebs: Paul Millsap 19
Asts: Deron Williams 10
Utah leads series, 2–1
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: David Jones, Mike Callahan, Scott Foster
TNT
April 25
9:30 pm
Denver Nuggets 106, Utah Jazz 117
Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 20–23, 23–32, 38–31
Pts: Carmelo Anthony 39
Rebs: Anthony, Nenê 11 each
Asts: Chauncey Billups 4		Pts: Carlos Boozer 31
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 13
Asts: Deron Williams 13
Utah leads series, 3–1
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Dan Crawford, Dick Bavetta, Pat Fraher
TNT
April 28
10:30 pm
Utah Jazz 102, Denver Nuggets 116
Scoring by quarter:27–25, 25–25, 29–36, 21–30
Pts: Deron Williams 34
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 16
Asts: Deron Williams 10		Pts: Carmelo Anthony 26
Rebs: Carmelo Anthony 11
Asts: Billups, Nenê 4 each
Utah leads series, 3–2
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,155
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Ron Garretson, Ed Malloy
April 30
10:00 pm
Denver Nuggets 104, Utah Jazz 112
Scoring by quarter: 23–32, 31–24, 26–27, 24–29
Pts: Chauncey Billups 30
Rebs: Carmelo Anthony 12
Asts: Chauncey Billups 8		Pts: Wesley Matthews 23
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 20
Asts: Deron Williams 10
Utah wins series, 4–2
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Joe DeRosa, Marc Davis, Derrick Stafford
  • Game 6 is Carmelo Anthony's final playoff game with the Nuggets before being traded to the New York Knicks shortly before the trade deadline.

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning two of the first three meetings.

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference semifinals

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Boston Celtics

TNT
May 1
8:00 pm
Boston Celtics 93, Cleveland Cavaliers 101
Scoring by quarter:26–20, 28–23, 24–36, 15–22
Pts: Rajon Rondo 27
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 11
Asts: Rajon Rondo 12		Pts: LeBron James 35
Rebs: Antawn Jamison 9
Asts: LeBron James 7
Cleveland leads series, 1–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Bill Spooner, Jason Phillips
TNT
May 3
8:00 pm
Boston Celtics 104, Cleveland Cavaliers 86
Scoring by quarter:26–22, 26–26, 31–12, 21–26
Pts: Ray Allen 22
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 10
Asts: Rajon Rondo 19		Pts: LeBron James 24
Rebs: James, Varejão 7 each
Asts: Mo Williams 7
Series tied, 1–1
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Dan Crawford, Dick Bavetta, Ed Malloy
May 7
7:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 124, Boston Celtics 95
Scoring by quarter:36–17, 29–26, 31–27, 28–25
Pts: LeBron James 38
Rebs: Antawn Jamison 12
Asts: James, Williams 7 each		Pts: Kevin Garnett 19
Rebs: Rajon Rondo 5
Asts: Rajon Rondo 8
Cleveland leads series, 2–1
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Ken Mauer, Zach Zarba
ABC
May 9
3:30 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 87, Boston Celtics 97
Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 23–23, 27–20, 15–23
Pts: LeBron James 22
Rebs: LeBron James 9
Asts: LeBron James 8		Pts: Rajon Rondo 29
Rebs: Rajon Rondo 18
Asts: Rajon Rondo 13
Series tied, 2–2
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Joe DeRosa, Mike Callahan, Michael Smith
TNT
May 11
8:00 pm
Boston Celtics 120, Cleveland Cavaliers 88
Scoring by quarter: 20–23, 30–21, 30–19, 40–25
Pts: Ray Allen 25
Rebs: Paul Pierce 11
Asts: Rondo, Pierce 7 each		Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 21
Rebs: Anderson Varejão 8
Asts: LeBron James 7
Boston leads series, 3–2
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Joe Crawford, Marc Davis, Greg Willard
May 13
8:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 85, Boston Celtics 94
Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 27–26, 18–25, 18–18
Pts: LeBron James 27
Rebs: LeBron James 19
Asts: LeBron James 10		Pts: Kevin Garnett 22
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 12
Asts: Rajon Rondo 12
Boston wins series, 4–2
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bob Delaney, Eddie F. Rush

The Cavaliers were considered heavy favorites coming in, but had to rally from an 11-point halftime deficit to win Game 1. The Celtics took home-court in Game 2, as Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo's 19 assists powered them past the Cavaliers to an 18-point victory. The Cavaliers struck back in Game 3 and handed the Celtics their worst home-playoff loss in franchise history. Cavaliers forward LeBron James scored 21 points in the first quarter alone and 38 for the game. Antawn Jamison added another 20. Celtics forward Paul Pierce called the loss "embarrassing". Rondo's triple-double (29 points, a career playoff high 18 rebounds and 13 assists) pushed the Celtics to a Game 4 victory. The Celtics reciprocated their Game 3 humiliation with a 32-point victory in Cleveland during Game 5. LeBron James was held to 3 of 14 shooting. The Celtics clinched the series in Game 6, holding James to 8 of 21 shooting.

The Cavaliers early exit led to James's departure for the Miami Heat during the offseason. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert then accused James of quitting on the team during the series and also alleged that he did the same thing the previous year's Conference Finals. [36] The Cavaliers did not make the playoffs again until the 2014–2015 NBA season (James' first season back in Cleveland), and in fact, they would be the first team Byron Scott failed to take to the playoffs during his tenure as head coach; he had led his two previous teams to the playoffs at least once.

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning three of the first four meetings.

(2) Orlando Magic vs. (3) Atlanta Hawks

TNT
May 4
8:00 pm
Atlanta Hawks 71, Orlando Magic 114
Scoring by quarter: 23–25, 10–28, 11–32, 27–29
Pts: Josh Smith 14
Rebs: Johnson, Pachulia 7 each
Asts: Bibby, Johnson 3 each		Pts: Dwight Howard 21
Rebs: Dwight Howard 12
Asts: Jameer Nelson 5
Orlando leads series, 1–0
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Joe DeRosa, Bob Delaney, Tom Washington
May 6
8:00 pm
Atlanta Hawks 98, Orlando Magic 112
Scoring by quarter: 27–32, 30–17, 26–35, 15–28
Pts: Al Horford 24
Rebs: Marvin Williams 11
Asts: Joe Johnson 5		Pts: Dwight Howard 29
Rebs: Dwight Howard 17
Asts: Lewis, Nelson 6 each
Orlando leads series, 2–0
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Mike Callahan, Marc Davis
May 8
5:00 pm
Orlando Magic 105, Atlanta Hawks 75
Scoring by quarter:28–18, 24–15, 27–22, 26–20
Pts: Rashard Lewis 22
Rebs: Dwight Howard 16
Asts: Jameer Nelson 4		Pts: Jamal Crawford 22
Rebs: Josh Smith 11
Asts: Al Horford 3
Orlando leads series, 3–0
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 18,729
Referees: Ed Malloy, Dan Crawford, Eddie F. Rush
TNT
May 10
8:00 pm
Orlando Magic 98, Atlanta Hawks 84
Scoring by quarter:34–23, 19–22, 22–21, 23–18
Pts: Vince Carter 22
Rebs: Anderson, Howard 8 each
Asts: Jameer Nelson 9		Pts: Jamal Crawford 18
Rebs: Josh Smith 8
Asts: Joe Johnson 5
Orlando wins series, 4–0
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 18,729
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Bill Spooner, Derrick Stafford

The Magic's victory was the most lopsided four-game sweep in playoff history.

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.

Western Conference semifinals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Utah Jazz

ABC
May 2
3:30 pm
Utah Jazz 99, Los Angeles Lakers 104
Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 22–23, 28–28, 26–23
Pts: Deron Williams 24
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 12
Asts: Deron Williams 8		Pts: Kobe Bryant 31
Rebs: Gasol, Odom 12 each
Asts: Bryant, Gasol 4 each
LA Lakers lead series, 1–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Mike Callahan, James Capers
TNT
May 4
10:30 pm
Utah Jazz 103, Los Angeles Lakers 111
Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 23–31, 31–29, 26–24
Pts: Paul Millsap 26
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 12
Asts: Deron Williams 9		Pts: Kobe Bryant 30
Rebs: Gasol, Odom 15 each
Asts: Kobe Bryant 8
LA Lakers lead series, 2–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Sean Corbin
ABC
May 8
8:00 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 111, Utah Jazz 110
Scoring by quarter: 17–22, 33–32, 32–26, 29–30
Pts: Kobe Bryant 35
Rebs: Pau Gasol 17
Asts: Kobe Bryant 7		Pts: Deron Williams 28
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 14
Asts: Deron Williams 9
LA Lakers lead series, 3–0
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Joe Crawford, Dick Bavetta, Greg Willard
TNT
May 10
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 111, Utah Jazz 96
Scoring by quarter:29–24, 29–17, 22–26, 31–29
Pts: Pau Gasol 33
Rebs: Pau Gasol 14
Asts: Kobe Bryant 4		Pts: Millsap, Williams 21 each
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 14
Asts: Deron Williams 9
LA Lakers win series, 4–0
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Dan Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Tom Washington
  • Game 4 is Jerry Sloan's final playoff game as head coach of the Utah Jazz before he was resigned midway through the 2010–11 season.

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning three of the first five meetings.

(3) Phoenix Suns vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs

TNT
May 3
10:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 102, Phoenix Suns 111
Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 25–26, 28–28, 27–26
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 27
Rebs: Tim Duncan 11
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 5		Pts: Steve Nash 33
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 13
Asts: Steve Nash 10
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Ken Mauer, Michael Smith
TNT
May 5
9:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 102, Phoenix Suns 110
Scoring by quarter:30–21, 21–30, 25–27, 26–32
Pts: Tim Duncan 29
Rebs: Duncan, Jefferson 10 each
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 11		Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 23
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 11
Asts: Steve Nash 6
Phoenix leads series, 2–0
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Joe Crawford, Ron Garretson, Derrick Stafford
May 7
9:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 110, San Antonio Spurs 96
Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 25–22, 27–22, 39–24
Pts: Goran Dragić 26
Rebs: Nash, Stoudemire 8 each
Asts: Steve Nash 6		Pts: Manu Ginóbili 27
Rebs: Tim Duncan 13
Asts: Ginóbili, Parker 5 each
Phoenix leads series, 3–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Scott Foster, James Capers, Bill Kennedy
TNT
May 9
8:00 pm
Phoenix Suns 107, San Antonio Spurs 101
Scoring by quarter: 19–25, 31–22, 22–24, 35–30
Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 29
Rebs: Jason Richardson 8
Asts: Steve Nash 9		Pts: Tony Parker 22
Rebs: Duncan, Jefferson 8 each
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 9
Phoenix wins series, 4–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bob Delaney, Jason Phillips

This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning six of the first nine meetings.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference finals

(2) Orlando Magic vs. (4) Boston Celtics

ABC
May 16
3:30 pm
Boston Celtics 92, Orlando Magic 88
Scoring by quarter:22–14, 19–18, 33–26, 18–30
Pts: Ray Allen 25
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11
Asts: Rajon Rondo 8		Pts: Vince Carter 23
Rebs: Dwight Howard 12
Asts: Carter, Howard, Lewis, Nelson 2 each
Boston leads series, 1–0
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Dan Crawford, Ken Mauer, Michael Smith
May 18
8:30 pm
Boston Celtics 95, Orlando Magic 92
Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 26–23, 25–19, 17–22
Pts: Paul Pierce 28
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 9
Asts: Rajon Rondo 8		Pts: Dwight Howard 30
Rebs: Dwight Howard 8
Asts: Lewis, Nelson, Redick 4 each
Boston leads series, 2–0
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Joe DeRosa, Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy
May 22
8:30 pm
Orlando Magic 71, Boston Celtics 94
Scoring by quarter: 12–27, 22–24, 13–24, 24–19
Pts: Carter, Nelson 15 each
Rebs: Dwight Howard 7
Asts: Barnes, Carter, Redick 2 each		Pts: Glen Davis 17
Rebs: Paul Pierce 9
Asts: Rajon Rondo 12
Boston leads series, 3–0
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Bill Spooner, Greg Willard
May 24
8:30 pm
Orlando Magic 96, Boston Celtics 92 (OT)
Scoring by quarter:31–26, 20–21, 16–21, 19–18,  Overtime:10–6
Pts: Dwight Howard 32
Rebs: Dwight Howard 16
Asts: Jameer Nelson 9		Pts: Paul Pierce 32
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 12
Asts: Rajon Rondo 8
Boston leads series, 3–1
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Scott Foster, Bob Delaney, Derrick Stafford
May 26
8:30 pm
Boston Celtics 92, Orlando Magic 113
Scoring by quarter: 27–31, 22–26, 26–27, 17–29
Pts: Rasheed Wallace 21
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 5
Asts: Ray Allen 7		Pts: Jameer Nelson 24
Rebs: Dwight Howard 10
Asts: Nelson, Williams 5 each
Boston leads series, 3–2
Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 17,461
Referees: Joe Crawford, Eddie F. Rush, Tom Washington
May 28
8:30 pm
Orlando Magic 84, Boston Celtics 96
Scoring by quarter: 19–30, 23–25, 19–27, 23–14
Pts: Dwight Howard 28
Rebs: Dwight Howard 12
Asts: Jameer Nelson 4		Pts: Paul Pierce 31
Rebs: Paul Pierce 13
Asts: Rajon Rondo 6
Boston wins series, 4–2
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Mike Callahan, Ken Mauer

The Boston Celtics were able to hold off a late Magic rally to steal home-court advantage in Game 1. They even used that momentum to grab Game 2 in Orlando to take a 2–0 lead going into Boston. After winning back-to-back road games to begin a series for the first time in franchise history, the Celtics would go on to blow out the Magic by 23 points in Game 3 to take a 3 to nothing lead. The Magic, however, would rally for a desperate Game 4 victory in overtime to force Game 5 in Orlando. Dwight Howard poured in 32 points in that victory. The Celtics seemed to lose control of the series, as the Magic scored another victory in Game 5, making the series 3–2, to force it back to Boston. Boston fans began to become anxious, especially after recently seeing the NHL's Boston Bruins lose their playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers even though the Bruins had a 3–0 lead initially. No team in NBA history has rallied from a 3–0 deficit to win a post-season series. [41] However, Orlando fell short as the Celtics were able to advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years with a 12-point win in Game 6. [42]

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first two meetings.

Western Conference finals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Phoenix Suns

TNT
May 17
9:00 pm
Phoenix Suns 107, Los Angeles Lakers 128
Scoring by quarter: 26–35, 29–27, 24–31, 28–35
Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 23
Rebs: Amundson, Lopez, Richardson 6 each
Asts: Steve Nash 13		Pts: Kobe Bryant 40
Rebs: Lamar Odom 19
Asts: Artest, Bryant, Farmar, Gasol 5 each
LA Lakers lead series, 1–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Scott Foster, Jason Phillips, Greg Willard
TNT
May 19
9:00 pm
Phoenix Suns 112, Los Angeles Lakers 124
Scoring by quarter: 24–36, 32–29, 34–25, 22–34
Pts: Jason Richardson 27
Rebs: Lopez, Stoudemire 6 each
Asts: Steve Nash 15		Pts: Pau Gasol 29
Rebs: Lamar Odom 11
Asts: Kobe Bryant 13
LA Lakers lead series, 2–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, Ed Malloy
TNT
May 23
8:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 109, Phoenix Suns 118
Scoring by quarter:32–29, 15–25, 37–32, 25–32
Pts: Kobe Bryant 36
Rebs: Bryant, Gasol 9 each
Asts: Kobe Bryant 11		Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 42
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 11
Asts: Steve Nash 15
LA Lakers lead series, 2–1
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Eddie F. Rush, Tom Washington
TNT
May 25
9:00 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 106, Phoenix Suns 115
Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 32–41, 29–21, 22–30
Pts: Kobe Bryant 38
Rebs: Lamar Odom 10
Asts: Kobe Bryant 10		Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 21
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 8
Asts: Dragić, Nash 8 each
Series tied, 2–2
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Dan Crawford, James Capers, Ken Mauer
TNT
May 27
9:00 pm
Phoenix Suns 101, Los Angeles Lakers 103
Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 24–29, 27–25, 29–25
Pts: Steve Nash 29
Rebs: Channing Frye 10
Asts: Steve Nash 11		Pts: Kobe Bryant 30
Rebs: Lamar Odom 13
Asts: Kobe Bryant 9
LA Lakers lead series, 3–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Marc Davis, Bob Delaney
TNT
May 29
8:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 111, Phoenix Suns 103
Scoring by quarter:37–34, 28–19, 26–21, 20–29
Pts: Kobe Bryant 37
Rebs: Lamar Odom 12
Asts: Jordan Farmar 5		Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 27
Rebs: Channing Frye 13
Asts: Steve Nash 9
LA Lakers win series, 4–2
US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 18,422
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Greg Willard

The Lakers put their home-court advantage to good use by winning the first two games at home. The Suns struck back to tie the series by taking Games 3 & 4 in Phoenix, but after a heart-breaking loss in Game 5 in which Ron Artest followed a missed airball by Kobe Bryant and hit the game-winner at the buzzer, the Suns found themselves trailing 3–2. Los Angeles held off a late Suns rally to steal Game 6 in Phoenix, as Kobe poured in 37 points, including a long jump shot in the final minute that put the game out of reach.

  • Game 6 is Amar'e Stoudemire's final game with the Suns before he signed with the New York Knicks following the season.

This was the 12th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning seven of the first 11 meetings.

NBA Finals: (W1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E4) Boston Celtics

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)
ABC
June 3
9:00 p.m.
Boston Celtics 89, Los Angeles Lakers 102
Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 20–24, 23–34, 25–18
Pts: Paul Pierce 24
Rebs: Paul Pierce 9
Asts: Rajon Rondo 8		Pts: Kobe Bryant 30
Rebs: Pau Gasol 14
Asts: Kobe Bryant 6
LA Lakers lead series, 1–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Derrick Stafford
ABC
June 6
8:00 p.m.
Boston Celtics 103, Los Angeles Lakers 94
Scoring by quarter:29–22, 25–26, 18–24, 31–22
Pts: Ray Allen 32
Rebs: Rajon Rondo 12
Asts: Rajon Rondo 10		Pts: Pau Gasol 25
Rebs: Pau Gasol 8
Asts: Kobe Bryant 6
Series tied, 1–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Mike Callahan, Ken Mauer
ABC
June 8
9:00 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers 91, Boston Celtics 84
Scoring by quarter:26–17, 26–23, 15–21, 24–23
Pts: Kobe Bryant 29
Rebs: Bynum, Gasol 10 each
Asts: Bryant, Gasol 4 each		Pts: Kevin Garnett 25
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 11
Asts: Rajon Rondo 8
LA Lakers lead series, 2–1
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Dan Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Bennett Salvatore
ABC
June 10
9:00 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers 89, Boston Celtics 96
Scoring by quarter: 16–19, 29–23, 17–18, 27–36
Pts: Kobe Bryant 33
Rebs: Artest, Odom 7 each
Asts: Artest, Gasol 3 each		Pts: Paul Pierce 19
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 7
Asts: Paul Pierce 5
Series tied, 2–2
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Scott Foster, Eddie F. Rush, Greg Willard
ABC
June 13
8:00 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers 86, Boston Celtics 92
Scoring by quarter: 20–22, 19–23, 26–28, 21–19
Pts: Kobe Bryant 38
Rebs: Pau Gasol 12
Asts: Kobe Bryant 4		Pts: Paul Pierce 27
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 10
Asts: Rajon Rondo 8
Boston leads series, 3–2
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, Derrick Stafford
ABC
June 15
9:00 p.m.
Boston Celtics 67, Los Angeles Lakers 89
Scoring by quarter: 18–28, 13–23, 20–25, 16–13
Pts: Ray Allen 19
Rebs: Glen Davis 9
Asts: Rajon Rondo 6		Pts: Kobe Bryant 26
Rebs: Pau Gasol 13
Asts: Pau Gasol 9
Series tied, 3–3
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Joe DeRosa, Ken Mauer
ABC
June 17
9:00 p.m.
Boston Celtics 79, Los Angeles Lakers 83
Scoring by quarter:23–14, 17–20, 17–19, 22–30
Pts: Paul Pierce 18
Rebs: Paul Pierce 10
Asts: Rajon Rondo 10		Pts: Kobe Bryant 23
Rebs: Pau Gasol 18
Asts: Pau Gasol 4
LA Lakers win series, 4–3
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Crawford, Scott Foster

This was the 12th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning nine of the first 11 meetings.

Statistic leaders

CategoryHighAverage
PlayerTeamTotalPlayerTeamAvg.Games played
Points Dwyane Wade Miami Heat 46 Dwyane Wade Miami Heat 33.25
Rebounds Carlos Boozer
Joakim Noah 		Utah Jazz
Chicago Bulls 		20
20		 Carlos Boozer Utah Jazz 13.210
Assists Rajon Rondo Boston Celtics 19 Deron Williams Utah Jazz 10.210
Steals John Salmons Milwaukee Bucks 6 Manu Ginóbili San Antonio Spurs 2.610
Blocks Dwight Howard Orlando Magic 9 Dwight Howard Orlando Magic 3.514

See also

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