Complex sentence: This was the tenth time that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals (more than any other Finals matchup) and would also mark the Celtics' last appearance until the two teams met again in 2008.
Split into simpler sentences: This was the tenth time that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals (more than any other Finals matchup). It would be the Celtics' last Finals appearance until the two teams met in 2008.