Claim: The Los Angeles Lakers defeated a team in the Finals championship.

The 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association -LRB- NBA -RRB- 's championship series for the 2009 -- 10 season . The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers -LRB- who were also defending NBA champions -RRB- , and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics . 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 scheduled in the Major League Baseball World Series 2 -- 3 -- 2 seven game format , with the Lakers possessing home-court advantage as a reward for finishing with better regular season record than the Celtics .   Repeated baskets from starters Kobe Bryant , Pau Gasol , and Ron Artest brought the Lakers close to 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 did n'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 with 24 points contributed by their bench . Although they trailed the Celtics by 13 points early in the third quarter , the Lakers rallied and won their second consecutive championship by taking over an exciting Game 7 aided by late contributions on offense by Pau Gasol and Artest and rebounding . Bryant was named Most Valuable Player of the Finals for his second consecutive trophy .   This was the first NBA Finals to go the full seven games since and only the fourth since the NBA Finals returned to a 2 -- 3 -- 2 format in . Los Angeles added its eleventh title in that city to go with its five in Minneapolis to move a step closer to the Celtics ' league-leading seventeen championships and gain revenge for their defeat in 2008 .