Eastern Conference Champions

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Lore & Background

The road to the 2010 Eastern Conference title was paved by a sweeping victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the semifinals. This sweep made Orlando Magic the third team in NBA history to go 8–0 through the first two rounds, though they ultimately fell short against Boston. The Celtics' path included a grueling seven-game series against their arch-rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the second round. That series was historic for record-breaking margins at home: Boston lost Game 3 by 29 points (124–95) and Cleveland lost Game 5 by 32 points (120–88). The Celtics' 4–2 series win over the Cavaliers represented the earliest exit for a top seed since the Dallas Mavericks fell in 2007. Crucially, Game 6 of that series marked LeBron James's final game with Cleveland until his return in 2014.

In Their Own Story

The culmination of the Celtics' Eastern Conference run came against the Orlando Magic. In Game 5 of their semifinal matchup, fans witnessed the final game played at Amway Arena, a building formerly known as the Orlando Arena and TD Waterhouse Centre. The series concluded in Game 6 when Boston defeated Orlando, avenging their Game 7 loss from the prior season. This victory sent the Celtics to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. It was a stark contrast to the Magic's fate; while Orlando had become the third straight team to go 8–0 through the first two rounds only to lose in the conference finals, Boston moved forward. The series also featured the last NBA Finals appearance for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, cementing this run as the final chapter of that specific core's journey together.

Reader's Guide

To understand the Celtics' 2010 Eastern Conference Championship, one must look at the specific hurdles cleared in the first two rounds. The team faced the fourth-seeded Boston entry into the playoffs, a seeding that had not occurred for them since 2008. Their journey required overcoming a tough Atlanta Hawks squad and then dismantling an Orlando Magic team that had swept past the Charlotte Bobcats to reach the conference finals. The final step was defeating the Magic in six games to claim the Eastern Conference title. This victory set up a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, marking the first time since 2005 that the last two champions met in the Finals. The series would ultimately decide the 16th championship for the Lakers and serve as the final stage for legends like Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, and coach Phil Jackson.

Did You Know?

• The Celtics' victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 6 of the 2010 Conference Finals was the last game ever played at Amway Arena.
• In the second round against Cleveland, Boston lost a home playoff game by a record margin of 29 points (Game 3), while Cleveland lost a home game by 32 points (Game 5).
• LeBron James' final game with the Cleveland Cavaliers before leaving for Miami took place in Game 6 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals against Boston.
• The 2010 NBA Finals were the last to feature Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Rasheed Wallace playing together.
• This marked the first time since 2008 that the Boston Celtics entered the playoffs as a fourth seed.