2010 NBA Playoffs

The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States.^{[citation needed]} Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format.

The Cleveland Cavaliers clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference by posting their second consecutive (and second ever) 60-win season; they also won the Central Division for the second year in a row.^[1] They also clinched the best record in the NBA on April 5, which guaranteed them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

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

Cleveland's 61 in the NBA was the least win total for the best record since the Indiana Pacers won 61 games in 2003–04.^[2] The Cavaliers' second round playoff exit (2–4 vs. Boston Celtics) was the earliest for the top seed since the Dallas Mavericks' first round loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2007.

Several teams would also avenge previous losses by defeating teams who defeated them in recent years. The Spurs would defeat the Mavericks who defeated them twice in the previous 4 seasons. The Cavaliers would defeat the Bulls for the first time since The Shot. The Suns would defeat the Spurs who won the previous 4 meetings in the last decade. The Lakers would defeat the Suns who defeated them in the first round in 2006 and 2007. The Celtics would defeat the Magic who eliminated them last year. And in the finals, the Lakers defeated the Celtics who defeated them in the 2008 finals.

Game 5 of the Magic-Celtics Conference Finals was the last game played at Amway Arena (formerly Orlando Arena and TD Waterhouse Centre). The Magic, who last year upset the top-seeded Cavaliers in six games after they went 8-0 through the first two rounds, also went 8-0 through two playoff series, only to suffer the same fate as the Cavaliers last year, losing to the Celtics in six games.

The Charlotte Bobcats made their first playoff appearance in franchise history. However, they failed to win a single playoff game in a loss to the Magic in the first round.

The Celtics-Cavaliers second round series marked the first time that each team lost a home playoff game by record margins: the Celtics lost by 29, 124-95, in Game 3 (May 7), while the Cavaliers lost by 32, 120-88, in Game 5 (May 11).

The Oklahoma City Thunder made their first playoff appearance under that name; their last appearance was 2005 as the Seattle SuperSonics. Games 3, 4 and 6 were the first playoff games played at Ford Center (the arena's former tenants, the New Orleans Hornets, didn't play a single playoff game in the building). The Thunder (and especially Kevin Durant) would make the most of their debut playoff appearance, pushing the eventual champion Lakers to six games.

The Dallas Mavericks would hold the dubious distinction of losing three first round series while holding the top two playoff seeds. The Mavericks lost to the seventh-seeded San Antonio Spurs in six games. 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).

Format

Further information: NBA Playoffs#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 their 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.^[3]

Playoff qualifying

Eastern Conference

Team standings progression on the teams that qualified for the playoffs.

Seed	Team	Wins	Clinched
			Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in Conference	Best record in NBA
1	Cleveland Cavaliers	61	March 8[4]	March 17[5]	April 2[1]	April 4[6]
2	Orlando Magic	59	March 16[7]	April 5[8]	—	—
3	Atlanta Hawks	53	March 21[9]	—	—	—
4	Boston Celtics	50	March 24[10]	March 26[11]	—	—
5	Miami Heat	47	April 6[12]	—	—	—
6	Milwaukee Bucks	46	April 6[13]	—	—	—
7	Charlotte Bobcats	44	April 6[12]	—	—	—
8	Chicago Bulls	41	April 14[14]	—	—	—

Western Conference

Team standings progression on the teams that qualified for the playoffs.

Seed	Team	Wins	Tiebreaker	Clinched
				Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in Conference
1	Los Angeles Lakers	57	—	March 19[15]	April 3[16]	April 9[17]
2	Dallas Mavericks	55	—	March 26[18]	April 9[19]	—
3	Phoenix Suns	54	—	March 30[20]	—	—
4	Denver Nuggets	53	3–1 vs. UTA	March 28[21]	April 14[22]	—
5	Utah Jazz	53	1–3 vs. DEN	March 28[23]	—	—
6	Portland Trail Blazers	50	6–1 vs. SA and OKC	March 31[24]	—	—
7	San Antonio Spurs	50	3–4 vs. POR and OKC	April 4[25]	—	—
8	Oklahoma City Thunder	50	2–6 vs. POR and SA	April 3[26]	—	—

— = 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.)

Rank	Team	Conference	Division	Wins	Losses
1	Cleveland Cavaliers	Eastern	Central	61	21
2	Orlando Magic	Eastern	Southeast	59	23
3	Los Angeles Lakers	Western	Pacific	57	25
4	Dallas Mavericks	Western	Southwest	55	27
5	Phoenix Suns	Western	Pacific	54	28
6	Denver Nuggets	Western	Northwest	53	29
7	Atlanta Hawks	Eastern	Southeast	53	29
8	Utah Jazz	Western	Northwest	53	29
9	Boston Celtics	Eastern	Atlantic	50	32
10	Portland Trail Blazers	Western	Northwest	50	32
11	San Antonio Spurs	Western	Southwest	50	32
12	Oklahoma City Thunder	Western	Northwest	50	32
13	Miami Heat	Eastern	Southeast	47	35
14	Milwaukee Bucks	Eastern	Central	46	36
15	Charlotte Bobcats	Eastern	Southeast	44	38
16	Chicago Bulls	Eastern	Central	41	41

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
	1	Cleveland	4
	8	Chicago	1
						1	Cleveland	2
						4	Boston	4
	4	Boston	4
	5	Miami	1
											4	Boston	4
	Eastern Conference
										2	Orlando	2
	3	Atlanta	4
	6	Milwaukee	3
						3	Atlanta	0
						2	Orlando	4
	2	Orlando	4
	7	Charlotte	0
																E4	Boston	3
															W1	L.A. Lakers	4
	1	L.A. Lakers	4
	8	Oklahoma City	2
						1	L.A. Lakers	4
						5	Utah	0
	4	Denver	2
	5	Utah	4
											1	L.A. Lakers	4
	Western Conference
										3	Phoenix	2
	3	Phoenix	4
	6	Portland	2
						3	Phoenix	4
						7	San Antonio	0
	2	Dallas	2
	7	San Antonio	4

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Eastern Conference

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

First Round

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

April 17 3:00 pm	Recap	Chicago Bulls 83, Cleveland Cavaliers 96				Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Eddie Rush, Bob Delaney, John Goble	ABC
		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

April 19 8:00 pm	Recap	Chicago Bulls 102, Cleveland Cavaliers 112				Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Joe Crawford, Ron Garretson, Eric Lewis	TNT
		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

April 22 7:00 pm	Recap	Cleveland Cavaliers 106, Chicago Bulls 108				United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 22,991 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Jason Phillips, Tony Brothers	TNT
		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

April 25 3:30 pm	Recap	Cleveland Cavaliers 121, Chicago Bulls 98				United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 22,991 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Derrick Stafford, Mike Callahan	ABC
		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

April 27 8:00 pm	Recap	Chicago Bulls 94, Cleveland Cavaliers 96				Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, Zach Zarba	TNT
		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

Regular-season series

Teams were tied 2–2 in the regular-season series:

November 5, 2009

Recap

Chicago Bulls 86, Cleveland Cavaliers 85

Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

December 4, 2009

Recap

Chicago Bulls 87, Cleveland Cavaliers 101

Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

March 19, 2010

Recap

Cleveland Cavaliers 92, Chicago Bulls 85

United Center, Chicago, Illinois

April 8, 2010

Recap

Cleveland Cavaliers 108, Chicago Bulls 109

United Center, Chicago, Illinois

Last Playoff Meeting: 1994 Eastern Conference First Round (Chicago won 3-0)

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

April 18 5:30 pm	Recap	Charlotte Bobcats 89, Orlando Magic 98				Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 17,461 Referees: Dan Crawford, Tony Brothers, Sean Wright	TNT
		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

April 21 7:00 pm	Recap	Charlotte Bobcats 77, Orlando Magic 92				Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 17,461 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Rodney Mott, Bill Spooner	TNT
		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

April 24 2:00 pm	Recap	Orlando Magic 90, Charlotte Bobcats 86				Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 19,596 Referees: Joe Crawford, Ed Malloy, Leon Wood	TNT
		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

April 26 8:00 pm	Recap	Orlando Magic 99, Charlotte Bobcats 90				Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 19,086 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Sean Corbin, Marc Davis	TNT
		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

Regular-season series

The Orlando Magic lead games 3–1 in the regular-season series:

November 10, 2009

Recap

Orlando Magic 93, Charlotte Bobcats 81

Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina

November 16, 2009

Recap

Charlotte Bobcats 91, Orlando Magic 97

Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida

January 23, 2010

Recap

Orlando Magic 106, Charlotte Bobcats 95

Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina

March 14, 2010

Recap

Charlotte Bobcats 96, Orlando Magic 89

Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida

Last Playoff Meeting: Not available (first playoff series)

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

April 17 5:30 pm	Recap	Milwaukee Bucks 92, Atlanta Hawks 102				Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 18,729 Referees: Ken Mauer, Ron Garretson, Sean Corbin	ESPN
		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

April 20 7:00 pm	Recap	Milwaukee Bucks 86, Atlanta Hawks 96				Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 18,938 Referees: Dan Crawford, Derrick Collins, Ed Malloy	NBA TV
		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

April 24 7:00 pm	Recap	Atlanta Hawks 89, Milwaukee Bucks 107				Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tony Brothers, James Capers	ESPN
		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

April 26 8:30 pm	Recap	Atlanta Hawks 104, Milwaukee Bucks 111				Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Tom Washington, Tom Goble	NBA TV
		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

April 28 8:00 pm	Recap	Milwaukee Bucks 91, Atlanta Hawks 87				Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 19,304 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Dick Bavetta, Marc Davis	TNT
		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

April 30 7:00 pm	Recap	Atlanta Hawks 83, Milwaukee Bucks 69				Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Mike Callahan, Zach Zarba	ESPN
		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

May 2 1:00 pm	Recap	Milwaukee Bucks 74, Atlanta Hawks 95				Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 19,241 Referees: Joe Crawford, Scott Foster, Greg Willard	ABC
		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

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 a 83–69 Game 6 victory. The Hawks then finished off the Bucks in Game 7 and advanced to the next round.

Regular-season series

The Atlanta Hawks lead games 2–1 in the regular-season series:

February 28, 2010

Recap

Milwaukee Bucks 102, Atlanta Hawks 106

Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

March 22, 2010

Recap

Atlanta Hawks 95, Milwaukee Bucks 98

Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

April 12, 2010

Recap

Atlanta Hawks 104, Milwaukee Bucks 96

Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Last Playoff Meeting: 1989 Eastern Conference First Round (Milwaukee won 3-2)

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

April 17 8:00 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 76, Boston Celtics 85				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Dick Bavetta, Ed Malloy	ESPN
		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

April 20 8:00 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 77, Boston Celtics 106				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Eddie Rush, Bob Delaney, Marc Davis	TNT
		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

April 23 7:00 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 100, Miami Heat 98				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 19,500 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Eric Lewis, Bill Spooner	ESPN
		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

April 25 1:00 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 92, Miami Heat 101				American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 19,520 Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, Greg Willard	ABC
		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

April 27 7:00 pm	Recap	Miami Heat 86, Boston Celtics 96				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Scott Foster, Derrick Stafford, James Capers	NBATV
		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

Regular-season series

The Boston Celtics lead games 3–0 in the regular-season series:

November 29, 2009

Recap

Boston Celtics 92, Miami Heat 85

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

January 6, 2010

Recap

Boston Celtics 112, Miami Heat 106

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

February 3, 2010

Recap

Miami Heat 102, Boston Celtics 107

TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

Last Playoff Meeting: Not available (first playoff series)

Conference Semifinals

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

May 1 8:00 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 93, Cleveland Cavaliers 101				Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Bill Spooner, Jason Phillips	TNT
		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

May 3 8:00 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 104, Cleveland Cavaliers 86				Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Dan Crawford, Dick Bavetta, Ed Malloy	TNT
		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

May 7 7:00 pm	Recap	Cleveland Cavaliers 124, Boston Celtics 95				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Ken Mauer, Zach Zarba	ESPN
		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

May 9 3:30 pm	Recap	Cleveland Cavaliers 87, Boston Celtics 97				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Mike Callahan, Michael Smith	ABC
		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

May 11 8:00 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 120, Cleveland Cavaliers 88				Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Joe Crawford, Marc Davis, Greg Willard	TNT
		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

May 13 8:00 pm	Recap	Cleveland Cavaliers 85, Boston Celtics 94				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bob Delaney, Eddie F. Rush	ESPN
		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

The Cavaliers were considered heavy favorites coming in, but had to rally from an 11-point halftime deficit to win in 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". Rajon 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.^[27]

Regular-season series

Teams were tied 2–2 in the regular-season series:

October 27, 2009

Recap

Boston Celtics 95, Cleveland Cavaliers 89

Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

February 25, 2010

Recap

Cleveland Cavaliers 108, Boston Celtics 88

TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

March 14, 2010

Recap

Boston Celtics 93, Cleveland Cavaliers 104

Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

April 4, 2010

Recap

Cleveland Cavaliers 113, Boston Celtics 117

TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

Last Playoff Meeting: 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Boston won 4-3)

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

May 4 8:00 pm	Recap	Atlanta Hawks 71, Orlando Magic 114				Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 17,461 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Bob Delaney, Tom Washington	TNT
		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

May 6 8:00 pm	Recap	Atlanta Hawks 98, Orlando Magic 112				Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 17,461 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Mike Callahan, Marc Davis	ESPN
		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

May 8 5:00 pm	Recap	Orlando Magic 105, Atlanta Hawks 75				Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 18,729 Referees: Ed Malloy, Dan Crawford, Eddie F. Rush	ESPN
		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

May 10 8:00 pm	Recap	Orlando Magic 98, Atlanta Hawks 84				Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 18,729 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Bill Spooner, Derrick Stafford	TNT
		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

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

Regular-season series

The Orlando Magic lead games 3–1 in the regular-season series:

November 26, 2009

Recap

Orlando Magic 93, Atlanta Hawks 76

Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

January 9, 2010

Recap

Atlanta Hawks 81, Orlando Magic 113

Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida

January 30, 2010

Recap

Atlanta Hawks 86, Orlando Magic 104

Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida

March 24, 2010

Recap

Orlando Magic 84, Atlanta Hawks 86

Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

Last Playoff Meeting: 1996 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Orlando won 4-1)

Conference Finals: (2) Orlando Magic vs. (4) Boston Celtics

May 16 3:30 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 92, Orlando Magic 88				Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 17,461 Referees: Dan Crawford, Ken Mauer, Michael Smith	ABC
		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

May 18 8:30 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 95, Orlando Magic 92				Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 17,461 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy	ESPN
		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

May 22 8:30 pm	Recap	Orlando Magic 71, Boston Celtics 94				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Bill Spooner, Greg Willard	ESPN
		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

May 24 8:30 pm	Recap	Orlando Magic 96, Boston Celtics 92			OT	TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Scott Foster, Bob Delaney, Derrick Stafford	ESPN
		Scoring by quarter: 31–26, 20–21, 16–21, 19–18, OT: 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

May 26 8:30 pm	Recap	Boston Celtics 92, Orlando Magic 113				Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida Attendance: 17,461 Referees: Joe Crawford, Eddie F. Rush, Tom Washington	ESPN
		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

May 28 8:30 pm	Recap	Orlando Magic 84, Boston Celtics 96				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Mike Callahan, Ken Mauer	ESPN
		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

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. No team in NBA history has rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a post-season series. Moreover, 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.

Regular-season series

The Orlando Magic lead games 3–1 in the regular-season series:

November 20, 2009

Recap

Orlando Magic 83, Boston Celtics 78

TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

December 25, 2009

Recap

Boston Celtics 86, Orlando Magic 77

Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida

January 28, 2010

Recap

Boston Celtics 94, Orlando Magic 96

Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida

February 7, 2010

Recap

Orlando Magic 96, Boston Celtics 89

TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

Last Playoff Meeting: 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Orlando won 4-3)

Western Conference

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

First Round

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

April 18 3:00 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 79, Los Angeles Lakers 87				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Jason Phillips, Tom Washington	ABC
		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

April 20 10:30 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 92, Los Angeles Lakers 95				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Derrick Stafford, Scott Foster, Zach Zarba	TNT
		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

April 22 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 96, Oklahoma City Thunder 101				Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,342 Referees: Joe Crawford, Sean Wright, Marc Davis	TNT
		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

April 24 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 89, Oklahoma City Thunder 110				Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,342 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Sean Corbin, Michael Smith	ESPN
		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

April 27 10:30 pm	Recap	Oklahoma City Thunder 87, Los Angeles Lakers 111				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Leon Wood	TNT
		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

April 30 9:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 95, Oklahoma City Thunder 94				Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Attendance: 18,342 Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, Greg Willard	ESPN
		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
		L.A. Lakers win series, 4–2

Regular-season series

The Los Angeles Lakers lead games 3–1 in the regular-season series:

November 3, 2009

Recap

Los Angeles Lakers 101, Oklahoma City Thunder 98

Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

November 22, 2009

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 85, Los Angeles Lakers 101

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

December 22, 2009

Recap

Oklahoma City Thunder 108, Los Angeles Lakers 111

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

March 26, 2010

Recap

Los Angeles Lakers 75, Oklahoma City Thunder 91

Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Last Playoff Meeting: 1998 Western Conference Semifinals (Los Angeles won 4–1 over Seattle, the predecessor to Oklahoma City)

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

April 18 8:00 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 94, Dallas Mavericks 100				American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 20,372 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Michael Smith, Bill Kennedy	TNT
		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

April 21 9:30 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 102, Dallas Mavericks 88				American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 20,728 Referees: Ken Mauer, James Capers, Mike Callahan	TNT
		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

April 23 9:30 pm	Recap	Dallas Mavericks 90, San Antonio Spurs 94				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Dan Crawford, Rodney Mott	ESPN
		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

April 25 7:00 pm	Recap	Dallas Mavericks 89, San Antonio Spurs 92				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Bob Delaney, David Jones, Scott Foster	TNT
		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

April 27 9:30 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 81, Dallas Mavericks 103				American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 20,728 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Pat Fraher, Greg Willard	NBATV
		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

April 29 8:00 pm	Recap	Dallas Mavericks 87, San Antonio Spurs 97				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Bill Spooner, Tom Washington	TNT
		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

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.

Regular-season series

The Dallas Mavericks lead games 3–1 in the regular-season series:

November 11, 2009

Recap

Dallas Mavericks 83, San Antonio Spurs 92

AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

November 18, 2009

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 94, Dallas Mavericks 99

American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

January 8, 2010

Recap

Dallas Mavericks 112, San Antonio Spurs 103

AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

April 14, 2010

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 89, Dallas Mavericks 96

American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

Last Playoff Meeting: 2009 Western Conference First Round (Dallas won 4-1)

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

April 18 10:30 pm	Recap	Portland Trail Blazers 105, Phoenix Suns 100				US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18,422 Referees: Scott Foster, James Capers, Derrick Stafford	TNT
		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

April 20 10:00 pm	Recap	Portland Trail Blazers 90, Phoenix Suns 119				US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18.422 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tom Washington, Greg Willard	NBATV
		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

April 22 10:00 pm	Recap	Phoenix Suns 108, Portland Trail Blazers 89				Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 20,271 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Pat Fraher, Bill Kennedy	NBATV
		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

April 24 4:30 pm	Recap	Phoenix Suns 87, Portland Trail Blazers 96				Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 20,151 Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Derrick Collins, Ron Garretson	TNT
		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

April 26 10:30 pm	Recap	Portland Trail Blazers 88, Phoenix Suns 107				US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18,422 Referees: Joe Crawford, Jason Phillips, Bill Spooner	TNT
		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

April 29 10:30 pm	Recap	Phoenix Suns 99, Portland Trail Blazers 90				Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 20,313 Referees: Sean Corbin, Bob Delaney, Dan Crawford	TNT
		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

Regular-season series

The Portland Trail Blazers lead games 2–1 in the regular-season series:

December 17, 2009

Recap

Phoenix Suns 102, Portland Trail Blazers 105

Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon

February 10, 2010

Recap

Portland Trail Blazers 108, Phoenix Suns 101

US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona

March 21, 2010

Recap

Portland Trail Blazers 87, Phoenix Suns 93

US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona

Last Playoff Meeting: 1999 Western Conference First Round (Portland won 3-0)

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

April 17 10:30 pm	Recap	Utah Jazz 113, Denver Nuggets 126				Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 19,155 Referees: Joe Crawford, Greg Willard, Zach Zarba	ESPN
		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

April 19 10:30 pm	Recap	Utah Jazz 114, Denver Nuggets 111				Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 19,155 Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Spooner, Leon Wood	TNT
		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

April 23 10:30 pm	Recap	Denver Nuggets 93, Utah Jazz 105				Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: David Jones, Mike Callahan, Scott Foster	ESPN2
		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

April 25 9:30 pm	Recap	Denver Nuggets 106, Utah Jazz 117				Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Dan Crawford, Dick Bavetta, Pat Fraher	TNT
		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

April 28 10:30 pm	Recap	Utah Jazz 102, Denver Nuggets 116				Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 19,155 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Ron Garretson, Ed Malloy	TNT
		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

April 30 10:00 pm	Recap	Denver Nuggets 104, Utah Jazz 112				Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Marc Davis, Derrick Stafford	ESPN2
		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

Regular-season series

The Denver Nuggets lead games 3–1 in the regular-season series:

October 28, 2009

Recap

Utah Jazz 105, Denver Nuggets 114

Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

January 2, 2010

Recap

Denver Nuggets 105, Utah Jazz 95

Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

January 17, 2010

Recap

Utah Jazz 112, Denver Nuggets 119

Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

February 6, 2010

Recap

Denver Nuggets 106, Utah Jazz 116

Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

Last Playoff Meeting: 1994 Western Conference Semifinals (Utah won 4-3)

Conference Semifinals

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

May 2 3:30 pm	Recap	Utah Jazz 99, Los Angeles Lakers 104				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Mike Callahan, James Capers	ABC
		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

May 4 10:30 pm	Recap	Utah Jazz 103, Los Angeles Lakers 111				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Sean Corbin	TNT
		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

May 8 8:00 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 111, Utah Jazz 110				Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Joe Crawford, Dick Bavetta, Greg Willard	ABC
		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

May 10 10:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 111, Utah Jazz 96				Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Tom Washington	TNT
		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
		L.A. Lakers win series, 4–0

Regular-season series

The Los Angeles Lakers lead games 3–1 in the regular-season series:

December 9, 2009

Recap

Utah Jazz 77, Los Angeles Lakers 101

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

December 12, 2009

Recap

Los Angeles Lakers 94, Utah Jazz 102

Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

February 10, 2010

Recap

Los Angeles Lakers 96, Utah Jazz 81

Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

April 2, 2010

Recap

Utah Jazz 92, Los Angeles Lakers 106

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

Last Playoff Meeting: 2009 Western Conference First Round (Los Angeles won 4-1)

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

May 3 10:30 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 102, Phoenix Suns 111				US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18,422 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Ken Mauer, Michael Smith	TNT
		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

May 5 9:00 pm	Recap	San Antonio Spurs 102, Phoenix Suns 110				US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18,422 Referees: Joe Crawford, Ron Garretson, Derrick Stafford	TNT
		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

May 7 9:30 pm	Recap	Phoenix Suns 110, San Antonio Spurs 96				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Scott Foster, James Capers, Bill Kennedy	ESPN
		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

May 9 8:00 pm	Recap	Phoenix Suns 107, San Antonio Spurs 101				AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,581 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bob Delaney, Jason Phillips	TNT
		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

Regular-season series

The Phoenix Suns lead games 2–1 in the regular-season series:

December 15, 2009

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 104, Phoenix Suns 116

US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona

February 28, 2010

Recap

Phoenix Suns 110, San Antonio Spurs 113

AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

April 7, 2010

Recap

San Antonio Spurs 101, Phoenix Suns 112

US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona

Last Playoff Meeting: 2008 Western Conference First Round (San Antonio won 4-1)

Conference Finals: (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Phoenix Suns

May 17 9:00 pm	Recap	Phoenix Suns 107, Los Angeles Lakers 128				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Scott Foster, Jason Phillips, Greg Willard	TNT
		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

May 19 9:00 pm	Recap	Phoenix Suns 112, Los Angeles Lakers 124				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, Ed Malloy	TNT
		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

May 23 8:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 109, Phoenix Suns 118				US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18,422 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Eddie F. Rush, Tom Washington	TNT
		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

May 25 9:00 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 106, Phoenix Suns 115				US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18,422 Referees: Dan Crawford, James Capers, Ken Mauer	TNT
		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

May 27 9:00 pm	Recap	Phoenix Suns 101, Los Angeles Lakers 103				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Marc Davis, Bob Delaney	TNT
		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

May 29 8:30 pm	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 111, Phoenix Suns 103				US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18,422 Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Greg Willard	TNT
		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
		L.A. Lakers win series, 4–2

The Lakers would put their home-court advantage to good use by winning the first two games in Los Angeles. The Suns would strike 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 hit the game-winner as the clock ran out, the Suns found themselves trailing 3 to 2. Los Angeles held off a late Suns rally to steal game 6 in Phoenix, as Kobe Bryant poured in 37 points, including a long jump shot in the final minute that put the game out of reach.

Regular-season series

The Los Angeles Lakers lead games 3–1 in the regular-season series:

November 12, 2009

Recap

Phoenix Suns 102, Los Angeles Lakers 121

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

December 6, 2009

Recap

Phoenix Suns 88, Los Angeles Lakers 108

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

December 28, 2009

Recap

Los Angeles Lakers 103, Phoenix Suns 118

US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona

March 12, 2010

Recap

Los Angeles Lakers 102, Phoenix Suns 96

US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona

Last Playoff Meeting: 2007 Western Conference First Round (Phoenix won 4-1)

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

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

Main article: 2010 NBA Finals

June 3 9:00 p.m.	Recap	Boston Celtics 89, Los Angeles Lakers 102				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Joe Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Derrick Stafford	ABC
		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

June 6 8:00 p.m.	Recap	Boston Celtics 103, Los Angeles Lakers 94				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Mike Callahan, Ken Mauer	ABC
		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

June 8 9:00 p.m.	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 91, Boston Celtics 84				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Bennett Salvatore	ABC
		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

June 10 9:00 p.m.	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 89, Boston Celtics 96				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Scott Foster, Eddie F. Rush, Greg Willard	ABC
		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

June 13 8:00 p.m.	Recap	Los Angeles Lakers 86, Boston Celtics 92				TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 18,624 Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, Derrick Stafford	ABC
		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

June 15 9:00 p.m.	Recap	Boston Celtics 67, Los Angeles Lakers 89				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Joe DeRosa, Ken Mauer	ABC
		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

June 17 9:00 p.m.	Recap	Boston Celtics 79, Los Angeles Lakers 83				Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Crawford, Scott Foster	ABC
		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
		L.A. Lakers win NBA Finals, 4–3

Last Playoff Meeting: 2008 NBA Finals (Boston won 4-2)

Statistic leaders

Category	High			Average
	Player	Team	Total	Player	Team	Avg.	Games played
Points	Dwyane Wade	Miami Heat	46	Dwyane Wade	Miami Heat	33.2	5
Rebounds	Carlos Boozer Joakim Noah	Utah Jazz Chicago Bulls	20 20	Carlos Boozer	Utah Jazz	13.2	10
Assists	Rajon Rondo	Boston Celtics	19	Deron Williams	Utah Jazz	10.2	10
Steals	John Salmons	Milwaukee Bucks	6	Manu Ginóbili	San Antonio Spurs	2.6	10
Blocks	Dwight Howard	Orlando Magic	9	Dwight Howard	Orlando Magic	3.5	14

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Cavs drop Hawks for back-to-back 60-win seasons". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 3, 2010. http://www.nba.com/games/20100402/ATLCLE/gameinfo.html. Retrieved April 5, 2010. 
2. ^ NBA - Standings
3. ^ "2009–2010 Conference Regular Season Standings". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. April 4, 2010. http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html. Retrieved April 4, 2010. 
4. ^ "Without LeBron, Cavs gut out 50th win of the season". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. March 8, 2010. http://www.nba.com/games/20100308/SASCLE/gameinfo.html. Retrieved April 4, 2010. 
5. ^ "Cavs hold off Pacers for fifth straight win, Central title". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. March 17, 2010. http://www.nba.com/games/20100317/INDCLE/gameinfo.html. Retrieved April 4, 2010. 
6. ^ "Cavs lose to Celtics, clinch home court advantage". cantonrep.com. Associated Press. April 4, 2010. http://www.cantonrep.com/cavaliers/x12618987/Allen-scores-33-points-to-lead-Celtics-past-Cavs. Retrieved April 4, 2010. 
7. ^ "Magic Clinch Fourth Straight Playoff Berth". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. March 17, 2010. http://www.nba.com/magic/news/denton_playoffberth_031610.html. Retrieved April 4, 2010. 
8. ^ "Magic Clinch Third Straight Division Title". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. April 5, 2010. http://www.nba.com/magic/news/denton_division_clinch_040610.html. Retrieved April 6, 2010. 
9. ^ "Everything You Need to Know – Hawks vs. Spurs – March 21, 2010". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. March 21, 2010. http://www.nba.com/hawks/feature/everything_032110.html. Retrieved April 4, 2010. 
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12. ^ ^{a b} "HEAT Playoffs Tickets To Go On Sale April 16th". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. April 7, 2010. http://www.nba.com/heat/news/heat_playoffs_tickets_on_sale_2010.html. Retrieved April 7, 2010. 
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18. ^ "Mavericks clinch playoff berth after Grizzlies lose". dallasnews.com. Dallas Morning News. March 26, 2010. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/032910dnspomavsshort.3d02007.html. Retrieved March 29, 2010. 
19. ^ "Mavericks turn to Dirk to beat Blazers, claim Southwest". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. April 9, 2010. http://www.nba.com/games/20100409/DALPOR/gameinfo.html. Retrieved April 9, 2010. 
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21. ^ Dempsey, Chris (March 28, 2010). "Nuggets clinch playoff spot". denverpost.com (Associated Press). http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_14774897?source=rss. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
22. ^ "Nuggets Clinch Northwest Division". krextv.com. Associated Press. April 14, 2010. http://www.krextv.com/index.php/site/article/nuggets_clinch_northwest_division/rex778363/. Retrieved April 14, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
23. ^ "Utah Jazz clinch playoff spot; Kirilenko diagnosed with calf strain". desertnews.com. Desert News. March 28, 2010. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700020218/Utah-Jazz-clinch-playoff-spot-Kirilenko-diagnosed-with-calf-strain.html. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
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26. ^ "Thunder clinch first playoff berth with win at Dallas". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. April 3, 2010. http://www.nba.com/games/20100403/OKCDAL/gameinfo.html?ls=gt2hp0020901137. Retrieved April 4, 2010. 
27. ^ Cavs owner: LeBron quit in playoffs Sportsillustrated.Cnn.com retrieved 07-10-2010

External links

• Official website of the NBA
• Official website of the 2010 NBA Playoffs
• ESPN's NBA page
• 2010 NBA Playoffs at Basketball Reference