Then in the conference semifinals, the Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games, the earliest that a top seed has been eliminated since the Dallas Mavericks' first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2007.

In reaching the Finals, the Celtics became the first team in NBA history to do so with a better regular season road record than home.

[3][4] On February 1, Bryant moved past Jerry West into 14th place on the NBA's career scoring list.

In Game 5, Ron Artest made an off-balance layup to beat the buzzer off a Bryant missed shot for the Lakers to win.

[12] Following the first full timeout of the game, the Lakers scored 13 straight points thanks in part to free throws by Bryant and Gasol.

[12] The Celtics soon took advantage of the Lakers problems when Davis, Tony Allen, and Rasheed Wallace managed to successfully hit several critical shots to end the quarter on a six-point deficit.

[12][13] After coming off the bench to replace a struggling Gasol in the fourth quarter, Derek Fisher made a 12-foot jumper in what would be another of his finest postseason performances in his career.

[14] Pierce made one final layup with five seconds left in the game, but the Lakers edged the Celtics with a 91–84 victory to take a 2–1 lead in the series.

Three free throws with 1:08 remaining pulled the Lakers within 92–86, and they had an opportunity to get closer in the final minute; however, a Bryant pass was stolen by Rondo, who subsequently made a layup to extend the Celtics' lead.

The game featured a 38-point performance by Bryant (hitting numerous shots in the 3rd quarter), being the only Lakers player to score over 12 points and one of only two in double figures.

[22] His Lakers counterpart, Andrew Bynum left the game early in the third quarter due to swelling in his knee from a torn meniscus.

[24] After the team's first full timeout, the Celtics managed to outscore the Lakers 6–1, with Davis scoring four points on questionable calls.

[24] At the start of the second quarter, the Lakers got back in the game by scoring 11 straight points to take a two-point lead over the Celtics.

[24] Nevertheless, the Lakers continued to score points, with Ron Artest hitting 3 of his 4 free throws in the quarter to maintain a four-point deficit.

[24] Before the second quarter concluded, Paul Pierce sunk a pair of free throws to end the first half with a 40–34 Celtics lead.

[24] As the third quarter drew to a close, the Lakers continued their momentum as Bryant completed a 4-foot jumper while Gasol hit two free throws.

[24] The Lakers' fortunes rode high midway through the fourth quarter as Fisher sunk a three-point field goal from 26-feet to tie the game at 64.

[24] With 11.7 seconds left in the game, Rondo made one last-ditch effort to revive the Celtics' hopes by attempting a three-pointer.

[24] Gasol passed the ball to Odom who quickly threw it to the opposite end of the court in the hands of Bryant as the buzzer sounded.

The Finals was also broadcast on ESPN Radio, with Jim Durham, Hubie Brown and Jack Ramsay calling the action.

[38] In Boston, WEEI carried the Celtics' English broadcasts with Sean Grande and Cedric Maxwell announcing.

The Boston–Los Angeles sports rivalry would be rekindled later in the decade, beginning with the LA Galaxy capturing the 2014 MLS Cup over the New England Revolution.

Unlike like previous years, however, there was no pep rally that followed after the end of the parade due to both security and financial reasons.

[51] The parade concluded at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Grand Avenue near the University of Southern California's Galen Center.

[54] Most of the 2009–10 Lakers team were on hand to receive their championship rings before the start of the season opener against the Houston Rockets on October 26.

[56][57] In November 2010, Time Capsule Press published a book entitled Journey to the Ring: Behind the Scenes with the 2010 NBA Champions Lakers.

The Lakers would not return to the Finals until 2020, with the LeBron James and Anthony Davis-led team defeating the Miami Heat and winning their 17th title, which tied the Celtics for the most in league history, at the time.

Also in the 2013 offseason, Rivers took over as the Los Angeles Clippers head coach, and the last remaining piece of the “Big Four”, Rondo, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks early into the 2014–15 season.

The Celtics would not make it back to the Finals until 12 years later in 2022, where they were defeated by the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors in a six-game series.

[60] The Celtics would once again make it to the Finals two years later in 2024, this time defeating the Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving-led Dallas Mavericks in five games, garnering their first championship title in 16 years and 18th overall, effectively consolidating their position as the NBA franchise with the highest number of NBA championship titles.