Today in Boston Celtics history: Lakers defeated in G5 of '10 Finals; Saunders, Garfinkle born
Today in Boston Celtics history, the team defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to the tune of 92-86 in Game 5 of the 2010 NBA Finals, despite Kobe Bryant’s otherworldly performance of 38 points and 5 rebounds, giving the Celtics a 3-2 lead in the series vs. their biggest rivals.
“It was our biggest game of the year,” Pierce stated, according to the Associated Press. “We’re in a good spot. We have two games in LA; now we have to get one.” This victory put Boston just a single game away from their 18th championship banner, although the title ultimately eluded them as the Lakers won the series in seven games.
The contest was won with 27 points from forward Paul Pierce, 18 points and 10 rebounds from big man Kevin Garnett, and 18 points and 8 assists from point guard Rajon Rondo.
Birthdays
It is also the birthday of former Celtics guard Jack Garfinkle, who played three seasons between 1946 and 1949 with Boston in its Basketball Association of America days, the precursor league of the NBA. A product of St. John’s, Garfinkle logged 5.2 points and 1.5 assists per game with the club; they had yet to begin recording rebounds.
Today is also ex-Celtic small forward Fred Saunders’ birthday, born in Columbus, Ohio in 1951. Saunders played his college ball with Syracuse and was drafted by the Phoenix Suns before coming to Boston as a free agent in 1976. He would play two seasons with the team, averaging 5.1 points, 2.8 boards, and an assist per game over that stretch.
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Lakers defeated in G5 of ’10 Finals; Saunders, Garfinkle born
