King James Gospel
Fansided

LeBron James versus the Boston Celtics: A brief history

By Tony Pesta

BOSTON - MAY 13: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers points across the court in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics during the 2010 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2010 at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics won 94-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON - MAY 13: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers points across the court in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics during the 2010 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2010 at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics won 94-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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2009-10 Second Round: Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Boston Celtics win series 4-2

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics meet again only two years after their game-seven thriller. The Cavaliers had won 61 games this season and were desperate for another NBA Finals trip. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics had just won an NBA championship and were looking to repeat.

The Cavaliers opened up the series with a game one win. James scored 35 and Mo Williams chipped in with 20 points and six assists. Boston stormed back to win game two by 18 points, largely due to the fact that six different players scored in double-digits.

Cleveland responded with a 29 point win in-game three. After three games, the Cavaliers held a 2-1 series lead. Up to this point in the series, James had been averaging 32.3 points per game on 54.1% shooting.

However, the series would take a drastic change in the next three games. The Celtics defense began to shine as James started to struggle. James averaged only 21.3 points per game and shot under 35% in the final three games. Boston was led by Rajon Rondo as the team finished the Cavaliers off in six games.

This series loss marked the end of LeBron’s first stint in Cleveland. After being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs for the second straight year, James was clearly frustrated. James would decide to sign with the Miami Heat in the off-season, looking for a new beginning.