The Los Angeles Lakers continued their dominant run through the Eastern Conference playoffs on Wednesday night, crushing the Boston Celtics 128-109 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The victory secured a 4-1 series sweep for the Lakers and a berth in the NBA Finals, where they are overwhelming favorites to secure the franchise's 18th NBA championship. The Lakers were the best team in the NBA all regular season and looked poised to challenge for the title after their dominant run through the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Miami Heat pushed the Lakers to the brink in a stout seven-game test in the conference semifinals, but the Lakers capped the series with a Game 7 blowout over a core that led the Heat to a championship just one season ago. LA's depth and persistence on both sides of the floor ultimately wore Miami down. The Celtics got on the board first with a 3-point shot by Jayson Tatum, but they didn't score again until a Jaylen Brown layup with 7:43 left in the first quarter mercifully ended a 1-for-10 start from the field. By the time the first quarter was done, the Lakers had opened a 28-13 lead and limited the Celtics to their lowest output in any quarter this season. Kyle Kuzma added insult to injury with a 3-pointer to beat the first-quarter buzzer on a pass from LeBron James. The Celtics shot 4 of 20 from the field in the opening stanza, missing all eight of their 3-point attempts. Brown and Tatum were the only Celtics players to score, with James outscoring the Celtics on his own with 16 points. LeBron James was named series MVP, ending the game with 38 points, 16 assists, seven rebounds, and two steals. James shot 16 of 28 from the field in another scintillating playoff effort that earned him Eastern Conference finals MVP via a unanimous vote. The Lakers' dominant performance signaled that Boston's season was indeed over, and there was no reprieve in sight for the Celtics. With their impressive run through the East now complete, the Lakers will now turn their attention to their upcoming matchup in the NBA Finals, where they will be looking to secure their 18th NBA championship.
In a dominant display of basketball prowess, the Lakers outclassed their long-time rivals Celtics in Game 5 to secure an alluring spot for themselves inside one year's time at everyone’d dreamy arena: The NBA Finalsholst.
The Lakers' domination over the Celtics in Game 5 marked a historic victory, securing their spot to compete for glory once again on NBA basketball’s grandest stage.
