Celtics Shoot Up, Stick Needle In Lakers Again
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When a team is playing 1 against 5, it’s usually a losing proposition. Such was the case for the Lakers. They got a spectacular performance from Kobe Bryant, but the Lakers’ star didn’t get any help from his supporting cast.
Paulie Pierce didn’t have those problems. While the Celtics’ guard played his best game of the NBA Finals, he also got a boost from his support network to back up his superb effort.
Pierce led the Celtics with 27 points, 15 of those coming in the 1st half, and Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo added 18 apiece as the Celtics closed the door on a late Laker rally for a 92-86 victory in Game 5 Sunday in Boston to take a 3-2 series lead in the NBA Finals.
Boston shot the lights out against a porous Laker defense. The Celtics shot 56.3%, a sizzling 65.6% in the 1st half, compared to 39.7% for the Lakers, but still needed some heroics down the stretch to clinch the victory.
They also got help from the officials, who missed a crucial call late in the contest when they ruled a Ray Allen air ball hit the rim as the shot clock expired. That call practically sunk the Lakers, who head back to L.A. hoping they can win 2 straight to defend their NBA title. But it wasn’t what beat them, the Celtics again outplaying them and beating them to the punch again.
Phil Jackson said the game was won in the 3rd quarter, when the Celtics bolted to a 13-point lead and forced the Lakers to fight an uphill battle the rest of the way.
“They broke the game open in the 3rd quarter and it was a struggle for us to get back in the ball game,” Jackson said.
Bryant though kept the Lakers within striking distance with a remarkable performance in the 3rd. He scored 19 straight points on 7 of 9 field goals, hitting contested shots on almost every attempt, when the Celtics could have easily salted the game away.
“Kobe struggled in the 1st half, but he was his dynamic self in the 2nd half,” Jackson said.
But he had no help. Pau Gasol, who resorted to his soft shell again, was the only Laker in double figures, finishing with 12 points and 12 rebounds. But Garnett kept Gasol off balance all night, then Tony Allen put another ring around his collar with an outstanding block in the 4th quarter. Derek Fisher, who also resorted to his old ways, managed only 9 points on 2 of 9 shooting and Lamar Odom and Ron Artest performed another disappearing act, finishing with 8 and 7 points respectively. Artest also got torched by Pierce for much of the game.
Andrew Bynum, who had only 6 points and 1 rebound, got off to a good start, but he wasn’t a factor in the 2nd half.
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