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Old 06-14-2010, 04:22 PM
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Default Celtics 92, Lakers 86: C's close in on Title 18

Celtics 92, Lakers 86: C's close in on Title 18
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/fe...in-on-Title-18

Celtics captain Paul Pierce (front) and Kevin Garnett react during the fourth quarter of last night's 92-86 win over the Lakers.


By Scott Souza/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Posted Jun 14, 2010 @ 12:28 AM
Last update Jun 14, 2010 @ 12:34 AM
BOSTON —

Paul Pierce scored 27 points in 43 grueling minutes of last night's NBA Finals Game 5, but it was a rebound and an assist that sent the Celtics back to Los Angeles one win away from an 18th championship.

Pierce ripped a defensive board away from Kobe Bryant with 38.9 seconds left and Boston leading by five, then grabbed an errant Kevin Garnett inbounds pass on the ensuing play and found Rajon Rondo cutting to the rim while teetering out of bounds for the decisive basket in a 92-86 victory.

"I was just showing off my Randy Moss and Tom Brady on the same play," said Pierce. "I was going up to catch it, then went into Brady mode when I was falling out of bounds to find Rondo on the receiving end."

Boston takes a 3-2 lead to Los Angeles where the Celtics must win one of the final two games for their second title in three years. Their first chance to end it is tomorrow night.

"Let's be honest," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We had to win this game. That's the way we felt going in. For them, they still have two home games ... let's hope not two home games."

Hearing for more than a week that people were waiting for the series MVP Pierce of the 2008 NBA Finals to show up, the captain responded last night with a get-on-my-back effort. He matched Bryant's killer instinct offensively and outmuscled him for the ball when the game was on the line.

"Paul was terrific," Rivers said. "He attacked all night. He did it through the offense. He did it through (isolations), did it in pick-and-rolls. He made big shots for us all night and we needed it."

Garnett had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Rondo had 18 points and eight assists as the Celtics overcame 38 points from Bryant.

"Kobe is one guy that you probably can't stop in this league," Pierce said. "But we feel like with these other guys we can slow them down or almost shut them down. That gives us a great chance of winning."

The Lakers cut a 13-point Boston lead to six in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, but the Celtics withstood that surge with Rasheed Wallace drilling a 3-pointer and Nate Robinson following a Bryant jumper with a drive to quell the Laker rally.

After matching baskets the next three minutes, the Celtics reasserted themselves defensively. Ray Allen made a steal and found Rondo ahead of the pack to make it a 10-point game, Rondo had a steal on the next Lakers' possession and then soared to the offensive glass for a put-back and 87-75 lead with 3:49 on the clock.

With the Celtics looking like they were counting the seconds to the final buzzer, the Lakers crept closer with four free throws over 1:22 to get within 87-79. Kendrick Perkins missed a pair of free throws, then Allen fouled Bryant on a 3-point attempt and he drained all three to pull his team within 87-82 at 1:30.

The Celtics had two chances to extend the next possession before Garnett lost a jump ball to Derek Fisher. Ron Artest got behind the pack and was fouled on a drive, but missed both free throws and Pierce ripped the offensive rebound away from Bryant with the Celtics still up five at 38.9 seconds.

"I just saw the ball in front of me and just wanted to go as hard as I could," Pierce said. "I wanted to aggressively grab it and I was able to do that before they fouled me or I went out of bounds."

The Celtics tried to put the game out of reach coming out of the half with a Rondo basket and Pierce 3-pointer stretching a six-point lead to 11. Over the next 10 minutes, it was a matter of whether Bryant could single-handedly match shots with the entire Boston starting five.

Bryant hit his first seven shots of the quarter, and scored the first 19 points, but even his brilliance could do little more than keep the Lakers in the game against the scorching Celtics.

"I just kept trying to tell them it's only two points when he scores," Rivers said. "As long as we kept scoring the way we were, we were going to be good. I love that our guys, for the most part, held it in. They understood what he was doing, but we defended everyone else."

The Celtics led as many as 13 in the quarter before the Lakers chipped within eight after three. Boston went up eight in the first half and was ahead 45-39 at the break while shooting 65.6 percent to the Lakers' 33.3 percent.

(Scott Souza is a Daily News staff writer. He can be reached at 781-398-8006 or ssouza@cnc.com.)
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