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Lakers rout Celtics to level finals
Source: Agencies |
June 17, 2010, Thursday
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BACK at home and back in form, the Los Angeles Lakers thumped the Boston Celtics 89-67 on Tuesday to force the National Basketball Association finals series to a seventh game.
Led once again by Kobe Bryant, the Lakers rebounded from their losses in the last two games in Boston to square the best-of-seven series at 3-3 and ensure the title will be decided by a sudden-death game between the sport's two fiercest rivals at Staples Center tomorrow.
The Lakers, who have already won 15 NBA titles, including last season, kept the series alive with the biggest winning margin of the finals to regain the momentum and the home-court advantage as both teams started to show signs of fatigue.
"I thought we had a little more energy than they did," Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson told a media conference. "But both teams ran out of gas in the second half and we struggled through the ballgame."
Bryant, chasing his fifth NBA title in a decade with the Lakers, has been a tower of strength throughout the series and he produced again on Tuesday with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Spanish forward Pau Gasol contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds and Ron Artest added 15 for the Lakers.
The Celtics failed to reach the same standards they produced in the last two games to move within sight of a record 18th title, and were outplayed from start to finish.
They suffered an early setback when center Kendrick Perkins sprained his knee in the first quarter when he fell awkwardly, and trailed by 10 at the end of the first period. Perkins did not return and was due to undergo tests today to determine whether he can play in Game 7.
The margin blew out to 20 points at halftime and 25 at the last intermission as their confidence began to wane.
The Celtics managed just 28 from 84 off the floor and 60 percent of their free throws while the Lakers shot 33 from 79, including six of 19 three-pointers.
Guard Ray Allen top scored with 19 points while Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo all made double figures for Boston.
Led once again by Kobe Bryant, the Lakers rebounded from their losses in the last two games in Boston to square the best-of-seven series at 3-3 and ensure the title will be decided by a sudden-death game between the sport's two fiercest rivals at Staples Center tomorrow.
The Lakers, who have already won 15 NBA titles, including last season, kept the series alive with the biggest winning margin of the finals to regain the momentum and the home-court advantage as both teams started to show signs of fatigue.
"I thought we had a little more energy than they did," Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson told a media conference. "But both teams ran out of gas in the second half and we struggled through the ballgame."
Bryant, chasing his fifth NBA title in a decade with the Lakers, has been a tower of strength throughout the series and he produced again on Tuesday with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Spanish forward Pau Gasol contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds and Ron Artest added 15 for the Lakers.
The Celtics failed to reach the same standards they produced in the last two games to move within sight of a record 18th title, and were outplayed from start to finish.
They suffered an early setback when center Kendrick Perkins sprained his knee in the first quarter when he fell awkwardly, and trailed by 10 at the end of the first period. Perkins did not return and was due to undergo tests today to determine whether he can play in Game 7.
The margin blew out to 20 points at halftime and 25 at the last intermission as their confidence began to wane.
The Celtics managed just 28 from 84 off the floor and 60 percent of their free throws while the Lakers shot 33 from 79, including six of 19 three-pointers.
Guard Ray Allen top scored with 19 points while Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo all made double figures for Boston.
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