Down 24 points to the team with the greatest player on the planet and the greatest coach ever, somehow, someway, the Celtics managed to beat the Lakers 97-91 tonight. No team leading 3-1 has ever failed to win the NBA Finals.
Paul Pierce (20 pts, 7 assists) was magnificent – defensively. He blanketed Kobe Bryant (17 pts, 6-19 FG, 10 assists) in the second half and would not allow him to take over the game.
With less than :20 left and the Celtics up 3, Ray Allen (19 pts, 9 reb, 48 minutes) blew past Sasha Vujacic and made it to the rim for a lay-up before any Laker could slide over and help. It was a fantastic example of how bad the Lakers can be on defense.
James Posey (18 pts, 4-8 3 FG) was immense in the second half. His trey with 1:13 left gave the Celtics a 5-point lead. It was the type of shot you expected Kobe to make, except Bryant never did.
Now the bad news: Kendrick Perkins left the game in the 3rd quarter with a shoulder injury. He said it's just a strain and he expects to play on Sunday. This is the same shoulder he separated two years ago and needed surgery to repair.
Quote of the night: "We just wet the bed." – Kobe Bryant.
More pictures after the jump…
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