| |
|
Lakers come from behind to stun Celtics
By Nicholai R. Roska
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 13 Mar 2012
LOS ANGELES -- When Ray Allen swished a 3-pointer off a Kevin Garnett assist with 2:41 left to play against the Lakers, the Celtics sat on what seemed like a comfortable 94-89 lead.
But as the guys in green found out bitterly, no lead -- large and small -- is ever safe against Kobe Bryant.
Bryant, now a Masked Mamba, engineered an 8-0 run the rest of the way as the Lakers came from behind to stun the shell-shocked Celtics, 97-94, before a sellout crowd of 18,997 at the Staples Center.
Ironically, it was the Celtics who early plotted a big comeback when they erased a 15-point deficit by shooting 13 of 16 2nd quarter field goals. But that rally proved unsustainable as the Celtics 38-of-83 filed goals (47 percent) while the Lakers converted 36-of-71 (50.7 percent).
The Lakers sank 8-of-16 triples while the Celtics went only 6-of-17 beyond the arc. Boston had more assists 33-25, but the Lakers enjoyed a sizeable 42-34 rebounding edge.
It was thrilling game, one that saw 14 lead changes and 11 deadlocks. In the end, it boiled down to one team playing extremely better in the crunch.
"They made shots down the stretch and we didn't," said Celtics All-Star Rajon Rondo, who finished with 24 points and 10 assists. "We had some good looks at the rim, but shots didn't fall and we couldn't get a stop."
Bryant, who played for 42 minutes, led the Lakers with 27 points and 7 assists while Andrew Bynum bored through the paint with 14 rebounds and 20 points, including a nifty bucket in the final 15.5 seconds which gave the Lakers a 97-94 bulge.
Pau Gasol had another workmanlike performance with 13 points and 13 rebounds while the Artest now known as Metta World Peace made his presence felt with 14 points capped by three 3s.
All five Celtic starters ended up with double figures in points with Allen having 17, Brandon Bass with 15, Garnett 14 and Pierce 13. (NRR)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Nicholai R. Roska.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Mano Mano sa Candelaria 3: Gemino Outpoints Mancito
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Wed, 05 Feb 2025THE TALENTED AND UNDEFEATED SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT DARIUS “DFG” FULGHUM RETURNS AS CO-MAIN EVENT FOR DUARTE VS. PROGRAIS
, Wed, 05 Feb 2025IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Niš to highlight the ascending stars of female boxing
, Wed, 05 Feb 2025Kaipo Gallegos Shines in Las Vegas Victory Over Leonardo Padilla
, Wed, 05 Feb 2025World Boxing membership grows to 72 National Federations as Executive Board approves four new applications from Egypt, Gambia, Kiribati and Grenada
, Wed, 05 Feb 2025Deonte Brown signs with prominent manager Trifon Petrov
, Wed, 05 Feb 2025Memphis Grizzlies Repeat Over SA Spurs, Overtake Houston Rockets for 2nd in West
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Tue, 04 Feb 2025WEIGHTS FROM NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
, Tue, 04 Feb 2025IM Michael Concio and Chester Neil Reyes banner IIEE Quezon to win the quarterfinals of the PTC World Engineering Day online Chess Tournament
By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 04 Feb 2025THURSDAY: Arthur Biyarslanov-Mohamed Mimoune & Heavyweight KO Artist Bakhodir Jalolov’s Return to Stream LIVE and Exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+
, Tue, 04 Feb 2025Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford: The Super Fight of 2025 Officially Set for Las Vegas
, Tue, 04 Feb 2025Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa Shields Makes History and Captures the Undisputed Heavyweight Title at Super Brawl Sunday in Flint, Mich.
, Tue, 04 Feb 2025Granite Chin Promotions bringing pro boxing back to Bridgewater “Fight Night at the Vets Club III”
, Tue, 04 Feb 2025ATLANTIC CITY BOXING HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2025
, Tue, 04 Feb 2025Chester Neil Reyes rules 2025 Santa Maria Town Fiesta Chess Challenge
By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 03 Feb 2025Taduran defense may be rematch
By Joaquin Henson, , Sun, 02 Feb 2025PFF turns over balls to DavNor
By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 02 Feb 2025David Benavidez Overcomes Knockdown to Unify Light Heavyweight Titles in Thrilling Bout Against David Morrell Jr.
, Sun, 02 Feb 2025Clash of Titans: Drama Builds for Canelo vs. Crawford Superfight as Critics, Cash, and Concerns Collide
, Sun, 02 Feb 2025WBC Greenlights Noel Mikaelyan’s Cruiserweight Title Shot; Don King Vows to "Make Boxing Great Again"
, Sun, 02 Feb 2025Muslim Gadzhimagomedov victorious in IBA Champions’ Night Moscow main event
, Sun, 02 Feb 20253 Pinoy boxers lose in Japan
By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 02 Feb 2025WBA belatedly recognizes Panamanian "Buchi" Amaya as honorary world champion after his death
By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 02 Feb 20252025 Sta. Maria Town Fiesta Chess Challenge gets underway on Sunday
By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 02 Feb 2025Benavidez vs. Morrell: Talking All That Jazz
By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 01 Feb 2025 |
|
|
|
|
|
