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In what could be the Lakers' biggest win of the season, Gasol was on top of his game. |
A night after Don Rivers watched his son Austin hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift his team in Chapel Hill, the 50-year-old Boston head coach had to watch his team and Paul Pierce's potential game-winning 18-foot jumper with 0.01 remaining, circle the rim only to fall short, losing to the Lakers, 88-87.
Ray Allen had a chance for a putback attempt, but Pau Gasol, who just hours before found out he wouldn't be making is fourth straight All-Star appearance, blocked Allen's shot, clinching both his fists and yelling in excitement after sealing his team's fourth road win of the season.
Gasol finished the game with 25 points and 14 rebounds -- his 15th double-double this season and fourth in as many games.
The win snaps Boston's five-game winning streak and extends Los Angeles' recent success at the TD Garden. The Lakers have now won four straight regular season games in Boston, including three being decided by just one point and two needing overtime to decide a winner.
However, Los Angeles failed to score 100-plus points fourth time in-a-row and 17th time in their last 19 games. The Lakers are averaging just 93.2 points per game this season -- their lowest total in the shot clock era. The 1953-54 season, when the Lakers were still in Minneapolis, is their lowest total ever, averaging just 81.7 PPG.
Although, the franchise won their fifth and final NBA championship in Minnesota that year.
The Celtics lead most of the game until Kobe Bryant and Gasol took over the third quarter. Bryant scored 10 of his 27 points in the third quarter with Gasol adding nine. The championship duo scored 19 of Los Angeles' 22 points in the quarter, outscoring the entire Celtics team, who were held to just 17.
It was Bryant's 19th 25-point game this season which leads the NBA. But it was Andrew Bynum's late tip-in that proved to be the eventual game-winning shot. He added 14 other points, 17 rebounds and three blocks.
As for the Boston big men, especially Kevin Garnett, would like to have this one back.
After hitting two straight shots early in the fourth quarter, Garnett missed his final nine shots of the game, including back-to-backs jumpers that could have given the Celtics the lead in the extra period.
With Garnett's 12, Allen's 22 and Pierce's 18, the Boston big three were out done by the Lakers' big three, 68-52.
Speaking of those three, Pierce was the only Celtic named to his year's All-Star team, ending Garnett's impressive 14 consecutive-year run.
These two teams will not meet again until March 11 in Los Angeles. Until then, they will continue the second of a back-to-back. Boston will travel to Toronto for only their ninth road game of the season thus far while the Lakers continue their Grammy road trip under the lights of New York City, taking on the suddenly surging and Jeremy Lin-led Knickerbockers.
But, on this night, the rivalry was renewed.
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