A L.A. Story

In what could be the Lakers' biggest win of

the season, Gasol was on top of his game.

Boston Celtics. Los Angeles Lakers. It never gets old.

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.

A Man Among Boys

Rondo put on an inspiration
performance Saturday in Boston
after dislocating his left
arm.

The Boston Celtics were headed home starring down the barrel of an 2-0 series deficit after losing the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Miami.

After taking the regular season series from the Miami Heat three games to one, Boston has looked old in games one and two. The TD Garden would provide a much need boost for this aging Celtics team.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was the reason for Boston's success in the regular season against Miami, averaging 12 assists per game. Ineffective in Game 1, Rondo came to life in Game 2 conducting the Boston offense with 12 assists.

In Game 3, the smallest guy on the floor Saturday night showed the biggest heart and courage.

At the 7:02 minute mark of the third quarter, the Celtics experienced the biggest scare of their season when Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade and Rondo were caught in a skirmish, causing him to fall awkwardly on his left arm.

Rondo lay on the Garden floor in intense and obvious pain, before being helped off and into the locker room.

Boston's season was in shambles already down two games in the series and without their perennial All-Star point guard to finish the game, sucking the air out of the Boson arena.

Then out came Rondo of the Boston locker room showing reminisce of the 1970 NBA Finals, when New York Knicks superstar Willis Reed returned from injury, inspiring New York to a Game 7 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

That's exactly what Rondo did for the Celtics Saturday night.

With their season hanging in the balance, for the simple fact that no team has ever come back to win a seven game series after dropping the first three, Rondo exemplified his team's resiliency. The diagnosis was a dislocated left elbow and was popped back into place for his return to the pivotal Game 3. Rondo made his impact felt with 11 assists in 35 minutes, catching every pass with his right arm.

After his return was made, his one and only steal of the night came at a crucial moment of the game, poking the ball away from Chris Bosh with his injured left arm. The former Kentucky Wildcat had already come into the game with an a stiff back, and faced yet another obstacle with his injury in the third quarter.

The quarterback of this Boston Celtic team continues to be the X-factor moving forward, and won't need to ask him to fight through the pain as he already has demonstrated he will do so.

A former first-round pick of the Phoenix Suns back in 2006, Rondo put together his best NBA season, leading the league in assists for the first time at 11.2 per contest. Over his five seasons in Boston, the 6-foot-1 guard has slowly become a leader on this veteran Celtic team.

With their win convincing 97-81 win in Boston, the Celtics have now made this a series and shown there is no place like home. Miami knows the defending Eastern Conference champions they will not go down without a fight.

Saturday's game also marked the return of 15-time All-Star and former NBA Most Valuable Player, Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal had not played in a game since April 3 during the regular season. Even though O'Neal only played eight minutes and scored just two points, his presence in the paint will only make the Celtics already suffocating defense better.

Forward Kevin Garnett put in his best game of the series by scoring a game-high 28 points on 13-of-20 shooting and grabbing 18 rebounds.

Boston will need more of the same if they want to win this series and raise their 18th championship banner to the rafters in the TD Garden. The Celtics will look to even up the series Monday night at home before heading back on the road to South Beach.

As for their 25-year-old point guard, on this night, he was truly a man among boys.