Even with Kobe Bryant scoring 41 points, the Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t hold off the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
At the Los Angeles Stables Center, the Celtics won 109-96. Paul Pierce scored 32 points.
Ray Allen put up for 21 points. Kevin Garnett had 18 points with 13 rebounds – all while wearing a large bandage over a cut on his head suffered when Pau Gasol (12 points on the night) swiped his hand across Garnett’s head while fighting for the ball.
The game exchanged hands twice in the final moments with the Lakers taking the lead with five minutes to go and then losing it to a Celtics run that started with seven unanswered points.
Bryant hit his 27,000 career score- the youngest ever in the NBA to do it – but it wasn’t enough to motivate the Lakers, Sunday’s game was the first between the teams since Game 7 last year when the Lakers rallied late from a 13-point deficit to win the game 83-79.
Technically, the Celtics outplayed the Lakers in rebounds (43-30); 3-point shots and assists (34-10).
Several of the Lakers regular scorers failed to put up impressive numbers Sunday.
Former Lakers MVP Shaquille O’Neal didn’t score at all in the game and was booed when he was introduced as the Celtics’ starting center.
