Lakers force NBA Finals to decider
June 16, 2010 14:49:22 UK
Boston Celtics 67 LA Lakers 89LA Lakers stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol led their team to an 89-67 win at the Staples Center to ensure the NBA finals series against the Boston Celtics will go into a decisive seventh game.
Bryant topped all scorers with 26 points and snatched 11 rebounds, while Gasol was one assist away from a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.
Ray Allen led the Celtics with 19 points but they were unable to impose themselves on game six - and also have a major injury fear over centre Kendrick Perkins, who left the court with a sprained knee in the first quarter.
On all 11 previous occasions when the Celtics have led the finals 3-2, they have gone on to win the title, while the Lakers have only once recovered from 3-2 down in six attempts - but both those records are now under threat.
The team leading after the first quarter has won every game of this Finals series and that did not change, with the Lakers 28-18 up at that stage having come from 12-10 down - Bryant scoring five points and then claimed the assist on Gasol's three-pointer in an 8-0 run.
Just as worrying for Boston, though, was the loss of Perkins as he landed awkwardly and sprained his right knee after jumping for an offensive rebound.
The team confirmed at half-time that he would be "re-evaluated for game seven" - suggesting that, facing a 51-31 deficit, they had already resigned themselves to the fact that tonight's game was lost.
That margin grew to 25 points by the end of the third at 76-51, with Shannon Brown providing the highlight with an astounding alley-oop dunk shot from Gasol's hanging pass.
Thirteen points more in the final quarter were sufficient to keep the Lakers comfortably in front, with Bryant and Gasol contributing 10 of them, as a strong defensive effort continued to frustrate the Celtics.
The series will be decided back at the same venue on Thursday night, with the Lakers now holding a 10-1 home record in the post-season.
The Lakers are heavily fancied to make the home advantage pay, at odds of 1.35 on the Money Line for game seven, while Boston are available at 3.30.
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