Kobe’s late hoop lifts Lakers by Celtics
January 31, 2010
BOSTON (AP)—Kobe Bryant(notes) sank a go-ahead fallaway jumper with 7.3 seconds leftto give the Los Angeles Lakers a 90-89 victory over Boston on Sunday and sendthe struggling Celtics to their sixth loss in eight games.
The Celtics, who led by 11 points in the fourth quarter, nursed a one-pointlead until Paul Pierce(notes) was called for an offensive foul for pushing off as hejumped to shoot with 28 seconds left.
Bryant, who shot just 8 for 20 in the game, dribbled down the shot clockbefore stepping back from defender Ray Allen(notes) and making a basket to give LosAngeles the lead.
Boston Celtics' Ray Allen(… AP – Jan 31, 5:07 pm EST Los Angeles Lakers' Ron Ar… AP – Jan 31, 5:04 pm EST
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe B… AP – Jan 31, 5:03 pm EST YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 2; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100131/capt.c454b028e83d4645b030dd3784a4af18.lakers_celtics_basketball_mamd102.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=20&yc=1&wc=368&hc=409&q=70&sig=ub_J9n_FgRC4lcYcXGirRg--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100131/capt.f5ebd876748b49b7ba056545d8cbe707.lakers_celtics_basketball_mamd101.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=312&hc=347&q=70&sig=q5V4LBjoStimajOaQ3taSw--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 3 LAL-Bos Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();
Bryant finished with 19, and Andrew Bynum(notes) had 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Rajon Rondo(notes) had 21 points and 12 assists for the Celtics.
The Celtics led 81-70 before the Lakers made the next four baskets. RasheedWallace(notes) hit a 3-pointer—his only basket of the game—to stop the run, and itwas still a three-point game with less than two minutes left when Bryant hit apair of free throws to make it 87-86.
It was 89-88 when Pierce was called for pushing off. Bryant, who complainedof a sore ankle after Friday night’s win in Philadelphia, gave the Lakers thelead, then Allen’s 3-point attempt at the final buzzer bounced harmlessly offthe rim.
Pau Gasol(notes) had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who won their fourthstraight game and beat Boston for the third consecutive time since losing Game 6of the 2008 NBA finals to watch the Celtics clinch their 17th championship.
Pierce scored 15, Kevin Garnett(notes) had 10 with nine rebounds and KendrickPerkins(notes) finished with eight points and 10 boards for the Celtics, who werecoming off losses to Orlando and Atlanta—two of the top four teams in theEastern Conference—that left them at 6-10 since beating the Magic on ChristmasDay.
Garnett missed 10 of those games with a hyperextended right knee, and Bostonwas 4-6 without him. But Garnett’s return hasn’t solved all the Celtics’problems.
The Celtics fell behind 22-10 in the first quarter, when Bynum scored 12points, and trailed 40-34 midway through the second before scoring the next 15points. Rondo had nine points and eight assists in the quarter and was in doubledigits in both by halftime.
NOTES: Garnett finished the game with 21,773 career points, 18 behind LarryBird for 24th on the NBA scoring list. … Bryant is 28 points behind Jerry Westfor No. 1 on the Lakers’ all-time list. … Wallace and Gasol picked uptechnical fouls late in the first. It’s Wallace’s 14th for the season; 16 is anautomatic suspension. … The Lakers outscored Boston on points in the paint18-0 in the fourth quarter. … Allen was 2 for 10 from the field.
