Celtics hold off Lakers 87-86
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Ray Allen missed a potential game-winning shot at the final horn the last time the Boston Celtics played the Los Angeles Lakers.
He was determined to make Derek Fisher suffer the same fate in the rematch.
Allen's key defensive stop Thursday night secured an 87-86 victory for the Atlantic Division leaders. He also scored 12 of his 24 points in the third quarter and made 10 of his first 11 shots, helping send the defending NBA champions to their first loss in five games since Kobe Bryant went down with a sprained left ankle.
"I just tried to be patient and settle in," Allen said. "Just allow my body to kind of ease its way into the game and not force any action. And it just came my way."
The Lakers had won the previous three meetings with the Celtics after losing the 2008 finals to them in six games. On Jan 13, they beat Boston 90-89 on the parquet floor, after Bryant hit a jumper with 7.3 seconds left to give the Lakers their only lead of the second half and Allen missed three-point shot at the other end.
"Ray was huge tonight. I think we should threaten to trade him all the time and then pull him back," coach Doc Rivers said. "He was phenomenal. That stretch in the third quarter won the game for us, in my opinion."
Kendrick Perkins had 13 points and 14 rebounds, Kevin Garnett had 13 points and eight boards and Rajon Rondo added 14 points and 11 assists for the Celtics.
Pau Gasol scored 22 points, and Lamar Odom had 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers - who missed nine of 25 free throws. Bryant, the league's fourth-leading scorer, remained in the trainer's room getting treatment on his sprained left ankle while his teammates rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take a four-point lead.
"Our defense gave us an opportunity to win, but we couldn't get it done," coach Phil Jackson said after the Lakers' fifth home loss. "We couldn't find a way to score in the last few minutes. I think we had some pretty good shots. We just couldn't convert."
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