BOSTON(AP) Lamar Odom made a pair of free throws with 16 seconds
left in overtime to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 110-109 victory
over Boston on Thursday night and snap the Celtics' 12-game winning
streak.
Kobe Bryant scored 26 points with 10 rebounds and
Paul Gasol had 24 and 14 for the Lakers, who also snapped Boston's
19-game winning streak on Christmas Day and sent the Celtics into a 2-7
skid that is the worst stretch of the New Big Three era.
Paul
Pierce scored 21, and newly minted All-Star Ray Allen had 22, but he
missed a desperation, off-balance shot at the buzzer while Boston fans
clamored for a foul call. Rajon Rondo scored 16 with 12 assists, and
Kevin Garnett scored 16 before fouling out with 4:22 left in the fourth
quarter.
It was a physical meeting that featured a pair of
double-technicals and enough shoving to pass for a playoff game, but
both teams were tired when it ended.
Bryant, who scored 61
and 36 in his previous two games, hit three 3-pointers in the fourth
quarter, the last with 1:30 left in regulation and Pierce in his face
to make it 101-100 - the Lakers' first lead of the half. But after
Pierce made one of two free throws with 30 seconds left, Bryant tried
to shoot over Pierce again and banged it off the rim.
After a
timeout with 7.7 seconds left, Pierce dribbled the clock down before
Bryant poked the ball away. Eddie House got it and put up a sideways,
one-handed 3-point attempt at the buzzer that wasn't close.
Bryant missed his last five shots of the game.
Gasol
made one of two free throws to give the Lakers a 108-107 lead with 1:11
left, then Glen "Big Baby'' Davis made a jumper - his only basket of
the game after six misses. Kobe missed over Pierce, then Davis missed
again and fouled Odom, who sank them both.
The Celtics got
the ball to Pierce, but his shot was off. Rondo got the rebound and
drew a foul, but it wasn't a shooting foul. The inbounds pass made it
to Allen, but he was out of position and never got a good look.
Notes:
Celtics coach Doc Rivers said center Brian Scalabrine (concussions) is
out until at least the All-Star break. If Scalabrine has a recurrence
of his symptoms, he could be out much longer. ... The Celtics assigned
rookie guard J.R. Giddens to the Utah Flash of the developmental
league. ... New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick sat courtside.
Running back Kevin Faulk sat two rows behind him.