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| Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett shoots a layup over Los Angeles Lakers’ Derek Fisher during the first half on Thursday in Los Angeles. ASSOCIATED PRESS |
Lakers beat Celtics to end fourth-longest NBA winning streak.
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Perhaps now the Los Angeles Lakers can put the anguish of losing the NBA finals to Boston and the embarrassment over the way the series ended behind them.
Kobe Bryant had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Pau Gasol scored seven of his 20 points in the final three minutes, and the Lakers beat Boston 92-83 Thursday to snap the Celtics’ franchise-record
19-game winning streak.
The game was the first between the teams since the Celtics romped to a 131-92 victory in Game 6 of the finals last June to win their first championship in 22 years and league-high 17th title. The Lakers blew a 24-point second-quarter lead in Game 4 at Staples Center to fall behind 3-1 — a deficit that’s never been overcome in the finals.
The victory was the 1,000th for Phil Jackson, enabling him to become the sixth NBA coach to reach that milestone. The 63-year-old Jackson has a career record of 1,000-423 in 17-plus seasons as coach of the Chicago Bulls and Lakers. He became the fastest to win 1,000 games, surpassing Pat Riley, who did it in 1,434 games.
“Here we are, a game that’s been pointed to since the schedules came out,” Jackson said beforehand.
The longtime rivals have met in the NBA finals 11 times, with the Celtics going 9-2.
The Celtics entered with a 27-2 record — the fastest start by a two-loss team. They were in pretty good shape when Kevin Garnett put them ahead 81-79 with 3:57 remaining, but the Lakers went on a 13-2 run to finish the game.
Lamar Odom had 10 points and seven rebounds, and Sasha Vujacic also scored 10 for the Lakers (24-5), who won their 12th straight game at home, where they’re 15-1. Andrew Bynum, who missed most of last season and the playoffs with an injured knee, had nine points and seven rebounds.
Garnett shot 11-of-14 in leading the Celtics (27-3) with 22 points, and he also had nine rebounds. Paul Pierce added 20 points and 10 rebounds, but didn’t score in the fourth quarter. Ray Allen scored 14 and Rajon Rondo had 12 assists for Boston.
A 15-foot jumper by Gasol with 2:48 snapped an 81-all tie and put the Lakers ahead for good. Allen’s 3-pointer failed, and Gasol scored from close range off an assist from Bryant with two minutes left, putting Los Angeles up by four.
Garnett answered with a jumper to draw the Celtics within two, but Gasol’s three-point play with 1:28 left put the Lakers on top 88-83. Gasol then blocked a 3-pointer by Allen, setting up Trevor Ariza for a dunk that gave Los Angeles a seven-point lead with 1:12 to go. Bryant’s basket completed the scoring.
Spurs 91, Suns 90
PHOENIX — Roger Mason sank a 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer to give the San Antonio Spurs a 91-90 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
The Suns had taken the lead on Grant Hill’s layup on an out-of-bounds play with 4.3 seconds to go. Tony Parker drove toward the basket for San Antonio and threw to Mason, who was wide open because defender Jason Richardson was late getting there.
Parker scored 27 and Tim Duncan had 25 points and 17 rebounds as the Spurs won their fourth straight.
Amare Stoudemire had 25 points and 13 rebounds and Shaquille O’Neal 23 points and 12 boards for the Suns, who led most of the afternoon but never by more than eight in the second half.
O’Neal was 9-of-16 at the foul line to become the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to miss 5,000 career free throws.
Steve Nash had 13 points. His eight assists made him the 13th NBA player to reach 7,000 for his career.
Magic 88, Hornets 68
ORLANDO — Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points to lead the Orlando Magic to an 88-68 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday in a matchup of division leaders.
David West had 13 points for New Orleans. Chris Paul and Devin Brown each added 12.
Paul, the NBA steals leader (3.7 average), snapped his league-record string of 108 games with at least one.
Dwight Howard had 12 points and 15 rebounds in Orlando’s sixth-straight win. Rashard Lewis added 18 points and Jameer Nelson 14.
Orlando shot 56 percent and made eight of 14 3s for a 61-31 first-half lead.
LOS ANGELES — Perhaps now the Los Angeles Lakers can put the anguish of losing the NBA finals to Boston and the embarrassment over the way the series ended behind them.
Kobe Bryant had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Pau Gasol scored seven of his 20 points in the final three minutes, and the Lakers beat Boston 92-83 Thursday to snap the Celtics’ franchise-record
19-game winning streak.
The game was the first between the teams since the Celtics romped to a 131-92 victory in Game 6 of the finals last June to win their first championship in 22 years and league-high 17th title. The Lakers blew a 24-point second-quarter lead in Game 4 at Staples Center to fall behind 3-1 — a deficit that’s never been overcome in the finals.
The victory was the 1,000th for Phil Jackson, enabling him to become the sixth NBA coach to reach that milestone. The 63-year-old Jackson has a career record of 1,000-423 in 17-plus seasons as coach of the Chicago Bulls and Lakers. He became the fastest to win 1,000 games, surpassing Pat Riley, who did it in 1,434 games.
“Here we are, a game that’s been pointed to since the schedules came out,” Jackson said beforehand.
The longtime rivals have met in the NBA finals 11 times, with the Celtics going 9-2.
The Celtics entered with a 27-2 record — the fastest start by a two-loss team. They were in pretty good shape when Kevin Garnett put them ahead 81-79 with 3:57 remaining, but the Lakers went on a 13-2 run to finish the game.
Lamar Odom had 10 points and seven rebounds, and Sasha Vujacic also scored 10 for the Lakers (24-5), who won their 12th straight game at home, where they’re 15-1. Andrew Bynum, who missed most of last season and the playoffs with an injured knee, had nine points and seven rebounds.
Garnett shot 11-of-14 in leading the Celtics (27-3) with 22 points, and he also had nine rebounds. Paul Pierce added 20 points and 10 rebounds, but didn’t score in the fourth quarter. Ray Allen scored 14 and Rajon Rondo had 12 assists for Boston.
A 15-foot jumper by Gasol with 2:48 snapped an 81-all tie and put the Lakers ahead for good. Allen’s 3-pointer failed, and Gasol scored from close range off an assist from Bryant with two minutes left, putting Los Angeles up by four.
Garnett answered with a jumper to draw the Celtics within two, but Gasol’s three-point play with 1:28 left put the Lakers on top 88-83. Gasol then blocked a 3-pointer by Allen, setting up Trevor Ariza for a dunk that gave Los Angeles a seven-point lead with 1:12 to go. Bryant’s basket completed the scoring.
Spurs 91, Suns 90
PHOENIX — Roger Mason sank a 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer to give the San Antonio Spurs a 91-90 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
The Suns had taken the lead on Grant Hill’s layup on an out-of-bounds play with 4.3 seconds to go. Tony Parker drove toward the basket for San Antonio and threw to Mason, who was wide open because defender Jason Richardson was late getting there.
Parker scored 27 and Tim Duncan had 25 points and 17 rebounds as the Spurs won their fourth straight.
Amare Stoudemire had 25 points and 13 rebounds and Shaquille O’Neal 23 points and 12 boards for the Suns, who led most of the afternoon but never by more than eight in the second half.
O’Neal was 9-of-16 at the foul line to become the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to miss 5,000 career free throws.
Steve Nash had 13 points. His eight assists made him the 13th NBA player to reach 7,000 for his career.
Magic 88, Hornets 68
ORLANDO — Hedo Turkoglu scored 20 points to lead the Orlando Magic to an 88-68 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday in a matchup of division leaders.
David West had 13 points for New Orleans. Chris Paul and Devin Brown each added 12.
Paul, the NBA steals leader (3.7 average), snapped his league-record string of 108 games with at least one.
Dwight Howard had 12 points and 15 rebounds in Orlando’s sixth-straight win. Rashard Lewis added 18 points and Jameer Nelson 14.
Orlando shot 56 percent and made eight of 14 3s for a 61-31 first-half lead.
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