Lakers 87 - Celtics 81 * Lakers back in the series

Kobe Bryant made sure that the Lakers would not go into a 3-0 deficit as the Lakers defended their home court and held on to beat the Celtics 87-81 to get back into the series. Kobe got some major help from not Pau Gasol, not from Lamar Odom but from Sasha Vujacic who came off the bench to score 20 points to compliment Kobe Bryant's 36 points.

The Lakers really had to work for this win and Boston who has been a terrible team on the road this post season hung in the game until the end. This despite Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett having terrible games. Garnett only had 13 points on 6-21 shooting and Pierce had only 6 points in the game. It helps when you have the big three though because when two ain't producing you still have a third shot. That third shot was Ray Allen who kept the Celtics in the game by scoring 25 points in the game.

The Celtics weren't the only team that had trouble in this game with their stars though. The Lakers Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom had their problems too. Odom had 4 points in the game on 2-9 shooting and Gasol had 9 points on 3-9 shooting. Simply put, this was an awful game for both teams. The Celtics just so happen to be a little worse and the Lakers were the better team in the game and won.

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers came out in this game more physical and got to the foul line more than game 2. You remember the Lakers getting cheated by the referees in that game don't you? Kobe got to the line 18 times alone. In the last game the whole team got there 1o times, in this game 34 times.

Sasha Vujacic's three pointer with 1:53 left in the game gave the Lakers a much needed 81-76 lead and from there the Lakers held on.