Lakers vs Celtics game 4
For the first time in a while the NBA finals look like they’re going to go the full seven games after the Boston Celtics beat the LA Lakers 96-89 to tie the series at two-a-piece.
It wasn’t the usual suspects who turned up for Boston, they got help in the form of a baby – a 289lb baby to be precise. Glen "Big Baby" Davis was the hero for the Celtics, coming off the bench to score a huge 18 points in 22 minutes whilst also pulling down five rebounds and adding two steals.
Half of his points came in the fourth quarter and Davis said he just wants to win.
"Just will, that's all it is. This is what legends are made of, this is where you grasp the moment. Just play in the moment.
"All I'm thinking about is, 'Let's win. I'm not thinking about anything else. I'm not even thinking about Kobe making all these shots, worried about this or worried about that. I'm just worried about winning, whatever it takes to win, and just making sure that I give my teammates positive energy to finish out the game,” Davis said.
Of the starting five only Ray Allen played over 40 minutes. After his 0-13 game in game three Allen did slightly better going 4-11, but with the bench combining for 79 minutes between them they picked up the slack.
"I don't think guys really care and that's why we're here, it really is," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.
"[Rajon] Rondo and the rest of them, they were begging me to keep guys in. 'Don't take them out! Don't take them out!' It was great. That's the loudest I've seen our bench, and it was the starters cheering from the bench."
Despite Kobe Bryant scoring 33 points and Pau Gasol chipping in with 21 the Lakers didn’t get much from their other players. Andrew Bynum only played 12 minutes after his troublesome knee started playing up.
"We know what to do. We know how to play. We know how to get it done, and we know how important Game five will be, so we've just got to get ourselves mentally and physically ready ... to accomplish our mission,” Gasol said.
When asked for a reason as to why his team lost Bryant had a clear answer.
“They got all the energy points, the hustle points, second chance points, points in the paint, beat us to the loose balls. I mean, that's how the game turned around,” he said.
Game five is on Sunday and if the Lakers don’t step up and get those second chance points they will be just one game from losing their championship crown.
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