Lakers win

Tuesday, June 8th)
Final Score: LA Lakers 91, Boston 84

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Derek Fisher scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Los Angeles Lakers to a 91-84 win over Boston in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Kobe Bryant poured in 29 points and Pau Gasol added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Fisher, like Bryant, going after his fifth championship ring, made 5-of-7 shots from the field in the final quarter.

Ray Allen, who set an NBA Finals record by making eight shots from beyond the arc on the way to a 32-point night in a 103-94 Boston win Sunday in LA, missed all 13 of his attempts from the field in Game 3 and had just two points. He missed all eight from beyond the arc, a sharp contrast to the 8-of-11 effort from Game 2.

Kevin Garnett scored 25 points for the Celtics, who also received 15 points from Paul Pierce. Boston had six turnovers in the last quarter after having just four combined over the first three periods.

The Lakers are now two victories away from winning the 12th NBA Finals matchup in this storied rivalry. Game 4 is Thursday, again at TD Garden.

Rajon Rondo, who had a triple-double on Sunday, was limited to 11 points and eight assists for Boston.

Bryant, who went 10-of-29 from the field, had just four points in the last quarter, but it was the veteran leadership of the 35-year-old Fisher that allowed the Lakers to escape with the victory.

Video replay also played a big role down the stretch.

A crucial review went in favor of the Lakers with 1:29 left. With the score at 84-80, Garnett held the ball to the left of the lane and was then double- teamed. Bryant used his left hand to swipe at the ball, which ultimately went off the hand of Garnett and out of bounds. Officials originally ruled it Boston ball, but changed the call after watching a replay.

Bryant missed a jumper at the other end and the Lakers lost the ensuing video review. Officials looked at a second call when Lamar Odom and Rondo battled for a rebound. The ball bounded out of bounds off Odom, giving Boston the ball back with 1:10 left.

Allen, though, continued his cold shooting by missing a three-pointer from the left corner.

Fisher broke out at the other end, driving past Garnett and got a layup to fall despite being hounded by three players. Fisher tumbled to the floor after being fouled and sank the free throw for an 87-80 advantage with 48.3 seconds remaining.

Pierce came back at the other end for a bucket from in close, but missed the ensuing foul shot with 40 seconds left. Players battled for the rebound , but after a video review it was determined the ball went off Odom.

Garnett was then called for an offensive foul on a moving screen by pushing Gasol, ultimately sealing Boston's fate.

The Lakers used a dominating 21-4 burst to break open a game that was tied at 16. They were in front the rest of the way, although Boston did get within a point early in the fourth quarter.

Boston scored the first six points of the game and Rondo's layup with under eight minutes left in the opening quarter widened the lead to 12-5, but the Lakers surged back with an ensuing 16-4 burst. Odom added a three-pointer during the run, which ended on a Gasol free throw with under a minute remaining.

After Garnett's reverse layup tied the game at 16, the Lakers actually finished the quarter on a 10-1 flurry, with Odom's three-point play with under a second left culminating the stanza.

The Lakers started the second with the first five points, including a jumper from Shannon Brown for a 31-17 cushion. The advantage reached 37-20 following Odom's layup nearly three minutes into the quarter.

Boston faced an uphill battle the remainder of the period, but was eventually able to cut into the gap until the Lakers secured another double-digit margin going into the half up 52-40.

Boston cut what was a 14-point deficit all the way to four points in the closing minute of the third quarter. Tony Allen, who scored six in the period, sank a layup for a 65-61 margin before Gasol's jumper capped the quarter's scoring. The Celtics didn't have a turnover in the period, but were set back due to Ray Allen missing six shots.

Rondo's layup made it a 68-67 game with 9:46 remaining in the third, but Ray Allen committed an offensive foul, and Fisher drove in for a layup for a three-point difference.

Garnett's jumper had Boston within one a final time at 70-69, but Odom sank a bank shot, and a short time later Fisher's bucket moved the lead to 76-70 with 5:33 left.

Bryant's pull-up jumper gave LA an 84-80 lead before the three instant replay calls played a role down the stretch.

Game Notes

The Lakers have won 14 consecutive playoff games when a series is tied...The teams combined to shoot 6-of-33 from three-point range...Andrew Bynum had nine points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, while Odom scored 12...Glen Davis scored 12 for the Celtics...The Lakers committed nine turnovers.

06/09 00:40:39 ET

Basketball should be long gone

C'mon Hulkster...................The Lakers will go home needing (2), that's right, two wins to seal the deal.............You heard it here first kids, the Train ain't bullshitting on this.......