Lakers choke away lead, hand Celtics 3-1 edge

Everything went the Lakers' way in the early going of Thursday night's Game 4 as Los Angeles built a 24-point lead and entered the second quarter ahead by a 35-14 count. That would be the only quarter that went well for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, however, as the Boston Celtics outscored L.A. in the remaining three quarters to steal a 97-91 win and build a 3-1 lead in the series.

Inconceivable!

In case you missed it, the Boston Celtics made basketball history Thursday night. They were down by 24 points to the Los Angeles Lakers, playing at the Staples Center in front of a partisan crowd. The Celtics got all of that back and more in the second half to salt away a 97-91 victory as 7˝-point puppies.

Boston has a 3-1 chokehold on the NBA Finals, and Boston supporters have grabbed the green in all four games against the Lakers – all six, including the regular season.

This was the biggest single-game turnaround in the Finals since 1971 and the first time a team has ever come back from 15 points down in the first quarter. It was a brilliant quarter for the Lakers. Lamar Odom was 6-for-6, Trevor Ariza was flying at both ends of the court, and Kobe Bryant had four assists despite being held scoreless.

Meanwhile, nothing was working right for Boston. Rajon Rondo was ineffective coming off an ankle sprain in Game 3; Bryant played help defense off Rondo as he did on Tuesday, interrupting the flow of the Celtics’ offense and daring Rondo to shoot. Rondo finished the night with five points and two assists in just 17 minutes of play.

Things looked even gloomier for the C’s when Kendrick Perkins left the floor in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. He did not return. But the removal of both Rondo and Perkins from the game proved to be the tipping point for the Celtics. Reserves Eddie House and James Posey combined for 29 points, including 6-for-12 from behind the arc. House finished the day plus-20 to lead both teams in Game 4.

Whatever defensive plan the Lakers had for the Rondoless Celtics, it didn’t work on this occasion. But Boston had an answer for Bryant at the other end. Paul Pierce took over the defensive assignment from Ray Allen, limiting Bryant to 6-for-19 from the field and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. The league MVP wore down as the game went on – having to play the entire second half on top of 45 minutes in Game 3 did Bryant no favors.

Coach Doc Rivers is getting some redemption after Thursday’s stirring comeback. It might be more than Rivers merits, since it was the injuries to Rondo and Perkins that led to House and Posey playing 25 minutes apiece. The Lakers also ran out of gas as a team. They successfully pushed the tempo in the first half, only to become statues in the second half while the older Celtics mounted their comeback.

However, Rivers does deserve credit for keeping his players in the game and mixing up his defense – even showing a 3-2 zone for the first time in the series. The Lakers shot 6-for-21 from the perimeter, and Sasha Vujacic scored a measly three points after dropping 20 on Tuesday night. Rivers has been a punching bag for sports media in Boston and across the continent. On this day, he out-coached Phil Jackson.

The Lakers will have a couple of days to recuperate and plan for Game 5 on Sunday night. Boston will also welcome that extended layoff. Rondo and Perkins are more than just banged up, and Pierce almost had another “wheelchair” moment in Game 4 when he tumbled to the floor clutching his ankle. But he got right back up, grimaced, and continued to play. One more gritty performance like that, and Pierce will be handed the Finals MVP on Sunday.

Game time is 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ABC. The Lakers opened as 6-point favorites on the NBA betting odds with a total of 190.