'Big Baby' key as Celtics draw level

BOSTON (AP): The Boston Celtics tied the NBA finals by using their dominant size inside against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Four to notch a 96-89 victory on Thursday night.

Backup Glen 'Big Baby' Davis scored half of his 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics bench pulled away from the Lakers while their starting centre, Andrew Bynum, did not play in the second half, as he rested his sore knee.

"Just will, that's all it is," Davis said. "This is what legends are made of, this is where you grasp the moment. ... Just play in the moment."

Kobe Bryant scored 33 points and Pau Gasol had 21 for the Lakers.

Game Five is tomorrow in Boston.

The Celtics' win guaranteed them a trip back to Los Angeles and averted a 3-1 deficit that has never been overcome in NBA Finals history.

"We know what to do. We know how to play. We know how to get it done," Gasol said. "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."

Paul Pierce scored 19 points, Kevin Garnett had 13 and Ray Allen bounced back from a seven-quarter shooting slump to score 12 points for Boston. But the new Big Three that led the Celtics to their unprecedented 17th NBA title in 2008 - beating the Lakers in the finals - was on the bench for much of the fourth-quarter run that gave Boston the lead for good. And that was fine with them.

"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."