Celtics hold crucial 3-2 lead

BOSTON (AP):

Paul Pierce scored 27 points - his best performance of this year's finals - as the Boston Celtics withstood 38 points from Kobe Bryant to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 92-86 on Sunday and take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game Six is tonight in Los Angeles and a victory then, or in Game Seven in L.A. on Thursday, would give the Celtics a record 18th NBA championship.

"We've got to get one. We're too close to our goal," Pierce said. "We've got to get one."

Pierce was the most valuable player in the 2008 finals when the new Big Three beat the Lakers to raise an NBA-record 17th banner to the rafters at Boston's TD Garden.

Bryant was the finals MVP last year when the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to win their 15th championship.

Bryant outscored Pierce this time, but the Lakers' guard got little help from his teammates. And the stretch where he was most dominant was also the time when the Celtics pulled away.

Finding the rhythm

"He's the kind of guy (where) you ride the hot hand, that's for sure," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We were waiting for him to do that. ... He went out there and found a rhythm."

With the "Beat L.A!" chant returning to the Garden, Kevin Garnett scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and Rajon Rondo had 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds to help Boston become the first team in the series to win two games in a row.

If Los Angeles cannot do the same at home, the Celtics will improve to 10-2 against them in the finals - from a 4-0 sweep over the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959 through the Bird-and-Magic era of the '80s and Boston's win in 2008.

Bryant said neither the rivalry nor revenge that should be motivating his teammates when they try to stave off elimination at home.

"Just man up and play. What the hell is the big deal?" he said. "If I have to say something to them, then we don't deserve to be champions. We're down 3-2: Go home, win one game, go into the next one. Simple as that."