Celtics stun Lakers to move to brink of title

The Boston Celtics moved to the brink of their record 17th NBA title by overcoming a 20-point, second-half deficit to stun the Los Angeles Lakers 97-91 in Game Four on Thursday.

Boston leads the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can wrap up the championship on Sunday in Los Angeles.

"It's a dream if I can come out here and win on Sunday," Boston forward Paul Pierce told reporters.

"These moments are great but I'll be able to enjoy it even more once it's over."

Boston trailed by 24 points in the first half and by 20 midway through the third quarter, but a 21-3 run trimmed the Celtics' deficit to 73-71 entering the final quarter.

"Some turnaround," said a subdued Lakers coach Phil Jackson. "The air went out of the building. Give them credit. Their defense was up to the task in the third quarter."

Boston's 11-times All-Star forward Kevin Garnett scored four points during an 8-0 streak midway through the final quarter to ease the Celtics into an 88-83 lead with 2:12 left.

A lay-up by league MVP Kobe Bryant [Images] with 90 seconds left kept the Lakers in touch but a 25-foot, three-pointer from James Posey on the ensuing possession hiked the lead to a comfortable 92-87.

"When we were down, nothing was going right for us," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "Once we got the lead, obviously we were thrilled to death.

"It's a great comeback but we still have to win one game. That's the way we view it."

Pierce scored 20 points to lead a balanced scoring attack for the Celtics. Ray Allen had 19, while Posey added 18 and Garnett 16 with a team-leading 11 rebounds.

The Lakers were led by Lamar Odom's 19 points, followed by Bryant and Paul Gasol with 17 apiece. Bryant had 10 assists but hit just six of 19 shots.

"We gave them a lot of fast-break points, allowed them to get back in the game with free throws and three-point opportunities," said Bryant. "That's a deadly combination.

"We let a huge opportunity slip away. I'm upset, hurt, disappointed. It's a huge loss, no doubt about it. We'll just get back to work tomorrow."

© Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.