Celtics Maintain Hold on Series

Pierce Hits Two Crucial Free Throws As Boston Derails Lakers' Comeback

BOSTON, June 8 -- Paul Pierce, playing on one good leg, was a marksman from beyond the three-point line and moved around as if the brace and bandage on his right knee were there for decorative purposes. Point guard Rajon Rondo was blocking the shots of 6-foot-10 forwards and dunking on the other end. And Leon Powe, a little-used and little-known reserve, was driving the length of the floor and dunking -- and being serenaded by the crowd in the fourth quarter.

For the Boston Celtics and their fans, it was 40 minutes of fun, the kind that results in 24-point leads and premature celebrations. But the thrill of an apparent beatdown was replaced by angst, then horror, as Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers took little more than seven minutes to trim that big lead to just two points.

In a town that has experienced some professional sports heartbreak, the Celtics almost added to the agony with an incredible meltdown in the NBA Finals -- until Pierce finally calmed down his team and its fans. First, he got to the foul line and hit two free throws to stem the tide, then he forced Lakers reserve Sasha Vujacic into a bad miss on the other end, setting up two James Posey free throws that secured a 108-102 victory.

The Celtics now lead this best-of-seven series 2-0, with Game 3 Tuesday in Los Angeles.

"I was a little disappointed in our play in the last six minutes of the game," Pierce said after playing 40 minutes and scoring a team-high 28 points. "We're happy because we won, but at the same time, we definitely learned a valuable lesson in the fourth quarter."

The Celtics led 95-71 with 7 minutes 55 seconds left, but the Lakers charged back with an incredible 31-9 run. The improbable run began innocently enough when Bryant hit an 18-foot jumper, then the Lakers started firing away from beyond the three-point line. The Lakers hit five three-pointers, the last long range shot brought them within six points with just over one minute remaining.

Pierce then made a bad pass to Vladimir Radmanovic, who converted a dunk on the other end. Bryant rebounded a Rondo miss, then cut the deficit to 104-102 with two free throws. "I thought we got cute when we got the lead," Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said. "We started making sensational plays instead of keeping it simple, and when you play a team like that, that has that arsenal, they made a lot of shots. But it's nice being up 2-0. We've done what we should do. We took care of home."

The Lakers were prepared for Celtics' captain Pierce to play on Sunday, with Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and Bryant jokingly mocking the sprained right knee injury Pierce suffered in Game 1 and the subsequent theatrics. They were also anticipating that Celtics center Kendrick Perkins would play despite a sprained left ankle.

But there were several other performances in Game 2 of the NBA Finals for which the Lakers never could've imagined. First, that Rondo could not only block a three-point attempt by the Lakers' 6-foot-10 forward Radmanovic (13 points) then dunk on the other end, but that with 7 minutes 27 seconds left in the game, fans at TD Banknorth Garden would start chanting, "Le-on Powe! Le-on Powe!"

"I thought he was terrific," Rivers said.

The Celtics got the expected contributions of the Big Three in Pierce, Ray Allen (17 points) and Kevin Garnett (17 points). The trio combined to score 62 points, but they were aided by the unlikely offensive explosion from two second-year players who helped the team win just 24 games last season. Powe, getting extended minutes with Perkins slowed by injury and foul trouble, scored 21 points and Rondo handed out an impressive 16 assists, as the Celtics moved within two victories from winning banner No. 17.

"I'm more struck at the fact that Leon Powe gets more foul shots than our whole team does in 14 minutes of play. That's ridiculous," Jackson said. "I've never seen a game like that in all these years I've coached in the Finals. Unbelievable."

The series now shifts to Los Angeles, where the Lakers will try to lean on an unbeaten home record this postseason, and hope that they can carry the momentum from their improbable fourth-quarter rally. The Lakers scored 41 points in the fourth quarter after scoring just 42 in the first half. "We just had to make a stand a little bit," Bryant said.

"I wouldn't say [we] survived," Garnett said. "I don't think we did the same things that got us the lead, and it's a live-and-learn-type thing."

At least the Celtics learned with a win.