Headline PH: Bryant, Fisher lead Lakers to victory in Game 3

BOSTON – Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and Derek Fisher added 16 to lead Los Angeles to a 91-84 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night and give the Lakers a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals.

Bryant had 25 points after three but did not score for the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter. That's when Fisher took over, adding four key baskets after Boston winnowed a 17-point first-half lead to one point.

The Lakers regained home-court advantage they had lost when Boston took Game 2 in Los Angeles.

Game 4 is Thursday night in Boston.

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum had 10 rebounds apiece for Los Angeles.

Kevin Garnett, who had just six points in Boston's victory Sunday, had 25 in Game 3. But Ray Allen, who had 32 points in Game 2, missed all 13 field goal attempts — one shy of the NBA finals futility record.

The Celtics had high hopes after splitting the opening two games in Los Angeles, but the "Beat L.A.!" chants at the TD Garden couldn't help them overcome poor shooting.

The Lakers led by as many as 17 points in the first half, but Boston cut the deficit to four late in the third quarter and then made it 68-67 early in the fourth on consecutive drives by Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Rajon Rondo. With a chance to take the lead, Allen was called for an offensive foul away from the ball.

Fisher drove for a layup at the other end that made it a three-point game then scored four of the Lakers' next five baskets to give them a five-point lead with about 4 1/2 minutes left.

"We just had to be poised and understand they're going to make a run, and we did that," Bryant said. "They made a push but they never fully got control of the game. We made big shots when we needed it."

Bryant said his teammate was "just Derek being Derek. He makes big plays all the time. He never ceases to amaze me."

By JIMMY GOLEN,
AP Sports Writer

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