Your gift is matched today!

Double your donation's impact on our newsroom today during our June member drive.
1,741 sustainers of 2,500 goal
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

A Big Baby Lifts the Celtics to Tie NBA Finals

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

We have ourselves a series. The Celtics put together an 11-2 run to start the fourth quarter en route to their 96-89 victory to tie the NBA Finals 2-2.

It wasn’t Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen or even Rajon Rondo that fuelled the comeback from a two point deficit at the beginning of the period. Instead it was Glen “Big Baby” Davis with nine of his 18 points coming in the fourth quarter. Not only did he hog up space and swallowed up rebounds, he showed that he indeed did have skill to back up his braggadocio.

Nate Robinson also contributed down the stretch using his dwarf-like frame to weave through traffic for his 12 points.

This game was unwatchable not because the referees decided to get in the way. This time the ineptitude of the offenses made the reruns of The Housewives of New York City more palatable to watch. Neither team scored more than 20 points in the first and third quarters.

Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 33 points while Pau Gasol had a monster game in the paint with 21 points. But disturbingly enough the Celtics beat the Lakers in the paint 54-34 and outrebounded the Lakers 41-34.

The series is now guaranteed to return to Los Angeles on Tuesday essentially making a liar out of Paul Pierce who said upon leaving the Staples Center floor after the Celtics’ Game 2 victory that the series wouldn’t return to LA.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today