Ray Allen not only broke the NBA all-time three-point baskets made record (that's a mouthful) in the first half of the game against the Lakers, He also managed to shoot nearly 60% from the field and contributed 14 points. The Celtics as a whole are shooting at a very high percentage and taking full advantage of their ability to run by scoring eight fast-break points. Boston is playing great team basketball: they only turned the ball over twice in the half, and dished out assists on 15 of their 19 field goals.
The Lakers, who have been struggling against the leagues top teams as of late, are hanging on by the skin of their collective noses. A large part of what is keeping them in the game is their offensive rebounding, which has given them second-chance opportunities. They did manage to go on a 10-0 run in the final few moments of the second quarter spurred by their defense, which held Boston scoreless for nearly three minutes. Kobe Bryant has attempted just three shots in the game, but Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Shannon Brown are keeping the score respectable.
Boston led by as many as 15 points, but the lead was whittled down to eight by the time the half rolled around.