The Los Angeles Lakers finished the third quarter strong, taking a 72-67 lead over the Boston Celtics heading into the fourth. However, the Lakers were dealt a blow with time winding down in the quarter as Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol collided, opening a gash on Odom’s forehead and forcing him to have a seat on the bench as trainers worked on him. Should it keep Odom sidelined, the Lakers would be down to just Gasol and Andrew Bynum in the post.
Gasol leads the way for the Lakers with 18 points, followed closely by Kobe Bryant’s 15. Bynum is also in double-figures with 16 points. Gasol has a team-high nine rebounds, with Derek Fisher adding a team-high five assists.
Ray Allen, fresh off breaking Reggie Miller’s career three-point record, leads the way for the Celtics with15 points. Paul Pierce, 13 points, and Kevin Garnett, 10, were also in double-figures for the Celtics. Boston is dealing with foul trouble, forcing Doc Rivers to use Avery Bradley, who played in the waning moments of the third quarter.
The big news of the night was Allen’s record-breaking performance, but can the Celtics get him a win? They’ll need to make up five points over the final 12 minutes as the Lakers lead, 72-67.