LOS ANGELES (AP) -For once, the fourth quarter didn’t belong to Kobe Bryant.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar picked up his fifth foul early in the final period, when Bryant’s defensive matchup, Rajon Rondo, carried the Boston Celtics to a 103-94 victory Sunday night that tied the NBA finals at a game apiece.
Bryant finished with 21 points, six assists, five turnovers and four steals in the Lakers’ first home loss of the postseason. They dropped to 9-1 at Staples Center.
Midway through the fourth, it looked as though Bryant was going to take over as he’s done countless times in his career. He scored five points in a row to extend the Lakers’ lead to 90-87 – their largest of the period.
But Rondo wasn’t finished. He keyed a game-ending 16-4 run to help the Celtics tie the series. Game 3 is Tuesday night in Boston.
g range after teammate Ron Artest’s haphazard dribbling led to an ill-advised 3-pointer that came up empty.
Bryant missed again on a drive while double-teamed, then got stripped of the ball from behind by Rondo before missing another 3 in the closing seconds.
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