The Los Angeles Lakers got off to the right start against the Boston Celtics, taking an early lead and holding on for most of the period. The Lakers went up 24-14 and used their defense to snuff out Boston's offense, which shot 6-24 in the first quarter. However, after falling behind by as many as 15, Boston started to close the gap in the second quarter by attacking the paint and are within striking distance after one half of play.
The Lakers bigs have dominated the paint, with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum have combined for 18 points and 17 rebounds. But Kobe Bryant has struggled, shooting 4-11 from the field with 10 points and has four turnovers to go along with assists. The Lakers have six more turnovers. But Paul Pierce was horrendous to start things off, putting up six points in a horrifying 2-11 shooting display. Kevin Garnett has eight points (hitting all four of his shots), and Rajon Rondo added 10 points to lead the Celtics in scoring, including a buzzer beater three pointer to close the gap to two at halftime.
One thing to watch out for is Bynum limping to the locker room just before halftime.
To discuss the game with Lakers fans, head on over to Silver Screen and Roll. To talk about the game with Celtics fans, check out Celtics Blog.