Final Score: Celtics 96, Lakers 89

A low-scoring, physical, grind-it-out type of game dominated the first 3 quarters of play on Thursday night. But then the Celtics’ bench took over the game.

Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, Tony Allen, and Rasheed Wallace started on the floor for Boston in the 4th quarter, and they wouldn’t leave the game until 3:20 left to play. In the process, the Celtics turned a tie game into a 10-point lead. The C’s pulled away with several key stops and second chance buckets on their way to a 96-89 win in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The series is now tied, 2-2.

The Celtics had 60 total points through 3 quarters, and scored 36 in the 4th. The energy and production of Boston’s second unit was the catalyst for the monster final period. Big Baby was dominant in the paint, owning the offensive boards and converting easy baskets down low, while also diving and hustling for every loose ball he could find. Nate Robinson was a super spark plug on the perimeter, Tony Allen played tremendous defense on Kobe Bryant, and Rasheed Wallace was the emotional leader on the floor. Boston’s second unit outplayed L.A.’s starters in the 4th quarter and saved the NBA Finals for the Celtics.

Davis finished with 18 points and 5 rebounds in just 22 minutes on the floor. Big Baby has always been a major factor for this team, but perhaps he has now earned the big crunch-time minutes down the stretch for the final 3 games of this series.

Robinson had 12 points in 17 minutes, providing a spark on both ends of the floor that rubbed off on all his teammates. Nate was also whistled for a costly technical foul with 6 minutes to play, but it was only a result of his passion on the floor. Coach Doc Rivers was not happy with the tech, but was understanding of it being a result of his incredible fiery attitude down the stretch.

Boston’s starters came back into the game with 3 minutes to play in the 4th and closed out the victory. The key play was a Rajon Rondo steal of a Kobe Bryant pass and resulting layup with 1:30 to play, with the Lakers down just 6 points at the time.

Rondo had 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in the game. He was effectively driving to the hole and breaking down the Laker defense, but he missed at least 7 shots in the paint. Rondo’s inability to convert on his drives to the bucket was costly early in the game.

Bryant had 33 points and 6 rebounds for the Lakers. Kobe had another fine game, making some impossible shots with defenders in his face. He had 6 three-pointers; all of them contested shots. He was the only one who kept the Lakers in the game down the stretch. But he didn’t get enough help, and he couldn’t beat Boston all by himself. As a result, he had just 2 assists and 7 turnovers in the game. L.A. cannot expect Kobe to win games by himself.

Gasol had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks for the Lakers. He is the best big man in the series and continues to prove his worth in every game. But he was not dominant, and took just 13 shots in the game.

Lamar Odom was the only other Laker in double figures, and he had just 10 points and 7 rebounds in 39 minutes. Andrew Bynum was clearly hobbled, unable to get in any kind of rhythm and finished with just 2 points in 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Celtics had 6 players in double figures. Although none of the starters played particularly well throughout the whole game, Boston’s overall team effort and multi-faceted attack was too much to handle.

Ray Allen missed all 4 of his three-point attempts, but he made his free throws and 2-pointers to wind up with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Paul Pierce was very quiet for the two middle quarters during the heart of the game, but he got off to a hot start and finished strong. Pierce finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Kevin Garnett had 13 points and 6 rebounds, and it seemed like all of his shots came at crucial times.

Boston won the rebounding battle in this game, 41-34. The team that has won the rebounding statistic has won all 4 games of this series. Look for that to be a point of emphasis and heavily tracked statistic going forward.

At this point, it’s just a best-of-3 series between two unbelievably competitive teams. Who knows what’s going to happen. This series has been incredibly fun to watch and impossible to predict, and expect that to continue.

Boston gets Game 5 at home before heading to Los Angeles for Game 6 and 7. Both teams have proven that they can win on the other’s home court. If the Lakers find a way to win Game 5 on Sunday, they have a major edge. But it’s well within the realm of possibility for Boston to win 2 more games in L.A.

Game 5 is pivotal. Expect a tremendous effort from both teams in one of the most physical games of the season. I have a feeling that this series is going 7, and each of the next 3 games will one-up the one before it. Here’s to hoping for a classic NBA Finals finish.

Stay tuned for Game 5 in Boston on Sunday night.