Allen sets Finals 3 record, Boston wins Game 2, 103-94

2010 NBA PLAYOFFS SPECIAL COVERAGE – FINALS GAME 2

Boston coach Doc Rivers said before Game 2 of the NBA Finals his team needed to get Ray Allen the ball.

His star guard responded in a big way, and Rajon Rondo and the Celtics held off a Lakers comeback to even the finals.

Allen set a finals single-game record with eight 3-pointers and scored 32 points, Rondo put up a triple-double and Boston closed with a 16-4 run to hold off the Lakers 103-94 in Los Angeles Sunday night.

Boston won despite seeing little contribution from the other two members of its so-called “Big Four.” Paul Pierce scored just 10 points, and Kevin Garnett battled foul trouble much of the night, totaling six points.

But one game after shooting just 1-for-10 on 3s in Game 1, Allen and the Celtics sank 11 of 16. Both teams shot over 40 percent from the field overall.

The Celtics, who were badly outmuscled on both ends of the floor in Game 1, fared much better Sunday. They won the rebounding battle 44-39, outscored Los Angeles 36-26 in the paint and held the Lakers under 100 points for the first time in their last 12 games.

L.A., which set a finals record for blocks in a game with 14, lost for the first time at home this postseason. The Lakers trailed by 14 at one point late in the first half but came all the way back to take a fourth-quarter lead before faltering down the stretch.

Down 90-87 with five minutes to go, Rondo led his team on a late spurt to reclaim the victory that had once seemed secure. Rondo scored twice in succession, Garnett finally got a shot to stay down and Rondo sank an open jumper for a 95-90 lead.

One possession later, Rivers ran onto the floor to call a timeout to avoid an eight-second violation, and was rewarded with Kendrick Perkins’ up-and-under basket. Perkins, Rondo and Garnett combined for six free throws, yielding just an open Kobe Bryant 3 and a Pau Gasol free throw, the rest of the way.

Despite Allen’s hot first half, when he hit seven consecutive treys, the Lakers trailed by only six at halftime after scoring seven straight to close the second quarter. Ron Artest sank a free throw, Gasol dunked for an and-1 and Bryant stole a bad Shelden Williams pass and hit a 3 to draw Los Angeles to within 54-48 at the break.

The Lakers then began the third period with a four-point play, when Andrew Bynum made a free throw before Gasol rebounded his second miss and Artest hit a 3-pointer in the corner. Artest then made a steal and sank one free throw to bring L.A. to within 54-53.

Then, after a Perkins dunk, Bryant made a layup and Gasol hit a jumper to give the Lakers the lead. Neither team led by more than four the rest of the way until Boston’s game-ending run.

The Celtics put together the first significant run of the game to close the first quarter and forced 10 straight Lakers misses in the process. Down 21-20, Boston’s Rasheed Wallace made a 3, Pierce hit four free throws and Wallace cashed in another long jumper. Tony Allen made two free throws.

Then, after Jordan Farmar broke L.A.’s drought with a dunk, Rondo deked Bynum into flying past him and scored down low and Allen hit four straight 3s to put Boston up big.

Rondo scored 19 points, dished 10 assists and snagged 12 rebounds. Perkins scored 12 for Boston.

Gasol scored 25 to lead Los Angeles. Bryant and Bynum each chipped in 21. Bynum blocked seven shots and Gasol turned away six.

Game 3 is Tuesday night in Boston.

NOTES: Allen surpassed the old finals record of seven 3-pointers in a game. He accomplished the feat in Game 6 of the 2008 finals against Los Angeles, Houston’s Kenny Smith did it in Game 1 in 1995 against Orlando and Chicago’s Scottie Pippen sank seven against Utah in Game 3 in 1997. … This game broke Bryant’s string of four straight 30-point finals games, dating back to last year’s series with the Magic.

BOX SCORE

Photo above: Boston's Ray Allen (20) shoots a 3-pointer over Los Angeles' Kobe Bryant during Game 2 Sunday. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

Video credit – ESPN on ABC