Boston bench gives Celtics 96-89 win in Game 4

2010 NBA PLAYOFFS SPECIAL COVERAGE – FINALS GAME 4

With Boston’s biggest stars still not on track much of the night, the Celtics’ bench carried them to an NBA Finals-tying victory.

Glen Davis scored 18 points and Nate Robinson added 12 as the Celtics beat the Lakers 96-89 in a physical affair in Game 4 in Boston Thursday night.

Paul Pierce paced Boston with 19 points, while Los Angeles’ Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 33.

The game saw more heated reactions and interactions than any games in the series to date. Boston’s Rasheed Wallace and Robinson each drew technical fouls, Bryant and Boston’s Kendrick Perkins had a heated conversation, the Celtics’ Ray Allen and L.A.’s Derek Fisher had a staring contest and Robinson and Bryant engaged in a little shoving for positioning before a free throw.

With the Celtics down 64-62, Boston’s bench players gave their team a lead their starters couldn’t lose. With four reserves – Davis, Robinson, Wallace and Tony Allen on the floor with Ray Allen – the C’s went on a 12-2 run, with Davis and Tony Allen each making 3-point plays and Ray Allen adding two field goals.

Then, leading 76-70, Wallace, fresh off his technical whistle for his reaction after a foul call, drilled a 3 to extend his team’s lead to nine.

Boston starters Pierce and Rajon Rondo got in on the fun down the stretch. Rondo grabbed a deflection defensively and gave the ball to Pierce, who ran down the shot clock and made an and-1. Rondo then tipped away a Bryant pass, ran the ball down and made a layup with 31.4 seconds left.

Bryant hit a trey to cut the Lakers’ deficit to 94-89 with 11 seconds left, but Pierce canned two free throws with 9.5 seconds to go to end it.

Cold shooting plagued both teams during the first half. Robinson’s open 3 gave Boston a 19-16 lead at the end of the first period.

Los Angeles finally got a little something going offensively in the second stanza. Down 29-28, Bryant drained back-to-back 3s to spur the Lakers to a 43-35 edge. But Boston’s Kevin Garnett snagged a loose ball and hit a jumper at the first-half buzzer to cut the Celtics’ halftime deficit to 45-42.

Garnett scored 13 points and Rondo scored 10. Ray Allen followed a 0-for-13 shooting effort in Game 3 with 12 points.

Gasol poured in 21 points and Lamar Odom added 10 for Los Angeles.

Game 5 is Sunday night in Boston.

NOTES: Fisher missed his first free throw of the series in Game 4 when his technical free throw after Robinson was teed up didn’t go down. He had been 9-for-9. … Boston outscored L.A. 54-34 in the paint and 15-2 on fast breaks.

BOX SCORE

Photo above: Boston's Glen Davis (11) and Nate Robinson celebrate during the Celtics' win in Game 4. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Video credit – ESPN on ABC