Fight To The Finish, Lakers Slip Past Celtics In Overtime 88-87

The  Los Angeles Lakers put an end to the Boston Celtics five game winning streak Thursday night at the Boston Garden; however the Celtics did not go down without a battle taking their opponents to overtime before finally succumbing as they lost by a final score of 88-87. The victory for Los Angeles snapped their own two game losing streak as Kobe Bryant led the way with a game high 27 points while Pau Gasol racked up a double-double including 25 points for the night. Ray Allen led the Celtics attack with 22 points while Paul Pierce added 18 points in the loss. This contest had the tempo of a Post Season game as it was a lot of slow down basketball and the two opponents relied more on their defensive strengths than their offensive skills. This was not a sloppy game as both teams kept control of the rock with very few turnovers for either side. Instead it reflected the philosophies of both clubs’ head coaches; Mike Brown with the Lakers and Doc Rivers with Boston; who have both...