LOS ANGELES So the Celtics want to play rough again? Kobe Bryant and the Lakers look ready this time around, and they barged into an early lead in the NBA finals.Bryant scored 30 points, Pau Gasol had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and defending champion Los Angeles got tough in a 102-89 victory over Boston in the NBA finals opener Thursday night.
Ron Artest scored 15 points after tumbling to the ground in a tangle with Paul Pierce in the opening minute of the 12th finals meeting in the NBA's most scintillating rivalry. Bryant and Gasol then led a gritty physical effort against the Celtics, who memorably pushed around the Lakers while winning their 2008 finals matchup in six games.
Pierce scored 24 points and Kevin Garnett added 16 after a slow start for the Celtics, who might not want to know Lakers coach Phil Jackson's teams in Los Angeles and Chicago have won 47 straight playoff series after winning Game 1.
Game 2 is Sunday night at Staples Center.
If the first 48 minutes of the rematch are any indication, this series again will be a knockdown, drag-out physical confrontation - and the supposedly finesse-oriented Lakers held their ground early.
Ray Allen scored 12 points in just 27 minutes, saddled with constant foul trouble while trying to guard Bryant. Pierce also picked up early fouls, while Garnett simply struggled, going 7 for 16 from the field and grabbing just four rebounds - even inexplicably missing an open layup with 51/2 minutes to play.
That's mostly because of Gasol, the Spanish 7-footer determined to assert himself after admittedly getting pushed around by Garnett two years ago. Gasol capped a strong game by sprinting downcourt and catching a long pass in stride for a dunk with 6:21 to play.
This one was rough from the opening tumble.
Just 27 seconds in, Artest and Pierce got double technical fouls after crashing to the court back-to-back with elbows locked. The mood didn't improve much in a game featuring 54 fouls, but Bryant's playmaking and the Lakers' inside advantages drove them to a 20-point lead after three quarters before surviving Boston's final run.
Los Angeles outrebounded the Celtics 42-31 and put up a strong shooting percentage until a fourth-quarter slump, again excelling at the their two biggest areas of strength in this postseason.
Andrew Bynum scored 10 points on his injured right knee as the Lakers improved to 9-0 at home in the playoffs, with 12 straight postseason home wins dating to last year's championship run.
BOSTON: Pierce 6-13 12-13 24, Garnett 7-16 2-2 16, Perkins 2-2 4-5 8, Rondo 6-14 1-4 13, R.Allen 3-8 6-6 12, T.Allen 1-4 2-2 4, Wallace 3-4 2-2 9, Davis 1-3 1-2 3, Finley 0-0 0-0 0, Robinson 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 29-67 30-36 89.
L.A. LAKERS: Artest 5-10 2-2 15, Gasol 8-14 7-10 23, Bynum 4-6 2-4 10, Fisher 3-8 3-3 9, Bryant 10-22 9-10 30, Vujacic 0-1 0-0 0, Odom 2-6 1-2 5, Farmar 2-4 0-0 4, Brown 3-5 0-0 6, Walton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-76 24-31 102.
Boston
21 20 23 25 - 89
L.A. Lakers
26 24 34 18 - 102
3-Point Goals-Boston 1-10 (Wallace 1-2, Robinson 0-2, R.Allen 0-2, Pierce 0-4), L.A. Lakers 4-10 (Artest 3-5, Bryant 1-2, Vujacic 0-1, Odom 0-2). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Boston 38 (Pierce 9), L.A. Lakers 52 (Gasol 14). Assists-Boston 19 (Rondo 8), L.A. Lakers 18 (Bryant 6). Total Fouls-Boston 28, L.A. Lakers 26. Technicals-Pierce, Wallace, Artest. Att.-18,997 (18,997).
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