 Lakers
-6 1/2 in Game 5 of
NBA Finals
The
Los Angeles Lakers
have dug themselves
into a deep hole
following Thursday
night's Game 4
collapse after
leading by 24
points.
Oddsmakers believe
the Lakers will win
Game 5, however,
they have failed to
cover this entire
series against the
Boston Celtics.
See Betting Odds
Here
The Celtics rallied
from a 24-point
deficit and beat the
Los Angeles Lakers
97-91 on Thursday
night to take a
commanding 3-1 lead
in this history-rich
series and move
within one victory
of a 17th
championship that
seemed impossible a
year ago.
"I don't want to get
overjoyed," Paul
Pierce said. "I want
to go out there to
try and win Game 5
on Father's Day and
then I'll be able to
breathe. Right now,
I'm waiting to
exhale."
No
team had ever
overcome more than a
15-point deficit
after the first
quarter, and Elias
Sports Bureau said
it was the largest
comeback in the
finals since 1971.
One thing's for
sure, it will
forever be
remembered in the
annals of
Celtics-Lakers lore.
Perhaps this stat
might encourage the
Lakers as no team
has either come back
from a 3-1 deficit
in the NBA Finals
either.
"It's definitely a
great win, one that
you're going to put
up there in the
library and break
back out one day for
your kids to watch,"
Pierce said. "But I
want nothing more
than that ring right
now."
Pierce scored 20
points, Garnett had
16 points and 11
rebounds and Ray
Allen had 19 points,
two coming on a
marvelous reverse
layup in the fourth
as Boston's Big
Three, thrown
together last summer
by general manager
Danny Ainge to
revive a franchise
accustomed to
hanging banners from
the rafters, put the
Lakers on the brink
of a summer
vacation.
-----
Tyrone Black,
Gambling911.com
Originally published
June 13, 2008 11:50
am EST
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