The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday night 96-89 to even up the NBA Finals 2-2, and like in game 3, it was unsung hero that stepped it up in the fourth to seal the win. The only difference this game was that the hero was Boston's Glen “Big Baby” Davis and not the Lakers Derek Fisher.
“Big Baby” scored 18 in the contest but did his biggest damage in the fourth, where he scored 9 of his total in a stretch that saw the Celtics take control of the game while most of the starters were resting on the bench.
"I don't think guys really care and that's why we're here, it really is," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "[Rajon] Rondo and the rest of them, they were begging me to keep guys in. 'Don't take them out! Don't take them out!' It was great. That's the loudest I've seen our bench, and it was the starters cheering from the bench."
The Lakers, who was led by Pau Gasol with 21 and Kobe Bryant with 33, had a late spurt of their own that saw Kobe score 10 of the last 12 for Los Angeles before a steal from Rajon Rondo and a following layup put Boston up by a comfortable 8 with 32 seconds remaining.
"All I'm thinking about is, 'Let's win,'" Davis said. "I'm not thinking about anything else. I'm not even thinking about Kobe making all these shots, worried about this or worried about that. I'm just worried about winning, whatever it takes to win, and just making sure that I give my teammates positive energy to finish out the game."
Despite getting up there in age, it was the Celtics who played with more determination and will to win, out hustling the Lakers all night.
"They got all the energy points, the hustle points, second chance points, points in the paint, beat us to the loose balls," Bryant said. "I mean, that's how the game turned around."
That critical fourth quarter stretch saw Boston have Ray Allen, Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, Rasheed Wallace and Tony Allen on the court. The bench bunch, with the exception of starter Allen, scored 13 of 15 points during a five-minute span, a stretch that gave the Celtics the win.
"Just will, that's all it is," Davis said. "This is what legends are made of, this is where you grasp the moment. ... Just play in the moment."
The Lakers will look to rebound Sunday night as these two teams lock horns once again in Boston for game 5.
