NBA Game Summary - LA Lakers at Boston

03.2.2005

Boston, MA (Basketball News) - Ricky Davis and Paul Pierce each scored 29 points to lead the Boston Celtics to a 104-101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at the FleetCenter.

Antoine Walker recorded 16 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in his return to Boston, which has won three straight and nine of its last 13 contests. The trio sparked two different fourth-quarter runs, as the Celtics won for the sixth time in seven tries at home.

Chucky Atkins had 29 points to lead the Lakers, who have dropped a season- worst four in a row. Kobe Bryant added 26 points, but missed a potential game- tying shot, as Los Angeles has dropped nine of its last 13 contests.

Trailing 82-79 early in the final stanza, Boston went on a 13-3 run to open up a 91-85 cushion. Pierce and Davis combined to score five points during the burst, which was capped by an Al Jefferson free throw with 5:54 remaining.

Chucky Atkins then scored the next seven points for the Lakers, tying the game at 92-92 on a pair of free throws with 4:16 on the clock.

The two teams went back and forth for the next 1:17, until a Walker layup started a 6-1 run that gave Boston the lead for good. Walker, Davis and Pierce all hit from the field during the spurt, with Pierce ending it with a jumper with 46 second left for a 102-97 edge.

Bryant had one last chance to tie the game as time expired, but his three- point attempt bounced out and the Lakers ended a three-game road trip without a win.

Boston, which trailed 30-27 after one quarter, is 3-0 since re-acquiring Walker in a trade with Atlanta.

Bryant, who scored 17 first-quarter points, went 0-for-6 from the field in the fourth quarter. The power forward received a standing ovation as he was announced in the starting lineup and acknowledged the sellout crowd in return.

The Celtics, who have won 15 of 19 at home, led 56-51 at halftime and trailed 79-77 going into the fourth.

Pierce had seven boards and five assists for Boston, which ended a four-game slide to the Lakers.

Pierce’s four-point play with 29.7 seconds remaining in the first quarter was the first by a Celtics player since Pierce accomplished the feat at Phoenix on March 15, 2001. It was also the first at the FleetCenter since January 23, 2001, also by Pierce...Celtics rookie guard Tony Allen missed his second straight game with a mild right ankle sprain...After checking with the NBA, the Celtics were granted permission to change Walker’s number from 88 back to his old No. 8 beginning with tonight’s game and for the remainder of the season. Jefferson, who had been wearing Walker’s old number, was changed to 7...The Lakers wore powder blue throwback uniforms, symbolic of their days as the Minneapolis Lakers...Los Angeles’ previous season worst losing streak was three straight on two different occasions, January 25-28 and February 3-7...

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