Bryant, Lakers still alive
LOS ANGELES — Following his final home game of the season — on Father's Day — Kobe Bryant brought his two daughters to the podium. As he balanced his adorable little girls on each knee, Bryant smiled as he answered questions.
When he finished, he kissed them both and said goodbye.
Daddy has to make one more business trip.
Bryant scored 25 points, making a key steal and decisive dunk in the final minute, and Lamar Odom added 20 points as the Lakers, playing with pride on their star-studded stage, prevented the Boston Celtics from winning a 17th championship with a 103-98 win in Game 5 on Sunday night to close to 3-2 in this restored rivalry.
The champagne stayed on ice. The T-shirts and ball caps went back into boxes. The Larry O'Brien trophy got bubble wrapped and ready for shipment.
The NBA finals aren't over. They're headed East.
At the final horn, when the Lakers had survived to play another day, purple-and-gold streamers rained down from above Staples Center. Odom shook his head in approval, Derek Fisher caressed the game ball against his chest and Bryant clapped his hands before striding from the floor.
"I love L.A." blared through the speakers and "Not In Our House!" flashed on the scoreboard.
The P.A. announcer cried, "This is not over yet!"
Los Angeles avoided its season ending. On this night, you could call them the L.A. Dodgers.
"We didn't want to see any champagne popping," Odom said. "It wasn't easy. I wouldn't expect it to be."
No team has overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals to win a title. The first 28 failed, and now the Lakers, who blew a 24-point lead and lost Game 4 and nearly squandered a 19-point lead in Game 5, have a chance to do something extraordinary.
They'll have to win on the Celtics' parquet floor Tuesday night to force Game 7, where anything is possible.
Especially with Bryant, the game's best player, on hand.
"In training camp if you told us, 'We'll give you two games that you have to win to win a world championship,' we would have taken it in a heartbeat," Bryant said. "This is a great opportunity for us."
The league's MVP and ultimate finisher isn't finished yet. On a night when Bryant didn't have his best game, the other Lakers came up big.
Pau Gasol had 19 points and 13 rebounds, Odom had 11 rebounds and four blocks, Fisher added 15 points and Jordan Farmar came off the bench to get 11.
"We were aggressive. We played hard," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Not smart all the time, but hard."
Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 38 points and played all but two seconds. Kevin Garnett added 13 points and 14 rebounds but was in foul trouble, and Ray Allen had 16 points.
The Celtics played their 25th game of these playoffs.
