The AP reports: Kobe Bryant knew all along the Celtics were going to force someone besides him to beat them, and there was nobody else in purple and gold up for the job. Bryant finished with 22 points, but shot only 7-of-22 from the field and was quiet after a sizzling start for the second straight game. The Lakers needed an MVP performance from Bryant. Bryant needed help… And there was no one else to pick up the slack. Lamar Odom didn’t have a field goal until the fourth quarter, when the Lakers were already down by 29 points. Pau Gasol took only seven shots and finished with 11 points—and he was their second-leading scorer until deep in the fourth quarter, when Odom went to work against the reserves who played the last few minutes while Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were busy celebrating on the sideline.
