USA - Lakers rout Celtics as NBA Finals go to seventh game

LOS ANGELES (NBA) – The Los Angeles Lakers took no prisoners and destroyed Boston on Tuesday night to set up a deciding Game 7 in the 2010 NBA Finals.

For LA, Team USA’s Kobe Bryant had 29 points, 11 rebounds and four steals and Spain’s Pau Gasol finished an assist shy of a triple-double as the Lakers thrashed Boston, 89-67.

The biggest margin of victory in the previous five games had been LA’s 102-89 Game 1 victory.

With Boston losing center Kendrick Perkins to injury early in the clash, LA took full advantage and out-rebounded the Celtics 52-39.

Gasol had 13 of those boards for LA to go with his 17 points, nine assists and three blocks.

Looking ahead to Game 7, Gasol said: "We want to carry everything we did tonight. Then I think we'll be in a very good place to win.

"When you bring the intensity we did tonight, good things are going to happen."

Team USA’s Lamar Odom grabbed 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who opened up a 28-18 lead by the end of the first quarter and stretched that to 51-31 by half-time.

Victory was never in doubt for Phil Jackson’s team the rest of the way.

Jackson, the Lakers boss, has won a total of 10 NBA titles in his coaching career.

Never before, though, has he coached in a deciding seventh game.

"It's really a high-tension situation," Jackson said.

"Players have come down to putting a lot on the line at this particular point.

“It's not about the coaching at that point.

"They've already got it in them. It's about who comes out and provides the energy on the floor."

Ray Allen's 19 points led the Celtics.

FIBA