Tue Jun 17 22:32:16 2008

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Celtics hold halftime lead in Game 6

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Boston, MA (Sports Network) - The Boston Celtics are 24 game minutes away from their first championship since 1986.

Kevin Garnett has 17 points and Paul Pierce 10 with nine assists for the Celtics, who hold a 58-35 lead on the Los Angeles Lakers at halftime in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. They outscored the Lakers, 34-15 in the second quarter.

Boston, which holds a 3-2 series lead, can close out its 17th championship on its home floor tonight and the Celtics are well on their way. With a 12-1 home mark in this year's playoffs, the Celtics now need to hold on for the title. They've been there before. In Game 2, Boston nearly blew a 24-point lead on its home court before pulling out a 108-102 win.

Celtics guard Ray Allen left the game with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the first quarter after being poked in his left eye and scratched on the nose. Allen was driving from the right baseline to the basket and hit a layup, but on the way up he was hit in the eye by the Lakers' Lamar Odom. Allen went to his knees in pain under the basket after the layup with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the quarter. He then jogged off the court to the locker room to be examined.

Allen returned to the bench with 6:05 left in the half and came back in the game with 4:44 remaining with Boston up, 43-31.

Kobe Bryant has 14 points, but has missed his last six shots for the Lakers, who are trying to become the first team in Finals history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win the series. The Lakers staved off elimination Sunday night with a 103-98 victory at the Staples Center, but are off to a horrible start thanks to an 8-for-26 effort from the floor in the first half.

The Celtics arrived in Boston Monday night at 11 p.m. due to airplane mechanical problems, but showed little fatigue, keeping up with the Lakers and then widening their lead with 11 straight points during the second quarter.

Pau Gasol's inside bucket had the Lakers within 32-29 with just under eight minutes left in the half.

Boston then used the long range shot to expand its lead, as James Posey and Eddie House hit consecutive three-pointers from the left corner for a 38-29 advantage with 6 1/2 minutes left in the half.

After House hit two free throws, Posey drilled another three-pointer.

Garnett had the most incredible shot of the half and possibly the series, getting fouled in the lane and using his right hand to bang the ball off the glass and in. It turned into a three-point play with 47.3 seconds left in the half.

Bryant had 11 of LA's first 13 points, but the Lakers didn't get the support offensively in the opening quarter. Bryant was 4-for-7 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, but the rest of the team was 1-of-7 from the floor.

Garnett's inside presence resulted in him scoring eight straight Boston points, with the final bucket in the run pushing Boston's lead to 22-18. Pierce's jumper provided the 24-20 margin after 12 minutes.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers was given a technical foul with 9:57 left in the half for arguing that Bryant should have been called for a foul on a screen set by House.

Kendrick Perkins started the game for Boston despite a strained left shoulder he suffered in Game 4, an injury that forced him out of Game 5. Rivers inserted 6-foot-9 rookie forward Glen Davis into the game in the second quarter, his first appearance in the Finals.