By GREG BEACHAM
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers needed a last-minute basket to hold off the Boston Celtics, and Kobe Bryant knew everybody in green would expect him to take the shot.
That’s why Bryant suggested Andrew Bynum should do it — and the All-Star center leaped at the opportunity to seal Los Angeles’ latest win in the NBA’s most storied rivalry.
Bryant scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and hit a go-ahead jumper with 41.7 seconds to play, and Bynum’s hook shot over Kevin Garnett capped the Lakers’ 97-94 victory Sunday.
Bynum had 20 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers rallied from a five-point deficit in the final 2 1/2 minutes, scoring the final eight points. Bryant and Bynum had four apiece — but only after Kobe urged coach Mike Brown to use him as a decoy.
“Andrew is too big. You can’t teach that,” Bryant said with a grin. “I knew it was going to be a high-percentage shot.”
After Bynum coolly scored out of a timeout with 15.5 seconds left, Boston couldn’t get a good look at a tying 3-pointer, sending the Lakers to their third straight victory over their longtime rivals.
Bynum appeared to take particular satisfaction in his decisive role in the victory after years as a supporting player to Bryant’s late-game heroics.
“It was crazy,” Bynum said. “Kobe came up with that play. He said, ‘They’re not going to be able to know what to do.’ I was able to get deep position and go to work.”
Rajon Rondo had 24 points and 10 assists for the Celtics, who opened an eight-game road trip by blowing a late lead.
On Boston’s final possession, Ray Allen failed to get free for a 3-pointer before Rondo badly missed a desperate tying attempt.
The Lakers earned their 18th victory in 19 home games, stylishly finishing their third straight victory over Boston in yet another thrilling meeting.
“We love beating this team,” Bynum said.
The game might have been the final meeting for the current veteran cores of the franchises that met in the NBA finals in 2008 and 2010, adding new chapters to the rivalry’s history.
Boston’s Big Three could be broken up after this season, while both Pau Gasol and Rondo are the subject of rampant trade rumors. If this was the finale, both clubs went out in style.
“You come into (this rivalry) with the mindset that, ‘This is it,’” said Allen, who scored 17 points.
“It’s almost as if this is for the championship every time we play them. It definitely was an entertaining game. … Competitively speaking, we always will go at each other and play hard. There’s talent on both sides, so it’s always a great matchup whenever we meet.”
Boston erased an early 15-point deficit before clinging to a small lead down the stretch. Allen’s 3-pointer put the Celtics up 94-89 with 2:41 left, but Los Angeles trimmed the lead to one point on baskets from Bryant and Bynum before Bryant nailed his 14-footer to put the Lakers ahead.
Allen hit three 3-pointers and had six assists for the Celtics, while Brandon Bass scored 15 points before missing a go-ahead jumper in the final minute. Paul Pierce had 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting and nine assists, while Garnett had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
“They made shots down the stretch, and we didn’t,” Rondo said. “We had some good looks at the rim, but the shots didn’t fall and we couldn’t get a stop the last couple of minutes. … It’s not difficult to win on the road. We’re just not getting it done. We just have to close out quarters better and continue to work on our execution.”
Metta World Peace scored 14 points for Los Angeles, which has won 10 of 14 overall. Gasol had 13 points and 13 rebounds, including two key boards in the final seconds as the NBA’s best rebounding team outrebounded the worst 42-34.
The Lakers returned to California for a single home game in a stretch with five of six on the road.
Ugly losses at Detroit and Washington last week worried fans who believe a major restructuring is the only way to turn the Western Conference’s fourth-place team into a title contender, but Bryant has repeatedly discounted the Lakers’ road woes, blaming them on the shortened season and the new coaching system.
The Lakers led 37-22 before Boston got rolling midway through the second quarter, closing the first half on a 20-7 run capped by Rondo’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Boston took its first lead early in the third quarter, but World Peace led the Lakers back after getting into a brief scuffle with Pierce and Garnett under the basket. World Peace responded with 10 points in less than 3 minutes for Los Angeles’ streakiest player, capped by a steal and a length-of-the-court drive for a dunk on Pierce.
76ERS 106, KNICKS 94
NEW YORK — Lou Williams scored 12 of his 28 points in a dazzling third-quarter flurry, Evan Turner had 24 points and 15 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers handed the New York Knicks their fifth straight loss.
Williams tossed in a long jumper to beat the halftime buzzer, then had a dozen points in the final 3:28 of the third quarter, when the 76ers seized control for their third straight victory.
Andre Iguodala had 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the 76ers, who turned a competitive game into a rout to end a three-game losing streak to the Knicks.
Carmelo Anthony scored 22 points but Jeremy Lin shot just 5 of 18 for 14 points for the Knicks. Tyson Chandler had eight points and 12 rebounds after missing two games.
Cavaliers 118, Rockets 107
CLEVELAND — Antawn Jamison scored 28 points and rookie Kyrie Irving came through again in the fourth quarter, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Houston Rockets.
Cleveland, which recorded a season high in points, had six players in double figures in winning its third straight game for the first time this season.
Luis Scola scored a season-high 30 points to lead Houston, which has lost six of seven.
While Jamison led the way by going 8 for 16 from the field, Irving again took over down the stretch. He scored 16 of his 21 points in the final 4:14. Irving orchestrated a decisive run in the final 3 minutes when Cleveland snapped Oklahoma City’s 14-game home winning streak Friday night.
Bucks 105, Raptors 99
TORONTO — Ersan Ilyasova had 31 points and 12 rebounds, Drew Gooden added 21 points and the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks won their sixth straight over the Toronto Raptors.
Mike Dunleavy scored 19 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, as the Bucks survived a final period that included seven lead changes to win their second straight and pull within one game of the New York Knicks for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Bucks had just 10 active players for this one, having lost Shaun Livingston (sprained left ankle) and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (right knee) in Friday’s win over New York. Milwaukee swingman Stephen Jackson has sidelined by a sore right hamstring since Feb. 19.
DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points and Jerryd Bayless had 16 for the Raptors.
Magic 107, Pacers 94
ORLANDO, Fla. — Dwight Howard had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and J.J. Redick added 18 points and a career-high nine assists as the Orlando Magic ran past the Indiana Pacers.
The Magic played without starters Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson, but seemed unfazed as they built a 20-point lead in the first half and got 30 points from their reserves. Orlando has won four out of its last five, and also earned a 3-1 season series victory over Indiana.
Paul George led the Pacers with 22 points, Tyler Hansbrough added 19 and Danny Granger 18.
The Pacers lost their fourth straight game and will try to avoid their second five-game losing streak of the season Tuesday when they host Portland.
Grizzlies 94, Nuggets 91
DENVER — O.J. Mayo scored 22 points, including a critical 3-pointer in the closing seconds and the Memphis Grizzlies hung on to beat the Denver Nuggets to sweep the three-game regular-season series for the first time in their history.
Mike Conley, who returned to play after suffering a cut above his right eye, had 13 points. Dante Cunningham added 12 points and Tony Allen 10 for the Grizzlies, who also snapped an eight-game losing streak in Denver.
Nene, Al Harrington and Corey Brewer each scored 15 for the Nuggets, who dropped to 2-2 on a season-high nine-game homestand.
Warriors 97, Clippers 93
LOS ANGELES — Dorell Wright scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half, Monta Ellis added 19 points and 11 assists, and the Golden State Warriors knocked the Los Angeles Clippers out of first place in the Pacific Division.
David Lee had 18 points and 10 rebounds after spending most of the game in foul trouble, helping the Warriors beat the Clippers on the road for the fourth straight time despite blowing a 21-point third-quarter lead.
Blake Griffin had 27 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who missed 16 of 35 free throws.
The loss, coupled with the Lakers’ 97-94 victory over the Boston Celtics a few hours earlier in the first half of the Staples Center doubleheader, put the Clippers a full game behind their L.A. rivals in the race for the Pacific Division lead and homecourt advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
Hawks 106, Kings 99
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Josh Smith scored 19 of his 28 points in the second half for the Atlanta Hawks, who defeated the Sacramento Kings for the eighth straight time.
Atlanta took the lead for good with a strong third quarter and never trailed again in avoiding a third straight loss.
It’s the only meeting between the teams this season.
DeMarcus Cousins fouled out late in the game but not before tying a season high with 28 and adding 12 rebounds for the Kings, who had their modest two-game win streak snapped. Joe Johnson scored 21 points and Jeff Teague had 16 points and seven assists for the Hawks.