Celtics 109, Lakers 96

The Lakers gave up 109 points today to a team that scored 71 points Friday against the Phoenix Suns. Think about that for a minute. It probably means Jerry West was right about the Lakers. They're not a good defensive team by any measure. The Celtics, who went into the game averaging 98.7 points, shot 60.3 percent. Paul Pierce had 32 points on 11-for-18 shooting. Kobe Bryant scored 41 points on 16-for-29 shooting, passing the 27,000-point mark for his career with a 3-pointer late in the third quarter. Next: Houston on Tuesday at Staples.