Celtics One Win Away From Another NBA Title

BOSTON (AP) – It's looking a lot like 2008 again, with Paul

Pierce carrying the Boston Celtics to victory in the NBA finals and

leading them to the brink of yet another title.

Pierce scored 27 points – his best performance of this year's

finals – and the Celtics withstood 38 points from Kobe Bryant to

beat the Los Angeles Lakers 92-86 on Sunday night and take a 3-2

lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game 6 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles, and a victory then or in

Game 7 in L.A. on Thursday would give the Celtics a record 18th NBA

championship.

Pierce was the finals MVP in '08, when the new Big Three beat

the Lakers to raise an NBA-record 17th banner to the rafters at

Boston's TD Garden. Bryant was the finals MVP last year, when the

Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to win their 15th championship.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)