Ray Allen dropped 32 points and Rajon Rondo was brilliant with a triple-double, but Pierce and Garnett combined for 16 points on 4-for-16 shooting with eight fouls — and one field goal in the fourth quarter.
Garnett was supposed to respond to the heavy criticism he received because of his lethargic performance in Game 1 and Pau Gasol’s domination. Instead, he was tentative, picked up two silly fouls 2 minutes 38 seconds into the game, and attempted just five shots in 24 minutes.
He did nothing to dispute the assertion he is in swift decline. The Garnett that dominated Michael Beasley and Antawn Jamison in the first two series has faded, replaced by an insecure figure unsure if he can get that swagger back.
Yet, he did produce three key assists in the fourth quarter and set screens, made crisp passes, and played defense to compensate for his lack of scoring. It was good enough as the Celtics ran off 11 straight points in the fourth quarter, all with Garnett on the floor.
“We didn’t score the ball and do the things we normally do, but it’s like that sometimes,’’ Garnett said of himself and Pierce. “Some series present different matchups and some games are different from others. The thing is to try to play it out and try to be diverse and do other things and I thought for the most part we did that.’’
Those diverse things he’s referring to are those assists. Each was critical. He fed Glen Davis for a dunk and a 76-72 lead with 11:08 left. The Lakers responded with a 6-0 run, helped by a poor Garnett decision to goaltend a Lamar Odom shot after he was fouled by Tony Allen. Sasha Vujacic then canned an open 3-pointer for a 78-76 lead.
The Celtics desperately needed a hoop and Garnett gathered the ball in the post, sensed a double team approaching and flipped to Davis, who made a hook shot. Finally, with the Lakers needing a stop, Garnett dribbled toward the basket and found an open Kendrick Perkins, who stunningly completed a reverse layup for a 97-90 Celtics’ lead with 1:21 left.
Making plays, although they didn’t involve any of those vintage jumpers or thundering dunks on Gasol, served as a salve for Garnett’s offensive troubles.
