LOS ANGELES - The Celtics can certainly use the two days off before Game Five on Sunday. Rajon Rondo will be able to rest the ankle that he tweaked in Game Three. He was clearly not himself last night as he finished with 5 points and 2 assists in just 17 minutes. The Celts also lost Kendrick Perkins to injury. The center sustained a shoulder strain at 9:34 of the third quarter. He could've returned to the game but there was no need for his services.

Paul Pierce tweaked his knee at one point of the second half. He bounced back up and finished the game strong. "I think these two days will be great for us to recuperate from our minor injuries and try to suck it up before Sunday and end this thing before things get worse."

Here and there

Ray Allen played all 48 minutes and finished with 19 points. The last player to play all 48 in a Finals game was Jason Kidd of New Jersey in 2003. ... The Celtics smashed the all-time Finals record for biggest deficits at the end of both the first and second quarters to overcome for a win. They trailed by 21 points after the first quarter and 18 at the half. ... The 21-point first quarter lead was the largest by a team in Finals history. ... This is the 29th time in Finals history that a team leads 3-1 after four games. The team leading has always gone on to win the title. In earlier rounds, eight teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series. ... This was the first Laker loss at home in the playoffs. They are now 9-1 at home. ... Boston won its two last championships (1984 & `86) at Boston Garden. They last win a title on the road in 1981, in Houston. The Celtics haven't won a championship in five games or less since 1965, when they beat the Lakers, 4-1.