Jackson was wrong, Celtics don't care anyway

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Boston Celtics weren't upset that Phil Jackson disrespected them on television.

Besides, Jackson was wrong.

During a timeout near the end of Game 5 of the NBA finals, Jackson was heard on ABC's broadcast telling his Los Angeles Lakers that "this team loses more games in the fourth quarter than any team in the league. They know how to lose games and they're showing us that now."

"You know, he's right," Paul Pierce said to laughter when asked about Jackson's comments. "What you just said, that's been the truth for us throughout the regular season."

No it wasn't.

The Celtics lost 13 times in the regular season when they led in the fourth quarter, according to STATS LLC. That didn't even rank in the top 10 and was 10 behind Washington's league-leading total.

Right or wrong, Pierce understood why Jackson had to say it.

"He's supposed to say something like that," Pierce said. "I probably would say the same thing if I was a coach in that situation. It doesn't bother me at all."

Perhaps Jackson was confused with another stat. Boston lost 14 times when leading by double digits at any point in a game, according to STATS, second only to Memphis' 17.

This time, the Celtics held on for a 92-86 victory. Kevin Garnett had little to say when asked about Jackson's comments.

"No reaction at all," he said. "I'm looking forward to Game 6. I couldn't care less what Phil Jackson is talking about."

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TRAIL POSITION: The Lakers don't have much recent experience playing when they trail in a postseason series.

Boston's 92-86 victory Sunday night in Game 5 gave the Celtics a 3-2 lead, the first time Los Angeles has trailed in a series since losing the opener of its second-round series against Houston on May 4, 2009. The Lakers had since played five straight series without trailing at any point.

Only six teams have lost Game 5 when the finals were tied 2-2 and come back to win the series. The last was the Rockets, who beat the New York Knicks in Games 6 and 7 at home to win the 1994 title.

Boston coach Doc Rivers was on that Knicks team.

"We had opportunities, obviously, in Games 6 and 7," Rivers said. "You know, that's a bitter memory obviously for me. I was injured sitting on the bench, so it just felt like you couldn't help individually. You know, as a team we had a lot of great opportunities in that series, in Game 6 and 7 if you remember. But it just didn't happen."

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NOT YET LIKE MIKE: Derek Fisher came into the NBA finals on the verge of passing Michael Jordan in a statistical category. He's still waiting.

Fisher has 41 3-pointers in the finals, good for fourth on the career list. He needs one to tie the Hall of Famer and six-time champion, but he's missed all eight attempts from behind the arc.

The Lakers have shot only 29 percent from 3-point range in the series.

Kobe Bryant did move past Jordan into second place with 47 3-pointers after making 14 so far in the series. The career leader is Robert Horry, Bryant and Fisher's former teammate who made 56.

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TURN THE OTHER CHEEK: At least the Boston Celtics getting the technical fouls in Game 5 could afford them.

Boston was called for two Sunday night. Rajon Rondo got one when he shoved Ron Artest after Artest's hard foul on Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen the other when he and Derek Fisher were whistled for double-technicals.

"I don't like that stuff," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Let's just play. It was physical. There was a lot of pushing going on, but we kept getting the technicals.

"You know, and I understand you want to take up for your teammates, and that is good, but strength sometimes is walking away, and I tell our guys that all the time. If you want to show toughness, toughness is walking away from all the other stuff."

Not that his players are listening.

The Celtics are an emotional group prone to technical fouls. Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace both have six during the postseason, leaving them one away from an automatic one-game suspension.

So Rivers knows he's not getting his players to change.

"Listen, I've tried with all of them. Clearly none of that has worked," he said. "We have two guys one tech away. I don't know if calming down and us goes together. I would love that, but it hasn't worked out very well."