Bryant scores 16, Lakers build 52-40 lead at halftime of Game 3 of NBA finals

Lakers build 52-40 lead at halftime of Game 3

BOSTON — Kobe Bryant had 16 points and six rebounds, helping the Los Angeles Lakers take a 52-40 lead over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night at halftime of Game 3 of the NBA finals.

Lamar Odom had eight points and the Lakers seized control late in the first quarter, helped by some awful Boston shooting. The Celtics went without a field goal for nearly 6 minutes spanning the quarters as Los Angeles built a 17-point lead.

Kevin Garnett scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting for the Celtics, but Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were off to miserable starts.

Allen, who scored 32 points and made an NBA finals-record eight 3-pointers in Boston’s Game 2 victory, missed all five shots and was scoreless. Pierce was 1 of 8 for five points and had three fouls.

The finals were tied after two games for the first time since 2004, when the Detroit Pistons split two games in Los Angeles before winning three straight at home. The Celtics were hoping they could duplicate that feat, which would give them an 18th NBA title.

But other than Garnett’s strong play after he struggled in Los Angeles, there wasn’t much partying going on inside the TD Garden, where the Celtics were only 2 of 10 on 3-pointers and missed half of their 12 free throws.

The familiar “Beat L.A.! Beat L.A!” chants picked up right where the national anthem left off, but Boston fans were groaning in the second quarter.

Garnett, who scored only six points in 24 foul-plagued minutes of Game 2, had that many in the first 75 seconds of this one. Rajon Rondo had Boston’s next three baskets, and the Celtics were quickly up 12-5.

The Lakers ran off eight straight to grab the lead, then shut out the Celtics from the field after Garnett’s basket tied it at 16 with 4:19 remaining in the period. Odom converted a three-point play with 0.7 seconds left, sending Los Angeles to the second with a 26-17 lead.

Bryant’s three-point play and a jumper by Shannon Brown extended it to 31-17 before Nate Robinson ended Boston’s drought with a 3-pointer. The Lakers had the next three baskets, opening a 37-20 lead.

Boston cut it to single digits late in the period, but Bryant had a couple of buckets to keep it from getting much closer.

It was a quick turnaround for the teams after the long flight from Los Angeles following the Celtics’ 103-94 victory Sunday. Lakers coach Phil Jackson put his team through a long shootaround Tuesday afternoon, and it appeared to be paying off.

Game 4 is Thursday night.