Kobe won't force - and says Lakers don't need to

The greatest closer in the NBA instead focused on being a quick starter in Game 5.

Kobe Bryant's teammates picked up the slack from there, and that's why the Los Angeles Lakers are still alive in the NBA finals.

A great night from the MVP won't do the Lakers much good as they try to become the first NBA team to rally from a 3-1 deficit in the finals. What the Lakers really need is a few good nights from the rest of the team.

``A lot of people say, 'Kobe, you have to go out for 40 or 50,' but that's not how we play,'' Bryant said. ``That's not what's going to win championships. We've got to stick together, ride this out as a unit, and that's what we're going to do.''

It worked just fine Sunday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers had four other players in double figures in their 103-98 victory that trimmed the Celtics' lead in the series to 3-2. But the Lakers' role players haven't shown they can come through in Boston, and if they don't Tuesday, they won't get another chance.

Continued at My Sportsbook...