Los Angeles, CA (Best E Casino) - Kobe Bryant leads all scorers with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, and the Los Angeles Lakers took a 43-37 lead into halftime of Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Sasha Vujacic added 12 points in 14 minutes off the bench for the Lakers, who are trying to avoid falling into an 0-3 hole in the series.

Ray Allen leads the Celtics with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting, making all three three-pointers he attempted. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett scored only two points each on a combined 2-of-16 shooting, and the Celtics shot 32.6 percent from the field, yet they only trail by six points at the break.

Boston was aided greatly by a poor performance at the free-throw line by the Lakers, who have made only 12-of-22 at the charity stripe. Boston only attempted seven free throws in the first half, making five.

The Lakers came out playing like a team with something to prove after two disappointing performances in Boston. Vladimir Radmanovic canned an early three-pointer, and Bryant scored five points on a 9-2 Lakers run to start the game.

The Celtics quickly responded, with Allen and James Posey draining threes, and Boston drew even at 18-18 on a P.J. Brown jumper with 1:21 left in the quarter. A Sam Cassell jumper briefly gave the Celtics the lead, but two Vujacic free throws knotted the game at 20-20 entering the second quarter.

Bryant scored the first four points of the second quarter, and Vujacic and Jordan Farmar nailed consecutive threes on an 18-7 Lakers push to start the frame. Vujacic capped the run with consecutive jumpers, the second giving LA a 38-27 lead with 4:56 left.

LA led 40-29 with 4:01 left after a Bryant jumper, but the Celtics were able to trim the deficit to six after an Allen three with 23.7 seconds left. Bryant drove the lane and drew a foul, but missed both free throws with 6.3 seconds left, and the Lakers lead held at six entering the break.