Lakers hold on to snatch victory

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Kobe Bryant showed his class to steer his side to victory

Los Angeles Lakers kept their title hopes alive with a 103-98 home victory over Boston Celtics in the fourth game of the NBA Finals on Sunday.

Kobe Bryant scored five points in the final four minutes to hold off a Celtics fightback and send the series back to Boston for game six on Tuesday.

Bryant bagged 25 points, including a decisive dunk in the final minute, to send a star-studded crowd delirious.

No team has overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals to win the title.

"I didn't want to see the Celtics celebrating in my home floor with champagne and all that," said the Lakers' Paul Gasol. "We didn't play our best game, but we played our hearts out."

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"I had a bad game," said Bryant, the league MVP. "You're not going to shoot the ball too well against this team because they're going to throw everybody at you.

"But the important thing for me is to push the buttons at the right time."

England footballer David Beckham, actors Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone, Robert Downey Jr, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker and Mark Wahlberg were among the stars courtside.