By LYNN WORTHY, Sun Staff

The lowdown: Paul Pierce and the Celtics were hating on Kobe’s game, his swagger, and his fadeaway. Unfortunately for Kobe, unlike in his Nike commercial, the hatred conquered all.

As usual, Kobe got his points, scoring 12 in the first quarter and 26 by halftime. Still, it was Pierce who played the pivotal part in the outcome, particularly on the offensive end where he got in the lane and created. He created headaches for Phil Jackson, he created opportunities for his teammates, and he probably created a new poster featuring Chris Mihm in the role of doormat.

Instead of fouling out as he did in the face-off against Cleveland and LeBron James, Pierce became the starting point and the end point for the Celtics offense with Delonte West picking up his sixth foul with more than three minutes remaining. Pierce’s foul shot in the final seconds provided the winning margin.

The numbers: Kobe finished with a game-high 40 points while Pierce finished with 39 points, scoring 14 points from the free throw line. Ryan Gomes had his third consecutive double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Before heading to the bench, West had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

What to look for: Moving forward the big thing to look for from the guys in green is how they integrate Gomes into their lineup when Kendrick Perkins and Al Jefferson come back from their injuries.

Also, the backup point guard situation will also be something to watch for, West fouled out and Orien Green didn’t have the same sort of command when it came to initiating the offense and placed even more of a load on Pierce‘s shoulders.

In general, a key for the Celtics from here on out is to see how they deal with both close games and games on the road.

Let’s here from you folks out there. Which of the two teams do you think is in the better position going forward this year? Future years?