Grit. Heart. Determination. These are attributes we ascribe to champions. For a team to be consider a worthy titleholder, they must have had their resolve tested and resiliency pushed en route to their final achievement. Contenders become champions by winning games in adverse situations; this forges their character and steadfastness.

Up until Game 5 of the Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers had failed in this regard. Their epic collapse mere days ago in Game 4 showed their collective mettle to be lacking compared to their counterparts on the Celtics. Boston’s veterans got every loose ball because they wanted each possession more. When defensive stops were needed, they found a way to shut the Lakers down.

This changed late Sunday night however, as the young Lakers appeared determined to not be bested. Los Angeles had no business winning this game. Their offense late in the fourth was totally predictable and stagnant. They were, yet again, atrocious defensively; Pau Gasol’s inability to trap or show on the pick-and-roll against Paul Pierce was staggeringly bad. At any moment, it seemed they would collapse under Boston’s relentless pressure. Yet they did not: for the first time this unit showed a nerve, a strength of will that they were not going to give this game away (though they came as close as can be). The Lakers were lucky their season did not end Sunday night, and while escaping Los Angeles with a 103-98 win let them avoid another brutal collapse and extend the series, it just as importantly gave them the appearance of a team with determination. If they can bring that same fire with them to Boston, there might yet be a Game 7 on the horizon.

The Lakers poured out of the blocks at full speed in Game 5 in an effort to chase off lingering uncertainty from the previous game’s giveaway. Kobe Bryant asserted himself early, hanging 15 points in the first quarter to jump out to a 39-22 lead. Then the bottom fell: Boston went on a 15-0 run early in the second and closed the once 19-point margin to a mere three heading into half. Bryant went ice-cold and it appeared Boston was in the midst of another storybook comeback. But outstanding offensive play from the aforementioned Gasol (19 points, 13 rebounds, six assists) and timely contributions from Lamar Odom (20 points) and the Lakers’ bench allowed them to overcome Bryant’s inability to get good looks and the team shooting just 8-27 from three. They made mistakes down the stretch and were badly outplayed by Boston over the final three quarters, but they managed to use every available resource and unrelenting effort to steal a game they should not have, which may give them heart heading into Game 6.

What will still worry Los Angeles though is the continued dominance of Paul Pierce. The Celtics’ captain shouldered his team’s offensive load almost entirely in Game 5 with a terrific 38 points, six rebounds and eight assists night that nearly ended the series. One cannot help but think that had Kevin Garnett scored more than a paltry 13 points, or Rajon Rondo not shot 1-7 from the field, that Boston would be already planning a victory parade for early next week. Through five games there is no question that Boston has been the superior team or that Pierce has been the series’ best player. Still, despite Pierce’s excellence and resurgent play late from Sam Cassell, the Lakers managed to cheat death. The Celtics’ next game will be their 26th of this postseason, which will set the record for most playoff games played in a single year. To avoid playing a 27th they will need to avoid yet another slow start, and must get actual points, not just emotional leadership, from Garnett.

Bryant had the game’s most critical play (a steal on Pierce that lead to a fast-break dunk with under a minute left) but his play throughout this restored rivalry has left something to be desired. As the league’s best player, Bryant is expected to dominate offensively, even against Boston’s vaunted swarming team attack. For Los Angeles to have any hope of becoming the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in Finals history, Bryant must morph back into the scoring threat he was in Game 3. It will not be easy considering the physical defense Pierce has played on him the last several games, but he must show the resolution to get to rim.

Put another way, he must show the grit, heart, and determination we spoke of. Just as a champion should.

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