Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

• Series: Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Boston. The Celtics lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.

• TV: ABC, coverage starts 6:30 p.m.; tipoff after 7 p.m.

• The skinny: A win on their home court and the Celtics win their 17th championship. A win by the Lakers forces a deciding Game 7 on Thursday ... Celtics' Paul Pierce is making the strongest case for the Finals MVP of anyone in the series. He's averaging 22.8 points, 5.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds and made nine 3-pointers in the first five games ... The Lakers continue to blow big leads — 24 points in the Game 4 loss and 19 points in their Game 5 win ... Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett is having a subpar performance in the Finals, shooting 40.2 percent from the field ... Celtics center Kendrick Perkins missed Game 5 with a shoulder injury and is not expected to be ready for Game 6.

• Numbers game: Pierce is just 10-for-34 (29.4 percent) from the field in the first and fourth quarters of the Finals and 24-for-41 (58.5 percent) in the second and third quarters, including 8-for-13 from 3-point range.

• Finals fact: No team has overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals to win a championship. The Lakers will have to win Game 6 and 7 on the road to accomplish the feat.

• Making history: The Celtics are 12-1 at home in this postseason. With a win in either Game 6 or 7, they will set a record for most home wins in a single playoffs, breaking their tie with the 1984 Celtics (12-1) and 1988 Lakers (12-2). Game 6 will also be the Celtics' 26th of this postseason, setting a record for most games played in a postseason.

• Quote: We're one up, with two games to go at home. It still feels like we have the advantage, and I do feel like we're the better team. — Celtics' Pierce.

— USA Today