Celtics turn up the defense in 96-89 Game 4 win over Lakers

The Celtics guard dove toward hardwood, risking possible high-degree floor burns, and furiously snatched the ball away from its previous owner, who clearly wasn’t that attached to it anyway.

The act, committed by Nate Robinson against Jordan Farmar, gained the Celtics another possession and cemented their defensive hustle in their Game 4 96-89 win over the Lakers on Thursday, tying the NBA Finals at two games apiece.

“They played intense the whole time,” Lakers forward Ron Artest said.

Robinson’s play highlighted that point, and also mirrored Rajon Rondo’s dive-and-steal play in the Eastern Conference finals against Orlando’s Jason Williams. But that was just one play.

The Celtics had 12 steals to the Lakers’ six, had 41 rebounds to their 34 (including 16 offensive boards to just eight for the Lakers) and allowed the Lakers just two fast-break points, while they scored 15.

In all, the Lakers’ 89 points were just two more than their 2010 playoffs low, which came in their Game 1 win in the first round against Oklahoma City.

“They’re a great scheming team,” Kobe Bryant said of the Celtics. “They have a strategy in place, and they execute extremely well.”

How does Bryant compare it with other defenses he’s faced?

“Oh, it’s right up there with the best of them,” he said.

Celtics assistant coach and defensive whiz Tom Thibodeau created the blueprint, but the game plan – or at least a big part of it – coming into Thursday was to have their defenders focus on shutting down their man without becoming mesmerized by Bryant, who scored 33.

Rasheed Wallace did so on Pau Gasol, who scored 21 points, but had just eight in the second half (four each in the third and fourth quarters) while Wallace (along with Kendrick Perkins) hounded him.

“He’s got size and length,” Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said of Wallace. “Pau is just a great offensive player, and it’s rare that he has to shoot over length. And he’s physical, Rasheed is physical.”

As for Bryant, despite his 30-point-plus game, there were moments when backup Tony Allen seemed to frustrate him. “He does a great job,” Bryant said. “He plays hard, he competes, and he’s a good, solid defender. I’m enjoying it.”

To be sure, not having to worry about the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum, who played just 12 minutes because of a swollen right knee, helped the Celtics’ defense out too, allowing Perkins to help on Gasol.

And with Bynum’s knee questionable as this series goes on, even though there is a two-day break between games, the Celtics defenders must be licking their chops, knowing they have two games left before Thibodeau leaves to coach the Chicago Bulls, and two games left to try to win an NBA title.

baxter.holmes@latimes.com

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