Ray Allen sets NBA Finals record

Ray Allen (32 points) hit an NBA Finals-record eight 3-pointers to help Boston grab a 103-94 win in Game 2 of the Finals Sunday night.

Allen opened up the game with seven 3s in the first half and Rajon Rondo closed the night with 10 big points in the final six minutes to lead the C’s to victory. Rondo finished with a triple-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

The series now shifts to Boston for Game 3 at 9 p.m. Tuesday night in the TD Garden.

Two days after the Lakers posted an impressive 102-89 home victory over Boston in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Celtics returned the favor with a 103-94 victory in Game 2 that took home court advantage away from L.A.

Behind seven first half three-pointers from Ray Allen - one short of the Finals record he’d set in the third quarter - Boston led by as many as 14 before the Lakers took a lead early in the third and went into the fourth tied at 72-all.

L.A. did lead by as many as three when Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jumper with 5:21 remaining, but the home team couldn’t generate anything offensively from that point on, turning the ball over and clanking shots as Boston closed the game on a 16-7 run.

“It’s a disappointing loss for our ball club,” said Pau Gasol, who himself was terrific with 25 points, eight rebounds and six blocks. “They did a good job, really executed and had a good game plan. We definitely need to make sure we hustle a little more; they got to the ball tonight a lot of times quicker than we did.”

Getting to the ball quicker was most notable for Boston on the offensive glass, where they matched L.A.’s Game 1 effort with 13 rebounds, four of which came from Rajon Rondo, who finished the contest with a 19-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. More importantly, Rondo hit the game’s key shot when left open for a 20-foot jumper that opened a 95-90 lead with 1:59 remaining, and at the other end notched a block of a Derek Fisher three and steal of Bryant in the final minutes that helped seal the win.

“Tonight he was unbelievable,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “He made the big shot … he just did a lot things, the blocked shots, the steals. He was special tonight.”