aggressive

"Usually the first half is team ball, second half is usually Kobe takes over the games," Garnett said. "It just looks like they wanted to get the ball to Kobe and him sort of finish it off. ... We were giving Kobe every look we've got in the book, from different matchups to trapping him to a guy on the bottom. We were just making other guys make plays."

But nothing in the transcript really seems all that inflammatory.

Garnett also said the Lakers weren't as aggressive in the in the second half as the first half, an analysis that was repeated by many at Staples Center after Boston rallied from a 24-point deficit to win 97-91 and move within one victory of the NBA title.

His teammates apparently didn't listen.

Reaching into the Celtics' postgame comments for bulletin board material, Jackson cited comments by Kevin Garnett that would probably attract Bryant's interest.

BOTTOMS UP: Kobe Bryant talked about taking a lot of shots, and he meant nothing about basketball.

"They're in the transcripts if you want to read the transcripts," was all the coach would say.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) - Zen-master Phil Jackson was at it again Friday, trying to motivate star Kobe Bryant after the Lakers' unprecedented collapse in Game 4 of the NBA finals.

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Jackson said he didn't think Bryant would be motivated by the news that Paul Pierce wanted to guard him in the second half on Thursday night.

Garnett did say that he was so close to his first championship that he "can taste it"; but he also made the requisite disclaimer that there was more work to be done.

The problem: Jackson wouldn't elaborate.

"That's not going to be as much of an interest point to him as probably what Garnett said," Jackson said. "And that'll probably weigh (more) strongly with Kobe, than that aspect, that Pierce wanted to guard him."