On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were going to erase the Boston Celtics 2-1 series lead in the NBA Finals. Forwards Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol awoke with a fury in the first quarter to build a dominating 35-14 lead. By halftime, the lead was still 18.

Soon, its seemed the series would be tied 2-2 and the Championship would be anyone’s for the taking. Odom and Gasol would finish the night with double-doubles, 19 points and 10 rebounds for Odom and 17 points and 10 rebounds for Gasol. It was picture perfect in the Staples Center in Los Angeles – for the first half.

The second half belonged to the Celtics, and they sent that message with a 31-15 third quarter to virtually erase the Lakers’ halftime lead. In Game 2, the Lakers pulled within two points after being down 24 points, but the Celtics survived. In Game 4, the Lakers would not. The fourth quarter included a 21-3 run by the Celtics over the last five minutes.

With just over four minutes remaining in the game, the Celtics took their first lead, 84-83, on a long Eddie House jump shot. House has seen increased minutes due to the ankle injury of the Celtics’ explosive starting point guard Rajon Rondo. House had 11 points and no turnovers in the game.

Kobe Bryant finished the game with 17 points and 10 assists, while the unlikely star of Game 3, Sasha Vujacic only managed three points off the bench compared to his previous outing’s 20. As time ran out on the Lakers opportunity to tie the series, the Celtics celebrated a 3-1 series lead behind a 97-91 win.

Celtics forward Paul Pierce, quiet in game 3, had a game high 20 points with seven assists. Guard Ray Allen, who had been so ineffective early in the playoffs, had 19 points and nine rebounds. Meanwhile forward James Posey exploded from the bench for 18 points while starter Kevin Garnett turned in a solid 16 point, 11 rebound performance.

The 18 point halftime deficit and comeback in the NBA Finals is the second largest in NBA history. 60 years ago, the Baltimore Bullets were down 21 points at halftime to the Philadelphia Warriors before coming back and winning the game.

Undoubtedly, this game will go down as one of the most memorable in one of sports’ most storied match-ups between two teams that have 30 NBA Titles between them – the Celtics and Lakers have met 11 previous times in the Finals.

The Celtics, with the dramatic win, are now a Game 5 Father’s Day victory from an unlikely NBA Championship. Game 4 embodied the team that has spent the entire season coming back after a 24-58 season in 2007. The turn around from second worst team in the NBA to potential champion is the biggest year-to-year turn around in NBA history.

The Lakers will host game 5 on Sunday, Father’s Day, at 9:00pm on ABC.