Lakers in finals after fending off Suns in Game 6

PHOENIX - Get ready, Boston. Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers want a rematch.

Bryant wrapped up a magnificent series with 37 points, Ron Artest added 25, and the Lakers held off the Phoenix Suns, 111-103, on Saturday night at the US Airways Center to win the best-of-seven Western Conference finals, four games to two.

The Lakers and Celtics, the NBA's premier teams for much of the league's history, will meet in the Finals for the 11th time, with Game 1 Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Bryant scored nine points in the final two minutes, including what looked like an impossible 23-footer with Grant Hill in his face and 34 seconds to play. The basket put Los Angeles up, 107-100, and the scrappy Suns were finished.

Amare Stoudemire, in what may have been his last game with the Suns, scored 27 points but struggled to a 7-of-20 shooting night. Steve Nash had 21 points and nine assists in his 118th playoff game, the most for anyone who has never reached the Finals.

L.A. Lakers 37 28 26 20 – 111

Phoenix 34 19 21 29 – 103

   FG   FT   Reb   

L.A. LAKERS Min   M-A   M-A   O-T   A   PF   Pts   

Artest 40:49   10-16   1-2   2-4   2   1   25

Gasol 41:13   2-9   5-6   3-7   2   5   9

Bynum 19:48   3-5   4-5   2-6   0   4   10

Fisher 30:43   4-9   3-3   0-2   3   4   11

Bryant 40:58   12-25   10-11   2-6   2   1   37

Brown 3:49   0-0   0-0   0-1   1   0   0

Odom 34:59   3-12   0-1   5-12   3   4   6

Farmar 16:44   3-4   0-0   0-2   5   2   8

Vujacic 10:57   2-3   0-0   0-1   0   2   5

Totals 240:00   39-83   23-28   14-41   18   23   111

Percentages: FG .470, FT .821. 3-Point Goals: 10-24, .417 (Artest 4-7, Bryant 3-8, Farmar 2-3, Vujacic 1-2, Fisher 0-4). Team Rebounds: 11. Team Turnovers: 10 (10 Pts). Blocked Shots: 3 (Bynum 2, Gasol). Turnovers: 9 (Bryant 2, Gasol 2, Vujacic 2, Bynum, Fisher, Odom). Steals: 6 (Artest 3, Bryant 2, Odom). Technical Fouls: Defensive three second, 10:19 first. Flagrant Fouls: Vujacic, 11:18 fourth.    FG   FT   Reb   

PHOENIX Min   M-A   M-A   O-T   A   PF   Pts   

Hill 22:25   2-7   1-1   1-3   3   5   6

Stoudemire 43:17   7-20   13-15   2-4   0   4   27

Lopez 7:56   0-1   0-0   1-1   0   3   0

Nash 30:20   8-11   3-3   0-5   9   2   21

Richardson 29:01   3-7   5-6   1-1   0   2   13

Frye 40:04   5-7   0-0   2-13   1   3   12

Dudley 25:35   1-3   0-0   0-2   2   0   3

Barbosa 18:59   3-9   0-0   0-0   2   0   7

Dragic 17:40   5-9   2-2   1-2   2   0   12

Amundson 4:43   1-1   0-2   0-0   0   0   2

Totals 240:00   35-75   24-29   8-31   19   19   103

Percentages: FG .467, FT .828. 3-Point Goals: 9-26, .346 (Frye 2-4, Nash 2-5, Richardson 2-6, Dudley 1-2, Hill 1-2, Barbosa 1-3, Stoudemire 0-1, Dragic 0-3). Team Rebounds: 11. Team Turnovers: 12 (11 Pts). Blocked Shots: 6 (Dudley 2, Stoudemire 2, Frye, Hill). Turnovers: 11 (Stoudemire 3, Dragic 2, Nash 2, Dudley, Frye, Lopez, Richardson). Steals: 4 (Stoudemire 3, Dudley). Technical Fouls: None.

A: 18,422 (18,422). T: 2:49. Officials: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Greg Willard.