Andrew Bynum's injured right knee continues to swell but he will play through the pain barrier to help the Los Angeles Lakers tighten their grip on the NBA basketball Finals against the Boston Celtics in Game Two today.
The seven-foot (2.13m) centre contributed 10 points and six defensive rebounds for the NBA champions as they overpowered Boston 102-89 in the series opener on Friday, just three days after having fluid removed from his knee.
Although the fluid returned within 24 hours and he requires one-and-a-half hours of treatment before games, Bynum knows his towering presence is sorely needed by the Lakers.
The Lakers and Celtics are competing for the NBA title in a best-of-seven series which shifts back to Boston for Games Three, Four and Five.
Bynum hyper-extended his knee five weeks ago against the Oklahoma City Thunder and, though he continued to start for the Lakers, his effectiveness and playing time have been limited.
On Friday, however, he played for 28 minutes against Boston and was a continual thorn in their side in both offence and defence, along with fellow seven-footer Pau Gasol.
