THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers’ voluminous playoff lore is almost overstuffed with last-minute heroics. In the past decade alone, Robert Horry, Derek Fisher and — of course — Kobe Bryant have all hit dramatic, game-winning shots that will be remembered in Los Angeles for ages.
Ron Artest realizes he was an awfully unlikely candidate to join that list Thursday night in the final second of Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
That’s when the Lakers’ only newcomer made everybody at Staples Center forget about his terrible game with an offensive rebound and a layup to beat the buzzer and the Phoenix Suns.
Artest banked home the winning shot after rebounding Bryant’s missed three-pointer, and the Lakers held off the Suns 103-101 to take a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference finals.
Artest’s basket completed a 2-for-9 shooting night redeemed by one supremely heady offensive rebound that pushed the Lakers to the brink of their third straight NBA finals.
"I wasn’t playing my game from the beginning," Artest said. "In the second half, I was finding my way a little bit, made some good passes and good steals and got some rebounds. So I guess that aggressive play can carry over into that last possession."
Game 6 is Saturday night in Phoenix, where the Lakers can clinch the chance to play for their 16th championship — or the Suns can hold serve in a series featuring five wins for the home team.
Bryant had 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers. He also wrapped Artest, who scored just four points, in a jubilant bear hug after Artest homed in on Bryant’s miss and threw up an unattractive shot.
It looked beautiful going through the net.
"It means a lot for him," Bryant said. "I think for him emotionally, it’s a big boost. … Once I released the ball, I saw Ron sneaking in. I was just hoping that he got it off in time."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he wasn’t even sure why he had Artest in the game after the veteran forward missed consecutive open shots earlier in the final minute, drawing the ire of the home crowd with each brick.
"He has an uncanny knack of doing things, and sometimes it just works out," Jackson said. "He just has a knack for being around crucial plays."
Jason Richardson banked in a straightaway 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left to tie it for the Suns, who clawed back from an 18-point deficit in the second half. Phoenix got a superb game by Canadian Steve Nash, who had 29 points and 11 assists while fighting for the chance to go to his first NBA finals.
"Just when we thought it was OK, in overtime, we lose," Nash said. "So that’s life. We have to take a lot of positives from tonight, and realize we have to go home and play well."
Derek Fisher scored 22 points and Pau Gasol had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who rebounded from consecutive losses in Phoenix with their best defensive performance of the series, forcing 15 turnovers and holding Phoenix to its lowest point total since the first round. The Lakers also improved to 8-0 at Staples Center in the post-season.
Lamar Odom had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who led 101-96 on his layup with 1:38 left before Nash hit a jumper and Artest missed twice.
"His whole method since we were small is, ‘I’m going to outwork you,"’ said Odom, who played AAU ball with Artest in their New York youth. "’I’m going to bang you until you don’t want no more.’ His stubbornness is the reason why he took that 3 — because he just missed one. That’s part of his game. That’s why he’s a great player, and that’s why he’s a great defender. It’s just something you have to live with."
Led by Nash’s stirring second-half effort, the Suns hacked away at Los Angeles’ lead throughout the fourth quarter, relentlessly closing in on a road win. Phoenix trimmed its deficit to 95-94 when Nash converted a three-point play and then fed Amare Stoudemire for a layup that barely beat the shot clock with 2:52 left.
Stoudemire scored 19 points for the Suns, who had three looks at a 3-point shot in the final seconds. Nash and Richardson both missed, but Richardson then missed so badly that he banked it in from a long step behind the line.
"We just didn’t quite finish the game," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "I have no complaints. They played great. We hung in. We did a great job against Kobe on the last shot, just didn’t come up with the rebound. To me, it’s a great effort by us, and they know we’re not going to go away."
After dominating Game 4 while Phoenix evened the series, the Suns’ bench outscored the Lakers just 31-24 in Game 5, while Los Angeles reasserted its size advantage against the Suns’ zone defence with a 49-40 rebounding edge. The Lakers surged to a 16-point lead in the first half with a 21-4 run led by Bryant, who hit three consecutive three-pointers in less than a minute.
Gentry vomited into a trash can while sitting on the bench in the first half after apparently eating something that disagreed with him. Gentry, who reportedly received intravenous fluids at halftime, also didn’t care for the officiating, earning a technical foul midway through the Lakers’ big run.
Los Angeles jumped ahead 74-56 in the third quarter, but Phoenix made a 16-4 rally including a four-point play by Jared Dudley to trim the lead to six points heading into the fourth.
NOTES: The Lakers have won Game 5 the past nine straight times they’ve reached it in a playoff series, including last season’s title clincher over Orlando. Los Angeles also is the only team that hasn’t trailed in a series this spring. … Nash was a 91 per cent free throw shooter in the playoffs (61 for 67) before missing two in the first quarter of Game 5.
