UNORTHODOX BUZZER BEATER GIVES LA GAME 5

SUNS RALLY COMES UP JUST SHORT AS LAKERS TAKE 3-2 LEAD

Kobe Bryant had Ron Artest wrapped in a bear hug, which was then engulfed by a group hug, all while shiny purple and gold streamers poured from the sky. Bryant was beaming, jovial at last. To that emotion, he could have added surprised, elated and maybe even relieved. As a tie game dwindled to its final seconds Thursday night, Bryant shot an air ball and Artest turned it into a buzzer-beating, game-winning and possibly series-turning layup. The Los Angeles Lakers danced away with a 103-101 victory over the Phoenix Suns, and a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals. “As a group, it’s always fun to have wins like this,” Bryant said, his mood substantially improved from earlier in the week. The Lakers are one victory away from a third straight trip to the N.B.A. finals and a chance to defend their title. Game 6 is Saturday in Phoenix. It is unlikely the series can get any wilder or weirder than it was Thursday night. Suns Coach Alvin Gentry, struck by food poisoning, vomited in the first half and needed intravenous fluids at halftime. The Lakers blew an 18-point lead in the second half. The Suns nearly forced overtime on a bank-shot 3-pointer by Jason Richardson with 3.5 seconds left. Then Artest, who might have left as the most vilified player in the building, became the Lakers’ unlikely savior. With the score tied at 101-101, Bryant took an inbounds pass on the sideline, then turned and flung a 3-point attempt. Artest charged into the paint, caught the ball and quickly laid it back up as time expired, setting off a spectacular celebration at Staples Center. Bryant finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists — a total that did not include his unintentional feed of Artest on the game’s final play. Artest, who joined the Lakers last summer to provide toughness and defense, was asked if it was the biggest shot of his career. “Biggest layup,” he said with a smile. “I missed a lot of layups during the regular season.” Fans have found Artest alternately thrilling and maddening, and he was both Thursday night. His decision making and shooting have been heavily critiqued. With about a minute to play, and the Lakers clinging to a 101-98 lead, Artest shot an errant a 20-foot jumper, the crowd groaning before he even released it. Pau Gasol grabbed the rebound and passed back to Artest at the 3-point arc. Seeing an open shot, Artest launched and missed again, to more groans. In the timeout that followed, Coach Phil Jackson tried to give Artest — who was 1 for 8 at that point — a quick primer on good shots versus bad shots. “He was trying not to listen to me, very hard,” Jackson said with a grin. Yet Jackson sent Artest back onto the floor for the final 51.5 seconds. “I actually questioned it myself when I put him out there on the floor,” he said. It turned out to be a good decision. As Jackson noted, “He has an uncanny knack of doing things.” The Suns, who did not hold a lead in the second half, nearly orchestrated their own miracle, after their own series of misfires. Channing Frye, Steve Nash and Jason Richardson all missed potential tying 3-pointers. But Richardson got another chance, and banked in a shot from 27 feet with 3.5 seconds left. For a moment, the Suns were the ones hooting and skipping across the court. “It was a crazy game,” said Nash, who led the Suns with 29 points and 11 assists, including 9 points in the fourth quarter. Two nights earlier in Phoenix, the Suns had tied the series and sent Bryant into a foul mood. Asked to describe his emotions afterward, Bryant had said, sarcastically, “Jovial.” This time the feeling was genuine. Derek Fisher had 22 points, his most productive game of the postseason. Gasol started to reassert himself in the paint, finishing with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Lamar Odom contributed 17 points and 13 rebounds. Bryant and Andrew Bynum had four blocks apiece. The trends now favor the Lakers. In the history of 2-2 ties, the team that wins Game 5 has gone on to win the series 83 percent of the time. Nash frustrated the Lakers defense all night with his slippery moves and smooth shooting. He was at his best down the stretch, scoring on a 3-point play, feeding Amare Stoudemire for a layup and hitting two long jumpers over Gasol. Phoenix again used heavy doses of zone defense, holding the Lakers to a series-low 41.8 percent shooting. The Suns’ bench, a key to their victories in Games 3 and 4, was not nearly as effective on the road. Frye scored 14 points, all in the second half, and Jared Dudley had 10 points. No other reserve had more than 3. Dudley was the only Suns reserve to score in the first 30 minutes of play. On the Suns bench, they were just hoping to keep their coach upright. Gentry became ill early in the game and vomited in a trash can by the bench. It was not intended as a symbolic gesture. “I ate at a restaurant today that will not be named,” Gentry said. “But for some reason it did not sit well with me.” Gentry felt better by the end of the game, and then not so much. “We’re not happy, I can tell you that,” he said. “We’re very disappointed. We’re not jovial.” (NY Times)