Ron Artest has had a bad year with Los Angeles. But his Game 5 buzzer warning of the Western Conference Finals may have sealed Los Angeles’ ticket to the Finals.
Ron-Ron, as he’s known in NBA circles, hasn’t made the incredible impact that was hoped for when he came to Los Angeles from Houston in a trade that sent playoff-leading Trevor Ariza to the Rockets. Long praised as a defensive stopper, Artest no longer strikes fear into opponents. Though his game against Kevin Durant helped LA beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, Artest has once again done very little on offense.
In Thursday’s Game 5 at Staples Center, Los Angeles was facing an insane Phoenix team. Shooting poorly and with an unusually low number of assists, Phoenix was unable to achieve any flow. Not so for the LA Lakers. Led by Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom, they found holes in Alvin Gentry’s new zone and, when they weren’t exploiting the middle, made deep 3-pointers.
But in the second half, the Phoenix Suns rallied back and literally threw themselves back into the competition. Though sad in the first half from 3-point range, Channing Frye lit up and the rest of the team followed suit. With LA leading by three, Ron-Ron threw an ill-advised three and missed badly, allowing Phoenix to rally and tie on Jason Richardson’s 3-pointer. With 3.5 seconds remaining and the game now tied, Phil Jackson cleverly called a play for Kobe Bryant to take the “winning” shot. Bryant failed.
But Ron Artest crashed the boards and failed as time expired for an incredible LA Lakers victory. A win that gives them a 3-2 series lead and a likely trip back to the NBA Finals to defend their title. From Goat to Glory in 3.5 seconds. That’s the NBA. And Ron Artest is now savoring his moment under the hot Los Angeles sun.
For the Phoenix Suns, it’s a heartbreaking loss, but one to gain confidence if they need to win at Staples in the decisive Game 7.