FoxPerez
05-28-2010, 08:57 PM
Originally posted at Cocktailmatch.com: http://tinyurl.com/blackholesuns
Ron Artest isn't Lorenzo Charles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH1Jt2XATgE). The Lakers were the favorites at home. Ron Artest is more like Terrell Owens.
In the 1998 playoffs, Terrell Owens was having a terrible offensive game, dropping several key passes that led to the Packers taking a lead late in the 4th quarter. On the last play, Steve Young gave him one more shot at redemption and Owens miraculously hauled it in for the win (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3C4P9O20Qk&feature=related). Owens has gone on to become one of the more polarizing figures in the NFL
Artest is took the same road, just went in reverse.
No matter what he does, he'll always remembered for the brawl. Even changing cities and changing his role couldn't keep him out of the negative spotlight. Last season with the Houston Rockets, Artest got in Kobe's face after a foul (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypPX_MfxfG0) and then arrived in his underwear (http://dimemag.com/2009/07/ron-artest-went-to-game-7-in-his-underwear/) for Game 7.
This year, he's come close to shooting the Lakers out of the playoffs. There's no reason for the guy to take any shot in the final minutes of a close game, not with so many clutch shooters on the floor with big-game experience. In fact, close to the final minute, Artest missed a shot, the Lakers got the offensive rebound, then Artest took a three-pointer just five seconds later despite a free shot clock.
You could literally hear the collective "NOOOOOOO!" from the crowd. I wasn't sure if I really heard it watching the first time, but caught the TNT replay and sure enough, there it was.
Unable to drain the clock, Phoenix got two more possessions and tied the game on an incredible sequence. The camera panned to Phil Jackson and Artest, the latter unable to face the former. But it was all washed away with one miraculous play.
With a little more than three seconds left, Doug Collins said it best, "You'd be stupid to let Kobe Bryant touch this ball." This after TNT showed what seemed like an endless highlight reel of Kobe's game-winners just from this season.
And boy did Phoenix do a great job. Kobe got his hands on it, but smothered him so well and timed his jump so well that he had to double clutch. As a result, he threw up an airball.
Give Artest credit, though. As most players held their positions, he ran in and beat Jason Richardson to the rebound to put the ball off the glass and into the hoop as the buzzer sounded. Ironically, it was Richardson that tied the game, amplifying Artest's mistake of taking a hasty three-pointer.
But all of that is erased. Artest is the hero, yet another in a long list of Laker playoff heroes. Sadly, yet another in a long list that have broken the hearts of Suns fans.
I would know. I've rooted for that list before. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have been a part of a lot of heartbreak (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trdsKp94Io0&feature=PlayList&p=9098108EAE2148C3&playnext_from=PL&index=4) in the playoffs for the Steve Nash-era Suns. Nash's Suns have beaten the Lakers before in the playoffs. Exorcising the demons was supposed to happen when they swept the San Antonio Spurs out of the playoffs. Winning two in Phoenix was supposed to make this a three-game series and make believers out of all the detractors who were penciling in the Lakers for yet another NBA Finals appearance.
What's sad is that a two-point loss is infinitely worse than a ten- or twenty-point loss. The Lakers did a good job of keeping the surging Suns at bay most of the 4th quarter. It was looking like this was going back to Phoenix. The Suns played well, just not good enough to win. It was simple. They'd turn around and use home-court advantage to push them over the top and extend the series, just like they did for games 3 and 4.
Now, I'm not sure that they have it in him. The look on Nash's face after that play wasn't erased by the time he got to the postgame press conference. He had a look on his face that I know well because, while I'm a very blessed sports fan, my teams and us fans had to deal with this kind of baggage. The Spurs had Olajuwon, Horry and the Rockets. The Texas Longhorns football had Notre Dame in the 80's and Colorado in 2001. The Red Sox had... well... yeah...
But it's like what Bill Simmons has said. Something weird and miraculous needs to happen to overcome the past and make believers out of a team and it's fans. In '99, San Antonio had the Memorial Day Miracle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc3zGYW2L6A&feature=PlayList&p=9098108EAE2148C3&playnext_from=PL&index=21). In 2005, Texas got several ridiculous comebacks led by Vince Young (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8zZRBTOcnY&feature=related). In 2004, the Red Sox got a Dave Roberts steal in Game 4 that led to a comeback from down 3-0. Phoenix hasn't had that moment yet in this playoffs, but that's basically what they need to beat the Lakers...
a miracle.
Ron Artest isn't Lorenzo Charles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH1Jt2XATgE). The Lakers were the favorites at home. Ron Artest is more like Terrell Owens.
In the 1998 playoffs, Terrell Owens was having a terrible offensive game, dropping several key passes that led to the Packers taking a lead late in the 4th quarter. On the last play, Steve Young gave him one more shot at redemption and Owens miraculously hauled it in for the win (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3C4P9O20Qk&feature=related). Owens has gone on to become one of the more polarizing figures in the NFL
Artest is took the same road, just went in reverse.
No matter what he does, he'll always remembered for the brawl. Even changing cities and changing his role couldn't keep him out of the negative spotlight. Last season with the Houston Rockets, Artest got in Kobe's face after a foul (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypPX_MfxfG0) and then arrived in his underwear (http://dimemag.com/2009/07/ron-artest-went-to-game-7-in-his-underwear/) for Game 7.
This year, he's come close to shooting the Lakers out of the playoffs. There's no reason for the guy to take any shot in the final minutes of a close game, not with so many clutch shooters on the floor with big-game experience. In fact, close to the final minute, Artest missed a shot, the Lakers got the offensive rebound, then Artest took a three-pointer just five seconds later despite a free shot clock.
You could literally hear the collective "NOOOOOOO!" from the crowd. I wasn't sure if I really heard it watching the first time, but caught the TNT replay and sure enough, there it was.
Unable to drain the clock, Phoenix got two more possessions and tied the game on an incredible sequence. The camera panned to Phil Jackson and Artest, the latter unable to face the former. But it was all washed away with one miraculous play.
With a little more than three seconds left, Doug Collins said it best, "You'd be stupid to let Kobe Bryant touch this ball." This after TNT showed what seemed like an endless highlight reel of Kobe's game-winners just from this season.
And boy did Phoenix do a great job. Kobe got his hands on it, but smothered him so well and timed his jump so well that he had to double clutch. As a result, he threw up an airball.
Give Artest credit, though. As most players held their positions, he ran in and beat Jason Richardson to the rebound to put the ball off the glass and into the hoop as the buzzer sounded. Ironically, it was Richardson that tied the game, amplifying Artest's mistake of taking a hasty three-pointer.
But all of that is erased. Artest is the hero, yet another in a long list of Laker playoff heroes. Sadly, yet another in a long list that have broken the hearts of Suns fans.
I would know. I've rooted for that list before. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have been a part of a lot of heartbreak (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trdsKp94Io0&feature=PlayList&p=9098108EAE2148C3&playnext_from=PL&index=4) in the playoffs for the Steve Nash-era Suns. Nash's Suns have beaten the Lakers before in the playoffs. Exorcising the demons was supposed to happen when they swept the San Antonio Spurs out of the playoffs. Winning two in Phoenix was supposed to make this a three-game series and make believers out of all the detractors who were penciling in the Lakers for yet another NBA Finals appearance.
What's sad is that a two-point loss is infinitely worse than a ten- or twenty-point loss. The Lakers did a good job of keeping the surging Suns at bay most of the 4th quarter. It was looking like this was going back to Phoenix. The Suns played well, just not good enough to win. It was simple. They'd turn around and use home-court advantage to push them over the top and extend the series, just like they did for games 3 and 4.
Now, I'm not sure that they have it in him. The look on Nash's face after that play wasn't erased by the time he got to the postgame press conference. He had a look on his face that I know well because, while I'm a very blessed sports fan, my teams and us fans had to deal with this kind of baggage. The Spurs had Olajuwon, Horry and the Rockets. The Texas Longhorns football had Notre Dame in the 80's and Colorado in 2001. The Red Sox had... well... yeah...
But it's like what Bill Simmons has said. Something weird and miraculous needs to happen to overcome the past and make believers out of a team and it's fans. In '99, San Antonio had the Memorial Day Miracle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc3zGYW2L6A&feature=PlayList&p=9098108EAE2148C3&playnext_from=PL&index=21). In 2005, Texas got several ridiculous comebacks led by Vince Young (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8zZRBTOcnY&feature=related). In 2004, the Red Sox got a Dave Roberts steal in Game 4 that led to a comeback from down 3-0. Phoenix hasn't had that moment yet in this playoffs, but that's basically what they need to beat the Lakers...
a miracle.