Night off for Kobe

DETROIT — After towing the Los Angeles Lakers to a 99-91 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals, star guard Kobe Bryant decided to take the night off in Game 3 at the Palace in Auburn Hills last Thursday. Or so it seemed.

Bryant, 25, did everything imaginable in bailing the Lakers out of deep trouble and a scary 0-2 hole as he banged in 33 points, dished out seven assists, grabbed four rebounds and stole twice in Game 2 at the Staples Center last Tuesday. With 2.1 seconds in regulation, Bryant hit a 28-foot triple to force a five-minute extension that the Lakers mercilessly dominated.

There were 18 lead changes and eight ties in the contest. The Pistons, looking to bring home a commanding 2-0 lead for two chances in three to clinch at the Palace, had the Lakers on the ropes but couldn’t deliver the knockout blow.

Bryant’s triple was straight out of a Michael Jordan video. And Lakers coach Phil Jackson made it possible.

This is how it happened. Detroit sat on an 89-86 lead with 10.9 seconds left. Jackson sued for time. Then the clock started ticking. Karl Malone inbounded to Shaquille O’Neal, defended by Ben Wallace. The Pistons could’ve fouled and sent O’Neal to the line but held back. If O’Neal tried to score up close, he would’ve been fouled hard.

But the play wasn’t designed for O’Neal to take a two-pointer. O’Neal stepped out over the three-point arc and passed to Luke Walton, guarded by Rip Hamilton. Walton dribbled to his right. Bryant, to O’Neal’s right, cut towards the 7-1 center who set a pick. As Walton crossed the same path, he underhanded to Bryant. In a snap, the switch was made–Prince got lost in the shuffle and wound up with Walton at the far right corner. Hamilton picked up Bryant. The idea was to disengage Prince from Bryant and it worked like a charm.

Bryant, dribbling, was rid of Prince and popped a jumper over Hamilton. The ball swished with 2.1 seconds to go.

In retrospect, Pistons coach Larry Brown said he wouldn’t have risked a foul for two free throws even if the Lakers had to score three points to knot the count. He gambled on the Lakers taking a low percentage triple and paid dearly for it. Jackson said Bryant knocked in "a miracle shot."

Bryant said it was probably the biggest shot he ever hit in his career. It was Jordanesque.

The Pistons were stunned at the turn of events and looked lost in overtime. They never recovered from the shock. The Lakers clearly broke their backs, if not their will. In the extra five minutes, the Pistons put only two points on the board–courtesy of Hamilton. Los Angeles, in contrast, went for the jugular. O’Neal and Bryant combined for all the Lakers’ 10 points in extension.

Although O’Neal and Bryant accounted for 62 of the Lakers’ 99 points, they didn’t win it double-handedly. Strange as it may seem, teamwork was the key to Los Angeles’ come-from-behind triumph. The Lakers went back to basics, executed the triangle, played the motion game, and compiled 28 assists to the Pistons’ 19. Bryant himself had seven assists.

Jackson’s bench also played quality minutes, easing the pressure off O’Neal and Bryant. The Lakers relievers outscored their Detroit counterparts, 19-10, and preserved the Awesome Twosome for the stretch run. Rookie Luke Walton was a revelation as he delivered seven points, eight assists and five rebounds.

For the Lakers, the sense of urgency was evident. It was a must-win situation.

"We knew what we needed to do because it was important that we get the win," said O’Neal. "This is going to be a long series."

In Game 3, the Lakers were hardly in the mood to play tough. They lacked energy and intensity. They were drained from the Game 2 effort. They knew no home team has ever won all three middle games since the 2-3-2 Finals format was instituted in 1984-85. So juggling the probabilities, they figured to win at least one at the Palace because that’s all it takes to regain the homecourt advantage and force a Game 6 back at the Staples.

So, Bryant took the night off last Thursday. He shot 4-of-13 from the floor, missed all four three-point attempts and scored only 11 points. No doubt, Bryant will take advantage of the two-day break to rest, recharge and revitalize.