Redemption Ron: Artest Buzzer Beater Beats Suns
Welcome to Lakers folklore, Ron Artest!
Ron Ron entered the permanent memory of the Purple and Gold faithful by sunning the Phoenix Suns, 103-101 as the Lakers took a pivotal win in game five of the Western Finals.
3-2, advantage Lakers could have easily been the opposite heading back to the Arizona Desert.
Artest went from villain to hero in Infamous fashion like that Mobb from his native Queens Bridge in the last minute of the fourth quarter.
With a lead and the clock in the Lake Show corner, Artest attempted to author a meltdown of Chris Webber proportions. Two rapid fire misses from the arc gifted the Suns a chance to tie things up late and put Ron even further into the dog house.
After dominating the boards for the entire game, the Lakers were unable to corral a rebound when it mattered most. Showing shades of the First Round meltdown versus Phoenix circa 2006, Jason Richardson banked in an Amar’e Stoudemire (aka ‘lucky’) three to even the game at 101 a piece.
Kobe Bryant has bailed out the Lakers all year long, but this was not his time. Perhaps that will come in the 2010 NBA Finals…
This was about Ron’s redemption song.
Just as Pau Gasol did in Oklahoma City, so too did Ron tonight in Los Angeles.
This was a great moment but is still nowhere near being considered in the same conversation with Robert Horry or Derek Fisher… right? However, it is the type of play on which championships are built.
Amar’e will call it lucky, but I remember Vlade saying the same thing about Horry’s big shot.
This time of year, winning is all that matters.
I also recall Shaq saying, “one lucky shot deserves another”, just after D-Fish sunk the dagger into San Antonio with .04 left on the clock.
Maybe I was wrong…maybe Ron’s Redemption Song is already in the same conversation with Big Shot Bob and D-Fish…Huummm….
For now, it’s a great way for Ron Artest to enter Lakers Lore. It’s an exclusive club after all; a club for which membership can only be obtained through big moments in the postseason.
Welcome, Ron!
Don’t ever put us through that again!