By Josh Cohen
May 27, 2008: SCOREBOARD | IN FOCUS GALLERY | AROUND THE ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE
PHOTO OF THE NIGHT
Kobe Bryant, who recorded 28 points and 10 rebounds, flies to the hoop and flushes home one of his monster slams during the Lakers' Game 4 triumph over the Spurs on Tuesday in San Antonio.Stephen Dunn/Getty Images/NBAE
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
"It's one loss and an elimination, but we really feel that if we clean a lot of this stuff up we have an opportunity to get right back in this series."
- Tim Duncan, after the Spurs suffered a heartbreaking defeat to the Lakers in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
THE DAY'S TOP VIDEO
Tuesday's top play: Kobe Bryant flushes home a reverse, double-pump slam.
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NBA.COM'S FANTASY TAKE
Are you still in contention to win the Drive to the Finals title? Have you correctly predicted who will win most, if not all, of the series in this year’s playoffs? Have you utilized your basketball knowledge to select the most productive players each game? If you answered yes to the questions above, you either have accurately taken this category each night to assist you or you have disregarded it, thinking it will cause you to second guess yourself. If you belong to the former half, use this box to encourage you to take Richard Hamilton. Rip tends to come through in significant games for the Pistons.
SHOOTING STUDS
Tim Duncan, Spurs93-91 loss vs. Lakers
29 pts, 10-26 FG, 9-11 FT
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
93-91 win at Spurs
28 pts, 14-29 FG
Brent Barry, Spurs
93-91 loss vs. Lakers
23 pts, 7-14 FG, 5-12 3-pt FG, 4-4 FT
STAT SHEET STUFFER
If it wasn’t for Brent Barry, the Spurs would not have been in position to possibly pull out an improbable victory. His extraordinary performance off the bench helped keep San Antonio alive nearly the entire game. Although unable to convert on a potential last-second game-winning 3-pointer, “Bones” posted 23 points, five rebounds, two steals and an assist as the Spurs fell short Tuesday to the Lakers.
SHOOTING DUDS
Manu Ginobili, Spurs93-91 loss vs. Lakers
7 pts, 2-8 FG, 1-4 3-pt FG
Sasha Vujacic, Lakers
93-91 win at Spurs
4 pts, 1-6 FG, 1-4 3-pt FG
Michael Finley, Spurs
93-91 loss vs. Lakers
0 pts, 0-2 FG, 0-1 3-pt FG
FRANTIC FINISH IN SAN ANTONIO
It may have been one of the most frenzied last minutes in recent NBA memory. The Lakers controlled momentum and the lead for most of the game and appeared to have Game 4 locked up with less than a minute remaining. The few L.A. fans in San Antonio along with the Lakers bench were celebrating a convincing triumph. They led by seven with exactly 50.8 ticks left and here in a bulleted summary is what happened:Whew! What a finish! Irrespective of the late drama, the Lakers survived with a two-point win to take a 3-1 series lead. They could return to The Finals with a victory on Thursday at STAPLES Center (9 p.m. ET, TNT).
"NOW THERE'S A STEAL BY BIRD"
We’ve watched it countless times on television. We’ve heard the call recited in our sleep. For Celtics fans, it’s repeated in their dreams. For Pistons fans, on the other hand, it’s played in their nightmares. It remains one of the most stunning moments in NBA history.
"Now there's a steal by Bird! Underneath to DJ who lays it in!!...Right at one second left!! What a play by Bird! Bird stole the inbounding pass, laid it up to DJ, and DJ laid it up and in, and Boston has a one-point lead with one second left! OH, MY, THIS PLACE IS GOING CRAZY!!!" (Johnny Most)
Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals was an all-time classic. Larry Bird’s improbable steal compares to such few other NBA moments – Reggie Miller’s eight points in the last 18 seconds during the 1995 East Semifinals and Derek Fisher’s last-second prayer during the 2004 West Semifinals can relate. Will Wednesday’s Game 5 between the C’s and Pistons produce a similar moment? Find out at 8:30 ET on ESPN.
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