Ron Artest Buzzer Beater Video: Lakers Lead Suns 3-2

by Jordan Yerman | May 28, 2010 at 08:45 am

177 views | 0 Recommendations | 0 comments

Ron Artest Buzzer Beater Wins Game 5 for Lakers

Ron Artest's buzzer-beater layup won Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Suns, whom the Lakers now lead 3-2. Lakers fans were thrilled, but none more so than Anthony Keidis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Ron Artest's layup was his second jaw-dropping play of the night. Earlier, he shot an ill-advised three-pointer; Artest was wide open, though, so it's difficult to argue against taking the shot.

This was run-of-the-mill Ron-Ron, launching a ridiculous 3-pointer with a minute left when the Lakers were trying to preserve a 3-point lead over the Suns — the kind of shot that snatched 10 years from Coach Phil Jackson’s life — then redeeming himself by showing up at the most unlikely juncture with the game-winning put-back layup at the buzzer.

Conventional wisdom points to slamming Ron Artest for taking the three-pointer, but that's only because he's Ron Artest. ESPN's Henry Abbott puts it simply:

How many truly wide open shots does an NBA team get in the playoffs? Can you afford to pass up any of them?

“I wasn’t playing my game from the beginning,” Artest said. “In the second half, I was finding my way a little bit, made some good passes and good steals and got some rebounds. So I guess that aggressive play can carry over into that last possession.”