The play was designed to get Kobe Bryant open. You could see it in the Los Angeles Lakers star's look of astonishment. You could see it on Steve Blake's face as his three-pointer hit iron.
Bryant had been cold down the stretch as the Lakers wilted away a lead. The Oklahoma City Thunder stormed to a one-point lead after trailing by six halfway through the fourth quarter. Blake's shot was the Lakers' chance to win it, and it hit iron. The Thunder added a free throw and won it 77-75 Wednesday to take a 2-0 series lead.The shot was set up by a foul on Bryant with about six seconds remaining. Bryant had the ball, but the Thunder had a foul to burn. That was his chance at a game-winner, one he needed to make up for missing his previous four shots. Instead, on an inbound play, Blake was wide open in the corner. It's one of the most efficient shots in basketball, and Blake is normally a good shooter.
"We set up a good screen; I flared to the weak side, had a good look," Bryant said. "I don't know what (inbounder Metta World Peace) saw. Once I saw the ball (Blake's shot) in the air, I was just trying to get a good position for a rebound."
The loss is devastating to the Lakers. It's devastating to Bryant. He's 33, but he's coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He was heroic in the first round. But he choked down the stretch. He looked old throughout the game. He shot 9-for-25, never getting into any kind of rhythm. But this is Kobe Bryant, the NBA's most-lauded finisher. He'll forever be compared to Michael Jordan, which is unfair at every level. But Jordan takes that shot. Jordan makes that shot. Jordan's teammates never look elsewhere for that shot.
It seemed to be the perfect setup for a Bryant winner. Hours before, newfound ageless wonder Kevin Garnett wrapped up another dominant playoff performance with 27 points, 13 rebounds and for assists on 12-for-17 shooting as the Celtics beat the host Philadelphia 76ers 107-91 Wednesday night to take a 2-1 series lead. It was a night for the old guys.
At some point, Garnett's going to turn to the crowd and scream, "Are you not entertained?" He turns 36 on Saturday. And no, he's not the freak athlete who could defend five positions, run the point and post up the NBA's best centers and power forwards. Garnett dribbles less these days, a luxury afforded by Rondo's precocious playmaking. But he's averaged 20.3 points and 11 rebounds a game in these playoffs.
"Remember KG in #NBA Finals when #Celtics lost to #Lakers. He was gimpy and I remember thinkin he was almost done. Now he looks brand new," USA TODAY Sports' J. Michael Falgoust tweeted.
Bryant, on the other hand, was MVP of the 2010 Finals. Wednesday, he looked old.
More winners and losers from Wednesday's NBA action:
Winners
Kevin Durant:Â The game-winner would be enough for the Thunder superstar to make this list, but the regular season's leading scorer was efficient, shooting 9-for-15 from the field, and grabbed the inbound pass to take seven-tenths of the final second off the clock.
Paul Pierce: The face of the Celtics came out and missed his first six shots, but he got on track with a nasty dunk in which he drove past Andre Iguodala and was fouled by Lavoy Allen. Pierce finished with 24 points, 11 coming via the free throw line, and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes while he nursed a slew of injuries.
Rajon Rondo: He's the Celtics' best player, and tonight he increased his scoring output significantly to finish with 23 points along with 14 assists and six rebounds. He scored 10 of 12 Celtics points during a stretch in the first quarter and kept the offense flowing.
Serge Ibaka's wingspan: The Thunder power forward didn't have a particularly good game overall: eight points on 4-for-11 shooting and three rebounds. But his 7-4 wingspan did wonders. Ibaka blocked seven shots and altered several more, further cementing himself as one of the top defenders in the NBA. If he doesn't make the all-defensive first team, we want a recount.
Thaddeus Young: Hurt on a play in Game 1 involving the Celtics' Ryan Hollins, the 76ers' bench star overcame those shin and ankle concerns for easily his best game of the postseason. He attacked the basket, shooting 10-for-16 with 22 points after not reaching double-digits since Game 1 of the first round.
James Harden: The Thunder sixth man was having a horrible game through three quarters. But with 9 minutes, 53 seconds remaining, he drilled a three. He added two key layups down the stretch and defended Bryant for a few of those misses. And he got his revenge on World Peace, intentional or not. Oh, and a fan wore this. It's a good look.
Jordan Hill: If there's one clear positive the Lakers can take away from the loss, it's the No. 8 overall pick in the 2009 draft's strong production. Los Angeles has needed a big man to step up off the bench, and Hill had six points, six rebounds and good hustle in 16 minutes.
Larry Bird: Named the NBA executive of the year on Wednesday, he's the only one to also have MVP and coach of the year honors as well. He's pretty good at this basketball thing.
Charles Barkley: He beat fellow TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal in a shirt-off competition despite makeup tricks from his opponent.
Losers
Evan Turner: The 76ers guard played well in the series' first two games, but he was completely ineffective in Game 3. His 1-for-10 shooting was an eyesore, and he didn't balance it out with his hallmarks, defense and playmaking.
The 76ers' starting big men: Spencer Hawes had a really rough night, summed up best by this blocked dunk attempt. But Elton Brand wasn't any better. Playing only 15 minutes - he hasn't topped 20 this series - Brand missed five of his six shots. The Sixers were minus 23 with Brand on the court. Brand and Hawes combined for seven points, eight rebounds and 3-for-14 shooting. Oh, and they shared a lot of the duty guarding Garnett.
Thunder aggressiveness: The win is nice, but Oklahoma City did itself no favors for much of the game. The Lakers' defense needs to be commended, of course, but Durant should have had more shots. The leading scorer in the regular season took only 11 shots in the first 42 minutes of the game, and he was shooting well. In addition, the Thunder allowed the Lakers to completely control the tempo of the game, minimizing their athletic advantage and maximizing Los Angeles' size and strength edges. "This is the halfcourt offense from hell that has tortured them at times the past two year," Thunder blogger Royce Young tweeted.
Blake: The Lakers guard was on our winners list for Game 7 of the first-round series for his 19 points off the bench. But he has faltered since. In Game 1, he took one shot and missed it. Wednesday, he was 1-for-5 from the field, all on three-pointers. And he missed the potential game-winner, which he was wide open for and which Bryant was clearly expecting to take. So much for showing up Derek Fisher.
Our eyes: One 76ers fan thought he could cause Garnett to miss a shot. Like the team he roots for, the fan was unsuccessful. But in the process, we had to see this display. TNT graced us with a close-up after the game. We needed that.
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