After an up-and-down regular season, the 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers became an unstoppable force, winning their last eight regular-season games and their first eight playoff contests.
But in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the defending NBA champions looked vulnerable.
They mustered only 39 first-half points, and they fell behind by 10 points at one point in the third quarter.
But just as he did in Game 1 when he had 45 points, Kobe Bryant took over.
He helped lead an L.A. rally that got it back in the game, and when the contest was being decided down the stretch, he made his presence known.
With 1:53 left in the fourth quarter and the Lakers clinging to a two-point lead, Bryant found Shaquille O’Neal underneath for a point-blank layup. Moments later, the 22-year-old superstar hit a 3-pointer to seal an 88-81 win.
By winning the first two games of the series in Texas, the Lakers put the Spurs in a desperate situation, and the situation only worsened for Tim Duncan and crew.
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