For all the praise that Kobe Bryant gets for being one of the greatest finishers in NBA History, on one certain day, he fell just short. Thankfully, teammate Metta World Peace was in the right spot at the right time and was able to save Kobe and the Lakers.
The Lakers were in the midst of their 2010 NBA Championship run, and faced a surprisingly overachieving Phoenix Suns team in the Western Conference Finals. The series was tied 2-2 and headed back to Los Angeles, after both teams won their respective home games.
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The Lakers had been up by three points before Jason Richardson hit a three pointer with three seconds left on the clock. The game was seemingly headed for overtime, but the Lakers had one last shot at the victory.
Everybody in the building knew the ball was going to Bryant, who had been phenomenal on the night with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Bryant was able to receive the inbound pass and threw up a wild and highly contested three pointer that fell very short.
Thankfully for the Lakers, World Peace ran into the paint from the opposite side of the court unguarded, grabbed the rebound and threw up a wild shot that banked in off the glass as time expired, putting the Lakers up 3-2 in the series. The Lakers would go back to Phoenix and finish off the Suns in six games before defeating the Boston Celtics in the Finals for their 16th NBA championship.
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