Artest comes up big for Lakers in Game 7 win
LOS ANGELES -- No one's blaming Ron Artest this time.
The new guy who said it would be his fault if the Los Angeles Lakers didn't repeat as NBA champions is off the hook.
They defeated the Boston Celtics 83-79 in Game 7 on Thursday night to win their 16th championship, helped greatly by Artest. He had 20 points on 7 of 18 shooting, five steals and five rebounds in his first season with the team.
On a night when Kobe Bryant couldn't find the basket, the superstar trusted the guy with the reputation for being a flake. Artest hit a huge 3-pointer with a minute to play on an assist from Bryant, keeping the Lakers ahead 79-73.
Soon, they were jumping into each other's arms in celebration.
The Lakers signed Artest from Houston during the offseason for his defense. They needed his offense in the last game of the season.
As Bryant floundered, Artest took over in the second quarter, scoring 12 points. He keyed their 11-0 run with six points to open the period, giving the Lakers a two-point lead. His 3-pointer tied the game at 29, then he went 3 of 4 from the line to send the Lakers into halftime trailing 40-34.
When he wasn't scoring, Artest was most effective in the paint.
He had a quiet third quarter with just two points while the Lakers fell behind by 13, but made his presence known again in the fourth. Artest's three-point play tied the game at 61 before he hit the 3-pointer late.
As chaos reigned after the final buzzer, a dazed Artest gave a fractured TV interview in which he thanked his psychiatrist ("She really helped me relax a lot") and "everybody in my 'hood" before promoting his latest recording.
Eccentric though he can be, Artest's first season in Los Angeles was mostly free of the controversy that has plagued him at other stops in his NBA career.
Sure, he dyed and cut his hair in various colors and styles late in the season. There was his unprompted admission of drinking during games when he played with the Chicago Bulls, and some eyebrows were raised when Artest turned up with a concussion in December. He said he fell and hit his head while carrying Christmas presents at home, causing him to miss five games.
But through it all, the rest of the Lakers had Artest's back because as awful as his offense could be during the season, they never questioned his defensive effort.
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