The Detroit Pistons were 2.1 seconds away from stunning the world and sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers both games at Staples Center, taking home a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals, and seeing their bandwagon fill with true believers that they indeed were about to win the championship over the heavily favored Lakers.  

But Kobe Bryant changed all of that.
 
Capping a spurt that erased a six-point deficit in the final minute of regulation, Bryant nailed a last-second three-point shot to tie the game 89-89.

Bryant scored 4 points in overtime and Shaquille O?Neal had 6 as the Lakers outscored Detroit 10-2 in the extra session to win 99-91.  After the Bryant blow, the Pistons? spirits and play fell apart.  They missed 8 of 9 shots and had a 24-second violation in overtime.  

Bryant tallied 33 points, O?Neal 29.

?I told the players, ?God smiled on us tonight,?? Lakers? head coach Phil Jackson said.

?We?re crushed,? Pistons? head coach Larry Brown said. ?Shoot, we had a winnable game. Everybody in our locker room is down. But, you know, we lost a triple-overtime game to New Jersey and had to go to their place and win Game 6. We?ll talk about that.?

Shouldn?t Brown have had his players foul Bryant for two free throws instead?

?We don?t foul in that situation,? Brown said. ?Kobe is so athletic, he would have just rose up and shot the ball. Then we?re looking at a four-point play. We don?t do that.?

Chauncey Billups had 27 points, Richard Hamilton 26.  Missed free throws, layups, and 17 turnovers did Detroit in.  

Luke Walton came off the bench with 7 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds.