Artest of Character: Comebacks Stopped, Succeeding in the NBA Finals

Frank Doyle looks at the comeback kids of the NBA playoffs.

The fightback is in for the NBA playoffs. It took a Ron Artest buzzer beater in the Staples last night to put away the Suns, but the ball dropped, the Suns lost and now they face a must win Game 6 back on home court.

It’s hard not to feel sorry for Phoenix. Steve Nash has been the beat-up face of the franchise in these playoffs, playing with a black eye against San Antonio and a busted nose against the Lakers, and still driving through traffic to the basket. But there’s only so much one man can do and, while the Lakers are still very much Kobe’s team, Bryant’s supporting cast is stronger than Nash’s.

Ron Artest is the proof of that pudding. Artest was a man whose career was in decline after winning defensive MVP six years ago but something in the air seems to have calmed him down at the Lakers and he’s adapted to his new role with gusto. And when his chance for glory came, he grabbed it and put it away. It’s hard to fight that sort of mojo. No wonder Suns’ head coach Alvin Gentry is having trouble holding onto his lunch.

Fight is one thing that hasn’t been lacking in Orlando. After going 3-0 down the Magic responded to both taunts and the threat of elimination with two big wins, Game 4 in overtime in Boston and Game 5 easily back home in Orlando.

Orlando travels to Boston tonight for Game 6 as a road underdog in NBA betting and the series is balanced on this question: do the Boston veterans have the smarts and experience to stay calm, realise that you win some, lose some in the playoffs and they still have the advantage, or has age finally caught up with them?

Were Boston’s wins over Miami and Cleveland, the wins that got them to the Eastern Conference Finals in the first place, just the result of old dogs having their day? Did Boston’s experience cover up greater cracks and faultlines in the team?

Tonight’s the night to find out. If Orlando wins as an underdog tonight it’ll be a warm favorite for the first ever return from 0-3 in NBA playoff history. It’s a big ask, but it’s far from impossible.