When play resumed after the timeout, the atmosphere inside Staples Center had completely changed.
The anxiety was gone—replaced by pure frenzy and anticipation.
Riding the momentum of their home court, the Lakers caught absolute fire on offense.
Even the rookie Andrew Bynum, still fresh to the league, went straight at Shaquille O'Neal in the post twice in a row—and scored both times.
Shaq's expression darkened immediately. On the next offensive possession, he even gave Bynum a sneaky shove with some extra force.
The Lakers' bench jumped up in protest.
The home crowd responded with a thunderstorm of boos.
The Miami Heat were in trouble.
With the Lakers scoring from everywhere, Miami could no longer double-team Kobe Bryant without consequences.
And the moment Kobe got true one-on-one space, the Black Mamba showed exactly why he was feared across the league.
He first used Link's spacing on the perimeter, blew past his defender, and pulled up for a smooth long two.
Then, on the next possession, he backed down Dwyane Wade in the post and hit his signature turnaround fadeaway—nothing but net.
The Lakers' confidence was fully back.
On the defensive end, everyone was giving maximum effort.
Instead of overwhelming the Lakers, Miami found themselves dragged into a grind.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Lakers pulled off the unthinkable—
They took the lead.
85–83!
A massive run by the Lakers.
Link had poured in 14 points, including four three-pointers, becoming the biggest X-factor of the comeback.
Meanwhile, Kobe dished out five assists in the quarter, completely unlocking the offense.
During the timeout, the Lakers' bench was buzzing.
Kobe even cracked a rare smile, high-fiving teammates one by one.
"Keep it going, guys!"
Assistant coach Brian Shaw shouted from the sideline.
"Just half a quarter left! Protect our home floor!"
Clutch time.
Both teams went to their go-to weapons.
For Miami, the Shaq–Wade pick-and-roll remained nearly unstoppable.
Veteran Gary Payton also used his experience to knock down a crucial bucket.
The Lakers answered with Kobe's impossible shot-making and tight team basketball.
The game turned into a brutal tug-of-war.
The score seesawed back and forth, every basket met with a roar from the crowd.
Time ticked away.
Two minutes left.
94–92, Lakers, but Miami had the ball.
Wade brought it up, signaling for Shaq to set the screen.
The massive body was like a brick wall. Wade shook Kobe free and exploded toward the rim!
Bynum was forced to switch. Wade spun past him cleanly—nothing but open air in front of the basket!
Just as Wade rose for the layup, Kobe came flying in from behind.
He jumped almost simultaneously, his long arm blotting out the ball like a shadow over the sun.
Smack!
A crisp, clean sound.
Kobe pinned the ball against the backboard.
"WOW!!!"
The arena erupted in disbelief.
Kobe secured the ball and instantly turned, ready to start the break—
But the whistle shrieked.
Tweet!
The referee signaled a push—on Kobe.
"What?!" Kobe froze, then exploded with anger and disbelief.
He rushed toward the official, palms open, shouting,
"That was a clean block! I didn't push him! Did you even see it?!"
Boos rained down, deafening.
The coaching staff stormed the floor to argue.
But after reviewing the replay, the head referee stood firm.
Because it was an early foul and the Lakers weren't in the penalty, there were no free throws.
Still—
That was Kobe's fifth foul.
Miami inbounded.
After a few passes, the ball went right back into Shaq's hands on the block.
He had deep position. Backing down Bynum with two powerful dribbles, he shoved him backward with sheer force.
Shaq spun, faking a thunderous dunk.
Bynum and Lamar Odom both leaped to contest—
They bit.
Shaq leaned into Bynum, hooked his arm into the contact, and casually flipped the ball toward the rim.
Tweet!
Another whistle.
Defensive foul on Bynum.
Even while off balance, Shaq kept a soft touch.
The ball bounced around the rim—
And dropped.
And one.
"Fk!" Kobe snapped from the side, veins bulging.
Luckily for the Lakers, fortune finally turned.
Amid deafening boos, Shaq's free throw clanged off the front rim.
The Lakers secured the rebound.
94–94. Tie game.
Under one minute to go.
Lakers ball.
Kobe crossed half court, expression stone-cold.
At this point, no play call was needed.
There was only one option.
Give the ball to the man you trust most.
This was a superstar's stage.
Kobe waved everyone away, cleared one side, and went one-on-one with Wade.
Between-the-legs dribbles. Rhythm changes.
Then—an explosive first step to the right.
Wade stayed glued to him, bodies colliding hard.
Seeing help coming from the baseline, Kobe pulled it back out.
The shot clock was bleeding out.
He bumped twice, created space with his height—
Fadeaway jumper.
Short.
It hit the rim and bounced out.
Shaq grabbed the rebound.
Miami immediately pushed the break.
Wade took off like a rocket.
Kobe landed and sprinted back without hesitation.
But Wade had the angle.
No one in the league could chase down prime Flash.
In desperation, as Wade went up for the layup, Kobe swiped at the ball.
His arm inevitably made contact with Wade's body.
Wade felt it—instantly went into his shooting motion—
And screamed as he hit the floor.
There was, undeniably, some theatrics to it.
Tweet—!
The whistle blew.
Staples Center held its breath.
If this was called a foul on Kobe, it was a death sentence.
Every heart jumped into every throat.
Kobe stood frozen, hands on his head, regret written all over his face.
He knew it.
He reached first. The contact was obvious.
There was no escape.
Sure enough—
After replay review and brief discussion, the head referee crossed his arms and waved.
A motion that shattered Lakers fans everywhere.
Number 8, Kobe Bryant—sixth personal foul.
Fouled out.
Boom.
Staples Center exploded.
Boos, curses, gasps—everything collided at once.
Kobe glanced at the scoreboard, then at Wade walking to the free-throw line.
In the end, he said nothing.
He just whipped his arm in frustration, lowered his head, and walked straight into the tunnel.
On the way to the locker room, Kobe ignored the outstretched hands from the crowd, ignored every shout.
A crushing sense of loss settled over the arena.
The team's absolute core—gone at the most critical moment.
The Lakers' soul felt like it had been ripped away.
On the court, the remaining players looked at one another—
Leaderless.