By Paul Levine May 5, 2006, 16:56 GMT
Los Angeles - Not even Kobe Bryant's playoff career-high 50 points could eclipse the Phoenix Suns.
Tim Thomas drilled the game-tying 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left in regulation, and the Suns ran way from the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime en route to a thrilling 126-118 victory Thursday night to force a decisive Game Seven in the opening round of their Western Conference playoff series.
'What Kobe was ridiculous but we matched him,' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. 'Tim hit a big shot and we played a perfect game.'
Steve Nash had 32 points and 13 assists for Phoenix, which won while starter Raja Bell was serving a one-game suspension for flagrantly throwing down Bryant in Game Five. Brazil's Leandro Barbosa scored 22 points in place of Bell.
'The sign of good team is a team that finds ways to get it done, and we had guys step up at different times,' Nash said. 'Everyone was ready tonight.'
The Suns also received 20 points and 12 rebounds from Shawn Marion, while Thomas finished with 21 points and Frenchman Boris Diaw chipped in with 19.
Phoenix will host decisive Game 7 on Saturday night in an attempt to become just the eighth team in playoff history to rally from a 1-3 down.
'People have counted us out many times during the series but we're just trying to fight for it,' Nash added. 'We were down pretty deep but we're back in it. We're going to play with a lot of fire and have some fun.'
Bryant is up for the winner-take-all game, as well.
'We'll be OK,' he said. 'It's going to be a hostile environment and we'll be the underdogs, but we're looking forward to it.'
Bryant looked to be sending the Lakers into the conference semifinals against the city's other team, the Clippers, with a 3- pointer and driving lay-up that gave the hosts a 105-102 lead with 29 seconds left in regulation.
After Nash missed the potential game-tying 3-pointer from the left wing, Marion grabbed the rebound and zipped a pass in the right corner to Thomas, whose wide-open triple knotted the score.
'We were able to get the lead, but we weren't able to secure that one rebound at the end, and Tim Thomas hit the big three,' Bryant said.
Bryant had a chance to win it but his jumper fell well short as time expired.
The Suns had too much firepower in the overtime. Diaw and Marion scored six points apiece in a decisive 15-4 run to open the extra session for a commanding 120-111 lead with 57 seconds left. All that was left for the Lakers was Bryant's 3-pointer that gave him 50 on the night.
Bryant was complemented by Lamar Odom's 22 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, while Kwame Brown had 17 points and nine boards.
Elsewhere in the NBA playoffs:
Miami Heat 113, Chicago Bulls 96
Plagued by foul trouble the previous three games, Shaquille O'Neal muscled in for 30 points and 20 rebounds as the Heat beat the Bulls to nail down their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series in six games.
'Shaq was great tonight,' said teammate Dwyane Wade, who scored 23 points despite a bruised left hip. 'He carried us. That's the Diesel we like to see.'
James Posey had 18 points, while Udonis Haslem added 17 and 14 rebounds for Miami, which won its first playoff game at Chicago in 10 visits.
'Not only did we have our best game but Shaquille absolutely dominated with his play,' Heat coach Pat Riley said.
Miami will meet New Jersey in the conference semifinals.
Kirk Hinrich scored 23 points, Ben Gordon had 21 and Argentine Andres Nocioni chipped in with 20 points for Chicago, which dropped the last two games by a total of 31 points.
'The last two games we didn't played like ourselves,' Bulls coach Scott Skiles said. 'I thought they played their best game of the season. Shaq was great and that was the end of that.'
New Jersey Nets 96, Indiana Pacers 90
Richard Jefferson scored 30 points and Vince Carter had 24 as the Nets overcame a career-high 40 points by Anthony Johnson to wrap up their Eastern Conference opening-round playoff series in six games.
'It's bittersweet,' said Johnson said. 'It would be great if it was in a winning performance. I had it going individually but not as a team because we're going home.'
Johnson's 3-pointer with 56 seconds sliced a nine-point deficit to 92-90. But he missed potential-game-tying runner in the lane and Jermaine O'Neal's follow shot was blocked from behind by Jefferson. Nenad Krstic made two free throws at the other end with 14 seconds left to clinch the victory.
Kristic netted 17 points for New Jersey, and Jason Kidd finished with eight points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
O'Neal added 21 points for Indiana, which was without Peja Stojakovic and Jeff Foster, both sidelined by injuries.
Your Talkback on this Story