With the mighty behemoth Shaquille O’Neal in his prime and the late Kobe Bryant blossoming into a superstar, the Los Angeles Lakers became a dominant, untouchable force that ruled the NBA in the early 2000s. After winning back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001, many pegged the Lakers to add a third one in 2002, but that was before they faced off against the equally skilled and hungry Sacramento Kings .
As the two Western Conference powerhouse squads faced off against one another in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, the Lakers soon realized the danger the Kings posed to their budding dynasty. The Kings, led by Chris Webber and Mike Bibby, were a formidable opponent, and they proved it by taking two of the series’ first three matches.
The Lakers, on the other hand, were struggling to find their rhythm, with Shaq and Kobe facing double teams and struggling to score. The Kings looked poised to take a commanding 3-1 lead after establishing a huge 20-point lead, 40-20, after the first quarter of Game 4.
However, the Purple and Gold, displaying their championship poise, managed to pull within two, 99-97, with a mere 11.8 seconds remaining in the game. This set the stage for a play that could have dramatically altered the NBA’s landscape at that time.
Had the Kings secured the defensive stop, they would likely have advanced to the NBA Finals and potentially become champions. Yet, in a twist of fate, Vlade Divac ’s well-intended ball tap to the top of the key transformed into a game-winning three-pointer by Lakers forward Robert Horry.
Good intentions, horrible result
As the saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” This could not have been more true in the case of Vlade’s fateful ball tap. In a split-second decision, with Shaq on his back, he tried to knock the ball away from the shaded lane to deny the Lakers a chance at scoring the equalizing bucket. Unfortunately, his good intentions led to a devastating result for the Kings.
The Serbian big man explained that he was trying to do what his former teammate, Magic Johnson, did in the 1991 WCF when he rebounded the ball and just threw it downcourt to let time expire and prevent the Portland Trail Blazers from either fouling him or stealing the ball away.
“Having Shaq on my back and Kobe trying to make the layup, I blocked the shot, and the ball was loose, so I couldn’t reach. I tried to knock it down so the time would expire,” the Hall of Famer said in Grantland in 2014. “Basically, I made a good pass to Robert Horry.”
To describe that pass as good was a gross understatement. It was as perfect as any as Horry caught it near his chest and, in one motion, launched the shot that would break the hearts of Kings fans everywhere .
A fluke play
As Horry recalled that fateful play, the ball gravitated toward him and his shooting pocket. With enough space to get a good look at the rim, he calmly drained the three-pointer that gave the Lakers a 100-99 win and tied the series at 2-2.
Horry’s teammate, Devean George, said the pass was right on the money and that Divac couldn’t have thrown a much better pass in his entire career.
“Better than a perfect bounce pass. I don’t think he could have gave a two-hand chest pass and meant it better,” George said.
Vlade’s backup, Scott Pollard, also agreed with George’s sentiment: " He didn’t have to reach down. He didn’t have to reach up. It was right in his wheelhouse, and all he had to do was shoot it. It was like a perfect pass.”
That single victory for the Lakers, against all odds, shifted the momentum in their favor. Instead of facing a daunting 3-1 deficit, the Purple and Gold leveled the series and proceeded to win two of the following three games. They ultimately eliminated the Kings and secured a third consecutive title with a sweep of the New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals.
Related: "That's a big-time player, but that was a lucky play" - C-Webb's reaction to Horry's iconic buzzer-beater in 2002 WCF
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