The final buzzer of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals echoed through San Antonio's AT&T Center.
The score was locked at 107-99 as the Los Angeles Lakers narrowly defeated the San Antonio Spurs on the road.
The momentum of the series had completely reversed, with the Lakers taking a commanding 3-2 lead and claiming the crucial match point.
This brutal offensive and defensive tug-of-war had drained the entire Spurs team of both morale and stamina.
Tim Duncan and David Robinson battled to the very last second as the twin towers in the paint.
Yet they still could not withstand the Lakers' Big Three attacking in waves.
Shaquille O'Neal anchored the paint, using his overwhelming size to crush the Spurs' interior defense.
He put up 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 blocks, dominating both ends of the floor.
The young Kobe Bryant was on fire, erupting on both offense and defense.
He repeatedly drove for points in crucial moments, stole the ball for fast-break attacks, and tore apart the Spurs' perimeter defense.
Glen Rice provided steady outside firepower, knocking down one momentum-stopping three after another.
Together with the bench rotations of Stephen Kerr and Tony Kukoc, the Lakers' lineup rotation was nearly flawless.
Even though the Spurs' twin towers guarded the paint relentlessly throughout the game, they still could not protect their home-court victory.
The Western Conference Finals were not over yet, and suspense still lingered on the court.
Under the NBA's best-of-seven format, holding match point did not mean a team had already secured advancement.
Game 6 would return to the Lakers' home court in Los Angeles, where the Spurs faced a do-or-die battle.
But public opinion across the United States had already completely shifted toward the Los Angeles Lakers.
Immediately after the game, major sports outlets across the