The first half came to an end.
The Suns still held a commanding 13-point lead.
It was not just the score. The Suns had controlled the atmosphere of the game, while the pressure of playing from behind weighed heavily on every member of a Lakers team that desperately wanted, and needed, to win.
Earlier, Artest had fouled Blake Su on the arm, and Bynum had shoved an opponent while fighting for a rebound. Both calls had left the Lakers unhappy.
During the latter half of the second quarter, the minor shoves and altercations between the two teams became increasingly frequent. None of them were obvious enough for the referees to catch and call on the spot, but the players were clearly testing each other more and more.
The tension on the court continued to rise.
All it needed was a single spark to set the entire arena ablaze.
...
Halftime soon came to an end, and the second half got underway.
The Lakers trailed by 13 points and had possession.
They needed to make every trip down the floor count, cutting into the deficit as quickly as possible, or even tying the game.
Only then would they have a real chance.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Kobe controlled the ball at the top of the key. Artest came up to set a screen, while Pau Gasol positioned himself nearby to facilitate the play.
The Lakers were clearly placing their hopes on Kobe.
"Whoosh!"
Kobe accelerated and drove toward the basket.
George stepped over to help, but Artest turned his body and deliberately collided with him, locking George up so he could not interfere with Kobe's drive.
Meanwhile, under the basket, Bynum and Frye were engaged in a bruising battle for position.
Whoever established better position would have the advantage, whether it was for a rebound, an easy finish off a pass, or catching the ball and attacking on his own.
Both men wanted that spot, and neither was willing to give an inch.
The result was constant physical contact.
"Thud, thud, thud!"
Frye was slightly weaker physically and could not match Bynum's strength. The repeated collisions left his chest aching, but he still refused to back down.
"Whoosh!"
Kobe powered his way into the paint and prepared to attack the rim.
Bynum instinctively tried to force Frye farther away to clear space for Kobe.
"Thud!"
As Bynum backed into him, he accidentally stepped on Frye's foot. He did not do it deliberately, but as he pushed backward with his hips, Frye completely lost his balance.
"Bang!"
Frye crashed to the floor.
"Beep! Beep!"
The whistle sounded.
"S**t!"
Already sore from all the contact, Frye cursed as he hit the floor. He immediately scrambled to his feet and got right in Bynum's face.
"F**k! What the hell are you doing? Are you playing basketball or trying to hurt someone?!"
"You're soft. If you can't handle the contact, you don't belong in the NBA. Every time I see you, I'll put you right back on the floor."
Bynum had not realized he had stepped on Frye's foot. Thinking it had only been normal physical contact, he became angry and refused to back down.
"You need dirty tricks to beat me, and you still think you're tough?!"
"Then why were you the one lying on the floor?"
The two stood nose to nose, glaring and trading insults as they jostled for position. They were so close they were practically kissing.
Curry and Fisher quickly stepped in and pulled them apart.
At the same time, Artest and George were locked in an equally fierce struggle near the top of the key, where Artest had screened for Kobe.
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
Neither man had the ball, but both were quietly trying to get the better of the other. Each drove an elbow into the other's neck.
Wincing in pain, they pressed their foreheads together and glared at one another.
That confrontation also looked ready to escalate.
Kobe and Blake Su rushed over immediately and separated them before things could get worse.
One possession had produced two altercations.
The tension on the court had become thick enough to feel from the very first play of the half.
Fortunately, the situation did not get out of control.
Since George and Artest had only exchanged words, the referees did not call anything on them. Bynum, however, had knocked Frye down under the basket and was called for an off-ball foul.
Possession went to the Suns.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Nash brought the ball up and dribbled slowly at the top of the key.
By slowing the pace, he was also trying to cool both teams down and ease the tension on the floor.
But it did not seem that simple.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
George and Artest became tangled up off the ball once again.
At the same time, Frye and Bynum resumed their battle under the basket.
Bynum kept leaning into Frye and repeatedly pushing against him with both hands.
It hurt, and it was infuriating.
Frye kept pressing forward, trying to establish position and force Bynum away, but he could barely move him. With Bynum constantly disrupting him, Frye's temper began to flare.
"Whoosh!"
He raised his arms in front of his chest, pointed his elbows outward, and repeatedly spun his body, trying to force his way free of Bynum.
During one of those turns, his elbow accidentally caught Bynum in the face.
It was not a hard blow, but Bynum dramatically clutched his face and stumbled backward.
"Beep! Beep!"
The referee blew the whistle and called Frye for an off-ball foul.
Frye remained where he was, looking completely wronged as he protested the call.
Bynum, secretly pleased with himself, quickly inbounded the ball from the baseline to Kobe and started running up the court.
The next moment...
"Thud!"
He crashed directly into Frye, who was still standing in place and arguing with the referee.
The collision sent Frye sprawling to the floor.
Bynum had just inbounded the ball and had been looking toward the sideline. He had not expected Frye to remain motionless in his path.
The impact also knocked Bynum off balance. He stumbled forward and stepped over Frye as he tried to regain his footing.
The referee had seen the entire sequence clearly.
This time, no whistle came.
But Frye did not have eyes in the back of his head.
All he knew was that Bynum had knocked him down and then stepped over his head.
To him, it was obviously deliberate.
And the referees had not even called a foul.
Fury surged through him.
Frye had been holding back his anger for far too long. The moment Bynum stepped over him, he finally snapped.
"Thud!"
Frye leaped to his feet and charged after Bynum.
He caught up to him and shoved him hard from behind.
Bynum never saw it coming.
"Bang!"
He was sent crashing to the floor.
Everyone in the arena saw it clearly.
No one knew what had been going through Frye's mind, but they all saw him make the first move.
The situation instantly exploded.
"F**k!"
Bynum roared as he sprang back to his feet.
He had been holding in just as much anger. He charged at Frye, and the two immediately began grappling and throwing punches.
"F**k!"
Artest, the team's enforcer, saw his teammate being attacked and rushed into the fight without a second thought.
George had already had enough of Artest, so he joined in as well.
Frye took a punch from both Bynum and Artest, but he landed one on Bynum in return.
George rushed in and punched Artest.
Artest spun around and answered with a punch of his own.
Within seconds, all four men were tangled together in a full-blown brawl.
"BOOM!"
The sight of four massive players fighting sent waves of shocked cries roaring through the arena.
...
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