At the same time, Pau Gasol, Kobe, Blake Su, and Curry rushed toward the fight.
Almost as soon as the four players began grappling with one another, Blake Su, Kobe, and the others reached them and pulled them apart.
Artest and Frye still wanted to keep fighting, but Nash, Fisher, the coaches, and the referees quickly swarmed in and completely separated the four men.
They continued shouting insults at one another from a distance and kicking at the air, but fortunately, the confrontation did not resume.
The arena, however, had already descended into chaos.
It took a full five minutes for everyone to settle down and regain their composure.
During that time, the three referees repeatedly reviewed the footage. In the end, Artest, Bynum, George, and Frye were each assessed a technical foul.
Under normal circumstances, throwing punches and engaging in such a serious brawl could have resulted in all four players being ejected.
However, this was a nationally televised, highly anticipated Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, with the Suns holding a chance to clinch the series.
Taking the ratings, the entertainment value, and the enormous profits tied to the rest of the game into consideration, the officials chose not to eject anyone.
Still, all four players were likely to receive additional punishment and fines from the league after the game. That, however, was a matter for another time.
There were four technical fouls in total, two against each team.
Since the penalties offset each other, there were no additional free throws or free throws plus possession. The Lakers retained the ball, just as they had before the fight broke out.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Kobe received the inbound pass at the top of the key.
"Beep! Beep!"
Phil Jackson immediately called another timeout. His intention was clear. Both teams needed more time to cool down.
After all, the crowd had come to watch basketball, not a brawl.
On the Suns' bench, Nash approached George and Frye and spoke to them gently but earnestly.
"We can't act like that.
"We have a 13-point lead and a 3-1 advantage in the series. As long as we keep playing our game, we have a very good chance of winning tonight and advancing.
"But if another fight breaks out and either of you gets ejected or injured, losing you would be disastrous for the Suns.
"Don't you agree?"
Neither man answered. They were clearly still angry.
Blake Su then spoke in a calm voice.
"I understand. You were both trying to score for the team or fight for possession.
"But we need to handle it differently. And don't let the Lakers drag you into this. They're already on their last legs, and they know they can't beat us by playing straight up.
"That's why they're resorting to dirty tricks. They want to get inside our heads, ruin our rhythm, force us into turnovers, and make us lose the game.
"We can't let them affect us.
"Right?"
Compared with Nash's stern pep talk, Blake Su's words did far more to ease George and Frye's frustration.
"Yeah, we understand."
"I get it. I lost my temper."
They both nodded, acknowledged their mistakes, and gradually calmed down.
On the Lakers' bench, Kobe also walked over to Bynum and Artest.
"Don't play like that. It's pointless, and it won't help us at all.
"It'll only distract you and make you play worse as the game goes on.
"I know the situation we're in tonight is bad, and I understand how both of you feel.
"But that doesn't mean we have no chance.
"They may be a strong underdog, but we're the defending champions. We should be the calmer team.
"Let our game do the talking.
"I believe that as long as we work together, tonight's victory will still belong to us.
"Understood?"
"Understood."
"Captain, I lost my temper."
Bynum and Artest nodded as well, slowly regaining their composure.
Inside the broadcast studio, Mike Breen and Van Gundy were still shaken by the fight. It took them a while to recover from the shock.
"Uh..."
Mike Breen considered his words before saying, "Actually, it's understandable."
"Oh? Understandable?"
Van Gundy prompted him to continue.
"Yes."
Mike Breen nodded.
"This game means far too much to both teams. One team can advance with a win, while the other faces elimination with a loss.
"The Lakers, as the team facing elimination, naturally have an even greater hunger for victory. Unfortunately, things only got worse for them.
"The Suns opened the game with a 10-0 run, and the Lakers were still down by 13 at halftime.
"That enormous pressure, combined with their intense desire to win, left them extremely on edge.
"Their defense became more physical, and the minor altercations kept piling up. Once all that tension accumulated, an incident like this was not entirely unexpected.
"But none of it was truly malicious.
"To put it simply, they care too much about winning. They want this victory so badly that every bit of contact feels personal, and they're fighting physically for every possession.
"That's part of what makes competitive basketball so compelling.
"Of course, I would never support confrontations or brawls. Hopefully, when the teams return from this timeout, they'll let their basketball do the talking and give us a spectacular second half."
By the time the extended timeout ended, nearly eight minutes had passed when the stoppage caused by the fight was included.
That was more than enough time for both teams to catch their breath and calm down.
"Boom!"
The altercation had only made the atmosphere inside the arena even more electric. The fans were more excited than ever, eagerly anticipating an even fiercer battle when play resumed.
The game continued with the Lakers in possession.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Kobe controlled the ball at the top of the key. He used a screen to shake George, then accelerated toward the basket when Blake Su stepped over to help.
"Thud!"
Kobe hung in the air to evade Blake Su's block, drifted sideways, and sent a high shot off the glass.
"Swish!"
"Thud!"
The shot went in, but Kobe fell beyond the baseline.
Pau Gasol walked over and held out a hand to help him up.
Blake Su, who was also beneath the basket, stepped forward and extended his hand as well. He and Kobe exchanged a glance.
Kobe paused.
Then he understood.
Taking one hand from each of them, Kobe allowed Pau Gasol and Blake Su to pull him to his feet.
Artest had been about to push Blake Su aside so he could help his leader up, but the sight stopped him in his tracks.
On the next possession, Blake Su drove to the basket.
Bynum and Pau Gasol converged on him in midair, but Blake Su drifted away from the double-team and lofted the ball high toward the rim.
"Swish!"
The shot went in.
Blake Su lost his balance and crashed to the floor.
Instead of going to inbound the ball, Kobe walked over and pulled Blake Su to his feet with both hands.
Nearby, the still somewhat inexperienced Paul George stared at them in surprise.
"Hahaha!"
In the stands, Michael Jordan, the "God of Basketball," burst out laughing when he saw what had happened.
"Blake Su and Kobe really are natural-born leaders!"
"Huh?"
Pippen looked at him in surprise.
"That's already obvious, Michael. Why did you suddenly feel the need to say it?"
"Didn't you see what just happened?"
Michael Jordan smiled.
"Even after such a major confrontation, Blake Su and Kobe each helped the other back to his feet after a hard fall.
"They were also sending a message to their teammates. The conflict is over.
"From this point on, they'll let their basketball do the talking.
"That is the bearing a team leader should have."