NBA FINALS Lakers even series with OT win

The game was the lowest-scoring overtime in the history of the NBA Finals.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kobe Bryant had to take this shot. He wanted the clock near zero, a longtime rival in his face and the Lakers' destiny on his shoulders.
He loves a challenge as much as Los Angeles loves drama.
And when Bryant had everything he wanted, he did what the marquee players do -- he made a shot that might have changed the NBA Finals.
Bryant hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining, then scored four of his 33 points in overtime to lead the Lakers to a 99-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 on Tuesday night, evening the series at one game apiece.
Refuge
During the most trying year of his life, Bryant has found his greatest peace on the court -- the place where he feels he always can control the outcome.
The Pistons thought they had their second straight victory after taking a six-point lead in the final minute of regulation, but Bryant still was in control.
"It's all about rising to the challenge," Bryant said. "High stakes. I know I can rise to that."
Shaquille O'Neal added six of his 29 points in overtime against the demoralized Pistons, who were 45 seconds away from a shocking two-game series lead.
Instead, Bryant's shot over Richard Hamilton provided the shock, and Detroit stumbled to the lowest-scoring overtime in NBA Finals history, managing just two points on 1-for-9 shooting.
In the locker room, the Pistons wore the dazed looks of so many Lakers opponents over the past five seasons. There was unspeakable frustration of playing a superb game, yet still not being good enough to overcome the sheer will of Shaq and Kobe.
Instead of criticizing his team for blowing its lead or freezing up in overtime, Pistons coach Larry Brown had nothing but praise for everyone -- particularly Bryant.
"That's why he's so special," Brown said. "After what the kid's been through all year, more power to him, because he's a great, great young man. The way he conducts himself on the court and the way he plays this game makes me feel kind of good I'm part of it."
Los Angeles again struggled to execute its offense, and Chauncey Billups again shredded the Lakers' perimeter defense for 27 points and nine assists.
Hamilton also returned to playoff form, scoring 26 points and keeping Bryant busy with his perpetual-motion style.
Pistons rebound
The Lakers took an 11-point lead in the third quarter, but Detroit tied it early in the fourth. The Pistons made a 14-6 run in the final minutes, capped by Ben Wallace's rebound dunk for an 89-83 lead -- their biggest of the game -- with 47.8 seconds remaining.
"We're been through a lot together, and we've been in situations like this before," O'Neal said. "We know that [with] a minute left, anything could happen."
O'Neal got free in the paint with 35.9 seconds remaining, hitting a layup and the ensuing free throw. Billups couldn't make a tough runner, setting up Bryant for one more career-defining shot.
"Me and Kobe have been going at it for a long, long time," said Hamilton, Bryant's high-school rival in Philadelphia. "That wasn't the first big shot he made, you know, but he made it. It's tough to take it."