It happened again, inexplicably yet indelibly, a large Lakers lead shredded among stunned silence.
This time, though, the Lakers took it back and clung to it, emerging from Game 5 of the NBA Finals with a 103-98 victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday at Staples Center.
Faced with the choice of extending the series or answering to another embarrassing lost lead, the Lakers opted for a return trip to Boston.
Game 6 is Tuesday, a six-hour flight and three times zones away, though the Lakers couldn't be happier to make the trek after a 19-point second-quarter lead turned out to be just as flimsy as a 24-point lead in Game 4.
It only gets more difficult for the Lakers. No team has ever won Games 6 and 7 on the road since the NBA went to the 2-3-2 Finals format in 1985.
"Not in our house!" the Staples Center scoreboard proclaimed as the final seconds wound down, but now the Lakers head for a court on which the Celtics are 12-1 in the playoffs.
Still, a victory is a victory, especially after the Lakers' historic Game 4 meltdown. The championship trophy, stashed in a room underneath Staples Center in case its postgame presence was required, will be packed up and shipped back to Boston.
"We didn't want to see champagne popping," said forward Lamar Odom, who rebounded from a quiet second half in Game 4 with 20 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots in Game 5.
The purple-and-gold confetti fell for the final time this season inside Staples Center, and there were some feel-good moments for the Lakers.
Odom and Pau Gasol (19 points, 13 rebounds) combined to make a commendable 14 of 20 shots, effectively eating away at a depleted Celtics interior defense.
On the other hand, Kobe Bryant made only eight of 21 shots and had six turnovers. He had 25 points and five steals but has had made only 14 of 40 shots (35%) the last two games.
There's also that issue of large leads that dissipate almost as quickly as they're built.
Sasha Vujacic's 22-footer gave the Lakers a 43-24 lead with 11:08 left in the second quarter, and it never quite seemed substantial enough.
Indeed, the Lakers began to backtrack the rest of the second quarter, taking only a 55-52 lead into the locker room at halftime.
"I went in at halftime and said, 'Thank God we don't have a [large] lead because we just don't know what to do with it,' " Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said facetiously.
