With 4:54 left in the game and the Lakers trailing by six, Rockets star center Yao Ming crumbled on the floor after a collision with Bryant.

Yao grabbed his right knee. He cried out in pain. He limped into the tunnel. The Lakers exhaled.

Moments later, after stretching his knee against a wall, Yao ran back onto the court and scored eight points in the final four minutes.

OK, so there was no evidence he was faking it, but still, it felt like Paul Pierce, Part II.