NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 575: Boss tried his best! ( words chapter)
As the most crucial game of the finals, ABC put a lot of effort into the broadcast on Tuesday. Before the two teams jumped, front reporter Michelle Tafoya was still talking about the Lakers:

"Coach Phil Jackson decided to shorten the rotation before the game. They are confident that they can win 3 home games!"

"As for tonight's matchup, the Lakers also made changes, and Trevor Ariza got more trust"

Under the basket, Tafoya smiled and shared the content of the interview with Mike Breen and the other two in the commentary booth. As Chandler helped the Knicks jump to the ball, the three people in the ABC commentary booth also responded:
"After losing the first two games by a large margin, I will not insist on using Kobe and Lee against each other!"

"This is very important in the game. I will try to let Kobe defend Artest, which can reduce his consumption on the defensive end."

"Let Ariza or Fisher defend Lee, and Kobe will put all his energy into offense. The finals are all about response. Some personal grudges can be put aside for victory."

The energetic Van Gundy was dressed in a "red scarf" again. As soon as the game started, he gave instructions. Mark Jackson noticed that Kobe immediately chased Li You and immediately laughed and joked:
"If I were Kobe, I wouldn't run away either!"

"The best players should take on the heavy responsibility. I appreciate this choice very much. Maybe this is what Lakers fans want to see!"

"Wow! This is the first time I feel that the fans in Los Angeles are so passionate. Listen to their shouts!"

While the Knicks were passing the ball, the two laughed and talked about the atmosphere at the Staples Center. Since most of the lights were focused on the field, the audience seats looked a little dim during the broadcast.

"Defense!."

The fans at the scene were not wearing uniform cheering T-shirts, but most of them stood up and shouted loudly. This situation was rare in the past, as the audience in Los Angeles was usually calm.

When Fisher broke up Gasol's cross pass on the right wing, cheers filled the arena as the ball flew past Raja Bell and out of the baseline.

The sideline referee signaled that the Knicks had the ball. While waiting for the ball to be served, most of the fans in the arena followed the DJ and shouted:

“Ah—oh.”

Perhaps it was the home fans who gave Kobe great encouragement. Amid the cheers, he crowded around Li You. Back at home, the Lakers' defensive intensity also increased.

Without waiting for the ball to be served, Li You waved his hand to signal a substitution. When the person who received the ball became the server, fans soon started booing.

The referee blew the whistle, and Li You immediately threw the ball to Gasol who was squeezed to the left wing. The latter jumped up to catch the ball, and Odom behind him could only hold on.

Although Kobe knew that Gasol would definitely pass the ball, Li You returned to the court, pretended to go forward to receive the ball, and then suddenly ran back to the outside. He had no good way to receive the ball far away from the three-point line.

Phil Jackson on the sidelines immediately ordered Odom to double-team. In this crucial game, the old man from KFC could not sit still. The Lakers had to respond in the first quarter.

“Move!”

The reminder worked, Odom gave up his defender and rushed straight towards Li You.

As the two men surrounded him, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, accelerated laterally and suddenly burst out, forcing Odom, who was rushing towards him, to change his center of gravity.

The moment the opponent stretched out his hand, the ground pass found Gasol who was moving near the free throw line.

When he received the ball, Duncan under the basket had already moved to the paint area, but facing a decisive jump shot, he could only quickly position himself and prevent Chandler from easily grabbing the frontcourt rebound.

The basketball went into the net and the stadium was filled with boos. Duncan took the basketball expressionlessly and quickly kicked the ball out.

Amid cheers, the Lakers changed the slow pace of the first two games. Fisher passed the ball to Kobe who was rushing across half court early on. The latter was already close to the right wing when he received the ball.

When Kobe slowed down, pushed the ball and changed direction, and broke through with the ball in his right hand, all the Lakers players rushed across half court.

Kobe lowered his shoulders and accelerated, then headed forward, hoping to force his way through with his speed, but ultimately he had to stop near the right blocking area.

Amid the booing, Li You, who slid to confront the defense, continued to defend and was forced to switch hands sideways. Kobe continued to attack and was unable to squeeze into his sweet spot despite the physical collisions.

Seeing that the boss stopped the ball again like in the previous two games, Odom, who was near the free throw line, immediately moved to the right wing, and Kobe passed the ball to his teammate in time.

After handing over the ball, Kobe tried to get the ball back, but Odom faked a dribble and then accelerated with the ball in his left hand, forcing Gasol to slide back.

In the paint area, Odom leaned against the defense and pretended to pass the ball while moving. After attracting Chandler's attention, he leaned forward and tried to make a layup with his right hand.

"Oh!"

Amid the exclamations, Li You, who had been staying in the right blocking area, moved quietly to the basket. Odom dodged Gasol's long arms behind him, but was caught by Li You who jumped up.

The basketball was hit on the backboard and was protected by Li You at the moment of rebounding. Odom, who rushed out of the baseline, clapped his hands in frustration. Kobe, who had just been standing there in a daze, rushed to grab the ball.

"Hey!!"

Amid the boos, D'Antoni was a little dissatisfied and shouted to the referee that the excessive defensive action disrupted the counterattack. Joe Crawford gave a brief explanation and signaled that the game should continue.

While Li You was slowing down, the director quickly turned the camera to Magic Johnson, who was frowning in the front row. Many Lakers legends were there tonight, but everyone looked unhappy.

Ariza, who retreated to the half court, wanted to switch defense, but Kobe waved his hand and the latter could only follow Artest to run to the right wing and stop.

"Lee! Crossover!"

Seeing Li You dribbling the ball between his legs and suddenly passing it behind his back, Mike Breen immediately shouted out in surprise at the familiar move, and soon boos filled the arena. Kobe was passed over again, just like in the previous two games.

When approaching the left wing, Kobe was prepared and slid to the left rear in time, but was then passed by Li You with a second change of direction under his hips.

Gritting his teeth and glaring, Kobe tried hard to adjust his center of gravity as he saw Li You was about to squeeze past him. When Li You suddenly stopped at the three-point line and pulled back with a cross step, the latter could only stagger.

"Oh!"

Without much interference, Li You broke away from the defense after an emergency stop and made a jump shot from the left wing. Amid exclamations, the basketball hit the rim and bounced out.

Before the Los Angeles fans at the scene had time to rejoice, Li You once again shook off Kobe, who was like a wooden stake, squeezed past the opponent, rushed to the free throw line and picked up the long rebound.

Duncan and Odom were struggling with their opponents just now, but they subconsciously turned their heads and watched helplessly as Li You, who was not guarded, threw the ball casually.

4:0, the second attack hit the target steadily.

The only sounds left at the Staples Center were noisy shouting. Watching the game live, it was not difficult to see that Kobe had tried his best, but Li You's reaction speed seemed to far exceed that of anyone else on the court.

The extremely fast dribbling speed and exaggerated first step made individual defense ineffective. Fans in the front row could even hear the "bang bang" sound of the basketball bouncing onto the floor. The scene was completely different from the highlights.

“Good defense!”

Jack Nicholson did not watch the fun like the other people did. He was a staunch supporter of the Lakers. He stood up and loudly encouraged Kobe who was standing there in a daze.

"Man, he can't do anything! We all know that."

Li You stepped back with a smile on his face. At this moment, Jack Nicholson seemed to be possessed by Spike Lee. He took a few steps to the sidelines and shouted again:

"God will bless those who work hard! Go fight, Kobe! Show these arrogant guys what you can do!"

"."

The whole stadium was boiling again, and shouting and cursing began to appear in the back. Only O'Neal was laughing secretly with his hands covering his face. The old shark didn't give face to his old club and he was no longer pretending.
Kobe, with a dark face, wanted to ask for the ball directly, but Phil Jackson gave orders at the top of his voice. At the signal of the old man from KFC, Odom took the initiative to receive the ball.

At this time, the Knicks had returned to the half court and completed their defensive positioning. Odom, who was advancing with the ball, was not disturbed when he reached the top of the arc.

Perhaps seeing Gasol standing inside the three-point line, Odom suddenly pushed the ball and changed direction, then drove to the basket with his left hand holding the ball!

Gasol failed to slide in time and lost his defensive position. Chandler hurriedly moved his feet at the bottom left of the basket, but Odom calmly passed the ball to Duncan who was lying in ambush under the basket while moving.

Amid cheers, Duncan, who received the ball, jumped up immediately, faced Chandler who turned back to defend, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and slammed it into the basket.

"I like this matchup! There is no doubt that coach Phil Jackson made the right choice by adding a ball handler!"

Van Gundy also began to praise this simple and rough offense. Mark Jackson recalled that Odom rarely had the ball in the first two games, and asked a question in cooperation:

"Do you think the Lakers will let Odom handle the ball more? The Lakers look more advantageous in this matchup."

"When Odom starts hitting some open three-pointers, there is no doubt that he has the ability to change the game. He was 5 of 1 from three-point range in the first two games. After returning to his home court, I believe he will hit those shots."

Van Gundy, who encouraged the Lakers' offense, also wanted to see more intense competition, and soon the Lakers began to double-team in advance on the defensive end.

Odom slid in time and cooperated with Kobe to try to let Li You stop the ball near the right elbow. With a scream, the basketball was thrown out from behind his head and bounced to the top of the arc three-point line, where Gasol easily caught the ball.

Although there was no one defending him, Gasol was not in a hurry to attack. He raised the ball and faked a move, forcing Kobe to symbolically return to defense and raise his hand.

Odom noticed that Li You did not stop moving after passing the ball, so he immediately accelerated and moved laterally to the outside of the three-point line. For a while, he could only slide along.

As Gasol passed the ball again, Li You, who received the ball near the right sideline, swept the ball sideways when the defense was in place, then released the ball with his right hand and broke through.

Odom seemed very fast in the last round, but he was passed by one step this time. All the Lakers began to shrink, and before Li You could get close to the paint area, everyone surrounded him.
Li You jumped in the air and swung the ball. His right hand holding the ball paused slightly, and Fisher, who was preparing to defend on the outside, could not grasp the direction of the ball for a moment.

When the basketball flew into the hands of the left wing, Old Fish could only move forward near the elbow area and raise his hands, watching his former teammate make an easy jump shot!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

There was jubilation on the Knicks bench, and Raja Bell, who scored the goal, also clenched his fist to celebrate. This was everyone's favorite offensive rhythm.

Angry cheers resounded throughout the arena again. Ferscher, who had just dribbled across half court, was closely guarded by Raja Bell. Seeing that Duncan had already taken position in the left elbow area, he immediately passed the ball.

The Lakers' big men were all in the elbow area. Kobe was cross-screening with Ariza at the baseline at this time. Under the pull, he seized the opportunity and immediately asked for the ball with his back to the basket in the low post on the left side.

When Duncan lobbed the ball, Li You had already stepped up to defend. Kobe, who successfully caught the ball, now leaned back hard and struck a beautiful back-to-the-basket singles posture.

Leaning on the defense and shaking his shoulders, Kobe suddenly lowered his center of gravity amid the cheers of the fans, turned around in an instant, released the ball with his left hand, and tried to force his way to the basket along the baseline.

Kobe used his body to push the ball, and his expression was a little ferocious. He tried to knock away Li You who was sliding, but when their bodies collided, he almost lost control of the ball.
Watching Kobe leaning his body to squeeze to the lower right side of the basket, his left-handed layup was interfered by Li You, all the cheers disappeared for a moment.

He exerted too much force, causing the basketball to hit the backboard and bounce back quickly. Realizing that he had missed the shot, Kobe just landed and wanted to rush for the rebound, but Li You jumped up before him.

With the tomahawk rebound, Li You grabbed the ball with one hand, then "started from a spurt", leaving Kobe behind in the blink of an eye.

Duncan was on the line and wanted to foul, but Li You pushed the ball and changed direction on the three-point line, then he picked up the ball with his right hand without slowing down and surpassed him again.

"Oh!"

The exclamations could not stop. Li You was about to cross the three-point line, and Ariza on the other side was also sprinting at full speed, trying to stop the counterattack.

The two approached the paint area almost at the same time. Li You was very fast. He led the ball forward with his right hand and directly passed the ball, ignoring Ariza who was ready to intercept. He jumped with both feet and pulled the ball behind his head with both hands.

Ariza watched Li You fly up in the air, and tried to pull him back with his left hand, but his left hand hit his chest instead. Then his body fell sideways, and he completely lost his balance and flew out.
"boom!"

"Oh my goodness!"

Watching Li You's head surpass the basket, his whole body looking down from above, and slamming the ball into the basket with both hands, Mike Breen could only call to God. The fans behind the basket all covered their mouths and watched Li You "swinging".

"what!!"

Ariza fell heavily to the ground with his mind going blank. The pain in his waist made him roll and scream involuntarily.

The unsympathetic broadcasters held the cameras to his face, and some even shouted excitedly:

"This is crazy! God, it's like Lee has defied gravity!"

"Shh!"

The Los Angeles fans, who had finally come to their senses, began to boo again. Li You, who had landed, did not even look at his opponent until the referee blew the whistle, then he walked to the free throw line with satisfaction.

The Lakers bench became increasingly silent, while the Knicks went crazy. J.R. Smith and several others held their heads and jumped and screamed. Artest, who rushed onto the court, also shouted excitedly:
"These wimps!"

Kobe looked at Li You who was surrounded and angrily argued with the referee. The familiar scene happened again. Duncan grabbed his teammates and asked for the ball for the first time in the series:
"Give me the ball!"

After being examined by the team doctor, Ariza was eventually carried out on a stretcher. The team was reduced in number at the start of the game, and Phil Jackson complained to the referee again, so Radmanovic had to come on the court early.

10:2, Li You made the free throw and the booing could not stop for a while.

After receiving the instructions, Ferscher passed the ball to Duncan near the left blocking area after crossing half court. The latter received the ball and turned around, facing Chandler, holding the ball in his left hand and trying to break through.

When he got to the low post, Duncan leaned against the defense, turned around and changed hands, then dribbled the ball with his right hand, leaned on Chandler, rushed into the paint area with three steps, and threw the ball into the basket with one hand!
The tough response made the Lakers fans cheer loudly. Duncan, with his eyes wide open, clapped his hands repeatedly. The Lakers bench and the atmosphere group wearing the yellow home jerseys also began to become active.

Kobe, with his teeth bared, once again rushed to defend Li You who was close to the left wing. Radmanovic, who had just come on the court, also gave up the opposing defender and cooperated with the boss to double-team.

Surrounded by two people, Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, pulled the ball outward sideways, then twisted his body and swung his arms, and the basketball flew to the floor, then bounced accurately into the hands of Artest in the left corner.

With no one guarding him, Duncan aimed at the rim but missed the shot. He protected the backcourt rebound and did not pass the ball to Kobe. Instead, he calmly found Radmanovic who was also making a forward run.

Artest, who failed to return to defense in time, could only watch as his opponent dribbled one step and threw the ball on the right wing. The basketball went into the net, and the Staples Center was instantly boiling!

At 10:7, Radmanovich excitedly ran back to the half court and high-fived Duncan to celebrate.

Phil Jackson stopped pacing back and forth at this time and breathed a sigh of relief. This is how the game is. As long as he can seize the opportunity and respond in time, he firmly believes that he can pull one back at home.

“Move!”

He loudly reminded the players to continue double-teaming, and Odom on the left wing followed the command and continued to defend after Li You squeezed through the crowd with the help of a pick-and-roll.

Gasol began to accelerate and Li You, who came to the free throw line with the ball in his left hand, was chased by Kobe and Odom, and Ferscher also began to move on the left wing.

With Duncan ready to go to the basket at any time, the Lakers finally showed their ultimate defense at home.

Kobe, who was still moving, suddenly noticed that Li You jumped up and held the ball with his left hand. He subconsciously jumped as well, only to find that the basketball flew sideways in the air.

Gasol came down and made Radmanovic retreat to the right side near the baseline. When the basketball flew to Artest in the right corner again, he was stunned for a moment before trying his best to defend.

"Swish!" The three-pointer went into the net and Artest punched repeatedly.

Duncan asked for the ball again and bounced out to the right blocking area after the pick-and-roll. He received the pass from Fisher, took a tentative step, and made a mid-range jump shot.

The Lakers fans had no time to cheer and the ball was quickly served from the baseline. Li You chased after him across half court. Kobe no longer defended him and tried to control the defensive distance.

Odom, who was behind him, noticed Gasol slowing down and subconsciously slowed down his pace to delay him. The next second, the basketball flew past him. Gasol suddenly accelerated in the middle and received the ball and made a layup in three steps.

15:9, the offensive pace of the two teams seemed to be getting faster and faster.

"The Lakers have to slow down! They can't let their opponents score easily."

Van Gundy, who is familiar with the Knicks, gave his opinion again. Just as he finished speaking, Gasol set a screen after handing the ball back on the left wing, and Odom was broken through again.

Li You, who received the ball, briefly shook off Kobe, swayed his body to the right, suddenly let go of the ball, changed direction between his hips very quickly, and then led the ball forward with his left hand.

Odom, who was still sliding to the left, subconsciously reached out and the basketball passed through the gap between people, and then Li You squeezed past him from the side.

Li You successfully chased the ball and threw it to the backboard in the left blocking area. This made Duncan, who was preparing to assist in defense under the basket, stop. Before he could react, the basketball bounced back quickly, and the fans at the scene exclaimed again.

Li You jumped up and bumped into Duncan. He held the ball with his left hand in the air, ignoring the interference of his arms, and threw the ball towards the backboard!
Duncan, who failed to fully jump, stumbled and rushed out of the baseline. He looked up and saw the basketball hit the backboard and went into the basket. He was so angry that he pounded the basket.
The Lakers still did not slow down the pace of attack. When Kobe received the ball at the top of the arc, he used Duncan's screen to briefly get rid of Li You, holding the ball in his right hand and accelerating sideways to force a breakthrough.

Chandler kept sliding, and Li You went directly around the lower line to chase him. When Kobe approached the lower right side of the basket, he was surrounded by two people again.

After barely squeezing through the defense, Kobe still did not choose to pass the ball. Instead, he squeezed along the baseline to the lower left side of the basket. Li You, who had been waiting for a long time, jumped high, and in a hurry, he could only pass the ball to Odom who was about to grab the rebound.

Seemingly completely unprepared, Odom, who hurriedly caught the ball, had no choice but to drop it, causing the basketball to slow down and fly toward the sideline. Kobe and Li You, who landed on the ground, also chased after the ball at the same time.

"Poor choice of attack!"

Mark Jackson blurted out, seeing Li You first knock Kobe away, then squeeze past Odom, grab the ball in front of the two, and Mike Breen on the side immediately shouted:
"Great steal! Lee breaks free from the Lakers' defense!"

Kobe lost his balance and fell out of the sideline. Odom tried to steal the ball, but was hit by an elbow and fell to the ground in pain. Phil Jackson was so angry that he jumped to his feet.

Li You's madly accelerating along the right sideline made the fans in the front row lean back involuntarily. Duncan at the top of the arc wanted to return to defense, but found it was too late.

Duncan could only stop at the top of the arc and watch Li Youlong glide dunk.
"boom!"

The basket shook slightly. Li You, who completed the dunk, smiled and shook his head, then quickly retreated. For a moment, the Staples Center became quiet again.

At 19:9, an angry Phil Jackson finally requested a timeout. Halfway through the first quarter, the score difference reached double digits again, which seemed no different from the previous two games.

"He elbowed me! Damn it! It happened right in front of you!"

Odom, covering his ribs, was still yelling at the referee. Unfortunately, after years of training in the finals, Li You's "skills" have reached perfection.

The ball protection action and elbow action are perfectly combined. Even if the referee finds a problem after reviewing it, he cannot see it at the first time and naturally cannot change the decision.

“Referee suck!.”

The Knicks' playful atmosphere caused the Los Angeles fans at the scene to start yelling and cursing. Everyone was very disappointed. They were almost about to tie the score, but in the end the score was back to 10 points.

Phil Jackson, who was pulled back to the bench by the assistant coach, tried to calm himself down. As he sat in front of everyone, he said loudly and angrily:

"Don't make mistakes! Every round counts!"

"Every possession has to go through Tim. I want to see you guys move. This isn't a one-on-one game. Find the opportunity and then shoot the ball into the damn basket!"

After half a quarter, Kobe was sweating profusely and Odom was gasping for breath. In order to limit Li You's offense, both of them tried their best on the defensive end.

Kobe felt somewhat dissatisfied with the words of the old man from KFC, but the most important thing now was to narrow the score. He could only nod his head vigorously under the gaze of the opponent.

In the Lakers' first offensive round after the timeout, Duncan first received the ball in the elbow area, and immediately continued to ask for the ball in the low post on the left side after handing it over.

Under Chandler's top defense, Duncan, who failed to receive the ball in the first time, began to move into the paint area again. After continuous passes from the outside, Kobe on the left wing finally made a ground pass to his teammates.

He received the ball with his back to the basket in the low post on the right side, saw Kobe deceive Li You and move quickly towards the bottom corner, and passed the ball immediately.

"Oh!"

It seemed like a great opportunity, and the Los Angeles fans at the scene cheered loudly. After receiving the ball in the right corner, Kobe did not make any adjustments, drifted to avoid Li You's block, and decisively jumped and shot.

Duncan squeezed to the basket and successfully predicted the landing point of the ball. He hit the ball out before Chandler, and Radmanovic successfully controlled the ball in the left elbow area.

Just as he relaxed, Artest seized the opportunity. Seeing that the ball in his arms was about to be snatched away by the opponent, Radmanovich simply let go, then screamed and fell to the ground.

Under inertia, Artest shook his hands, the referee immediately blew the whistle, and cheers resounded throughout the stadium again.

"Smart choice! The Lakers must take advantage of their home court advantage!"

After looking at the foul statistics, Van Gundy added seriously:

"The Lakers are currently lacking in aggressiveness. They need to use free throws to disrupt the opponent's offensive rhythm, which is currently the most effective defensive strategy."

It was a simple and rough sideline ball. After two passes, Duncan received the ball in the low post on the left side, forced a turn towards the baseline, and attacked the basket, causing the referee to blow the whistle again.

Mark Jackson felt that the game was about to enter another phase, and while Duncan was shooting free throws, he also laughed and discussed:

"Do you think Kobe has a chance to score 40 points tonight? It seems he still can't break through Lee's defense."

"."

While the two were chatting, the Los Angeles fans at the scene sighed again. Duncan missed his second free throw and the rebound was taken by Chandler. He had two offensive opportunities and ended up scoring 2 point.

Kobe, who has been leading the defense since the first half, has been constantly engaging in physical confrontations. The current score difference has made him feel a serious sense of crisis, and now he just wants to score points quickly.

But these interferences were useless. Li You dribbled the ball behind his back, stopped and started quickly, quickly rushed across half court, and then immediately passed the ball to Gasol at the top of the arc.

Slipping across the baseline from right to left, Raja Bell and Artest crossed and ran back, Gasol, holding the ball facing the basket, seemed to be waiting for his teammates to get into position, and Fisher was also loudly calling on his teammates to switch defense.

The right wing stopped and Li You suddenly started, pretending to cut in and then suddenly turned around and ran back, returning to the three-point line. Gasol immediately made a side pass.

Li You just made a move to raise the ball, and Kobe gritted his teeth and rushed to defend. Amid the low cheers of the fans, the defense was out of position again.
He let go of the ball with his right hand and took a big step sideways. Noticing Kobe was chasing him again, he suddenly and quickly threw the ball, and with the force of the rebound, he took a step sideways and came to the right sideline.

Kobe came up to defend again and watched helplessly as Li You drifted in the air and shot the ball. As the basketball went into the net, the fans behind also quieted down.

22:10, as if it was a replica of the previous two games, the score difference gradually widened in the second half of the first quarter.

"There are still three quarters to go and he can't do anything!"

Li You, who was retreating along the sideline, did not forget to remind Nicholson who was shouting. The latter was obviously very angry about the Lakers' poor performance and turned his head to cheer Kobe again:
"Come on! Show him some color!"

"."

Kobe, who had been controlling his offensive desire, couldn't hold it anymore at this moment. Thinking that he hadn't scored a single point, a "fierce" expression appeared on his face.

In the offensive round, after Duncan passed the ball, he took the initiative to raise the screen position for Kobe. When Chandler rushed up immediately, Kobe, holding the ball in his right hand, accelerated laterally and did not choose to pass the ball.

The opportunity was fleeting, Chandler quickly returned to defense, and amid the cheers of the fans, he saw Li You actively turn his body sideways. Kobe immediately changed direction, switched to his left hand and forced acceleration.

Starting far away from the three-point line made Kobe run faster and faster. He felt that he was half a body length stronger. He broke through the middle, took three steps and wanted to swing his arms to dunk.

Odom stood in the left corner to keep Gasol away from the basket. Kobe flew up, holding his breath, gathering all his strength, grabbing the ball with his left hand, swinging his arm sideways, trying to exert full force!

"Oh!"

Amid cheers, Kobe's powerful dunk landed squarely in the hands of Li You who leaned forward to block the shot. As his right arm exerted force, the basketball flew out.

Kobe staggered out of the baseline and wanted to complain to the referee when he landed, but Odom had already committed a foul on the other side, disrupting the transition offense.

“You can’t do it!”

On the Knicks bench, Dio, waving a towel, laughed and followed JR Smith to mock Kobe who was passing by. The latter was so angry that he glared and only managed to calm down after hearing the shouting of the old man from KFC.

Duncan's mentality was a bit exploded when he retreated back to the half court. When the opponent was delayed, he should have easily received the ball:

"Pass the ball! Kobe!"

"Defense!."

The defensive cheers were much quieter than at the beginning. Some Los Angeles fans had realized something and were no longer in the mood to boo when they saw Li You playing pick-and-roll again at the top of the arc.

Kobe fiercely squeezed through Chandler's screen, and Duncan immediately slid to the left and back. Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, briefly broke away from the defense and suddenly slowed down.

Li You secretly stuck his butt out near the free throw line, and Kobe, who was chasing him, was knocked back slightly. Seeing Duncan bending over, Li You suddenly lowered his center of gravity again and dribbled the ball with his right hand almost touching the floor.

Fisher on the left wing gave a loud warning, and Li You suddenly accelerated, secretly dribbled the ball while moving, and then suddenly threw the ball into the air.

The basketball drew a huge arc, passed over Duncan's arm, and flew to the upper left side of the basket. Chandler, who was accelerating from behind, just jumped high.

Radmanovic, who came to assist in the basket, could only stop and watch Chandler grab the ball in the air and dunk it with both hands!

"what!!"

After pulling the basket hard, Chandler landed and shouted loudly. At this point, all five starting players of the Knicks had scored.

"Lee's 5th assist! God! The Lakers' defense seems to be collapsing again, and they don't seem to have any solution!"

The visible gap made Mike Breen sigh happily. Perhaps he remembered last year's finals and suddenly added:
"Duncan needs more help! This reminds me of Ginobili, whose breakthrough once gave the Knicks a headache. The Lakers need someone to play this role."

Kobe stopped the ball at the top of the arc and tried to dribble and break through to the left side when Duncan was covering him, but Li You accurately predicted his move, causing the offense to stagnate again.

"shush"

There was a sudden booing in the Staples Center. Duncan moved down to get into position, Kobe dribbled the ball behind his back, and facing Li You's nimble slide, he quickly pulled back under his crotch and almost lost control of the ball in his haste.

Fortunately, the referee blew the whistle in time and called a blocking foul on Li You. This seemed to be a clear signal that the defense could no longer be pressured.

When the Lakers kicked the ball out, Duncan was pushed to the left blocking area and received the ball with his back to the basket. Artest on the left wing suddenly came to assist in defense and was suddenly double-teamed. The referee blew the whistle again.

This time it was D'Antoni's turn to get angry. He accumulated two fouls in one round, and the mustache guy also started to glare:
"No one wants to watch free throws! Let the players decide the game!"

"oh!!"

Amid scattered cheers, Li You and Artest high-fived outside the three-point line. The double-digit lead made the emotions more stable, and all the Knicks players on the court were ready.

At the critical moment, Fisher received the sideline ball, suddenly broke through with the ball in his left hand, and his quick stop jump shot near the top of the arc helped the team score successfully.

24:12, the game time is still ticking, and some Lakers fans are already in despair.

Seeing Li You dribbling across half court with 8 seconds left, boos suddenly broke out in the Staples Center. Gasol, who was near the baseline on the right side, called on Chandler to continue screening, and the wing also began to move towards the bottom corner.

When Duncan followed out to defend, Kobe was still trying to cut the ball. When Chandler stood near the logo, Li You suddenly pulled the ball back, then dribbled between his legs very quickly on the spot, forcing Kobe to defend head-on.

Far away from the three-point line, Duncan chose to double-team in advance and ignored Chandler who was following closely. Seeing that the two were about to block him, Li You, who was dribbling with his right hand, suddenly straightened his body and pulled the ball back violently.

"Oh!"

Amid the exclamations of Lakers fans, the basketball instantly passed through Kobe's crotch, bounced back and landed accurately in Chandler's hands in the paint area. The latter caught the ball, turned around and jumped up, dunking again with both hands!

"What a wonderful assist! How did Lee do that? Incredible, a pass that almost went through half the court!"

Mike Breen exclaimed loudly, and the director gave the camera to Li You who was retreating with a smile, and then to Magic Johnson who was serious and shaking his head on the sidelines. With many wonderful assists, the Lakers were blown away.

Duncan quickly asked for the ball, then walked up the left low post and attacked the basket, making a fake pass, which attracted Gasol's help defense and assisted Odom to make a jump shot near the baseline on the right.

The Knicks quickly served the ball from the baseline, Kobe stepped forward to lead the defense, and at the moment when the opponent was on guard behind him, Li You received the ball and threw it with his left hand.

When the basketball flew out from Kobe's side, Li You suddenly turned around and accelerated, passing the ball, which made the fans behind him exclaim.

Kobe, who was fooled, chased after him fiercely, and accidentally saw O'Neal shaking his head and making exaggerated expressions. His mentality suddenly exploded and he completely lost his composure.
After a full-scale defense, Kobe successfully got to Li You's side at the top of the arc. Seemingly realizing that the boss was in a bad mood, Radmanovic on the right wing moved ahead.

Just as expected, as Li You made an abrupt stop and dribbled the ball behind his back, followed by continuous dribbling between his legs and shaking continuously, Kobe was directly broken through again, and Radmanovic decisively swiped the card to assist in defense.

When he was about to be blocked by two people, Li You passed the ball to the right wing. Artest received the ball and faked it, deceiving Radmanovic who was desperately returning to defense, and missed the long two-point jump shot!
Mike Breen in the commentary booth secretly said what a shame, and when he saw the situation on the court, he suddenly exclaimed:
"God! Li is flying!"

At the bottom right side of the basket, Duncan was still struggling with Chandler, trapping the other man firmly behind him. When he saw the basketball hit the basket and bounce out, he immediately jumped up to grab the ball. However, just as he was about to touch the basketball, a strong force hit him from the side.

Li You seemed to have predicted his teammate's miss and rushed to the basket after passing the ball. Kobe seemed to want to make a fast break, and one of them rushed across the three-point line and the other rushed into the paint area, but they just missed each other.

As Duncan was pushed out of the baseline, Li You grabbed the ball with his right hand in the air and pressed it into the basket!
Duncan, who looked back in embarrassment, and Li You, who landed and pounded his chest, formed a sharp contrast. Staples Center suddenly turned into a library, with only the Knicks bench waving towels and celebrating wildly.

The boos in the arena made Kobe's face darken as he almost ran across half the court. Li You seemed to be omnipotent tonight.
"Kobe's performance was disappointing! He seemed completely lost. It's unbelievable that he kept making wrong choices!" "It was difficult for him to get rid of Lee in offense. His explosiveness seemed to have completely disappeared with his age. If it was just this kind of performance, then the Lakers' finals would be over."

Van Gundy was no longer polite and directly pointed the finger at Kobe. Mark Jackson, while paying attention to the Lakers' offense, followed suit and joked:
"I believe in Kobe's scoring ability, maybe he will explode soon!"

Odom's screen didn't have much effect. Kobe, holding the ball in his left hand, accelerated laterally and forced a breakthrough in the face of Gasol and Li You's blockade. The referee blew the whistle again.

Kobe threw the ball casually and finally got the free throw, but no one was cheering for him at the scene.

In the remaining two minutes of the first quarter, the Staples Center became increasingly quiet. No one exclaimed when they saw Li You break through the siege of Odom and Kobe on the right sideline.

The defense failed, and when Li You found Raja Bell in the left corner, the latter made another three-pointer despite Fisher's block. The fans in the back began to cover their faces, and the home team collapsed.

Raja Bell is jumping up and down excitedly. This year's opponent is a paper tiger. In terms of positional pressure, this is much easier than defending Ginobili.
The widening score difference made the Lakers' offense a one-shot deal. Duncan received the ball in the right blocking area and broke into the basket but missed. He turned around and tried desperately to defend and interfered with Gasol's layup.

Kobe Bryant came to the right wing in the counterattack and was surrounded. Raja Bell successfully cut the ball and was fouled, but he didn't care and continued to taunt loudly:

"Pass the ball, man! You can't change the game!"

"."

When Kobe's second free throw hit the rim and bounced out, boos rang out again. Then Odom committed another foul. Phil Jackson, who was standing on the sidelines, replaced the ball with PJ Brown only after being reminded by the coaching staff.

When Gasol was setting a screen at the top of the arc again, Kobe, with a sullen face, made a wrong prediction and was dribbled past again by Li You's sudden change of direction.

PJ Brown, who had just come on the court, had not yet reacted when Li You made a jump shot from the top of the arc.

"Shh!"

The Lakers fans who broke through the defense started a new round of booing. Li You, who was retreating, put his right hand to his ear, and the booing became even louder.

The Lakers completely lost their offensive rhythm. Radmanovic on the right wing got the ball and rushed forward, but was blocked by Chandler. The Knicks also let themselves go. Artest missed the three-pointer from the left wing.

The two sides exchanged blows until Li You pushed the ball and turned around in a counterattack, causing Kobe to foul and stand on the free throw line. The "long" first quarter of the game came to an end.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The noise grew louder and louder, and the Lakers fans in Los Angeles rebelled on the spot and started shouting desperately. Everyone knew that it would be difficult for the Lakers to reverse the game.

As Li You made both free throws, Kobe missed a long three-pointer in the final moments. The buzzing sound brought the Lakers fans at the scene back to their senses, followed by another round of boos.

37:19, such a crucial G3 seemed to be over just as it began.

“Where are the best players?”

Artest, who squeezed next to Li You, shouted repeatedly, but unfortunately no one responded. The Knicks atmosphere team was smiling happily, and there was no difference between away games and home games.

The director's camera was always focused on Li You and Kobe. One returned to the bench and talked and laughed with his teammates, while the other took the towel and threw it on the floor, making the team atmosphere even more silent.

Soon, the fans watching in front of the TV saw the statistics of the core players. On the screen, Kobe and Li You were both pumping their fists in celebration, but the statistics below were completely different:
“5中0，三分线外1中0，罚球4中3，3分1篮板1失误。”

“7中6，三分线外3中2，罚球3中3，17分5篮板7助攻1抢断2盖帽。”

As the protagonist of tonight, ABC, as the broadcaster, took advantage of the intermission to continuously replay the highlights of the matchup between Kobe and Li You. There were many wonderful shots in one quarter, which is rare.

Before the start of the second quarter, as usual, Michelle Tafoya interviewed the visiting team's head coach. D'Antoni smiled from ear to ear and anyone could see that he was in a good mood.

"Mike! The Knicks played a perfect game again, Lee filled the stat column, was this the game plan you guys made?"

“We all know how good Lee is, but it’s still incredible to see him dominate the game on both ends of the floor!”

"The coaching staff only needs to sit on the bench and enjoy the performance of the GOAT tonight. There is no doubt that this is Lee's night, and I believe that the fans in Los Angeles will cheer for such a performance!"

Tafoya nodded repeatedly. Although she has covered the finals for many years, it is still difficult to see Lee always guarding the opponent's core players:

"Lee's defense is excellent. Will Kobe have an explosion in the next game?"

"Kobe is a great player, but I just want to wish him good luck tonight."

The man with a mustache ended the interview with a smile. With an 18-point lead, the Knicks were sure to win. He returned to his seat and made a tactical retreat. During the rotation phase, Gasol took the lead in leading the team.

On the Lakers side, Vujacic replaced Fisher, and the other four starters were there. Phil Jackson chose to stick with the main players, and if they were not used again, there would be no chance.

In the Staples Center, some fans sitting in the front rows had become numb. They no longer had the excitement they had at the start of the game and all watched the game in silence with sullen faces.

The first attack was accompanied only by the sound of music. Kobe dribbled the ball across half court, faced JR Smith, changed direction in front of his body, held the ball in his right hand, and accelerated.

After slowing down near the right blocking area, Kobe immediately stopped, ignoring the block, twisted his body, and made a fade away jump shot!
The beautiful shot finally made the die-hard fans at the scene cheer. Kobe, with his teeth bared, punched repeatedly. Now he just wanted to let go and attack fiercely.
Prince, who served the ball from the baseline, simply reminded his teammates, and Rondo then realized that Kobe was about to defend him. It was obvious that the opponent was picking on the weak.

When the Knicks attacked, Kobe returned to the half court and shrank within the three-point line. Rondo did not take a hasty shot, but instead directed Gazuric to screen for JR Smith in the right corner.

Vujacic chased hard, but JR Smith, who received the ball from the outside, didn't find a chance and immediately passed it back to Rondo after receiving it.

Kobe directed his teammates, Radmanovic defended Prince, who then moved sideways to protect the ball after receiving it, and then threw the ball steadily to Gasol who was in the low post on the left side with his back to the basket.

After receiving the ball, Gasol turned his body sideways and forced Odom to move backwards by continuous attacks. Seeing that the opponent was about to approach the paint area, Kobe immediately moved to assist in defense.

Rondo followed the movement and suddenly accelerated to cut into the middle. When he received the pass, Kobe turned around to defend and raised his left arm, "locking across the river" and suddenly hit Rondo in the face.

"Oh!"

Seeing the newbie lying on the ground, covering his nose and with blood seemingly appearing on his hands, some fans gasped in approval, while others suddenly cheered loudly.

Kobe still maintained a fierce expression, which made JR Smith outside the three-point line furious. He rushed forward with a curse:

"***! Bullying a rookie piece of shit."

The two men immediately started pushing each other. Kobe, who was already furious, continued to punch after being held back by Vujacic. The Staples Center became lively again at this moment, and Lakers fans stood up to show their support!
Referee Joe Crawford rushed into the crowd immediately, separated the two, and saw that Gazuric was still struggling with Odom, so he blew the whistle again.

Everyone on the Knicks bench stood up. After checking, the team doctor signaled D'Antoni to make a substitution. Then everyone carried Rondo and quickly walked towards the player tunnel.

Rondo, who was covering his nose with a towel, had no expression on his face. The director switched the screen to the Lakers locker room, where Ariza was still lying in the physical therapy room. He seemed to have a bandage around his waist and a painful expression on his face.

“Obviously there was some heat on both sides, but this was not a smart foul!”

"Lee will return early, which is a test for Kobe. I hope he can make the right choice."

When Van Gundy saw Li You taking off his training suit and walking to the technical table, he could only make euphemistic comments. Mark Jackson obviously wanted to have fun and fanned the flames again:

"Maybe Kobe has found his offensive form again."

Prince, who was preparing to take a sideline ball, received instructions and immediately threw the ball to Li You, who was leaning sideways on the right wing to ask for the ball. On the other side of the court, D'Antoni was still arguing with the referee, and suddenly there was an exclamation in the stadium again.

Li You, who received the ball, just shook his shoulders back, and without waiting for Kobe to react, he quickly turned around, leaned back in the air and shot quickly.
Kobe's blindfold defense seemed to have no effect, the basketball drew an arc and fell accurately into the basket.

40:21, the outrageous goal made Staples Center quiet again.

"OMG! How did Lee throw the ball? It seemed like a routine tactic and Prince didn't look surprised."

Mark Jackson couldn't help but call out to God, and at the same time looked at Van Gundy, as if he wanted to get more inside information. The outdated champion coach pretended to know everything and quickly explained:

"This is Lee's regular shooting range! A good shooter doesn't need to see the basket to shoot!"

JR Smith's noisy defense made Vujacic very uncomfortable. When he crossed half court, he took advantage of Duncan's screen for Kobe and quickly made a ground pass.

The quality of the pass was so poor that Kobe, who had briefly broken away from the defense, had to readjust when he received the ball. As soon as he turned around in the right elbow area, Li You came up to defend him.

Seeing the boss waving, Vujacic ran to the bottom corner and quickly slipped across the baseline. After Kobe took a simple tentative step, he immediately put the ball in his right hand, lowered his shoulder and accelerated, relying on Li Youqiang to break through the basket.

He barely squeezed into the lower right side of the basket. Continuous confrontation caused Kobe's movements to be completely deformed after he jumped up. He tilted his body in the air and threw the ball out with his right hand.

"state"

The basketball bounced high, and Duncan tipped the ball behind Gazuric's head, but the second rebound was caught by Gasol's long arms, who held the ball firmly in his arms. Odom's sneak attack from behind also did not work.

The immediate defensive effect silenced many Lakers fans again. Everyone watched quietly as Li You received the ball and continued to accelerate along the left sideline.

The Lakers retreated very quickly. Duncan kept giving loud commands under the basket. Kobe on the left wing tried hard to control the defensive distance, lowering his center of gravity while staring at Li You's movements.

When approaching the three-point line, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly slowed down and moved the ball under his crotch with one hand while moving.

Before Kobe realized something was wrong, the moment the basketball flew backwards, Li You suddenly twisted his body, touched the ball with his left hand again, and took the ball forward with a big move.

"Look at the moves from Lee!"

"OH——!"

The moment he passed Kobe, Mike Breen in the commentary booth was already excited. Amid his exclamations, Li You broke through to the basket in the blink of an eye.

Facing Duncan who was assisting in defense, Li You held the ball with his left hand and threw it towards the backboard. The referee blew the whistle and the basketball hit the backboard and went into the net.

"I'm just warming up!"

As Li You walked towards the free throw line, he shook his head and looked at Duncan, shouting "I'm just warming up." Kobe, who was ignored, had a grim look on his face and was almost furious.

43:21, Li You made the free throw steadily. On the Lakers bench, Fisher stared with his eyes wide open, and his bad premonition became even stronger.

The score difference of more than 20 points made the cheers completely disappear. The Lakers fans at the scene seemed to be cursing, and the whole stadium became more and more noisy.

Kobe received the ball on the right wing and immediately started a pick-and-roll with Duncan. Gazuric quickly delayed the defense and Li You also successfully squeezed through the defense.

Kobe passed the ball to Duncan in time. The quality of this pass was very good. Gasol, who switched to defense, was squeezed into the paint area by Duncan.

Prince rotated to guard next to Odom in the interior, and realizing that the opponent's defense was shrinking, Duncan did not force the attack, but calmly found Vujacic who was unguarded on the left wing.

Gazuric was a beat slow in his rotation and defense, and he flew sideways. Vujacic missed the shot again in the crucial round, and the basketball was awfully crooked, hitting the backboard and bouncing into Gasol's arms.

"Shet!"

Phil Jackson on the sidelines cursed under his breath and spread his hands toward the bench in disbelief. He had completely lost his usual calm demeanor and his face began to turn red.

On the Knicks bench, several people covered their faces with towels and began to laugh quietly. Only Artest grinned widely, not caring about the emotions of the fans at the scene at all, and laughed his whole body.

"Shh!"

Kobe Bryant, who returned to defense amid boos, was helpless and furious, and kept interfering, but Li You advanced very quickly, and with a sudden stop and start, he almost got rid of the defense.

The ball stopped again when approaching the left wing. Li You quickly turned around after dribbling the ball, switched to his right hand, and threw the ball to Prince who was waiting at the top of the arc, then immediately moved sideways.

When Gasol moved up again, he called Gazuric to follow him to the top line again. Kobe, who was defending on the right wing, noticed the movement behind him and quickly adjusted his defensive position.

Li You, who received the pass from Prince, did not wait for his teammates to cover him. He released the ball with his right hand and broke through cleanly.

Kobe gritted his teeth and slid, desperately chasing and defending. Duncan also strode back to defend the basket. Odom also started to move. Li Youkong, who rushed to the lower right side of the basket, suddenly curled up in the air.

The whole person glided along the baseline, avoiding the blocks of Kobe and Duncan, and rushed to the lower left side of the basket. Odom widened his eyes when he jumped up and pulled in the air. Li You still tilted his body and threw the ball with his right hand.

"squeak!"

The whistle sounded, the basketball spun and hit the backboard and bounced into the basket. Li You slid to the floor to relieve the force, and finally he lay in a "Tai" shape at the baseline and clenched his fists to celebrate!
Watching the Knicks rushing up to Li You and shouting in celebration, Odom put his hands on his hips and looked up at the basket, looking extremely frustrated:

'We can't do it'

"What a fool!"

When Kobe heard his teammates' whispers, he immediately glared and shouted, his expression distorted. He walked to the three-point line, signaled to the coaching staff to let Fisher return to the court, and then leaned on his knees and gasped.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The quiet arena made the cheers for MVP particularly loud. As Li You made another free throw, the Lakers simply requested a timeout.

After coming on the court, he scored 9 points in a row. His personal performance made the Knicks team cheer. JR Smith was afraid that the camera could not find him, so he shouted to the fans:

"God is wearing number 1 tonight!"

46:21, the game seemed to be entering garbage time again.

Taking advantage of the pause, the director turned the camera to Will Smith, who was in the front row behind the basket. The Hollywood actor who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor last year was covering his mouth with one hand, completely losing the smile he had before the game.

For Lakers fans, the "cruel" show continued for the rest of the half.

Kobe arched to the left low post and turned around to make a fadeaway jumper, but was blocked by Li You, helping the Knicks to counterattack. Prince received a long pass and made a layup;
Attacking again, Kobe held the ball in his left hand and tried to stop and fade away in the left elbow area, but was interfered by Li You and still missed the shot. Duncan fought for the frontcourt rebound and got the free throw. He made one of two free throws, which made the Lakers fans feel desperate.

Phil Jackson's loud shouts were completely useless. Kobe was unable to shake off Li You on the court and kept jumping out to receive the ball. He was either forced to stop or surrounded by two people.

As the number of fouls accumulated rapidly, the Knicks attacked more and more aggressively.

JR Smith missed a three-pointer from the right wing, and the long rebound was picked up by Li You. Kobe, who broke through the defense, fouled on the spot and sent a free throw directly.
"It's over, Lee killed the game in the second quarter! GOAT showed unparalleled dominance in this year's finals!"

"After losing his explosiveness, Kobe had a hard time scoring under Lee's defense, but he tried his best and he was working hard to win!"

Not only were the Lakers fans at the scene silent, but Van Gundy also didn't speak for several minutes in the commentary booth. This time he praised Kobe because the Lakers were in such a miserable state.

"Don't provoke Lee! Kobe doesn't look ready yet. I think this is a combination of physical and technical crushing."

"Lee is stronger than we've seen, and it's incredible how agile he is and how few mistakes he makes in defensive positioning."

"This year's finals made me realize a different Lee again. God is wearing the No. 1 jersey tonight!"

Mark Jackson also followed suit and praised loudly. The two no longer talked about the game in detail. The Lakers were destined to be defeated in the first half.

With more than three minutes left in the first half, Li You finally missed a mid-range pull-up jump shot in the right blocking area. Duncan seized the opportunity and stood on the free throw line again, which made the Lakers fans cheer again.

Regrettably, Duncan failed to stand out. Like several other players, apart from free throws, he only scored a field goal at the basket in the final moments.

Kobe Bryant disappointed the fans at the scene. Near the end of the half, he relied on a fast break counterattack to help the Lakers narrow the gap.
71:34, the Lakers only scored 15 points in the second quarter. When everyone walked towards the player tunnel, they all lowered their heads and walked away quickly.

Li You, wearing a towel, kept high-fiving the team staff. On both sides of the player tunnel, many fans who had defected stretched out their arms and shouted their names:

"It's not over yet! There are still 6 quarters to go!"

In the player tunnel, when Li You shouted "6th quarter of the game", some sports reporters started to make a noise. They didn't care about the "tragedy" and the more fun they had, the better.

ABC broadcasters began to review the second quarter's "match" between Li You and Kobe for the fans in front of the TV:
Li You received the ball and broke through again and again, turning Kobe into a sieve in the second quarter. In most rounds, he passed Kobe with one step, attacked the basket, and made quick stop jump shots. Even if the defense was in place, the basketball still went into the net accurately.

On the other side, Kobe continued to miss shots. In some rounds, he kept moving around, but he just couldn't get rid of Li You. His low-post shots were ineffective, and his jump shots facing the basket missed. He looked extremely embarrassed.

“12中2，三分线外2中0，罚球8中5，9分3篮板1助攻2失误。”

“15中12，三分线外5中3，罚球7中7，34分7篮板9助攻2抢断2盖帽。”

During the half-time break, when the young fans in front of the TV saw the core player data displayed by ABC, they flocked to Reddit to start the debate, and the onlookers on Twitter also left messages under Li You's account.

Li You's draw with the Lakers at halftime also made the commentators crazy. Such an outrageous G3 quickly broke the circle. Even though the game lost suspense, the online fans who did not pay attention to basketball also switched channels.

In the home team's locker room, the Lakers staff refused to be filmed, and the reporters gathered outside the passage were arguing loudly. No one wanted to miss such rare material.

But Phil Jackson stood in front of everyone, took off his glasses, rubbed his red eyes, looked at everyone and said in a deep voice:

"I don't want to be laughed at. In the second half, we will fight for honor!"

"It was a shitty half. Yes, we lost, but the game isn't over yet. The fans in Los Angeles are still watching you."

"Listen, fight like a man"

Duncan had already discovered that his opponents were "encircling" him. In the first half, the Lakers only made 8 of 1 three-pointers. Thinking of his teammates who missed shots, a look of frustration appeared on his face.

Seeing Duncan's eyes wide open, no one in the atmosphere group spoke, and PJ Brown even slumped in his seat. He was no longer interested in listening to chicken soup for the soul.

Only Kobe seemed to have not given up. He gave off an aura of "keep away from strangers" and stared straight at the whiteboard in front of him with his lips pursed.

When the Lakers left the locker room, some sports reporters in the corridor were shouting Kobe's name. Michelle Tafoya was unable to interview the players. In front of the camera, she could only talk about injuries:

"Trevor Ariza is confirmed to be unable to return to this game, and there is no definite news about Rajon Rondo at the moment."

"We can expect some adjustments from the Lakers in the second half."

The Los Angeles fans at the scene had already started swearing, and just as the third quarter began, Li You squeezed next to Kobe.

Kobe received a shot from the right side of the defense zone, and was chased by Li You at the three-point line. He continued to dribble between his legs but still failed to shake off the defense. When Kobe "hit the wall", the fans at the scene couldn't hold back:

"Shhh!!"

Holding the ball in his left hand and accelerating sideways, Kobe tried to get rid of the pursuit with the help of Odom's screen, and then found Gasol's big delay. Seeing Li You also chasing him from the side, he finally had difficulty dribbling the ball in the air.

The basketball passed by Gasol, and Duncan tried to bend down to catch the ball in the paint area, but he still lost control of the ball under Chandler's top defense.

When Artest got the ball before Radmanovich, the boos in the arena grew louder and louder. The game was too ugly.
In the first round, Li You set the defensive tone. Although the Lakers began to double-team and the Knicks missed shots one after another, everyone on the court was in a stable mood and everyone firmly believed that the next attack would hit the target.

Kobe was desperately pursued by Li You, and his continuous requests for the ball made the Lakers' offensive rhythm slower and slower.

In the ABC commentary booth, Van Gundy began to sigh quietly. He did not expect Li You to still defend hard until now. Both sides did not score for several rounds. He could only comment again in a tactful way:
"According to the current offensive rhythm, it will be difficult for the Lakers to narrow the gap. They need more counterattacks and three-pointers."

"The Knicks are shrinking their defense, and someone has to step up to help Tim Duncan."

The referee awarded another free throw. Chandler, who committed a hand foul, stood by the paint area and smiled. He was already enjoying the game.
Duncan missed both free throws due to his frustration. For a moment, the Lakers fans at the scene were completely desperate. Now they just wanted to lose a few points less.

The Knicks passed the ball patiently, and when Li You caught the ball again at the top of the arc, he casually threw the ball to the upper left side of the basket. Artest, who cut into the basket from the right corner, scooped the ball in the air and poked it into the net.

"Lee's 10th assist, he has a chance to get a triple-double tonight! What an incredible performance!"

While Mark Jackson was praising him, he was still worried about Li You's rebounds. However, when he saw the Knicks' "sewer" tactics later, he fell silent for a while.

On the defensive end, Chandler and Gasol kept "blocking the ball". In the offensive rounds, Li You also kept fighting for frontcourt rebounds, which allowed the Knicks, whose shooting percentage had dropped, to suppress their opponents again.

The frequent physical confrontations caused the referee to blow the whistle from time to time, and the slowly rising score caused the fans in the screaming seats to quietly leave the stadium.

Less than half a quarter into the game, the Knicks bench rejoiced again as Li You grabbed the rebound and got a triple-double!
Li You put more energy into the defensive end and only shot from beyond the three-point line in the second half of the game. When the whole team gave up, only Kobe was still trying.

Until Phil Jackson couldn't stand it anymore and requested a timeout again. He shook his head and waved his hands, signaling the atmosphere team to come on the court. After Jordan Farmar and others came on the court, the third quarter ended quickly.

29:22 in a single quarter, ignoring 14 free throws, the Lakers played their best performance tonight
The camera frequently focused on Kobe on the bench. He did not score 40 points. He made 20 of 5 shots, 2 of 0 from beyond the three-point line, and 12 of 8 free throws. His current score is 18 points.

No one knows what kind of emotions Kobe, with his head covered with a towel, was feeling at this moment, but on the other side, the Knicks were celebrating Li You's triple-double, which made the Lakers fans feel sad.

After the last quarter, Mike Breen couldn't help but sigh when he noticed Kobe was on the court again:
"Kobe has earned the respect of the fans! Until this moment, he still hasn't given up the game!"

100:56, the Knicks were already led by Barea, Kobe still insisted on defense, with a determined look on his face, and kept giving loud instructions to his teammates.

Perhaps Kobe's persistence touched the fans at the scene. The Staples Center once again heard defensive cheers, and many people had tears in their eyes. Their finals were over, and the day after tomorrow, their rivals would win the trophy.
JR Smith's shooting touch was poor tonight. He wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to strike out with heavy punches, but he missed the shots repeatedly, allowing his opponent to launch continuous counterattacks.

Fortunately, as the game progressed, Dio and David Lee scored consecutively, stabilizing the score difference and allowing rookie Thaddeus Young to feel the away atmosphere of the finals.

With 4 minutes and 43 seconds left in the game, Kobe was substituted off the court. Applause broke out in the Staples Center at this moment, and the atmosphere group also stood up to show their respect:

"Boss, you tried your best!"

Duncan sat in his seat and kept staring at the floor. This was not the finals he expected. Tonight he was suppressed by his old rival in all aspects.

He thought Li You had given his all in the past. After this match, Duncan realized that he was influenced by the commentators and was blindly optimistic.
The game time passed quickly, and when the final buzzer sounded, Staples Center was half empty, with only the fun people and the Knicks celebrating.

128:82, the Lakers suffered a crushing defeat at home, falling behind 0:3, and the series lost suspense.

Kobe, wearing a towel, stood up expressionlessly, without even looking at the staff and reporters, and walked quickly towards the player tunnel.

Duncan was not in the mood to shake hands and left quickly with his teammates. The cheers in the arena were particularly harsh. Basketball had only brought him "pain" in the past few years.

On the other side, Lee You-jung, wearing a Knicks training uniform, high-fived the cheering fans with a smile on his face. This made the crowd even more excited, and they soon started shouting again:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

According to the plan, Kobe was supposed to be interviewed, but he left the player tunnel early, so Michelle Tafoya could only squeeze next to Li You. The Knicks had already started celebrating the championship, and the bench was particularly lively.

“李，恭喜伱再次赢下比赛！46分11篮板12助攻3抢断2盖帽1失误，这是你总决赛第三次拿到三双数据！”

"How would you rate your performance in tonight's game?"

Seeing his old friend looking up at him, Li You chuckled and simply gave himself a score for his performance:
"I can only give myself a 9! We lost our offensive rhythm in the third quarter, and that's my problem!"

"But I am really happy to get a triple-double in Los Angeles. The Knicks have failed here before. Playing in this city always gives me extra motivation."

Michelle Tafoya saw that many people were waiting for Li You, so she stopped interviewing him and finally asked with a smile:

"Are you ready for your 10th championship the day after tomorrow?"

“Of course, I love lifting the O’Brien Cup here.”

Li You smiled and gave an affirmative answer. Jack Nicholson came over to hug him and soon all the celebrity guests at the scene started to join in the fun. The winner always gets preferential treatment.

In the upper box of the Staples Center, James Dolan was grinning from ear to ear amid the compliments, while old Buss forced a smile, pretending not to care about winning or losing, and continued to chat and laugh with his visiting friends.

Jeanie Buss noticed that after the game, Phil Jackson sat on the bench for a long time without getting up, and she felt a little sad for a moment.

"Don't make that expression! Jenny, you have to tell those damn reporters that we are very satisfied with the team's performance!"

"Tell the fans again that we will still go all out in the next game and we will win at home."

Old Bass, holding the glass, whispered angrily and drank the whiskey with ice in one gulp. Still feeling unhappy, Jenny Bass nodded and said nothing more, but sighed in her heart:

“Is there still a chance to win?”

At the Knicks' press conference after the game, sports reporters naturally praised Li You crazily and ridiculed Kobe's performance tonight.

In the fourth quarter, Kobe made 4 of 6 shots, including 3 of 3 from beyond the three-point line and 1 of 2 free throws. He scored 1 points in half a quarter, bringing his total score to 8 points, which is also the highest individual score in the series so far.

Unfortunately, Kobe only shot 26 of 8, with a hit rate of %, which made it difficult for him to get the respect he deserved. No one remembered that he tried his best in the game, and most reporters cheered for his poor performance.

Kobe did not appear at the press conference, perhaps because he was very disappointed with his performance, and left early after the game.

When the Lakers players went home, Vanessa was unable to wait for Kobe in the parking lot. When she asked other players and heard that Kobe had left early, she was stunned for a moment.

Magic Johnson kept comforting Phil Jackson in the locker room after the game. The old man from KFC broke through the defense this time and was so frustrated that he burst into tears.

Seeing Vanessa in the player tunnel, asking questions to the staff, Magic Johnson stepped forward to listen to her, then smiled and comforted her briefly:

"Don't worry, I roughly know where Kobe is!"

As the two men walked quickly towards the stadium, the Lakers staff in front of them couldn't help but hold their foreheads and said sorry. After the game, old Buss lost his temper and everyone forgot to notify the family.

The lights in the Staples Center were dimmed. Kobe, wearing his training suit, shot silently by himself, only cursing when he missed.

Magic Johnson took off his suit jacket and walked to the half court, picked up a basketball and threw it into the basket casually. Seeing Kobe's gaze, he shrugged his shoulders and said in a deep voice:
"You were impatient, reckless, and you lost the rhythm of the game from the first game!"

"Don't deny it, I watched all the games and it's unbelievable that you're 30 years old and you can still perform like this."

"Lee can 'see' after entering the league. You can't do these things. The opponent knows that you can't pass the ball, so they can always make successful defense."

Kobe, who smashed the ball hard, no longer concealed his emotions. He seemed particularly frustrated at this moment and complained in a deep voice:

"When I left New York, I texted Michael. I wanted to get help from him. I wanted to know how to win the game."

"He told me that only time can defeat Lee!"

"We had a fight, and everyone was pessimistic about me. I worked hard every day, and I threw myself into the training hall, but now they all treat me as a joke."

"."

Kobe gradually raised his voice and finally couldn't control his emotions. He began to choke up while speaking. He was beaten one-on-one, and what made him feel desperate was the physical gap.

The players lying flat wouldn't have such emotions. Looking at Kobe with red eyes, Magic Johnson put away all the suggestions he had, showed his signature smile and started to "cook chicken soup":
"Listen, man! You're not even 30 yet. Maybe Lee won the first 10 years, but that doesn't mean he'll win the next 10!"

"He is very strong, but his body will also age. Believe me, you are far superior to him in terms of self-discipline."

"Those blondes will eventually make his body explode, you know, I have the most experience with this."

Looking at Kobe who was listening attentively, Magic Johnson stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, tilted his head, indicated that Vanessa was on the sidelines, and then encouraged him again:

"Have a good rest, win the game the day after tomorrow, and don't let down the fans who support you!"

"Remember to call Duncan. This is your first season together. Like I said, time is on your side!"

Kobe felt much better after venting his emotions. After saying thank you, he left with Magic Johnson. Vanessa went up to her husband and hugged him, whispering to him:
"Forget about the game, let's go home and have a drink."

On the morning of June 6, the Los Angeles Times praised Kobe's fighting spirit and also revealed that Kobe practiced until late at night after the loss. For a time, many die-hard fans said, "The boss tried his best."

It was a rare occasion that he didn't get up early. When it was almost 8 o'clock, Kobe, who was preparing to have breakfast, spent a long time looking for a newspaper. Finally, he saw today's Los Angeles Times on the sofa in the living room.

In addition to the exaggerated report, Kobe soon saw another piece of news, and his calm mood disappeared instantly:
"Shaquille O'Neal spent a lot of dollars last night! He kept yelling 'You can't do anything without me' while drunk."

Kobe became angrier and angrier. When he saw the news about Li You, he was furious:

"We didn't win enough. I hope to break the record in Game 4. This is a gift to the New York fans."

Although there was no photo of Li You attending the press conference in the newspaper, just seeing this passage made Kobe's mind involuntarily emerge with that smiling face.

Under the surprised gaze of Vanessa and his eldest daughter, the angry Kobe tore the newspaper into pieces. He seemed to still feel unsatisfied and immediately cursed:
"Shit! What a shitty gift!!"

(End of this chapter)