On sunday, June 8, 2008, the carnival for New York fans was still ongoing!
With the Yankees' "ugly baseball" in full swing, casual fans flocked to the NBA camp.
Giants Stadium would host a World Cup qualifier tonight, but the Team USA was highly likely to lose to Argentina.
If not for the expensive tickets at Madison Square Garden, most New York fans would prefer to attend a basketball party.
The Finals had turned into a carnival, with reduced competitiveness and greatly increased entertainment.
This situation was largely due to Kobe Bryant's "excellent" performance!
Previously, the New York Post's sports news was relatively serious, but this morning's article, "TIME TO STEP UP, Mr. Best," made fans laugh out loud.
"It's time to step up, Mr. Best!"
The Post's columnist suddenly got creative, meticulously analyzing the Lakers' advantages and concluding with the key to victory:
"40+10, Kobe Bryant needs a double-double to lead his team to victory."
A serious analysis, yet it yielded an impossible stat line.
When ESPN's Sports Center excerpted this report at noon, the studio was filled with laughter.
The most abstract was the New York Times, which, immediately after Game 1 of the Finals, published an article titled "No You Can't."
Combined with Obama's frequent "Yes We Can" statements while fundraising in Manhattan, even casual fans found it amusing.
Kobe had become everyone's comedian, and people began to anticipate his performance in Game 2.
World Cup qualifiers, the NBA Finals—there was always something for sports fans, and with this year's election, June 2008 was even more exciting than previous years.
Reddit was also very lively.
New York fans revisited history, recalling how Allen Iverson once declared, "I am the best player in the league."
When educating new fans, they didn't forget to tease their old rival:
"Kobe Bryant is about to become the next Allen Iverson."
Whenever a player was down on his luck, the washed-up Allen Iverson would be brought out.
In a way, the Son of Philadelphia should thank Clay Lee.
As long as Lee was active in the league, Allen Iverson would be mentioned.
Being famous for the wrong reasons was still fame.
So many players were forgotten by fans after they faded, but only the Son of Philadelphia went against the current!
In the afternoon, some casual fans discovered Lee had updated his Twitter, causing a surge in traffic:
"Prize quiz, how many points will Mr. Best score tonight?"
This tweet almost caused Twitter's servers to crash.
Even Los Angeles fans commented and left messages, a chaotic scene as if everyone was just watching the show.
The Finals attracted many young casual fans to register for this social media platform.
As an investor, Lee was absolutely raking it in!
Old-school sports commentators were bewildered.
After Game 1, no one analyzed tactics, no one discussed matchups.
Fans were all comparing Excel spreadsheets, wildly mocking Kobe's performance.
The NBA had always had an entertainment aspect, but this year, the entertainment seemed amplified.
The market for professional articles was further compressed, and "mindless" emotional output received unprecedented attention.
Although Boston lost, it didn't miss out on the Finals' buzz.
The Boston Herald began digging into history again, educating fans on how Ray Allen once evaluated Kobe:
"Kobe Bryant is just a lucky guy. After Shaq left, he couldn't achieve much!"
"It's even hard for him to do much in the playoffs. In less than 2 years, he'll be shouting at Jerry Buss, 'I need help! Or trade me!'"
"I don't want to lie, all players in the league know this."
At that time, Ray Allen was still playing for the Seattle SuperSonics.
Kobe later responded, "No one pays attention to Ray Allen's games. He just wants to attract media attention. I understand he's jealous of my achievements."
Their war of words was an old story, but now it was dug up again.
Combined with Kobe's trade request, Ray Allen's remarks at the time were truly those of a "great prophet."
Boston sports reporters dug into Kobe's statements from the past few years, and other regions did the same.
More and more boomerang effects, Kobe's poor performance sparked a new round of "crusade."
In this entertaining atmosphere, TNT, which didn't have the Finals broadcasting rights, could only watch helplessly.
Game 1 of the Finals saw a significant increase in viewership compared to last year.
ESPN and ABC were ecstatic!
The Lakers and the Knicks met again.
Although Game 1 had a lot of garbage time, viewership only started to decline towards the end of the 4th quarter.
From 10:45 PM to 11:30 PM Eastern Time, the average viewership reached 10.0, while in the first quarter, it peaked at 11.4, which was completely different from last year's struggle to reach 10.0.
The clash of big markets made the broadcasters' advertisers very satisfied.
Even David Stern, in an interview, smiled for the first time in a while.
After the betting scandal, the NBA rebounded strongly, which was definitely the best outcome!
Game 2 of the Finals would start tonight at 9 PM. At 7:30 PM, there was also a World Cup qualifier.
Considering the progress of the game, fans would be able to seamlessly transition after watching that match.
In the evening, TNT was also warming up for the Finals.
Everyone was going crazy.
The trio suddenly seemed outdated.
Twitter was more interesting than Facebook, and social media made them feel a certain "threat."
Perhaps simply analyzing the game was no longer enough to attract fans' attention.
This time, the show invited Kevin Garnett.
As the leader of the The Big Four, his interpretation of the game was more convincing.
In the studio, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith, as usual, appeared in black suits.
When Kevin Garnett entered wearing a loose gray casual outfit, the staff cheered.
Garnett, with his goatee, smiled brightly, his silver earrings particularly striking.
He seemed to have recovered from the Eastern Conference Finals defeat.
After hugging and greeting the two, Garnett sat next to Ernie Johnson and waved to the camera again.
It wasn't until Charles Barkley appeared that he instinctively gasped:
"God! No! Man!"
Unlike his usual formal attire, Barkley was dressed in athletic wear.
He wore a gray compression shirt, newly released by Under Armour, but the prominent chest muscles and six-pack abs shown in the advertisement had turned into a "blob."
He tried hard to puff out his chest and suck in his stomach, but unfortunately, Barkley had become spherical in recent years.
In previous years, you could still see muscles, but now he was just a horizontally expanding fat man.
"Damn it! I'm starting to worry Under Armour is going to sue us!"
Kenny Smith saw his partner still posing as he squeezed into his seat, laughed, and held his forehead.
The director quickly showed the original photo to the viewers at home.
For a moment, the studio was filled with boos.
The difference between the seller's display and the buyer's display was too great.
As a non-executive director of Under Armour, Lee would also promote new products on his personal social media platforms.
This compression shirt became very popular among young people, thanks to its spread on Facebook.
When Lee wore this simple gray compression shirt, his prominent chest muscles and the outline of his six-pack abs were clearly visible.
The entire shirt was completely stretched, highlighting his nearly perfect physique.
The compression shirt sold extremely well, and many people followed suit, showing off their bodies.
"Kevin, it's great to see you here! Although you performed somewhat poorly in the Eastern Conference Finals, at least it was better than Kobe. Tonight, we hope to hear your honest evaluation!"
Charles Barkley, puffing out his chest, turned to the guest.
Garnett smiled and shook his head.
Everyone knew he had a good relationship with Kobe.
Ernie Johnson ignored his partner's eye-watering outfit tonight.
After welcoming Garnett, he quickly got into character.
The director played a highlight reel of Clay Lee's scoring from Game 1, and his voice followed:
"14-of-18 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, 39 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, and no turnovers!"
"I believe many fans have rewatched these highlights more than once, but I still want to emphasize that this is not Lee's limit. He only played 31 minutes and 12 seconds."
"In limited time, his offensive performance was impeccable, and on the defensive end, he held Kobe Bryant to 8-of-25 shooting. Perhaps affected by a finger injury, Kobe's performance in the first quarter was simply disastrous."
It was easy to see in the highlights that whether it was a pick-and-roll or a one-on-one face-up drive, Kobe struggled to keep up with Lee's first step.
Even in the 3rd quarter, Lee, with the help of a teammate's screen, could shake off his defender with off-ball movement.
Casual fans who only watched the highlights might even have the misconception: Is this really a Finals game?
When the camera returned to the studio, Kenny Smith also started discussing this matchup.
Unlike before, the Champion Coach, who usually liked to play the nice guy, directly criticized Kobe's offensive choices:
"Basketball has individual heroism, but Kobe must realize that he cannot break through Lee's Defense. Most of his field goals were concentrated in the second and third quarters."
"When the Lakers needed to score the most, Kobe failed to respond!"
"Under Lee's Defense, almost every offense was a high-difficulty jump shot. He should pass the ball more to the other MVP."
After breaking through, he was forced to stop, faked continuously, shot forcibly, attacked strongly with his back to the basket, turned around for a fadeaway, and missed high-difficulty shots.
In his limited field goals, Kobe's scoring was also "crooked and twisted," appearing very disheveled.
"Kevin, this is the first time in your career that you've played against Lee in the playoffs this year. I believe you have a different experience!"
"After watching G1, do you still insist that Kobe is the best player?"
As one of Kobe's few good friends in the league, Kevin Garnett didn't want to backstab his brother.
When answering the question, he tried to change the subject with an exaggerated tone:
"I used to question Shaq's words, you know, I always played in the Western Conference, and I could only play against the New York Knicks twice each season."
"But after this year's Eastern Conference Finals, I'm starting to understand Shaq. He was right, Lee is in a completely different state in the playoffs!"
Perhaps remembering some bad memories, Kevin Garnett lost his previous smile.
Noticing that all three were looking at him, he once again showed his tough guy nature:
"I'm never afraid of confrontation! But Lee is different. He is faster, stronger, and can complete an offense from anywhere."
"Head Coach Rivers set up many defensive strategies, but in the game, most of the possessions didn't have much effect.
"Sometimes, while still paying attention to Pau Gasol, Bang!"
"Clay Lee has already broken through to the basket and completed a dunk right in front of me! I've calculated it carefully. It only takes him 4 seconds from receiving the ball at half-court to completing a layup!"
"Our backcourt simply cannot resist, 4 seconds! We can only foul."
Getting more and more excited, Kevin Garnett couldn't help but wave his arms.
The Celtics played very poorly at home, with one game lasting almost 3 hours, and they were heavily criticized afterward.
This explanation accounted for the reason.
The three people on the side acted as atmosphere setters, exclaiming in unison, but soon Barkley pointed out a loophole and relentlessly pressed on:
"Yes, Lee is very strong, but you haven't given us an answer. Is Kobe the best player in the league? Mr. Best, I think this suits him better than'special Mamba.'"
The show clearly wanted Kevin Garnett to make a statement.
Realizing this, the faded "Wolf King" could only subtly backstab his brother:
"I think Lee in the playoffs is the best active player. He can control the game in all aspects!"
"But in the long regular season, Lee sometimes lacks motivation. I've been following him, and in the past two years, he seems to have put more energy into off-court matters."
"Kobe is different. He puts all his energy into basketball. He is the hardest working player in the league, and for young players, Kobe is an excellent role model."
The "best" became the "most hardworking," and the studio was instantly filled with a joyful atmosphere.
As Kobe's good brother, Kevin Garnett didn't really agree with him, and they would have a big show tonight!
After confirming Kevin Garnett's backstab, Ernie Johnson smiled and started discussing the next topic, as they still needed to preview the game:
"In Game 1, Phil Jackson used 9 players. Ron Artest seemed to not have received much trust from the coaching staff."
"To some extent, this game was more like a probe."
Upon hearing "probe" again, the three people on the side couldn't hold back.
It was well known that any team that had probed in recent years had ended up losing badly.
Kevin Garnett couldn't help but interject a few words:
"Ron Artest is a tough guy on the court! He will target Kobe fiercely. I respect him a lot, but this is the Finals, and the coach will definitely trust veterans."
"When we talk about Lee, we can't forget the other players on the New York Knicks!"
"Raja Bell, Ron Artest, and Tayshaun Prince, in my opinion, all deserve to be selected for the All-Defensive Team. Chandler is a tough guy. e has a chance to contend for DPOY."
"The Rookies on the bench are also excellent. Boris Diaw, he's very smart and has a different understanding of the game!
"Can you imagine talented Rookies not getting playing time in New York?"
"$99 million, don't ignore the salary paid by the Dolan Family. Except for the Dallas Mavericks, the New York Knicks have the highest salary!"
The Celtics, with their The Big Four, had a team salary of $74 million this season, ranking 6th in the league.
From a monetary perspective, the team's roster lacked a little depth.
The Dallas Mavericks' salary had already exceeded $100 million, with the New York Knicks close behind.
James Dolan mocked Mark Cuban because the latter spent more money than him, yet was eliminated in the first round for two consecutive years.
Another big spender was the Denver Nuggets, with a salary exceeding $80 million.
Allen Iverson couldn't even sell tickets anymore.
If it weren't for Lee's support, Denver might not have even given him a chance to negotiate.
Discussing these issues, Kenny Smith chuckled as he shared some gossip he had obtained:
"It is said that David Lee, Steve Novak, and others are all seeking trades!"
"In the 15-man roster, the New York Knicks seem to have accumulated too much talent. Coach DAntoni is once again facing a happy problem!"
According to the latest agreement, all teams must provide offers to restricted free agents before June 30th.
Agents have already started to act, and some sports commentators believe that the New York Knicks might encounter locker room issues, as many Rookies are not getting trust.
Hearing these pieces of news, Kevin Garnett inexplicably felt a pang of sadness.
In the regular season, Barea, Thaddeus Young, Gary Neal, and others also had decent statistics, but they were DNP'd in the playoffs.
It wasn't that these players weren't good enough, but rather that there were better options on the roster.
In contrast, the Celtics could only rely on their veterans.
Rivers wanted to play a 7-man rotation, and with such roster depth, they still went through two Game 7s.
The Eastern Conference Finals were truly difficult to win.
After sharing a lot of gossip, Barkley, who was posing on the side, didn't care about any of it.
He had registered on Twitter and naturally saw Lee's update, so he naturally wanted to stir things up on the show:
"I'm not focused on offseason matters right now. I'm more interested in knowing how many points Kobe can score tonight under Lee's Defense?"
"Kevin, you know Kobe better. Do you think he will strongly rebound in G2?"
"..."
The TNT show continued.
The Lakers, who had arrived at Madison Square Garden, also began their second warm-up.
Two days had passed, and their physical strength had recovered to optimal condition, but the psychological issues were proving tricky for Phil Jackson.
Facing the ridicule of most sports media across the United States, Kobe was furious...
If he were coaching a young Michael Jordan, at this moment, he would only need a push, and Michael Jordan would explode on his opponents in a fit of rage.
Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant couldn't.
The angrier he got and the more he wanted to prove himself, the more likely he was to make poor offensive choices.
The Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man looked at his dark-faced core player, feeling a headache.
Fortunately, the coaching staff included a Los Angeles Lakers legend.
The white-bearded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was clear about tonight's game strategy.
As soon as everyone had changed into their gear, he proactively began to explain the tactical content already drawn on the whiteboard:
"Everyone needs to be ready to receive the ball. The opponent will continue to double-team Tim, so pay attention to movement.
"Tonight, we need more three-pointers."
"Defense is the most important. Maintain communication. Everyone needs to be clear about the direction of the ball's movement."
"Patience! Last game, we did very well in turnover control."
"Keep it up..."
Two days were enough for the coaching staff to make adjustments.
Most of these tactics were repetitive instructions, mainly to remind the starting players not to play blindly.
Tim Duncan focused intently on the whiteboard, occasionally speaking up to communicate.
Tonight, he would dominate the ball more and also take on the team's offensive responsibilities, as the coaching staff had completely removed the restraints on him.
"Remember! Control your emotions! Don't let emotions affect your performance on the court. This is just an away game!"
"We must play the right basketball. Everyone must make sacrifices for victory."
"..."
Phil Jackson slowly delivered some inspirational words, then cast his gaze towards Kobe.
Although he didn't call him by name, it was clearly meant to calm the angry Mamba down.
This effective communication resolved some issues.
Tim Duncan, who had become the tactical core, continued to communicate with his teammates, while Kobe Bryant, who had become a defensive tool, was somewhat frustrated.
The Head Coach had stripped him of his core position.
Before leaving the locker room, Kobe lagged behind.
Seeing that Phil Jackson was also waiting for him, he immediately whispered with a serious expression:
"I don't want to lose. I will execute all tactics!"
Perhaps seeing the Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man's hesitant expression, Kobe quickly reassured him:
"I'm very calm! Don't worry about me, I'll handle everything."
Watching Kobe's back, Phil Jackson pushed his glasses up.
Increasing Duncan's shot attempts was a consensus among the entire team.
For an away victory, sacrifices had to be made.
The Finals was a 2-3-2 format, and the next three games were the Lakers' home games.
As long as they could secure one away victory, the series situation would change drastically.
Kurt Rambis walked at the end, saw Kobe had caught up with his teammates, and leaned next to the Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man, sighing softly:
"The management is very dissatisfied with Kobe's performance in the first game. You know Dr. Buss, he doesn't like Kobe's betrayal. Now I just hope we can win an away game."
"The team's salary expenditure has exceeded $75 million. Phil, we don't have much time left."
The Buss Family's financial situation was not good, and with Madison Square Garden acquiring the Great Western Forum, the conflict between the two sides was deep.
If the Finals turned into a joke, Jerry Buss would likely be furious.
Thinking of the current public opinion, Phil Jackson could only shake his head.
He was a bit outdated and couldn't understand why this year's Finals had turned out this way:
"Maybe it's not as bad as we think!"
"."
Before the game started, a large number of sports reporters surrounded Kobe, but unfortunately, the Los Angeles Lakers staff blocked most of the interviews, citing warm-ups as the reason.
But the more Kobe refused, the more these reporters wanted to interview him.
Everyone wanted to see the fun.
Compared to the New York Knicks, who welcomed all comers, the Los Angeles Lakers became the "focus" instead.
After the game started at 9 PM, Madison Square Garden was already buzzing.
After waiting two days, the fun-seekers were eager, and the arena erupted with 12 points of enthusiasm.
Since both teams continued with the same starting lineup from the previous game, Van Gundy, at the ABC commentary booth, quickly gave his conclusion:
"Kobe Bryant must become more efficient, otherwise the Los Angeles Lakers have no chance. On a stage like the Finals, I don't expect role players to have a breakout performance!"
"."
Every time Kobe touched the ball, the roar from the crowd would intensify, and Lee's successful Defense made the New York fans in the arena cheer even more excitedly.
At 7 minutes and 25 seconds into the first quarter, Duncan handed the ball to Kobe at the top of the arc, but the space left was too large, and Lee squeezed past him and forcefully slapped the ball away.
"Oh!"
The collision and the pain in his fingers made Kobe instantly lose control of the basketball.
He stumbled, and then Lee directly stole the ball.
The moment the ball was dropped, Kobe instinctively pulled.
In the entanglement, Lee's ball-handling hand pushed away his arm, making the pull only touch his jersey.
Phil Jackson on the sideline could only jump up and down, complaining to the referee:
"Look at my player! This happened right in front of you!"
Kobe, pulling on the jersey, could only watch Lee shake off the Defense and sprint across half-court in the blink of an eye.
The pain in his fingers made it difficult for him to control his expression as he watched the long-distance gliding dunk, and he couldn't help but curse under his breath:
"Shit."
Midway through the first quarter, Kobe had only missed one shot.
On the court, besides participating in ball movement, he mostly drove his teammates' offense, but unfortunately, the effect was not good.
Fortunately, Duncan and Lamar Odom were in excellent form.
Despite the double-teams and help Defense, the Los Angeles Lakers still scored 10 points.
With a 4-point deficit, the bench was still calm.
"Someone's invisible! I can't see him! We need to give him a boost!"
Lee, after completing the dunk, loudly reminded the New York fans behind the baseline, waving his hands repeatedly, which instantly amplified the roar from the crowd.
Many who wanted to see the fun started shouting:
"Lee! Lee! Lee!"
The blue cheering T-shirts turned the entire Madison Square Garden into a surging ocean.
Seeing Kobe not receiving the ball and stopping early on the right wing, the arena was filled with boos again.
The opponent was not cooperating with this show.
After a baseline cross-screen, when Duncan squeezed to the left restricted area, Derek Fisher immediately sent a lob pass.
The positioning was excellent, making Raja Bell, who was helping defend from the top, uncomfortable.
When Old Fish moved towards the top of the key, the latter had to abandon the help Defense and turn to remind Chandler behind him.
Facing Duncan's face-up offense, Chandler simply raised his right arm.
Seeing the opponent about to put the ball down, he immediately slid to the right to block the driving lane.
Attacking face-up, attempting to force his way past the Defense, Duncan eventually stopped, dribbled the ball, and switched to his right hand.
As Pau Gasol moved towards the paint, he single-handedly flung the ball to the left elbow area.
Open jump shot, Lamar Odom, receiving the ball, faked a shot, almost faking Pau Gasol off balance, and drove hard to the basket with the ball in his right hand!
Allowing the opponent to drive with their weak hand was also a New York Knicks trap.
Lamar Odom's strong drive to the basket was interfered with by Pau Gasol.
The ball hit the backboard and bounced off the rim.
His loud shout did not make the referee blow the whistle.
Duncan, attempting to crash the offensive glass, didn't get any chance.
Chandler boxed him out tightly, and as Lamar Odom fell to the floor, Pau Gasol twisted and secured the rebound.
Seeing Lee run faster and faster, successfully catching up to the ball flying over half-court, the cheers erupted again!
Kobe, retreating with all his might, tried to pressure Lee beyond the three-point line.
As he approached the left wing, he immediately chose to step up and stick to him.
The moment the opponent moved his feet, Lee, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly lowered his center of gravity, performed a quick in-and-out dribble while moving, and swayed his body to the front-right, forcing Kobe to move a step to the back-left.
When the basketball bounced off the floor and returned to his hand, Lee took a step back in the opposite direction.
Before Kobe could block, he instantly gathered the ball and shot!
At this time, Duncan had not yet crossed the half-court line.
Lee, having released the shot, had already confidently turned and started to retreat on Defense.
As the basketball swished through the net, the New York fans in the arena once again roared wildly:
"Ah!!"
Perhaps it was because it was the last home game, some front-row fans who bought expensive tickets were particularly invested, tearing at their T-shirts and screaming.
The fervent atmosphere made Mike Breen in the commentary booth raise his voice as well:
"Clay Lee's signature three-pointer! Kobe Bryant looks completely helpless!"
"Kobe Bryant seems to be dragging a heavy body in the game. Jeff is right, he seems to have lost his explosiveness, which makes Clay Lee look like he's on fast-forward!"
Mark Jackson also loudly stated his opinion.
Reaction speed, agility, and ball-handling ability—Kobe was visibly falling behind in all aspects, which became increasingly obvious in the matchup.
At 10:17, the Los Angeles Lakers immediately called a timeout.
Phil Jackson was completely silent.
This kind of three-pointer looked like a terrible shot choice no matter how you looked at it.
The bench was in an uproar, and the New York Knicks hype squad rushed onto the court to high-five and celebrate.
Mike D'Antoni, for once, gave instructions early in the first quarter:
"They are trying to let Duncan take over the game. All we have to do is test their shooting!"
"Trust me, they can't put the ball in the basket. The Los Angeles Lakers are dominated by fear! They are finished, protect our rebounds."
Mike D'Antoni also didn't talk tactics.
In fact, these two games were all about Defense and transition offense.
Even if the big men couldn't keep up, Lee alone could get the job done.
Chandler felt a bit of pressure, but fortunately, Pau Gasol was always there for help Defense.
The two communicated briefly, and the joyful atmosphere on the bench remained undiminished.
Ron Artest, without any defensive assignments, felt completely out of place.
It was the last home game, and his friends and family were all there, which made him instinctively add some drama:
"Where's Mr. Best? Why do the Los Angeles Lakers only have 4 players?!"
Kobe, returning to half-court, heard Ron Artest shouting at the top of his lungs and glared angrily.
After the Los Angeles Lakers inbounded the ball, Phil Jackson started shouting loudly again.
Receiving the ball at the top of the arc, facing Lee's tight Defense, Kobe, holding the ball in his right hand, slightly turned his body.
As Lamar Odom stepped up for a fake screen and popped out to the left wing, after a shoulder fake, he suddenly leaned in and accelerated.
Striving to lengthen his stride, Kobe lowered his center of gravity, attempting to break through Lee's Defense.
However, the body contact while moving made him involuntarily slow down, and his ball-handling hand had to wave around.
Lee's quick and steady slides kept him constantly by the opponent's side.
As Kobe rushed past the three-point line, Ron Artest suddenly came over from the right wing to help defend.
When Ariza received the pass from Kobe, he didn't have time to pass the ball back to his boss.
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, he drove hard to the basket with the ball in his right hand!
Seeing Ron Artest help defend into the paint, Ariza didn't give up on this offensive play, trying to draw a foul, but the referee didn't blow the whistle on the mid-air contact.
After the collision, both players fell to the ground.
The basketball hit the backboard and bounced hard.
Chandler reacted too late and was out-rebounded by Duncan.
Before he could turn to block, the basketball had already hit the backboard and gone in.
"Tim Duncan has already scored 6 points and has 2 assists. He looks more aggressive tonight!"
"But to defeat the defending champions, they must respond from beyond the arc."
While the New York Knicks quickly inbounded the ball, Van Gundy began a new round of "commentary."
As the Champion Coach's words fell, Lee had already rushed past half-court, and Kobe once again stepped up to defend.
In the same position, Kobe lowered his center of gravity and stood on the three-point line, seeing Lee change the ball to his left hand with a cross-dribble, and moved his feet again.
Faster than expected, the moment Lee switched hands, he suddenly half-turned with his right foot as an axis, and Kobe instinctively moved to his left rear, but the opponent in front of him quickly pulled back.
"Oh!"
In a blink of an eye, Lee faced the basket again, his smooth fake-out made the New York fans cheer, Pau Gasol came to the top of the key at just the right time, faking a screen, and Kobe immediately slid to try to squeeze past.
When the basketball disappeared from his sight, Kobe froze in place.
Lee's sudden change of direction in front of his body had gotten past him cleanly again.
"OH—!"
Seeing Duncan, who was helping on Defense, slide and collide with Lee, Mike Breen couldn't help but exclaim. In the right restricted area, Duncan's close-out and Lee's shoulder drop and acceleration happened simultaneously.
"Screech!"
The baseline referee instinctively blew his whistle, but Lee's speed didn't diminish after a brief collision.
He subtly used his left hand for leverage, which instead caused Duncan to stumble.
Lamar Odom, who was below the left side of the basket, seemed stunned, frozen in place, watching Lee take three big steps, grab the ball with his right hand, and slam it down with a reverse dunk!
"Boom!"
After the rim exploded and swayed, the New York fans behind were shouting loudly, venting their excitement.
Lamar Odom, who had come to his senses, watched Clay Lee roar at the camera and couldn't help but whisper:
"God."
Dunks always ignite the Madison Square Garden atmosphere.
Before Lee even stepped onto the free-throw line, the cheers once again became unified:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The lightning-fast score, after a replay, made the three commentators on the broadcast desk exclaim again.
Mike Breen no longer pretended.
He had now become the commentator for the New York home game:
"God-Lee once again showed us his historical-level ball-handling skills!"
"This is a double Rolling of physicality and skill! Without a doubt, Kobe Bryant will once again experience a nightmare game tonight!"
At 12:20, after Lee made the free throw, the cheers almost broke through the Madison Square Garden.
The screaming fans in the back rows stood up one after another, wanting to fully enjoy the last home game of the Finals:
"Defense!"
Kobe had been responsible for connecting the whole team for most of the quarter, but after being continuously beaten off the dribble, he couldn't hold back anymore.
After crossing half-court, he tried to post up in the right restricted area.
This tactic was also an improvement from the old Triangle Offense, with Kobe Bryant taking over Shaquille O'Neal's low-post role, and it had been frequently used in recent years.
Moving to the right wing, Ariza received a pass from Derek Fisher, who then ran to the corner.
Seeing Kobe still entangled with Lee, he immediately sped past the baseline, while also directing his teammates to crash the boards.
Phil Jackson was still putting pressure on the referees.
Kobe was pushed out of his sweet spot by Lee, and Ron Artest at the top of the key was also interfering with Ariza's pass, causing this offense to almost stall.
Amidst the defensive cheers, Ariza managed to pass the ball.
Kobe had to move up, and the moment he received the ball, he was double-teamed by Lee and Ron Artest.
The Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man on the sideline was so angry his face turned red, watching Lee snatch the ball from Kobe's arms:
"Fuck!"
Pulled back to the sideline by his assistant coach, Phil Jackson was still very agitated, especially when he saw Ariza foolishly retreating on Defense too early.
In a fit of rage, he directly waved to Radmanovic.
Kobe's fierce counterattack had no effect.
Lee immediately passed the ball to the accelerating Ron Artest, who was unguarded and charged with the ball.
All the Los Angeles Lakers players quickly retreated on Defense.
Lee slowly accelerated along the left sideline, noticing that Kobe had lost his composure and was only focused on retreating.
As he approached the left wing, he immediately raised his hand to signal.
Ron Artest, dribbling straight, suddenly showed off a fancy move when he approached the arc, a behind-the-back pass with his right hand while in motion, and cheers erupted again!
The ball speed was very fast, and the height was not enough, so Lee had to take a big step forward.
Kobe, who had come to his senses, immediately adjusted his center of gravity, like a "hungry tiger pouncing on its prey."
The moment he scooped the ball, Lee cleverly turned.
Under inertia, Kobe lost control of his body, stumbled, his body tilted, his right hand hit the floor, and in pain, he immediately fell to the ground.
"Oh!!"
Amidst the low exclamations, Lee, completely unguarded, calmly gathered the ball, looked down at Kobe on the floor, and then calmly shot a jump shot!
"Beautiful move!"
"OH—! Clay Lee got it!"
The three-pointer swished through the net, and the Madison Square Garden was filled with cheers.
Mike Breen's tone became increasingly lighthearted.
Such a scene was rare even in the regular season.
In his opinion, New York fans should thank Kobe Bryant.
Mark Jackson wanted to continue his commentary, but seeing Kobe Bryant stand up and charge towards Lee, he couldn't bother with blowing smoke anymore and excitedly shouted:
"Kobe seems to have lost his composure! This is truly a wonderful game!"
After being continuously toyed with, Kobe's mentality exploded at this moment.
Facing his "mortal enemy," he lost his composure, but before he could shove, he was pushed to the sideline by Ron Artest, who rushed over from the side.
The sideline referee didn't have time to react, and the two were already tangled up, falling into the front row seats.
The fans, who loved to watch a good show, were still cheering and encouraging.
Seeing Ron Artest lock up Kobe, they all cheered.
Everyone who had come to their senses quickly surrounded them.
With the help of the referees, Derek Fisher separated the two.
Old Fish saw Kobe still trying to charge, so he hugged his old teammate and at the same time called out to Ariza and the others:
"Let Kobe calm down! Hey! Everyone come over."
Lee was right beside the referee, hands on his hips, shaking his head helplessly.
Kobe's eyes were red, all the emotions accumulated over the years exploded, and he was still shouting while being pulled by everyone:
"You are an arrogant asshole! You will never get my respect!"
"Fucking clown! Who do you think you are? Fucker....."
Ron Artest was also yelling insults back at the other side.
The more the fans egged him on, the more he wanted to show off.
If the referee hadn't held him back, he wouldn't have minded starting "Round 2."
Amidst laughter, curses, and jeers, Kobe, held back by everyone, made a money-counting gesture to the referee, and was immediately given a technical foul.
Originally, both sides would get one free throw each, but now the Knicks had an opportunity to extend their lead.
When Lee walked to the free-throw line with a smile, Madison Square Garden completely erupted.
If it weren't for all the security personnel being deployed, it's highly likely that some fans would have thrown beer again.
On the Los Angeles Lakers bench, Kobe, surrounded by his teammates, was still panting heavily.
The pain in his finger made his expression ferocious.
After the team doctor examined him, he indicated that he needed to return to the locker room for treatment.
Phil Jackson was also numb at this point.
After a sigh, he could only put his arm around his core player who had stood up:
"Calm down! The game has just begun! The team needs your leadership."
Kobe kicked over a chair and walked with the team doctor towards the player tunnel amidst the boos of the New York fans.
The fans on both sides were still fanning the flames:
"You can't do it!!"
"You are not Jordan!!"
The shouting wouldn't stop, and Kobe's face grew darker.
As he entered the player tunnel, the Knicks staff seemed to have smiles in their eyes.
Emotions surged, and he cursed under his breath repeatedly.
The game continued, and as time passed, Phil Jackson on the sideline only felt despair.
Sasha Vujacic, who had just entered the game, missed an open shot, and then on Defense, he inexplicably went under the screen and closed out.
He watched helplessly as Pau Gasol screened, and Lamar Odom on the left wing was easily driven past.
As Lee approached the basket, he casually tossed the ball, and Duncan's help Defense once again resulted in a foul.
Seeing the opposing defensive core pick up two fouls in the first quarter, Mike D'Antoni, who had been watching the game with his arms crossed, returned to the bench with a smile:
"Now we just need to enjoy Lee's performance! I'm considering whether to change the matchups for the road game!"
"..."
Assistant Coach Mike Malone also smiled.
He really couldn't comment on this game.
Kobe had actually imploded, which was beyond everyone's expectations.
In the remaining 3-plus minutes of the first quarter, Duncan, who remained on the court, also felt despair.
The opponent started to furiously attack the basket, and the two big men constantly crashed the offensive glass.
Without a timeout, Duncan, playing on instinct, walked to the bench with his head down at the end of the first quarter.
At 20:38, it was as if he had returned to last year!
Phil Jackson on the sideline frowned, and didn't greet his players as usual.
With an 18-point deficit, he knew there would be no road victory:
"Why is this happening?!"
.....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)