Chapter 529: A True Master Always Has the Heart of an Apprentice
Kobe finished the first quarter with 6 points and 3 assists, following Phil Jackson's plan to the letter. He passed more, created more, and let his teammates settle into the game first.
The second quarter began quickly, with both teams going to their bench units.
The starters had played with obvious caution, and the reserves were not much better. The first field goal of the quarter did not come until the clock showed 10 minutes and 4 seconds.
Jason Williams drove into the lane and kicked the ball out to Grant Hill. Hill gave Trevor Ariza a light pump fake, dribbled forward once, and calmly knocked down the mid range jumper.
Old ginger was still spicier.
Hill had once been viewed as Jordan's successor. The athleticism was no longer what it had been, but the skill and experience were still there.
That was one of Phoenix's greatest strengths. This roster had too many players who could create something on their own. Among the starters, Chen Yan and Nash were both elite one on one scorers. Among the reserves, Hill, Azubuike, and Barea could also break down a defense by themselves.
On the next possession, Hill touched the ball again, and Ariza immediately pressed up into him.
Hill no longer had the burst to simply run by defenders, and Ariza was not worried about being beaten off the dribble.
Ariza defended hard but clean. He was not one of those players who relied on cheap tricks.
There was not yet a term like 3 and D in common use, but Ariza was exactly that type of player. He defended with intensity, and his 3 point shooting had gone from 32 percent in the regular season to 45 percent in the Playoffs. Playing next to Kobe and Garnett, he got cleaner looks than most role players, and his calm temperament helped him bury them.
Hill did not force the issue. After so many years in the league, he was no longer a hot headed young star. He knew how to lean on his strengths and avoid his weaknesses.
Azubuike got the ball outside and immediately attacked the rim. Sasha Vujacic, who was guarding him, was clearly at a disadvantage physically.
Azubuike drove him backward and prepared to finish through contact.
Vujacic lacked speed, but he always played with high defensive intensity. Otherwise, Phil Jackson would never have trusted him with a steady role in the rotation.
The problem was that his defensive intensity often crossed the line. Once an opponent got by him, he had a habit of making moves that had very little to do with basketball.
Simply put, Vujacic might look polished and harmless, but he was a dirty player.
As Azubuike reached the free throw line, Vujacic stuck out a leg and tripped him.
It was an unsportsmanlike foul without question.
Unfortunately, the referee's sightline was blocked. All he saw was contact, and he whistled only a common foul on Vujacic.
Azubuike exploded immediately. He got up and shoved Vujacic.
Vujacic's acting instincts kicked in at once. He spread his hands, wore a completely innocent expression, and successfully sold the sequence to the officials. The victim ended up getting the technical foul.
Azubuike was an honest kid, but that did not mean he was willing to be pushed around. He surged forward again, ready to fight, but his teammates grabbed him before it escalated.
"Calm down. Don't fall for it." Chen Yan also stepped in to stop him.
That little scuffle changed the atmosphere on the floor. These teams were already old enemies, and with the fresh tension layered on top, there was no chance the rest of the night would stay peaceful.
A few minutes later, both teams entered the official timeout.
Phoenix led 33 to 31, but the margin was only 2.
Out of the timeout, both coaches adjusted their lineups.
The Lakers went with Shannon Brown, Kobe, Ariza, Garnett, and Camby.
In that group, Kobe was essentially the half court point guard. Shannon Brown had almost no organizing ability. Phil Jackson kept him on the floor mainly to add speed and athleticism to the backcourt.
Phoenix answered with Nash, Chen Yan, Novak, Diaw, and Stoudemire.
D'Antoni was clearly searching for a spark. The Suns had not found their outside rhythm, so Novak came in to add another serious perimeter threat.
The strengths and weaknesses of that lineup were obvious. Phoenix gained a true spot up sniper, someone who could punish help defense and create more space for everyone else. The downside was just as clear. Chen Yan now had to guard Kobe, which would drain more energy from him on the defensive end. Novak on Kobe would have been a free bucket every trip.
Fans in front of their televisions immediately grew more excited. They did not just want a scoring race. What they really wanted was the direct collision between 2 former scoring champions. That was the good stuff.
Phoenix had the first possession after the break.
Diaw rose to the top of the arc, ready to function as either initiator or screener. He swung the ball to Novak, then immediately turned to set a screen for Chen Yan.
Novak caught the ball and instantly delivered it to Chen Yan cutting off the action.
Novak had no real self creation game at all. Whenever he held the ball and saw a defender in front of him, his first instinct was to pass. Fully focused, he read Chen Yan's movement the moment it happened.
Shannon Brown switched onto Chen Yan right away.
Brown had excellent quickness, but he lacked size. Chen Yan caught the ball and immediately took him down into the post near the elbow.
He gave Brown a light bump first, then a much stronger one on the second push, forcing Brown out of any position to contest properly.
Then Chen Yan sold a turn to the left, spun the other way, and rose into the fadeaway.
Brown had already leaned in reaction to the first fake. He had no chance to affect the shot.
Swish.
Phoenix went up 35 to 31.
Chen Yan was scoring in Kobe's style now.
The Lakers came right back, and Kobe answered in Chen Yan's style.
Garnett stepped up to screen, and Kobe curled around him all the way to a spot a full step beyond the top of the arc. Chen Yan fought over the screen and chased him outside, but Kobe had already risen before Chen Yan could recover.
Swish.
A deep 3.
The score moved to 35 to 34.
On the TNT broadcast, Kenny Smith laughed first.
"These 2 are funny, man. Chen just scored like Kobe, and Kobe came right back and scored like Chen."
Charles Barkley grinned and nodded.
"That's what makes them killers. They can win in too many different ways. Most scorers got one bag. These 2 got the whole store."
Kenny leaned forward and added, "Before this season, Kobe usually only took that kind of deep 3 when the clock was dying. But ever since Chen started making those shots a normal part of his game, Kobe has clearly been adding it to his own."
Kobe was always learning, always sharpening, always adding another layer.
He was already one of the most complete scorers the game had ever seen, yet he still approached basketball like a student.
A true master always has the heart of an apprentice.
.....
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