Reggie Miller was undoubtedly arrogant; that was his signature trait.
But for the viewers watching on TV, it was nothing new.
And no one felt that because he was so cocky, some hero should show up and utterly crush him.
Even the Lakers fans were numb inside, their hearts like a pool of stagnant water.
They all knew very well that there was no suspense left.
The gap between the Knicks and the Lakers was already clear.
The only reason the game had been a back-and-forth affair at their home court was because Little Sheep Su Xi was too sentimental. His bond with Kobe Bryant meant he was unwilling to be ruthless.
Now that he had unleashed his true scoring ability, what could the Lakers possibly do?
The Lakers' star duo was indeed strong. Many fans even believed they had better chemistry than the OK Combination.
But this year's Lakers role players were a world apart from those during the OK three-peat era. Or rather, they simply weren't on the same level.
