Yes.
Even more demoralizing than a pull-up jumper was watching someone rise straight up and shoot over you.
George had played excellent defense. He had done everything anyone could ask of him. Under that kind of pressure, an ordinary player might not even have managed to get a shot off.
But this was Kobe.
Once he entered "Mamba Mode," there seemed to be nothing he could not do.
Rising straight up with a defender draped all over him and shooting right in his face was simply another weapon in Kobe's arsenal, as unbelievable as it seemed.
And he could make it work.
Kobe buried another impossibly difficult fadeaway three, answering Blake Su head-on once again.
"Wow!"
That heavily contested three tied the game again. The Suns fans gasped, feeling the pressure mount.
They could sense just how desperately the "best player in the league" wanted to win.
Possession changed hands.
Blake Su brought the ball across half court. After the deep three he had made on the previous possession, the Lakers moved to trap him almost as soon as he crossed the line.
There was nothing he could do about it.
Blake Su passed to Nash, then moved without the ball and waited for another chance to receive it.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Curry and Blake Su started from opposite corners and ran in opposite directions. Curry continued along the baseline toward the perimeter, while Blake Su suddenly reversed course halfway through his cut and darted toward the basket.
He then cut from beneath the rim toward the top of the key.
Odom, who had been following him, was left behind, but Kobe rotated over and gave chase.
Just as Blake Su crossed the free-throw line and Kobe was about to catch up, George and Curry suddenly closed the gap, cutting off Kobe's pursuit.
It looked just like elevator doors closing.
"The elevator doors play!"
Phil Jackson's eyes narrowed on the sideline. He recognized it immediately.
Nash saw the opening and fired the pass.
Blake Su curled out alone, caught the ball, turned, and launched a three.
"Swish!"
He let it fly in one smooth motion.
Nothing but net.
Blake Su had hit another three, but the scoreboard only added two points. His left foot had been on the line when he released the shot.
"Blake Su knocks down another long jumper with his foot on the line! He's now three for three in the clutch moments of overtime, scoring eight straight points and bringing his total to 47 tonight!"
The Lakers took possession.
Fisher brought the ball up and passed to Kobe, who caught it at the left high post and once again found George guarding him.
Was Kobe about to answer yet again?
Kobe repeatedly pump-faked, but George refused to bite. His defense was excellent, and Kobe seemed to have lost his offensive rhythm.
How was he going to attack?
"Whoa..."
Kobe rose straight up in George's face once again.
George had not given up an inch. His defense was almost perfect, making Kobe's shot extremely difficult from the moment it left his hand.
Would it fall?
The spinning ball struck the rim and bounced high.
A miss?
No.
As it came back down, it dropped through the hoop.
It was good!
Kobe had made another shot right over George, responding once again. He had also scored eight straight points in the crucial moments of overtime.
The game remained deadlocked.
Blake Su against Kobe. The "Monster Rookie" against the "best player in the league."
With both teams struggling to score in overtime, the two of them had stepped forward and put their individual brilliance on full display.
They were showing exactly what it meant to be a team's core and undisputed leader, taking responsibility when the game mattered most.
"What an incredible game!"
Mike Breen could barely contain his excitement.
Game 5 between the Suns and Lakers had always promised to be thrilling, but it had far exceeded even his expectations. The action had fired him up despite his role as a commentator.
The fans were even more excited.
"Boom!"
The thunderous cheers inside US Airways Center showed no sign of stopping. More than eighty percent of the crowd could no longer remain seated.
They stood and roared, cheering on their team with everything they had.
On the court, the score remained tied.
Blake Su and Kobe were both three for three in overtime, their shooting hands blazing hot. With both stars in such a rhythm, neither coach wanted to call a timeout.
The game continued.
The Suns had possession.
Nash brought the ball up and held it at the left high post. On the opposite side, Curry used a screen from Blake Su and ran toward the right corner.
At the same time, Blake Su moved up to the right side above the arc.
"Stay with Blake Su!"
The Lakers' priority was clear. They immediately focused on the more dangerous Blake Su.
Nash spotted the opening and fired a long cross-court pass to Curry.
He was wide open.
Curry caught the ball and immediately rose for three.
"Swish!"
It went in.
"Great shot!"
George could not help but growl in excitement.
"Smack!"
Blake Su and Curry slapped hands.
On the Lakers' next possession, Kobe drove into the paint and kicked the ball out to D-Fish, who had been waiting in the corner.
D-Fish calmly launched the three.
"Swish!"
Straight through the heart of the net.
That went in as well.
Led by Blake Su and Kobe, both offenses had come back to life. Even so, the game remained close, with the score still tied.
Time, however, was rapidly running out.
In the blink of an eye, only 47.3 seconds remained.
Each team had roughly one possession left. The next trip down the floor could decide everything.
The Suns had the ball.
Nash brought it up and controlled the ball at the top of the key, draining the clock while slowing the pace. There was no need to rush. Executing a solid possession was what mattered most.
With ten seconds left on the shot clock, Blake Su caught the ball in the middle above the arc.
He was nearly three meters behind the three-point line.
All he did was glance at the rim.
"Thud!"
Pau Gasol immediately lunged at him from three meters beyond the arc.
Was that excessive?
Not at all.
No one thought Gasol had overreacted. In fact, many believed he had read the play perfectly.
That was how much Blake Su's three-point shot terrified the Lakers.
But Blake Su had only been faking.
He immediately accelerated past Pau Gasol, covering the floor with long strides as he attacked the basket.
He gathered in three huge steps and soared into the air.
Blake Su lofted a high finger roll over the outstretched hands of Bynum and Odom. The ball kissed the backboard and bounced toward the rim.
Was it good?
No.
It circled the rim once before rolling out.
Bynum secured the rebound.
"He missed?!"
"My God!"
The Suns fans tensed up at once after Blake Su missed the crucial layup.
"Beep! Beep!"
Phil Jackson immediately called a timeout.
The score was tied with 27.4 seconds remaining.
The Lakers had possession.
All they needed to do was remain composed and execute one successful play. Whether they scored two points or three, the basket could end the game.
"Listen, guys. Don't overthink this. Just play solid defense and get one stop."
That was what Alvin Gentry told his players during the timeout.
...
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