"Ah!"
Pippen suddenly understood.
So did every player on the Suns and Lakers.
By now, everyone knew that confrontations and brawls would solve nothing. Whether they wanted to keep the series alive or bring it to an end, there was only one way to win.
They had to prove themselves on the court.
And so, the battle continued.
Driven by their overwhelming desire for victory, the two teams threw themselves into their fiercest and most intense contest yet.
Every possession mattered.
Every second counted.
Both teams were willing to risk everything for the win, but no one fought harder than Kobe Bryant.
With the Lakers trailing by double digits and on the brink of elimination, Kobe once again entered "Mamba Mode."
Refusing to give up, he attacked and defended with relentless intensity, determined to win every possession at any cost.
He understood exactly what a loss would mean. It would be more than simply losing a game or being eliminated.
It would shatter his dream of building a dynasty of his own.
As one of the leading figures of the "Class of '96," Kobe had always been fiercely competitive and possessed an extraordinary desire to win.
He refused to accept defeat and never believed he was inferior to anyone, not even Michael Jordan, the "God of Basketball" and the widely recognized greatest player of all time.
After winning five championships, Kobe set his sights on becoming the greatest ever and proving to the world that he was every bit Jordan's equal.
The first step was winning a sixth championship to match Jordan.
After that, he wanted a seventh and even an eighth to surpass him.
Before any of that, however, he first needed to establish a dynasty that truly belonged to him.
Kobe knew that although he had already been part of one dynasty, he had not been its sole ruler.
In fact, he had only been the second option.
Now he had the opportunity to become the undisputed leader of his own dynasty while also winning a sixth championship to match Jordan.
He did not want to give up.
He was unwilling to give up.
He simply could not give up.
He battled through constant contact, chased down his own misses, dove onto the floor, flew out of bounds to save loose balls, and argued endlessly with the referees over even the smallest calls.
He charged into crowds of defenders for layups and knocked down impossibly difficult three-pointers.
Fueled by the "Mamba Mentality," Kobe refused to surrender or accept defeat. With the Lakers down by 13 and tempers already boiling over, he pushed every aspect of his game to the limit.
By the end of the third quarter, Kobe's relentless efforts had cut the deficit to just five points.
The fans were witnessing the unyielding spirit of the "Black Mamba."
More importantly, the game was wide open again.
The fourth quarter began with the bench units facing off.
Inspired by the "Mamba Mentality," the Lakers' reserves also gave everything they had. Led by Odom, they trimmed the deficit even further.
Just 2:01 into the quarter, Kobe returned to the floor.
He could not afford to rest any longer. Or rather, his desperate desire to win would not allow him to.
One glance at the score was enough.
He did not dare remain on the bench.
Blake Su checked back in for the Suns as well, specifically to counter Kobe.
The Suns wanted victory just as badly, and they knew they had to contain him.
"Boom!"
The showdown between Blake Su and Kobe began at once.
"Swish!"
Blake Su posted up Shannon Brown and sank a turnaround jumper.
"Swish!"
Kobe backed down Goran Dragić and answered with a fadeaway jumper.
"Swish!"
Blake Su rose straight over Odom's defense and buried a pull-up jumper without hesitation.
"Whoa!"
Goran Dragić crowded Kobe and defended him right in his face. Kobe raised the ball high, then suddenly leaned backward and forced up a fadeaway over his outstretched arms.
It was an extremely difficult shot.
"Swish!"
It dropped cleanly through the net.
For the next three minutes, the game became a personal showcase between the two stars.
They were not guarding each other directly, but their dazzling offense and remarkable efficiency made the game thrilling to watch.
The fans also understood that by avoiding a direct matchup and trading baskets instead, both players were conserving energy for the closing stretch.
"Wow..."
In the stands, "Magic" Johnson clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Blake Su is only a rookie, yet he's trading baskets with Kobe like this.
"You almost never see anything like it.
"It's unbelievable!"
"Exactly," the "Baby-Faced Assassin" Thomas agreed. "What makes it even more incredible is that Blake Su is a center, yet he's battling the best shooting guard in the league from the perimeter."
"Heh."
"The Dream" Hakeem Olajuwon smiled.
"You still aren't used to it by now? Blake Su is a groundbreaking center.
"Naturally, his offense is groundbreaking too."
"That's true."
It was not just the three retired superstars. Everyone in the arena stared in disbelief as Blake Su and Kobe traded baskets.
Beyond the shock, however, the crowd was filled with excitement and pure enjoyment.
Before long, all the starters returned to the floor.
Kobe, still in "Mamba Mode," continued trading baskets with Blake Su.
When it came to the supporting players, however, the Lakers, led by Pau Gasol and Bynum, held the advantage over the Suns.
As the clock wound down, the Lakers gradually chipped away at the deficit.
With 47.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Kobe drew a double-team.
"Swish!"
Pau Gasol cut laterally across the paint and dropped in a short hook shot.
The Lakers had finally erased the deficit and taken a one-point lead.
The pressure shifted to the Suns.
"Beep! Beep!"
Alvin Gentry called a timeout.
When play resumed, Blake Su controlled the ball at the top of the key.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Kobe immediately rushed out to meet him, with Odom closing in from the side.
The two trapped Blake Su.
"Whoosh!"
Blake Su passed to Nash on the wing, then sprinted sideways in an attempt to shake both defenders and get the ball back.
The instant Nash caught the pass, however, D-Fish appeared like a ghost from his blind side.
"Whoosh!"
He reached in and knocked the ball loose.
"Smack!"
Kobe reacted instantly, diving onto the floor and securing the ball just before it went out of bounds.
Still lying on the hardwood, he immediately passed it to Odom.
"Whoosh!"
Odom caught the ball and raced up the court.
There was no defender between him and the basket.
Blake Su had just separated from Odom when his eyes narrowed.
He spun around and exploded into pursuit, despite being nearly a meter behind.
Every eye in the arena locked onto Odom and Blake Su.
"Thud!"
Odom reached the frontcourt and planted one foot near the free-throw line. Gripping the ball in one hand, he rose for a thunderous slam.
Blake Su was still charging after him.
Pushing his speed to the limit, he somehow closed the gap.
"Thud!"
He jumped almost simultaneously with Odom.
Then...
"Smack!"
Just as Odom was about to hammer the ball through the rim, Blake Su swatted it away from behind.
"Bang!"
The ball struck the backboard and bounced free.
"Smack!"
George, who had followed the play, grabbed the rebound and passed it back to Blake Su.
Blake Su immediately raced toward the other end.
There were 32.3 seconds remaining.
"Stop him!"
Phil Jackson roared from the sideline.
"Whoosh!"
Kobe, who had only just gotten back to his feet, charged at Blake Su again and applied intense pressure.
The Lakers held a one-point lead, however, so he had to avoid committing a foul.
Blake Su knew that.
"Whoosh!"
He used a behind-the-back dribble to his right and shook off Kobe, then accelerated toward the middle of the floor.
Pau Gasol rushed out to meet him.
"Whoosh!"
Blake Su went behind his back to the right again, slipping past Pau Gasol as he closed in.
Then, gathering the ball a full meter beyond the three-point line, Blake Su rose and launched an ultra-deep three.
A crisp sound pierced the arena.
"Swish!"
Blake Su's shot dropped cleanly through the net.
One arrow through the heart.
One arrow to seal their fate.
One arrow to crush their spirit!
...
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