NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 730 "High heat to reduce the juice." (7600 words chapter)
2010年6月6号星期六，当晚21点，麦迪逊广场花园迎来总决赛G2。

Influenced by mainstream media reports, New York fans firmly believed that the series would not return to their home court. In the last game of the season, the entire stadium was boiling as soon as the game started.

The singing segment before the competition is no longer performed by children, but by Taylor Swift, whose traffic skyrocketed last year due to the "award ceremony incident."

Taylor, who recently released a single, last sang in 00. The 11-year-old girl became a well-known singer. After singing a song, she sat back in the front row and shouted.

Tonight, many celebrities from New York came to the scene in groups, and many old stars made appearances.

Alec Baldwin, Charlie Rose, John McEnroe, Donny Deutch, Whoopi Goldberg, Mark Messier, Phil Simms and other cultural and sports stars all squeezed to the front.

The crowd and their families took up a large area of ​​seats, and with the Knicks' legends and young stars, the ABC broadcast had to give everyone a shot during free throws or timeouts, and also introduce them.

The people sitting in the front row were very low-key. Most of them were Li You’s business partners, also with families. However, these people did not attract much attention.

As for why he can sit in the front row, it’s because he was given so much that James Dolan himself sat behind the basket.

The old players all smiled in front of the camera, and the young people next to them even danced to the music. After they were sure of winning, everyone was in a particularly good mood. As for the current score, it was not important.

D'Antoni also called an extra timeout in the first half. The ABC broadcast team ran out of cameras, so Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan were not introduced until halftime on Saturday Night Live.
In the studio behind the show, host Stuart Scott saw guest Magic Johnson spread his hands, a smile appeared on his dark face, and he took the initiative to speak well of the Lakers:
"I believe the Lakers had a chance to turn the game around in the second half. The Knicks didn't completely dominate the game with a 4-point difference!"

Michael Wilbon on the side smiled. He could understand Magic Johnson's feelings and took the initiative to take over the conversation:

"Maji should be worried about the fourth quarter. 52:56, the Lakers played very well in the first half. I was impressed by Barnes' three-pointer."

Jon Barry, who was not optimistic about the Lakers before the game, shook his head, did not hide his disappointment, and said seriously:

"The Lakers got 25 free throws in the first half, and the Knicks committed 18 fouls, almost twice as many free throws, but they are still behind."

"Obviously Lee is still gathering energy. Kobe's performance was disappointing. He only scored 5 points with 1 of 2 shots in the first quarter. Although he recovered in the second quarter, the Lakers need him to contribute more."

Fans in front of the TV could see the director giving pre-match news that Kobe had an injured finger and was wrapped tightly, which was considered to be an excuse for Mamba's missed shot in advance.

"I don't want to fool myself. If the Lakers lose tonight, the series will go to the Knicks again!"

Magic Johnson, with a serious expression, reiterated his point of view. He did not speak for the younger brothers, but added with a well-reasoned analysis:

"Phil doesn't have time to make adjustments. If the Lakers lose, he will have to fly back to Los Angeles tonight."

"Then the day after tomorrow will be Game 3! This means that many players cannot recover to their best physical condition. It is hard for me to imagine how the Lakers can win the game under such circumstances."

"The starting lineup played too much time. I can only hope for a miracle in the second half."

Magic Johnson, who was wearing a black striped suit, was so fat that he had no neck. At the end of his speech, he couldn't help but hold his forehead with his hand, showing a helpless look. Scott couldn't deny it, so he could only continue to analyze:
"JR Smith's explosion and Shawn Marion's outstanding performance may have been beyond the expectations of the Lakers coaching staff, especially Smith, whose overall performance in this year's playoffs was not efficient."

To put it mildly, the fact is that J.R. Smith has had more shaky games than normal, and the same is true for Marion's three-point shooting, but tonight the two of them firmly seized their opportunities in the half court.

"This is the finals. The Lakers' role players seem to lack confidence, which is why Phil can only use the main players."

Magic Johnson once again expressed his dissatisfaction with the team. He complained a few times and then stopped immediately. He couldn't help but think of the "life and death battle" back at home. Facing the camera, he sighed helplessly:
"Now the Lakers can only pray to God that Lee won't explode in the second half!"

"."

At this time in the visiting team's locker room, Kobe's face was dark. He just felt that he was "humiliated" and his opponent did not seem to be trying his best.

The atmosphere in the locker room was depressing. The Lakers almost rotated 7 players. Veteran Joe Smith played for only 2 minutes in the first half. It was really frustrating that they were still behind even though they had the advantage in free throws.

Duncan, who scored a team-high 14 points in the first half, still looked determined with a beard. The Lakers made 10 of 3 three-pointers in the first half. If Barnes hadn't made two shots, the shooting would not have met expectations.

"We must act decisively!"

The team was also behind in rebounds. Phil Jackson drew a tactic on the whiteboard and repeatedly reminded everyone to have confidence. Finally, he reminded Fisher:
"Slow this game down, Derek, we need to keep the count down."

The old man from KFC who had a sore waist finally offered some chicken soup for the soul with some pain. Lao Yu could only nod his approval, but he secretly complained in his heart, because this was not something he could control.

When the second half of the game was about to start, Kobe, who had been silent all the time, finally huddled together with his teammates. With a determined look on his face, he shouted in encouragement:
"God witnessed our efforts! The counterattack started in the third quarter!"

The confident attitude infected everyone. Mamba was right. They did pay a lot and should have an outbreak.

When the players from both teams returned to the stadium, the once again lively Madison Square Garden made Phil Jackson frown. The old man from KFC was worried and insisted on standing on the sidelines. The Lakers really needed an away victory.

"Let's go Knicks!."

The cheers were getting louder and louder. The Knicks took the lead in attacking. Seeing Li You easily dribbling across half court, he immediately passed the ball to the player. On the CCTV commentary stand above the arena, Zhang Weiping once again smiled and commented:

“10投6中，18分6篮板8助攻1抢断，李佑今晚这是要三双啊！”

"They really didn't attack much, which gave the Lakers a chance, but Kobe still couldn't do it. There were big problems with his offensive choices. If they continue to play like this, the game will be over."

Hearing "It's over", Yang Yi and Yang Jian on the side almost couldn't hold it. The second half of the game had just begun, and Mamba took the blame again. Kobe hadn't even touched the ball yet.
The double-standard commentary cannot be changed, the old man is not afraid of complaints, Kobe just plays recklessly!

Without waiting for the opponent to double-team him, Dio, who started the second half, tried to push Duncan away after a cross screen at the baseline. In the low post on the left side, the moment Gasol bent down to receive the ball, he immediately turned quickly towards the baseline.

Duncan, who had just come up to defend, was blocked for half of his body. The Spanish big man squeezed to the lower left side of the basket, faked a shot, and the referee blew the whistle.

After receiving his second personal foul and hearing the boos that echoed throughout the arena, Duncan raised his hands expressionlessly to indicate that it was his own fault.

As Gasol was on the free throw line, Van Gundy criticized the Lakers' defensive strategy again:

"G2 didn't seem to have many adjustments. Seeing the Knicks' role players explode, the Lakers should give up that crazy double-team."

"3-on-4 is bound to be punished. Considering the distribution of physical energy, maybe they should try to return to normal defensive matchups."

After making both free throws, Mark Jackson noticed that the Knicks' perimeter players suddenly expanded their defense, and he commented:
“What if Lee explodes in the third quarter?”

"That's Kobe's job, he has to step up in times like this"

While Van Gundy was still explaining, Mike Breen was already praising Li You loudly as he watched him defend Kobe. As a commentator for the Knicks for many years, he subconsciously said:

"Excellent defense, the defending champions will explode in the third quarter!"

Trying to use the screen to get to the right elbow area to re-receive the ball, Kobe moved his feet and kept moving his hands, but after he bounced out, he was still chased by Li You.

Fisher at the top of the arc saw the two players constantly pulling each other, and for a moment he didn't dare to lob the ball directly. Odom hurried to the top line to pass the ball, and after solving the problem of stopping the ball, he immediately went down.

Odom passed the ball in advance and used his height advantage to catch the ball. He forced his way to the basket with the ball in his left hand, despite Dio's returning defense.

Finding that Barnes in the right corner was left open, the left-handed Magic Johnson immediately swung the ball hard and found his teammate accurately, but Marion, who had just retreated, immediately made an outside shot to interfere, and the jump shot missed.

Duncan, who was trying to grab the rebound, was still pushing and shoving Gasol. Before the two could jump, Li You behind him had already "grabbed the rebound".

"Oh!"

Amid the cheers, Kobe immediately rushed forward, but Li You did not rush to attack. He simply protected the ball and waved to let everyone rush across half court quickly.

This time, Gasol was already positioning himself with his back to the basket in the left blocking zone. When he received the pass from Li You, all the Knicks players stood outside the three-point line, took a simple tentative step, and then suddenly made a jump shot!

"Fuck! Send them home!"

Gasol made the shot with his eyes wide open, beating his chest and roaring, and he scored 4 points in a row, causing the shouting in the stadium to continue.

52:60, Phil Jackson on the sidelines couldn't help but roar loudly, signaling Kobe to go to the pick-and-roll with Duncan.
On the left wing, Kobe, holding the ball in his right hand, tried to use the screen to get rid of it, but Li You chased and forced his way through. After the physical collision, the referee did not blow the whistle, and the Mamba, who was leaning over, lost the opportunity.

The two faced off again at the top of the arc. The calm Kobe quickly passed the ball back to Duncan, who raised the ball to observe the position facing Gasol, and then immediately threw the ball to the opposite side.

Marion almost intercepted the ball, and Barnes, who barely received the pass on the right side, had to make some adjustments, then dribbled to the top line and signaled Kobe to receive the ball.

After a hand-to-hand pass, Mamba faced Li You on the right wing again. Odom hurriedly ran up the line, and when he created space, most of the offensive time had passed.

"Defense!."

Amid the cheers of the defense, Kobe, holding the ball in his right hand, forced his way to the elbow area, but was stopped by Li You. He immediately turned around quickly, lowered his shoulders and accelerated the moment he switched to his left hand, trying to force a breakthrough.

Mamba increased his stride, relied on the defense and couldn't take three steps. He stuck out his tongue in the air, held the ball with his left hand, and the moment he tried to lay up, Li You jumped into the air and swung his left arm, blocking the shot!

"oh!!"

The clean and neat block stopped the booing, and Barnes had no choice but to commit a foul, stopping Marion's sprint.

"He still can't do anything!"

Li You near the baseline shook his head and shouted loudly, and the New York fans behind him were very excited. No one knew who was leading the shouting, but suddenly a shout rang out:

"Where is Shaq?!"

Kobe, with a sullen face, had just retreated to the half court. When he heard the familiar noise, his face turned even darker. Finally, he punched himself in anger, with a ferocious expression on his face again.

When Mamba cooperated with Fisher to double-team on the left wing, JR Smith, who was at the top of the arc, received the ball, turned around and threw it.

The long rebound bounced out, and Marion moved faster and picked up the ball in the right elbow area in the first time, and cheers broke out in the stadium again.

When Li You received the ball on the left wing again, Kobe Bryant stepped up to defend him and signaled his teammates to keep a close eye on him. Noticing that Gasol under the basket had not started, Mamba lowered his center of gravity, turned his body sideways, and defended with all his strength.

Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, noticed that no one was helping him defend, so he lowered his center of gravity suddenly and gained half of his body space in an instant. Kobe gritted his teeth and slid, but just as his feet moved, he found that his "mortal enemy" had already stopped abruptly and dribbled behind his back.

On the three-point line, as Li You raised his center of gravity, held the ball in his right hand and pretended to break through, Kobe, whose front supporting foot was attacked, hurriedly turned around and slid again, only to watch Li You stop abruptly and pull back with a cross step.

"Oh!!"

Amid the cheers that echoed throughout the arena, Kobe stood inside the three-point line, glaring at Li You as he stepped back and shot a jump shot. As the basketball went into the net, Mamba was so angry that he used the "death stare" again.

At 52:63, the Lakers requested a timeout. Phil Jackson's face was full of depression and he angrily pounded the tactical board.

Li You walked towards the bench, leaving only the back of his head to Kobe. When he put his right hand to his ear, the shouting in the stadium couldn't stop, and the Knicks bench was full of jubilation.

"I can't defend it! I really can't defend it! Kobe doesn't have the ability to do so. His legs are just like wooden stakes!"

The 11-point difference made Zhang Weiping "go all out", not giving his two young partners any chance, and the old man tried his best to pass the buck:

"Phil Jackson's defensive adjustment has actually worked, but the offense can't respond. Kobe has practiced pick-and-roll for so many years, but he's still not as good as Li You."

"If we play like this, the game will be over."

The director turned the camera to the Lakers bench. After only a few rounds, Duncan and Kobe were sweating profusely. The former was desperately grabbing rebounds, while the latter was targeted on both offense and defense. "Don't hesitate! Reduce the point difference to 7 points first."

The old man from KFC encouraged his players loudly. Every time the score difference reached double digits, the game would take a sharp turn for the worse. He didn't ask to tie the game in this quarter, he just hoped to lose less.

When they came to the "kill line" again, D'Antoni was beaming with joy. The mustache-wearing player kept giving him chicken soup while holding the tactical board. Finally, he clapped his hands and reminded loudly:

"Give the ball to Lee, pay attention to the offensive space"

When the timeout was up, the Lakers were still giving instructions, but D'Antoni had already put his hands in his pockets and began wandering around the sidelines, chatting with the referee from time to time, showing the temperament of a championship coach.

At the top of the stadium, Yang Yi was still analyzing the goal that had just been scored. He noticed that Kobe started to turn his back to the right wing after dribbling the ball across half court. Just as he was about to comment, the old man next to him immediately raised his voice:

"This ball is going to be lost! Get it back!"

After forcing his way to the right blocking area, Kobe turned around and switched to his left hand, but Li You stole the ball from behind and he lost control of the ball. Mamba screamed and tried to steal the ball back, but the referee ignored him.

As the two were struggling, Li You first passed the ball to Dio, and when he got the ball again, Kobe caught up with him.

Kobe lost his defensive position after the sudden stop and start. The noise from the crowd became louder and louder. Yang Jian, who saw this scene, could only comment:
"Coach Zhang is right. This is really impossible to defend. Kobe looks too slow."

Dio quickly jumped out after setting a high screen. Odom ignored the defense and cooperated with Kobe to chase Li You who broke through with the ball in his right hand.

In the encirclement of the two people, Li You was forced to slow down in the right elbow area. Kobe and Odom thought it was a successful defense. Just as they stopped, they saw Li You suddenly turn around.

Kobe Bryant forced his way through the crowd and subconsciously cut the ball, but only hit his arm. Li You threw the ball with his left hand at the free throw line and the referee blew the whistle.

"And one!"

Li You reminded loudly, and the basketball went into the net. Odom, who was standing by, held his head in his hands. On the Lakers bench, Farmar and Vujacic also stared with their eyes wide open. The opponent fell down as soon as he exerted force.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Amid the shouting, Li You, who was standing on the free throw line, did not forget to have a friendly exchange with his old opponent and took the initiative to remind him:
"Go back to LA and pray! Guys, maybe then God will consider changing the number."

Standing in the paint area, Dio noticed that Odom looked frustrated. The Frenchman smiled and suggested:
"Why not go home earlier? Preparing for the home game in advance seems to be a better choice."

"Get him, mother-in-law!"

Duncan, who always had a "palpable expression", suddenly glared and yelled, this Frenchman actually asked him to surrender early, he was Parker's good friend.
Seeing that Duncan was in a bad mood, the referee intervened hurriedly and warned both sides before sending the ball out. Dio made a surrender gesture to show that he had no ill intentions.

There was another tug of war under the basket, and as the basketball went into the net, Gasol quickly left. Duncan, who had the ball, smashed it hard. The score difference was 14 points, and the painful memories emerged in his mind again.

Finally, Duncan played a beautiful cooperation. He assisted Odom who was cutting in from the free throw line to complete an aerial relay and successfully broke the scoring drought.
Back to the defensive end, seeing Li You was double-teamed in advance, JR Smith received the ball and cut into the middle, broke through and passed the ball, and Dio also seized the three-pointer in the right corner.

JR Smith, who was jumping up and down, did not forget to interact passionately with the fans at the scene. Tonight, he successfully suppressed the rookie in the team and regained stable playing time.

Kobe, who tried to get the ball with his back to the basket in the right blocking zone, was constantly interfered by Li You. Odom at the top of the arc finally forced a lob. Mamba received the ball and turned to the baseline, dribbled one step, and forced a fadeaway jump shot but missed.

"Oh!"

Amid cheers, Gasol grabbed the rebound and found Marion who was running fast. Barnes failed to catch up with the veteran, and his gliding dunk instantly ignited the stadium.

The Lakers requested a timeout again at 2:19, and the familiar single-quarter collapse came a little earlier than in G1.

The New York fans at the scene stood up and cheered. Such a score difference basically secured the victory. They won again tonight!

Kobe threw the Gatorade on the ground and gasped for breath with an angry look on his face. Every second half, the referee would call for a balance whistle. Li You's defense kept testing the edge of the rules, but the referee never blew the whistle.

Duncan didn't take the towel, staring at the tactical board. Phil Jackson began to arrange the three-pointer tactics. The familiar scene reminded him of the fourth quarter of Game 1.
In the first round after the timeout, Duncan was fouled in the left low post and missed one of two free throws. He could only curse in frustration.
The double-team on the right wing forced the Knicks to continuously transfer the ball outside the three-point line. Dio missed a jump shot in the left corner. Duncan under the basket held off Gasol behind him. As soon as he jumped, cheers rang in his ears again.

Li You suddenly rushed to the basket and perfectly grasped the timing of his jump. He exerted force with his right arm in the air across Duncan and instantly slammed the ball into the basket!

"what!!"

Li You, who completed the tip-in, pushed Duncan directly out of the baseline. As he beat his chest and roared, the former MVP just straightened up and couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"It's a wave! The Lakers should prepare for a 'life-or-death battle'. Give more balls to Duncan when they return home. Kobe can't hit the ball back. Luck will come in the third quarter of Game 1."

Seeing the old man from KFC sitting back on the bench, Zhang Weiping felt sad and started to shift the blame. Mamba was no longer magical tonight.

Barnes also stood on the free throw line. The referee's whistle made it difficult for Yang Yi to comment. In the end, he could only smile and take over the conversation:

"The Lakers are heading for 40 free throws tonight. They deserve a penalty, but Li You can really respond!"

"This is the GOAT! I've never seen a double-team like this. Li You's dribbling skills, basketball vision, explosiveness, and finishing touch are not on the same level as other players on the court."

The score difference was too big, and Yang Jian started to brag as usual. After broadcasting the game for so many years, he was almost at a loss for words to praise.

The silent Kobe tried to take over the game, but as time went by, his performance became worse and worse. Under Li You's defense, he even made an outrageous mistake like jumping to pass the ball.

Odom, who received the ball, was directly intercepted by Dio. After committing a foul, the left-handed magician held his knees with both hands and gasped for breath, his frustrated emotion bursting out uncontrollably.

Watching the Lakers scoring bit by bit, Phil Jackson returned to the bench without saying a word. Rambis wanted to comfort him, but after holding it in for a long time, he just couldn't think of anything to say.

Li You received the ball at the top of the arc and instantly completed a large behind-the-back pass, switched to his left hand and accelerated in a straight line, crushing Kobe's defense in the middle.

As soon as Duncan, who was in the replacement position, took a step, the basketball was thrown out. At the bottom right side of the basket, Gasol stretched out his long arms and dunked with both hands to get another two points!
Kobe finally made a three-pointer from the right wing, but when he came back to defend, he was crushed by Li You on the right wing again. The semi-conversion offense forced Mamba to foul and get free throws.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The shouting couldn't stop, and Kobe, sweating profusely outside the three-point line, glared at his "mortal enemy"; he didn't want to give up.

Diving into the basket, Kobe's layup hit the rim and bounced out. Duncan struggled to tip the ball into the basket. Mamba complained loudly to the referee, and the Knicks launched another transition attack.

Just after half court, Li You suddenly made a long pass, and Dio, who ran back to the basket from the elbow area, successfully received the ball and made an alley-oop dunk in the upper left corner of the basket!
Fisher's free throws helped the Lakers save face. On the defensive end, Duncan, who was delayed, committed a foul on the left wing, sending Li You to a free throw.
With more than a minute left in the third quarter, the Lakers completely collapsed. Matthews, who came off the bench, seized an open opportunity on the right wing and made a three-pointer that made the Knicks atmosphere team throw in the towel.

Kobe's three-pointer still missed. In the transition offense, Li You pushed the ball and changed direction to the middle. He passed the ball from behind when approaching the basket, and Ibaka followed up with a two-handed dunk!
When Duncan was defended in the last attack and the ball was intercepted by Li You outside the three-point line, Van Gundy in the ABC commentary booth was no longer polite and said loudly:

"The Knicks killed the game in the third quarter! The defending champions showed us their dominance again!"

"."

Kobe didn't even have time to pull the ball in the air before Li You, who was near the left sideline, threw the ball out in mid-air.

The ground pass with eyes behind his head made the New York fans cheer loudly. Thaddeus Young successfully caught the ball on the three-point line, jumped in the paint area, and then ignited the atmosphere again with a windmill dunk.

"Those wimps are no good! Send them home!!"

Screaming at the top of his lungs, Thaddeus Young's face was full of excitement. The response from New York fans made the newbie very excited.

At 71:94, at the end of the third quarter, sports reporters at the scene took out their phones and updated their Twitter accounts simultaneously, with roughly the same content:
“The Lakers are about to get swept.”

The fourth quarter was almost garbage time. The main lineup played for less than 4 minutes and the Lakers surrendered immediately.

"Look at this triple-double! Li You is really amazing. He didn't lose a single goal in the second half. This is what a core player is!"

"."

Zhang Weiping, who was smiling, stopped pretending and praised Li You. Then he turned around and made sarcastic remarks about Mamba. Kobe made 7 of 1 shots in the third quarter and scored 5 points, but he still made the old man angry.

“这可太厉害了！41分10篮板12助攻3抢断1盖帽，填满数据栏！不可思议！”

After looking at the technical statistics, Yang Yi also started to blow loudly, shooting 18 of 14, 5 of 3 three-pointers, and 10 of 10 free throws. His shooting percentage exceeded 75% for two consecutive games, and Excel exploded.

“How should I adjust to returning to the Los Angeles Lakers?”

Both sides replaced the atmosphere group members. Yang Jian took the initiative to interrupt the old man's criticism. Zhang Weiping didn't think much after hearing the question and immediately responded in a deep voice:

"We can't let Kobe play recklessly anymore. We have to pass the ball. When it comes to responding to the ball, it's up to Duncan."

"The defense also needs to change its thinking. If the role players explode again in Game 3, the Lakers can't afford to lose."

When the commentators started talking about Game 3, the Knicks' tailwinds were still going strong, Gary Neal found his touch from beyond the three-point line, and Chalmers also started shooting from inside and outside.

The two of them managed to score 9:0, which made Phil Jackson so angry that he lost his temper on the spot. After that, the Lakers started to commit fouls and barely controlled the pace of the game.

The time was up and a buzzing sound was heard, 93:128, the Lakers were "burned away by the fierce fire" in the second half, falling behind 0:2, and faced another life-and-death battle.

With 5.8 seconds left in the game, Duncan stood up and left the court. The New York fans on both sides naturally booed when they saw this scene, and many people also shouted:

"Go thank Lee! He's always got your back!"

"Softie! Where is Shannon Brown?"

"."

Bruce Bowen, who was following behind, became furious and started swearing at the fans until security personnel intervened and he was pulled back to the player tunnel.

Doris Burke, who was wearing a blue dress, smiled brightly. This year, she was in charge of the interview for the finals. When she saw Li You finish his conversation with New York celebrities, she quickly walked over:
"Congratulations, Li! You scored a triple-double again! You beat your opponent by 35 points. How would you evaluate such a victory?"

After changing into training clothes early, Li You didn't seem to be sweating at all. Facing a familiar reporter, he rarely spoke from his heart:
"Compared to the previous two years, the Lakers are stronger and I thought they would win more!"

"I have to give praise to Phil Jackson. The defensive strategy formulated by the championship coach caused me a lot of trouble. Fortunately, we have rich championship experience, and everyone on the Knicks team stood up!"

"."

Li You spoke of the "terrible expectations" with a smile on his face, but Doris Burke did not continue to add fuel to the fire, which made the ABC staff a little regretful.

Marion and his teammates who were passing by shouted loudly. The veteran was very happy to win the game easily. He shouted at the camera:

"God——Lee!! God——Lee!."

Kobe, who had been sitting on the bench for a long time, slowly stood up after being persuaded by the staff. Mamba had a dark face, said nothing, and tore off his jersey.

When they returned to the locker room, the Lakers were silent. Duncan covered his face with his hands and his eyes were red. Bowen felt uncomfortable. He wanted to comfort him, but he heard his old teammate say hatefully:
“I must win.”

"."

(End of this chapter)