Reborn in 96, I started by taking charge of the Dallas Mavericks.

When Kobe went cold, the Mavericks struggled offensively.

Their inability to score caused problems with their mentality, which led to a series of chain reactions on the defensive end.

With nearly half of the first quarter played, the Mavericks' score was still in single digits.

Chen Feng had no choice but to call a timeout.

"Kobe, since you're being targeted by the opponent, you need to assist your teammates more."

Chen Fang said to the depressed Kobe.

"And you guys, when Kobe's shooting is off, you need to step up and share the offensive burden with him."

"You need to score to lighten Kobe's load; otherwise, they'll only target him more."

After reprimanding Kobe, Chen Fang addressed the others.

The Mavericks' current predicament is one that all single-star teams face.

"I really hope next season comes soon. Once McGrady joins the team next season, the Mavericks, with their two stars, will truly have the confidence to contend for the championship."

"As for this season, let's take it one step at a time."

Speaking of McGrady, Chen Fang hasn't visited McGrady and Yao Ming for a while.

With that in mind, he decided to take some time to meet with the group and see if their skills had improved.

……

After the timeout, Kobe took Chen Fang's advice and increased his passing on offense.

With Kobe and Nash orchestrating the offense, the Mavericks quickly stabilized the situation and slowly closed the gap.

By the end of the first half, the Mavericks had narrowed the gap to just 2 points.

After the start of the second half, the Pistons relaxed their defense on Kobe, and Kobe seized the opportunity to score repeatedly, leading the team on a 10-0 run and taking the lead.

This lead was maintained until the end of the match.

In the end, the Mavericks defeated the Pistons 108-99, extending their winning streak to four games.

However, Kobe's stats in this game weren't as explosive as in the previous ones.

16 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds.

Although it was a double-double, it still couldn't compare to his previous performances.

At the post-game press conference, the media pressed Kobe on his performance in the game.

"Kobe, your performance today was terrible. Are you experiencing the rookie wall?"

Kobe shrugged and denied it outright.

"I did not play well today, but I don't think I hit the rookie wall. It's normal for a professional player to have ups and downs in performance."

"One poor performance in one game doesn't mean anything."

Seeing that Kobe's answers were watertight, the reporter then turned to ask Chen Fang.

"Coach Chen Fang, what is your assessment of Kobe's performance tonight?"

When asked by reporters, Chen Fang praised Kobe Bryant, saying, "When Kobe was having a bad game, he was able to adjust himself in time to assist his teammates in scoring and winning the game, which was excellent."

"And as Kobe himself said, he is a professional player, and it is perfectly normal for his performance to fluctuate."

“I believe in him; it’s impossible for him to perform poorly every night.”

Hearing Chen Fang's strong support for Kobe, the reporter could only sit down helplessly.

However, this game showed many teams how to deal with Kobe: constantly wear him down.

Kobe can't possibly perform like this every game, but similarly, the other Mavericks players can't possibly play like superstars every game.

If the other Mavericks players underperform, even Kobe Bryant's incredible talent won't be enough to win the game single-handedly.

What they didn't know was that Kobe Bryant in later generations actually had a record of winning a game single-handedly.

That was the highlight of Kobe's entire career, scoring 81 points in a single game!

It is the second-highest single-game score in NBA history after Wilt Chamberlain's record, and it is also the highest single-game score record in modern NBA history.

However, Kobe was already a well-established superstar in the league at that time, while Kobe was just a rookie in his first year.

After defeating the Pistons, the Mavericks have only one opponent left on their Eastern Conference road trip.

The last opponent was the Nets, which at that time were still called the New Jersey Nets.

They entered a rebuilding phase last season, so the Nets are still one of the worst teams in the league this season.

The Mavericks easily secured a victory on the road.

With this, the Mavericks' road trip came to an end, and they achieved an impressive five-game road winning streak.

After their away trip, they will return to Dallas for three days of rest before embarking on a series of home games.

Back at home, the Mavericks' first opponent is the Utah Jazz, known as the "Utah Duo".

Led by head coach Jerry Sloan, the Jazz have an 8-2 record, ranking second in the Western Conference, while the Mavericks hold the top spot.

This game is a battle for the top spot in the Western Conference; whoever wins will take the top position.

The focus of this game is whether the Jazz can limit Kobe's performance.

Sloan's coaching ability is beyond doubt. He is one of only two coaches in NBA history to lead a team to 1000 wins, the other being Popovich.

After watching the Mavericks vs. Pistons game footage, Coach Sloan made specific plans to counter Kobe.

He assigned Brian Russell to guard Kobe, with Stockton providing help defense.

If Kobe chooses to drive, Malone should immediately help defend.

Under the Jazz's protection, Kobe didn't have many good shooting opportunities in the first half.

Although Kobe was contained, the other Mavericks players stepped up.

Nash's performance largely compensated for Kobe's role on the offensive end.

Nash's performance tonight was something Chen Fang hadn't expected.

Nash was matched up against John Stockton, who was known as the team's lubricant.

Stockton's strength is undeniable, yet his story is tragic.

He partnered with Ma Long for many years, but never won a championship, earning him the nickname "the uncrowned king" from fans.

In Chen Fang's view, the matchup between Nash and Stockton was the most mismatched in terms of strength among the two teams' starting lineups. It wasn't that Nash wasn't strong enough, but that Stockton was simply too strong and too consistent.

To Chen Fang's utter surprise, Nash's performance today was truly remarkable.

With Kobe limited, Nash decisively increased his shot attempts and capitalized on open looks.

In the second half, facing a Nash who had found his rhythm, Sloan had to have Stockton focus on defending Nash.

Without Stockton harassing him, Kobe had no more inhibitions and returned to his Black Mamba form on offense.

Kobe Bryant contributed 20 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds in the second half.

纳什全场15投10中，三分球5中4，拿下了全队最高的28分，另外还有12个助攻。

Ultimately, the Mavericks defeated the visiting Utah Jazz 105-98 at home.