The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 423 - 204 Defense Wins the Championship!!!_4

Chapter 423: Chapter 204 Defense Wins the Championship!!!_4

However, to really push the Pacers to the edge, the next game was the most crucial.

Only if they reached a tie at 2-2 could they stand on the same starting line as the Pacers...

No!

As the team that had won two consecutive games, the Lakers would certainly be in a better position regarding morale.

At that point, all the pressure would surge towards the Pacers.

The Los Angeles media were eagerly anticipating such an outcome.

The fourth game of the Finals soon arrived.

Kobe’s expression was firmer than ever.

In this game, the Pacers changed their formation from the start, no longer allowing Yao Ming the chance to handle the ball one-on-one under the basket.

After watching Yao Ming teach in the paint for three games, Rick Carlisle decided to give a thumbs up:

Yao Ming, you’re awesome!

And then he completely stripped Yao Ming of the opportunity for one-on-one plays.

The Pacers decided to test Yao’s passing ability, as well as the scoring ability of the other Lakers players.

This tactic was very effective.

Yao often made brilliant passes.

However, the Lakers teammates receiving his passes, except for Kobe, were not necessarily able to respond.

Even Odom, when left open, had an extremely unstable shooting percentage.

To some extent, he was just a lower IQ version with enhanced body and skills compared to Dior.

Also, because of decreased intelligence and excessive marijuana use, his overall attention often wandered off, making it hard for him to be the core on the offensive end.

With this crazy double-teaming strategy against Yao, the Pacers successfully gained the upper hand in the first quarter.

Phil Jackson was visibly impatient, calling two consecutive timeouts.

There was no choice, the only game the Lakers had won so far was thanks to accumulating an advantage in the first half and then maintaining that advantage until the end with Kobe’s outburst in the fourth quarter.

The previous game had proved that "the strongest Su Wan" could compete evenly with Kobe in a single quarter.

If the Pacers were leading now, the script for this game could be exactly the same as the last.

Only this time, the result would end with the Pacers laughing last thanks to their first-half lead.

At this point, Kobe forcibly took over the game starting from the second quarter.

It was true that Kobe was pretty fierce when playing solo during this period.

Eventually, Su Wan, who hadn’t activated "The zone," was dominated by Kobe in the first half, allowing the Lakers to erase the points deficit. For the first time in the four games of the Finals, the teams entered halftime tied.

Kobe finished the first half with 20 points, Su Wan only had half of that at 10 points.

In the second half, Artest and Su Wan began to wear down Kobe’s physical fitness more frequently through a "tag-team battle."

But tonight was destined to be Kobe’s, he became more and more godlike, and every shot he took next would make Rick Carlisle clench his chest on the sidelines.

Because he couldn’t remember the last time tonight he saw Kobe miss a shot.

As soon as Kobe shot, it seemed as if the ball had eyes, "swooshing" straight for the basket.

Thankfully, Su Wan also continued to "awaken" at this time, matching Kobe shot for shot.

Watching these two "battle like gods," Bill Walton couldn’t help saying: "For those old guns who once regretted that Michael Jordan and the Glider never had their peak showdown in the Finals, I think this round of the Finals, with Su Wan and Kobe dueling, will fulfill all your fantasies about that match!"

These two guys were really amazing!

As the game reached its final moments, it became even more thrilling and exciting.

Su Wan and Kobe kept hitting clutch shots, with the score fluctuating between a -1 to a 2-point difference.

This time, the last shot opportunity belonged to the Lakers.

Rick Carlisle wanted to prevent Kobe from receiving the ball, but in the end, Kobe successfully got the ball and, facing Su Wan, completed a mid-range jump shot.

The ball hit the basket!

Kill shot!

The Los Angeles Lakers tied the series at 2-2.

Scoring 45 points and outperforming Su Wan’s 34, Kobe once again looked towards Phil Jackson, questioning him with his gaze:

Can I finally trash talk Su Wan?

Phil Jackson shook his head helplessly, patting him on the shoulder as he left the court: "Buddy, I must admit, it only felt like this when coaching Michael Jordan."

What he meant was, tonight’s Kobe was like Jordan.

And on Phil Jackson’s side, Jordan was allowed to do anything.

The Los Angeles media described Kobe’s "kill shot" the next day as a "clean revenge."

Although the scene wasn’t as shocking, Kobe’s movements left no room for doubt.

They were incredibly excited.

The reason wasn’t just that Kobe had made the "kill shot" but also because now, the outside world was even more optimistic about the Los Angeles Lakers’ chances of winning the 5th game of the Finals, and perhaps even taking the final championship.

Even Barkley expressed concern for the Pacers’ team atmosphere: "Being chased from a 2-0 lead to a 2-2 tie puts pressure on any team, even if the Pacers are back-to-back champions!"

The media’s questions also became sharper, starting before the fifth game of the Finals, when Su Wan answered the reporter’s question.

"The Pacers have lost two consecutive games, with the series now tied at 2-2. Do you think the Pacers can win the fifth game? If the Pacers still lose the fifth game, what do you think will be the main reason?"

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