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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.

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***

On June 9, 2001, Los Angeles sports media were beaming with joy, and the Los Angeles Times even revived an old headline:

“The era belonging to the Lakers is about to arrive again!”

“The ‘Wilt Chamberlain’ and ‘Michael Jordan’ of modern basketball, the strongest duo in the NBA!”

After returning to their home court, Shaq and Kobe both scored 30+ in two consecutive games.

After both getting 34 points in G3, they exerted themselves again in G4, scoring 38 and 35 points respectively.

They completely reversed their slump on the road, not only increasing their scoring but also improving their efficiency.

(A/N: It’s 5 vs 8 again 🤣🤣)

As the series progressed, after 4 games, Shaq was averaging 37.8 points per game, with a field goal percentage as high as 61.1%!

He averaged 16.0 free throws per game, with a free throw percentage of 49.5%, close to 50%, indicating that Shaq was in excellent form!

Kobe began to rebound strongly after his G1 slump, averaging 29.0 points per game, and his average field goal percentage also rose back to 46.2%.

Although his free throw percentage was lowered quite a bit by G4, his average of 8.0 free throws per game and 80.2% free throw percentage were enough to solve the Lakers’ perimeter scoring problem.

After entering the Finals, the “OK” duo’s performance had surpassed the regular season, and Shaq’s performance was even better than in the Western Conference Playoffs.

The Knicks’ interior had no power to retaliate.

Averaging 6.3 offensive rebounds per game, Shaq was dominating the paint in every game.

If it weren’t for the Knicks shooting too many long-range shots, causing long rebounds to frequently bounce out, Shaq’s average of 14.0 rebounds per game could have been even higher!

Under the chain reaction, Ben Wallace and other interior players also began to face scrutiny.

In G4, Ben fouled out too early, and Luc Longley, who came on, was a mere wooden stake and was easily dominated by Shaq again.

90:104, in last night’s G4, the Knicks shot 8-of-27 from beyond the arc, a shooting percentage of less than 30%, which also caused commentators to turn against them.

In this era, there were very few teams that wildly threw up three-pointers, and for the Knicks to attempt 25+ shots in every Finals game was even more outrageous.

On June 10th, before the start of G5 that night, the NBA and NBC jointly exerted their efforts, and sports media no longer discussed star performances, but instead vigorously promoted the Finals:

“Tonight’s game will be the best and most exciting basketball event in the world!”

The decline in viewership during the regular season in recent years was something no one in the industry wanted to see.

By the time of the season’s annual spectacle, things like officiating and star players no longer mattered.

The common goal of all practitioners was to vigorously promote the event together and restore the popularity of the early 1990s.

Jerry Buss and James Dolan also frequently accepted interviews, and Commissioner David Stern even held a small press conference before the game.

He not only introduced the star players of both sides but also took the opportunity to explain the basketball philosophy followed by the NBA to sports media from other countries.

“The NBA welcomes players from all over the world to play in the league. Here, players can enjoy the purest and highest-level basketball games!”

“From the perspective of basketball development, this is a win-win choice. We embrace different cultures, and the league hopes to present the most exciting basketball games to fans all over the world!”

“…”

The North American market was the base, while overseas markets could further expand the league’s influence.

David Stern kept smiling.

He liked to see the pivotal Game 5!

The Rookie players of the Knicks would still complain a bit, but Clay Lee, who had been accepting interviews with reporters these past two days, was all smiles.

The opponent tying the series seemed to have no impact on him whatsoever.

At 8 PM, a large number of media reporters continued to interview Lee in the visiting team’s locker room.

Lee, already fully geared up, sat in his seat, chatting cheerfully with the media reporters in front of him.

“Clay, in the last game, you were 5-for-13 from beyond the arc. Will you continue to shoot tonight?”

The Los Angeles Times reporter seemed to want to provoke Lee, but what he got was an affirmative answer:

“Of course, I said it before, I will continue to shoot from beyond the arc. This can make up for my free throw attempts.”

As soon as he finished speaking, many people chuckled softly.

Lee didn’t mind and, noticing there was also a Spanish reporter behind, waved his hand and greeted:

“Guys, give the people in the back a chance. It’s rare to see sports media from all over the world. I like this kind of scene!”

Perhaps because a talented big man from Spain was about to join the NBA next season, European sports reporters also came to the venue for this crucial game.

“Clay, at the end of the month, Pau Gasol will officially enter the draft. The Knicks seem to have already sent out a tryout invitation. Have you been following the news about Pau Gasol?”

Holding the 4th pick, the Knicks had sent tryout invitations to all the excellent big men this year.

Hearing the question, Lee responded in Spanish:

“I have always been following young players. Pau Gasol is also a genius, and he will have a successful professional career!”

The Yahoo Sports reporter squeezed in again, quickly asking:

“This might be the most crucial game of the series, Lee. How will the Knicks limit the ‘OK’ duo? Their form seems to be getting better and better.”

Hearing this question, Lee smiled again, then shrugged his shoulders and joked:

“I plan to focus on defending Derek Fisher. In the last game, he made four three-pointers, and my only mission tonight is to play the entire game.”

“Shaq is unstoppable, and Kobe is also performing excellently. However, we can accept them combining for 80 points, and we are prepared for that.”

“Tonight, the Knicks will protect the rebounds better. I believe in Ben, you underestimate him, he is definitely a genius player!”

“We also plan to make more three-pointers. The Knicks will shoot wildly from the perimeter. This is our game strategy.”

Suddenly, he laid his cards on the table, which made the sports reporters, who were three layers deep, look at each other.

Upon closer inspection, they found that Lee seemed serious, and many people inwardly grumbled:

“After all that, did Jeff Van Gundy agree?”

Unlike players who only pursue championships, Lee preferred to expand his influence through the Finals.

This could only be achieved with the help of the league.

Individual efforts could not solve the problem.

Michael Jordan’s three consecutive championships made the world recognize him.

Clay Lee wanted to do the same thing.

He hoped that people outside the United States would also recognize him, and in this process, the championship only served as icing on the cake.

Kobe, who was still pursuing tactical status and championships, thought Lee was currently in a mental breakdown.

In the latter half of G4, despite being behind, Lee played recklessly.

As the series progressed, Kobe finally saw the light of victory!

When briefly interviewed, Kobe, like Shaq, confidently stated:

“The Lakers will defend their home court!”

Unlike the Knicks’ pre-game locker room, which was surrounded by a large number of media, the Lakers players did not accept too many interviews.

Phil Jackson also didn’t want New York reporters to stir up trouble and affect his players’ mentality.

Phil Jackson took on the pre-game interview duties himself.

Facing one question after another, the Champion Coach simply responded confidently:

“We will get the match point tonight!”

The continuous matchups indeed allowed the Lakers to find the secret to winning, and after returning home, they desperately tried to get off to a strong start in every game.

After the game started at 9 PM that night, Shaq once again showed excellent game form.

He rarely fouled, which also made the game exciting without any dull moments.

The Lakers’ perimeter mindlessly double-teamed Lee, while the Knicks’ perimeter continued to shoot wildly without hesitation.

At halftime, it was 45:51, with the Lakers leading by 6 points, and Staples Center was boiling!

After the 3rd quarter began, Jeff Van Gundy was already a bit numb.

He originally wanted Lee to carry the team himself, but after open shots frequently appeared on the perimeter, he comforted himself that the shooting percentage would definitely rebound.

As the game progressed, cameras frequently captured Jeff Van Gundy mumbling on the sidelines.

No one knew that the Bald Young Coach was constantly muttering:

“God bless! God bless!…”

With too many open shots, Allan Houston was the first to regain his touch.

Players in a contract year never held back.

As long as Lee passed the ball, Allan Houston would shoot whenever he found an open spot!

Allan Houston, possessing a non-stick pan attribute, seemed to have no psychological pressure at all.

His expression remained calm throughout, showing no hint of stress.

72:75, with 26 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, the Knicks had the last possession.

Clay Lee, receiving the ball on the baseline, was in no hurry, a faint smile still on his face, looking like he was enjoying the game.

Kobe, who was leading the Defense, stared with wide eyes, intently watching Lee’s movements.

Although he played the entire game every time, the young Kobe, like Lee, didn’t feel tired.

In fact, with the boost of victory, after a few occasional deep breaths, he would feel his stamina recover.

“Defense!…”

The Knicks’ sudden burst in the 3rd quarter also made the Lakers fans in the arena more invested in the game, and the defensive cheers in Staples Center grew louder and louder.

Facing Kobe’s lead Defense, Lee, with the ball in his right hand, accelerated in a straight line, and after encountering physical contact, quickly dribbled behind his back.

Kobe immediately twisted his body to continue applying physical contact, while also reaching down to interfere, trying to disrupt Lee’s dribbling rhythm.

The moment he switched to his left hand, Lee turned with the momentum, regained the ball with his right hand, no longer giving the opponent a chance to steal.

He gained half a step, drove past half court, and then stopped abruptly at the top of the arc.

Away from the three-point line, Lee shielded the ball with his body, waiting for the Lakers to double-team, and incidentally controlling the game clock.

On the left wing, near the sideline, Allan Houston stood still, waiting for Fox in front of him to double-team Lee.

In the left corner, Ron Artest made a side-facing motion to receive the ball, not even looking at Derek Fisher, who was constantly looking around beside him, always waiting for an easy score.

Near the baseline on both the left and right sides, Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace also had no intention of moving up, constantly pushing towards the basket, trying to secure their positions and wait to fight for rebounds.

Time passed, and Lee was in no hurry.

He simply lowered his center of gravity slightly, turned around, switched to dribbling with his left hand, and continued to shield the ball with his body.

Kobe constantly interfered, but Lee simply shielded the ball with his body, occasionally switching hands.

When there were only 5 seconds left on the shot clock, Lee, who had switched back to his right hand, suddenly lowered his center of gravity and accelerated forward.

Kobe quickly slid backward to his left, and Lee immediately pulled back with a crossover step.

The moment he switched to his left hand, he quickly completed a behind-the-back change of direction, and his body swayed forward and to the right again.

Clearly feeling Lee’s increased dribbling speed, Kobe, facing continuous between-the-legs dribbles and front-of-the-body changes of direction, constantly readjusted his center of gravity but could never keep up with the rhythm.

He went for the steal, Lee changed direction and drove, he blocked the driving lane, Lee quickly pulled back.

After two consecutive extremely fast dribbles, Lee was already close to the three-point line.

Taking advantage of Kobe’s attempt to steal the ball with his left hand again, Lee continued to sway forward and to the right, gaining half a step, and quickly dribbled behind his back the moment he crossed the three-point line.

With only 1 second left on the shot clock, Lee, facing Kobe’s block, quickly jumped and shot from the right wing!

“Swish!” The three-pointer went in without touching the rim.

“Boo!” The score was tied, and boos once again echoed through the stadium.

Clay Lee chuckled and held up three fingers, then made a gun gesture and lightly blew on it before slowly strolling back on Defense.

Failing on Defense, Kobe muttered a curse under his breath.

With Derek Fisher’s missed ultra-long three-pointer at the end of the 3rd quarter, both teams were back on equal footing.

75:75, after three quarters, the game’s suspense was reserved for the final quarter.

The Lakers players on the bench all looked serious.

Kobe and Shaq had only rested for a little over a minute in the 2nd quarter.

Phil Jackson didn’t think much about physical endurance at this point and continued to give pep talks:

“Only one quarter left until victory. If we get the match point, we can secure the win!”

“Show your desire for victory, attack the rim, and play good Defense!”

The assistant coach also loudly reminded everyone not to randomly shoot like the New York Knicks.

After the 4th quarter began, the Lakers attacked first.

Fisher no longer controlled the ball and ran to the left baseline with Lee.

When Kobe, who received the ball in the backcourt, crossed half-court and reached the right wing, O’Neal had already completed his post-up, pushing Ben Wallace behind him and demanding the ball with his back to the basket.

Kobe, who had passed the ball, didn’t choose to cut inside but slowly moved to the top of the arc, watching O’Neal put the ball down with his left hand and pound his way in.

Ben Wallace, who was pushed under the basket, immediately fouled O’Neal as he turned towards the baseline, sending him directly to the free-throw line.

“Boo!”

At the NBC commentary table, Doug Collins noticed that this was only Ben Wallace’s third personal foul and couldn’t help but praise him:

“Wallace has controlled his defensive actions very well tonight. The New York Knicks currently have no one in foul trouble. Head Coach Van Gundy’s adjustments are excellent!”

Marv Albert was almost speechless.

He had already seen that the New York Knicks’ core players weren’t playing much Defense tonight.

Lee was even just going through the motions.

In the third quarter, Derek Fisher efficiently scored 7 points, seemingly becoming the Lakers’ third star.

“The New York Knicks could also reduce some outside shots. The scorers are having a hard time shaking off their defenders, so they could try more drives.”

75:77, O’Neal made both free throws, and the Lakers fans in the Staples Center cheered loudly again.

“Defense!”

Amidst the cheers for Defense, Lee had just crossed half-court when he was immediately met with a large delay double-team from Kobe and Fox.

Pulling the Defense horizontally, Lee jumped and threw the ball.

On the left wing outside the three-point line, Allan Houston caught the ball and, without any adjustment, quickly jumped and shot!

“Swish!” The three-pointer went in without touching the rim.

78:77, the New York Knicks took the lead for the first time in this game.

Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines excitedly pumped his fist.

On the bench, the atmosphere group also wildly swung their towels.

It was still Kobe bringing the ball across half-court, and Derek Fisher again pulled Clay Lee to the right baseline.

O’Neal got deep position this time, receiving a direct pass from Kobe in the left low post.

He put the ball down with his right hand and backed down, pushing Ben Wallace away, quickly turning his body forward, and easily scoring with a floater!

78:79, after taking the lead, O’Neal shook his head disdainfully, seemingly finding it too easy to score.

As Allan Houston and Ron Artest missed their shots, the Lakers extended their lead with Kobe’s catch-and-shoot jumper from the right elbow.

On this possession, O’Neal once again went to the free-throw line.

When he made the first free throw, chants of “MVP” began to echo in the stadium.

However, he missed the second shot, and the cheers quickly turned into gasps.

Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound, and Lee, who was there to receive it, sped up.

Derek Fisher was completely shaken off and could only shout loudly, reminding his teammates to quickly retreat on Defense.

O’Neal, who was sprinting back on Defense, saw Lee catching up.

He intended to commit a tactical foul, but unexpectedly, Lee reacted even faster, suddenly gathering the ball and taking a step, shouting as he was pulled, and casually tossing the ball towards the rim.

“Squeak!”

The foul was too obvious, and the referee immediately blew his whistle.

However, seeing the ball already flying out of bounds, he subconsciously twitched the corner of his mouth.

Lee didn’t care about the fans’ loud boos.

He stepped to the free-throw line, calmly made both free throws, and then quickly retreated on Defense with a relaxed expression.

80:82, the deficit was narrowed again.

The Lakers still attacked patiently.

This time, Fox suddenly drove with the ball from the right wing, drawing a shooting foul on Ron Artest.

“Wow!”

Standing at the free-throw line, after making both free throws, the Lakers fans cheered for Fox.

The pace of the offense slowed down.

The Lakers clearly wanted O’Neal to rest while playing on the court, while on the New York Knicks side, Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, passed it as soon as he crossed half-court.

On the right wing, Allan Houston received the ball and didn’t rush to attack.

Taking advantage of Ron Artest moving to the top of the arc, he immediately completed a cross-court pass.

Lee, who had passed the ball, first cut off-ball through the middle, then popped out to the left baseline.

At the block area, Kurt Thomas’s screen didn’t dare to do anything extra, so it naturally didn’t have much effect, and Kobe continued to chase on Defense.

Coming close to the left sideline, Lee didn’t stop his steps.

He first feigned a baseline drive from left to right, deceiving Kobe’s body weight, and immediately accelerated up the court.

Near the left wing, the man and the ball arrived together.

The pass quality wasn’t high.

The moment Lee received the ball, he adjusted and faked a shot, and Kobe, who had re-engaged on Defense, subconsciously raised his right hand.

Unable to deceive his opponent, Lee immediately shielded the ball to his left side, then quickly took large probing steps with his right foot repeatedly towards the front left.

Kobe merely turned slightly, while his hands were constantly active, completely ignoring the referee nearby, focused on stealing the ball and interfering.

After a round of maneuvering, more than half of the shot clock had expired.

Lee suddenly shortened his strides, took a probing step to the front right, then quickly put the ball down with his left hand, and after a pound dribble, suddenly stepped back.

Kobe reacted quickly, but Lee used the rebound force of the ball, leaned back slightly, and facing the Defense, quickly jumped and shot from beyond the three-point line!

“Swish!” The three-pointer went in without qtouching the rim.

Kobe glared at Lee’s retreating back.

Being able to score with such tight Defense in his face made him curse under his breath again:

“Damn three-pointer!”

83:84, the New York Knicks were relentlessly chasing.

On the next possession, an enraged Kobe used O’Neal’s screen to cut into the paint from the right wing, drawing a shooting foul on Kurt Thomas.

Jeff Van Gundy couldn’t hold back and loudly complained to the referee again:

“He didn’t even gather the ball! We fouled him early! That’s just a sideline ball!”

Lee moved to the sideline, signaling everyone to pull the Bald Young Coach back, and incidentally stood next to the referee, jokingly whispering:

“Our Head Coach is a little emotional. He actually really respects the referee’s work!”

“…”

Kobe made both free throws, further exciting the Lakers fans in the Staples Center, and the noise grew louder.

The New York Knicks ran the same play, just in a different direction.

Ben Wallace’s screen also had no effect.

When Lee received the ball near the sideline on the right wing, Kobe was again sticking to him tightly.

Under the “pat-down Defense,” Lee first raised the ball behind his head, then quickly swept it across, taking a horizontal probing step with his right foot.

While lowering his center of gravity, he quickly put the ball down with his left hand.

He pushed off with his feet, smoothly took a horizontal step back in the opposite direction.

Lee dribbled once, immediately gathered the ball, drifted to the left, and forced a jump shot!

“Swish!” The three-pointer went in without touching the rim!

86:86, the New York Knicks tied the score again.

“Woah!”

After scoring, Clay Lee also let out a strange cry, raised his right hand, held up three fingers, and bounced back to half-court, grinning widely, appearing exceptionally excited.

On the bench, Ewing covered his face with a towel.

When Lee shot, he raised both hands, and after the score, he even hugged Grant Hill and shouted:

“That imitator can’t stop Lee! No one can stop him from scoring!”

O’Neal’s eyes widened again.

He clearly saw Kobe’s hand covering Lee’s face, blocking his vision of the rim, but the ball still went in.

The game entered a response-shot phase, and Lee felt his own state getting better and better.

O’Neal demanded the ball in the left low post, then executed a nimble spin, getting past Ben Wallace, and receiving a high lob from Kobe for an alley-oop dunk that ignited the atmosphere!

Coming back, after continuous perimeter passing, Lee received the ball on the left wing.

Kurt Thomas made a fake screen and quickly rolled down.

Drawing a double-team from Horry, Lee made a bounce pass assist to Kurt Thomas, who scored with a jump shot from the left elbow.

Kobe made a large misdirection change of direction at the top of the arc, then scooped the ball with his right hand and drove straight to the basket, drawing a foul on Allan Houston.

He went to the free-throw line and made the extra free throw for a three-point play, igniting the atmosphere in the stadium.

When it was the New York Knicks’ turn to attack, Lee quickly drove along the baseline from right to left, receiving a pass from Allan Houston in the left corner.

Within a very small area, Lee took advantage of Kobe’s defensive pressure, put the ball down with his left hand, and drove like a bulldozer.

Near the lower left of the basket, he took a big hop step, completely pushing his opponent away.

He paused slightly under the basket, faked a shot with the ball.

Kobe instinctively jumped. In the air, he heard the referee’s whistle, and the ball went off the backboard and in.

Kobe, with his hands on his hips under the basket, showed an expression of disbelief, seemingly unable to believe he had been run over and driven past.

Successfully completing the three-point play, Clay Lee smiled after making the free throw, thumping his chest excitedly.

Fox drove aggressively to the basket from the left wing and once again went to the free-throw line.

After making both free throws, the Lakers fans cheered wildly!

Suddenly changing their defensive strategy, O’Neal and Kobe double-teamed Lee after a pick-and-roll.

At the top of the arc, Lee, who was horizontally pulling the Defense, failed to complete an “outside overtake.”

Before the two could close in again, he flicked his left wrist, sending a bounce pass to a cutting Ben Wallace.

The frustrated Ben ignored Horry, who was retreating on Defense, and after receiving the ball, he took three big steps, jumped up, and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands directly over the defender!

“Ah!”

After completing the dunk, Ben Wallace first let out a loud shout, and Staples Center suddenly fell silent.

Ben Wallace gestured to the referee for a foul, and seeing no reaction, he shook his head and retreated on Defense.

Lakers were on offense.

Phil Jackson, on the sidelines, saw O’Neal miss a floater directly in front of the basket and quickly shouted a reminder:

“Hey!! Hang in there! Drive to the basket!”

Knicks were on offense.

Seeing Lee miss a three-pointer from the top of the arc, Jeff Van Gundy felt a surge of tension but put on a confident expression and shouted:

“Lee, don’t hesitate, keep shooting!”

As time passed, both teams started missing shots.

O’Neal’s free throw percentage declined, and the Lakers players relentlessly drove to the basket.

Lee didn’t care about the situation on the court.

Taking advantage of the opponent’s decreased defensive intensity, he seized the opportunity to also intensify his drives.

When the game entered its final minute, everyone in the stadium stood up, watching both teams continuously miss shots, and gasps of surprise filled the Staples Center.

Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy were both extremely nervous, shouting unconsciously from the sidelines.

Clay Lee, who had just missed a shot, was smiling, constantly clapping his hands, and loudly reminding his teammates to play Defense.

Shaquille O’Neal managed to secure the defensive rebound, with 27 seconds left in the game.

102:103, the Lakers were leading by exactly 1 point.

Shaq once again gained the buff of not being fouled at this moment.

The Lakers also had no timeouts left.

Everyone watched Kobe dribble the ball past half-court.

“Wow!”

With victory in sight, many Lakers fans couldn’t hold back and started cheering loudly.

Taking a deep breath, at the top of the arc, Kobe held the ball with his right hand, running down the clock.

Ron Artest stood on the three-point line, lowering his center of gravity, staring intently at his opponent’s movements.

Clay Lee was still “smoking” in the left corner.

Despite being behind in the score, he comforted the nervous Fox beside him:

“Relax, buddy! You don’t have the initiative, but I think the game will go into overtime, and I’ll hit a three-pointer from the left wing.”

“Remember to say hello to Shaq and Kobe for me!”

“…”

Fox, with a long face, kept his arm around Lee and was not in the mood to respond, occasionally looking towards the top of the arc, constantly praying in his heart.

With 5 seconds left on the shot clock, Kobe, near the top of the arc, dribbled the ball between his legs with his left hand, then scooped it up with his right hand, lowered his shoulder, and drove hard.

Unable to shake off Ron Artest’s slide, Kobe immediately pivoted on his left foot inside the paint, making a large turn.

Ron Artest, seeing the opportunity, immediately swatted the ball hard, and then heard the referee’s whistle.

“Ah!!”

Ron Artest cried out in regret, covering his face with both hands.

He didn’t complain to the referee, just looked somewhat dejectedly at Lee.

Staples Center completely erupted.

Seeing Kobe smile and walk to the free throw line, Lakers fans all shouted:

“MVP! MVP! MVP!”

Clay Lee didn’t care about the atmosphere.

He just walked to the sideline, hugged Ron Artest, who had fouled out, and whispered a comfort:

“Good job! Bro! We’ll win the game tonight!”

Although he was “sucked dry” by his boss, Ron Artest had no complaints.

He just hugged Lee tightly, then stood on the sidelines, joining the atmosphere group in shouting to distract Kobe’s free throw.

Grant Hill, who had just re-entered the game, felt a slight sweat on his palms.

Looking at Lee, who was standing with his hands on his hips, intently watching the clock, he truly felt the gap between them.

In a crucial moment, Kobe calmly made both free throws.

Jeff Van Gundy called his last timeout.

Lakers fans began to cheer wildly, and Phil Jackson also secretly clenched his fists.

“Yee!!”

Kobe, walking towards the bench, had a fierce expression, feeling no fatigue in his body.

He roared and hugged every teammate in greeting.

O’Neal, panting heavily, no longer cared about the “MVP” chants.

At this moment, he also smiled.

Although he was narrow-minded, winning the game and getting the series point was the most important thing.

On the Knicks bench, Lee took the clipboard, waved to Ewing, and then loudly said:

“3.6 seconds is enough for us to complete a play. Pat, you’ll receive the ball near the top of the arc.”

“Allan! After you inbound the ball, spread out along the left sideline. I’ll start from the right wing and cut back to receive Pat’s pass.”

“Don’t worry about the distance. Just get the ball to me. They’re too tired to run anymore. We’re going to get the series point tonight!”

“…”

Grant Hill was completely bewildered.

After Lee drew up the play, he started giving motivational speeches, and Jeff Van Gundy kept shouting “No problem.”

Ewing also didn’t feel anything was wrong.

After taking off his warm-up shirt, he patted his chest, indicating he was ready.

When a bewildered Grant Hill returned to the court, his nervousness had disappeared, and he was furiously complaining in his heart:

“What’s going on here?”

In Staples Center, no one was sitting in their seats.

Lakers fans, standing to watch the game, nervously watched everyone on the court, shouting themselves hoarse:

“Defense! …”

Allan Houston took a deep breath, preparing to inbound the ball.

Grant Hill ran to the left corner, Ewing stood inside the paint, and Clay Lee leaned on his knees, being tightly held by Kobe on the right wing.

Seeing the Knicks players’ positioning, Shaquille O’Neal instinctively thought that Ewing would come up to the top of the arc to set an off-ball screen for Lee.

O’Neal and Phil Jackson simultaneously shouted warnings:

“Fight through the screen!” “Shaq, help Defense!”

Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines was already bewildered, only able to unconsciously whisper prayers, watching the situation on the court along with the rest of the Knicks.

As the referee’s whistle blew, the roar in Staples Center grew louder.

Grant Hill quickly slipped along the baseline, Ewing accelerated towards the top of the arc, and Lee, a step slower, broke free from Kobe’s entanglement and quickly moved horizontally.

With the “no foul” buff, the Knicks’ inbound was very smooth.

Allan Houston immediately passed the ball to Ewing, who had just arrived at the top of the arc, then immediately ran to the left corner, taking Fox with him.

The moment Ewing received the ball, O’Neal’s mind went blank.

Lee, who had already rushed near the Gorilla, suddenly stopped short and swayed his body to the right, feigning a cut back to receive the ball.

Lakers fans in the Staples Center started screaming, and Kobe was also stunned.

He instinctively adjusted his center of gravity.

Seizing this opportunity, Clay Lee exerted force with his feet again and rushed to the left wing in two steps.

Although he was still two steps away from the three-point line, Ewing instinctively sent the pass. 3.6 seconds was very short.

The moment Lee received the ball, without any adjustment, he raised the ball and shot!

Kobe’s eyes widened.

He gritted his teeth and made a desperate attempt to block the shot, flying horizontally through the air, but in the end, he could only watch the basketball fly towards the basket, and then he fell flat on the floor.

As the basketball flew through the air, the final buzzer sounded, and Staples Center suddenly turned into a library.

Everyone looked towards the basket.

As the basketball drew a huge arc and precisely dropped into the basket, Lakers fans instinctively screamed:

“Ah!!”

In the commentary booth, Marv Albert stood up, craning his neck.

The moment the basketball went in, he grabbed the lapel of his suit with his left hand and roared:

“He got it! He got it!”

“YES!! Clay — Clay Lee! He is my hero!”

This die-hard Knicks fan no longer cared about his neutral status and yelled at the top of his lungs.

Finally, he simply threw his headphones onto the commentary table.

Marv Albert covered his face and shouted unconsciously:

“Ah!!”

105:105, the Knicks tied the score again, and the game went into overtime.

Clay Lee laughed and jumped onto Ewing, constantly pumping his fists in celebration.

The Gorilla was stunned for a moment, then hugged Lee and roared, rushing back to the Knicks bench.

Soon, everyone was in a huddle, happily celebrating the game going into overtime.

Jeff Van Gundy seemed to have turned back into a little assistant, completely losing his demeanor as a Champion Coach.

He first covered his head with both hands, then jumped up and down on the sidelines, his hair on both sides standing on end.

Like many Lakers fans, Kobe, who was lying on the floor, was also stunned.

When his teammates pulled him up, he instinctively turned his head to look at where Lee had shot from:

“That went in!?”

Shaquille O’Neal kept his mouth open, staring blankly at the Knicks bench. He was pulled away by the crowd, seemingly still not fully recovered.

Phil Jackson secretly thought “not good,” but on the surface, he remained calm, even putting on a confident demeanor, shouting a reminder:

“Stick to our game plan! Drive, attack the opponent, and fight like men!”

“Look at all these fans supporting us here. Everyone is craving a championship, and now, we are only 5 minutes away from victory!”

“…”

Kobe, constantly taking deep breaths, didn’t feel tired, but O’Neal, who was chugging “oral solutions” back in his seat, couldn’t go on.

On the other side, Horry was also panting heavily, as the fourth quarter had greatly depleted his stamina.

In the commentary booth, Doug Collins, looking at the technical statistics, raved about Clay Lee’s performance:

“In the most crucial moments, Clay Lee shot 6-for-9 in the quarter, 4-for-5 from three-point range, and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, scoring 21 points and dishing out 4 assists.”

“This isn’t the first time he has saved the team with a miraculous three-pointer. This reminds me of the 98 Eastern Conference Finals!”

“An incredible performance, perhaps this will be the turning point of the series!”

Marv Albert, having calmed down, let out a long breath, still very excited:

“Sorry, I found it very difficult to control my emotions just now. This is a superstar. Lee almost single-handedly dragged the game into overtime.”

They didn’t care that it was the Lakers’ home court, Lee, the two commentators couldn’t stop praising him.

James Dolan, sitting in the front row, was so excited his face was flushed.

He was still hugging General Manager Grunfeld and furiously pumping his fists, completely oblivious to the angry glares from the surrounding Lakers fans.

When both teams returned to the center of the court, Ewing, who was preparing for the jump ball, grinned at Shaq, “This is truly off-peak travel.”

After sinking the game-tying shot, Lee was only excited for a moment, then he recovered his smiling face, even having the presence of mind to jokingly ask Fox:

“Buddy, didn’t you tell them the news? Why were you guys so unprepared?”

“…”

Fox twitched his mouth.

This curly-haired handsome guy really didn’t want to bother with Lee, always feeling that the more he responded, the more excited the other side would get.

Looking at Lee, who was smiling and completely unconcerned about the game, Kobe felt a surge of anger in his heart.

Staring intently at Lee, Kobe seemed to want to “kill his opponent” with his eyes, but the response he received was Lee’s disdainful smile.

“Fuck!”

Not only Kobe but Shaq was also furious, cursing inwardly.

In an instant, the referee had already tossed the ball high into the air, and Gorilla tipped the ball to his team’s half-court.

“Defense!…”

Seeing Lee control the ball, Lakers fans started shouting “Defense!” again.

Before crossing half-court, Kobe aggressively tightened his Defense.

Lee was not in a hurry.

After several body collisions, he simply stuck out his butt and steadily dribbled past the mid-court line.

Allan Houston ran to the left corner, while loudly calling for Lewis, who had re-entered the game, to move to the right corner.

Ewing also had no intention of setting a screen.

He ran to the right side near the baseline, then conveniently set an off-ball screen for Lewis and stood still.

On the left wing, Grant Hill also didn’t move. Fox, who was guarding him, hesitated a bit, but ultimately chose to sag off and play help Defense.

Kobe’s extremely aggressive defensive moves didn’t have much effect.

Lee simply shielded the ball with his body, constantly bumping into him, and casually faked with a crossover.

At the top of the arc, Lee, holding the ball in his right hand, observed that his teammates had completely settled into their positions.

Lee, who had been shielding the ball with his body, suddenly faked a shoulder move forward.

The moment he twisted his body, Kobe instinctively slid to the left.

Lee quickly scooped the ball with his left hand, then immediately lowered his center of gravity and accelerated forward.

With an extremely quick twist, Lee gained half a step, dribbled two big steps closer to the three-point line.

Kobe adjusted his center of gravity again, desperately sliding back to his right.

Sensing his opponent’s defensive movement, Lee quickly pulled back with a crossover, switching to his right hand.

After adjusting his footwork, his left hand followed, faking a gather, and he slightly looked up at the rim.

It was just a fake, and Kobe instinctively lunged forward.

Clay Lee pushed the ball with a small change of direction, switching back to his left hand, lowering his center of gravity.

Kobe was faked into dancing in place, and quickly moved back to his right.

The Lakers fans in the arena also gasped.

Seeing Lee’s continuous fakes followed by a sudden step-back, completely shaking off Kobe, many couldn’t help but scream again:

“Ah!”

Gathering the ball at the top of the arc, Lee ignored Kobe’s renewed close-out, and quickly jumped and shot from beyond the three-point line!

“Swish!” The three-pointer went in cleanly.

Completely out of sync, Kobe’s jump to block had no effect.

Watching Lee grin as he retreated on Defense, he angrily slammed his thigh in frustration.

Lakers offense. In the first possession, Shaq again demanded the ball with his back to the basket in the left low post.

Ewing, with better stamina, almost pushed Shaq out of his sweet spot.

Kobe, dribbling past half-court, ultimately chose to lob the ball.

Shaq, receiving the ball, backed down aggressively towards the basket.

After nearing the paint, he turned towards the baseline.

His speed was declining, and Ewing seized the opportunity to foul him directly, not giving the opponent an easy scoring opportunity.

“Screech!”

The referee blew his whistle, and Gorilla picked up his 5th personal foul.

Shaq walked to the free-throw line with a grim face.

In the fourth quarter, he was 6 for 10 from the free-throw line, missing consistently in the latter half of the quarter.

Lakers fans were praying, but Shaq missed both free throws again.

“Oh!”

The fans sighed in unison. Ewing, who had secured the rebound, immediately passed the ball to Grant Hill, who took the ball and charged, quickly dribbling past half-court.

Clay Lee, running off-ball, immediately ran to the left corner.

Unable to shake off Kobe, he accelerated again, cutting along the baseline from left to right.

Allan Houston on the right wing moved horizontally and faked a hand-off with Grant, then immediately ran to the left wing.

Rotating up the line, Lewis had already settled in the left corner.

Near the right baseline, Lee circled around Ewing and suddenly accelerated outwards.

Kobe, chasing on the high side, was still briefly shaken off by the faster Lee.

At the top of the arc, Grant Hill immediately sent a cross-court pass.

The ball arrived as Lee did.

Lee, now on the right wing, received the ball, twisted his body, and faked a shot.

The realistic fake made Kobe, who was closing out, jump to block.

Lee then lowered the ball with his right hand and moved horizontally.

After landing, Kobe closed out again.

Lee suddenly lowered his center of gravity and accelerated forward.

While Kobe was sliding back to his left, he quickly pulled back with a crossover.

After being faked repeatedly, Kobe, trying to adjust his defensive center of gravity, stumbled.

His body and brain were uncoordinated, and his right foot stepped on his left, causing him to slip and fall to the floor with a thud.

“Ah!!”

Lakers fans in the front row tried to disrupt the shot with their shouts, but what they saw was Lee lowering his head with a smile.

After gathering the ball on the right wing, he easily jumped and shot!

“Swish!” Another three-pointer!

111:105, in overtime, the Knicks led by 6 points, and Staples Center once again became a library.

“Whoa!”

Clay Lee let out another strange cry, held up three fingers, and repeatedly jammed them into his head.

He ran sideways, bouncing and hopping back to half-court, facing the stands.

Seeing the light of victory, Marv Albert in the commentary booth also became excited, his speech accelerating:

“This is insane! Clay Lee is still continuing his scoring performance!”

Kobe, who had stood up, his eyes red with anger.

In the next possession, he continuously dribbled between his legs, drove hard to the basket against Grant Hill, drawing a shooting foul and going to the free-throw line.

Trying to control his breathing, Kobe’s second free throw still bounced off the rim.

Watching Lee receive the ball and charge, Fisher grimaced and immediately fouled him, also picking up his 5th personal foul.

On the sidelines, Head Coach Van Gundy completely lost his composure, high-fiving the atmosphere group and shouting unconsciously, wishing he could rush onto the court and punch the fouling Fisher a couple of times.

While setting up the sideline inbound, Lee again smiled mockingly at Kobe, who was holding him:

“You guys are going to lose. I’m going to make another three-pointer!”

“What the hell!”

Kobe roared, and as Lee received the ball, he immediately reached in to disrupt him.

Blinded by rage, Kobe, sliding past half-court, didn’t notice Ewing stopped outside the three-point line.

Clay Lee, dribbling with his left hand and constantly accelerating, suddenly stopped short, quickly dribbled behind his back, and the moment he switched to his right hand, he immediately lowered his shoulder and accelerated.

Ewing, who had stopped early, remained motionless.

When Kobe came to his senses, he crashed directly into Gorilla’s embrace.

Shaq yelled, reminding Kobe that his chase-down Defense was all in vain.

Moving his increasingly heavy body, Shaq wanted to hedge out, but he saw Lee stop and gather the ball about a step away from the three-point line, then quickly jump and shoot!

“YES!”

“Lee has completely dominated overtime! What an incredible performance!”

The moment the ball went in, Marv Albert again exclaimed excitedly, and Staples Center fell completely silent.

Phil Jackson immediately called a timeout.

The Champion Coach rubbed his temples, watching Lee raise his hands again to show off, and also cursed in a low voice, annoyed:

“This lunatic!”

114:106, Clay Lee scored 9 consecutive points, showcasing his scoring burst.

Back on the bench, the Lakers players felt a wave of despair.

+1 couldn’t overcome +3.

Shaq no longer said “Give me the ball.”

He hung his head, not saying a word.

Only Kobe angrily threw his towel, cursing repeatedly in frustration.

The timeout didn’t solve the problem.

Although Kobe made a tough fadeaway shot from the right block, as Lee caught and shot from the left wing, sinking another three-pointer, Staples Center fell silent again.

117:108, the Knicks were still extending their lead.

“Ah!!”

The Lakers fans in the arena watched Lee pound his chest and roar loudly, then couldn’t help but lower their heads and cover their mouths, seemingly unable to accept such a result.

As game time elapsed, both sides clanked shots, and the Staples Center grew quieter and quieter.

With 9.6 seconds left in the game, Kobe missed a tough three-pointer.

Fox sent Grant Hill to the free-throw line, and the Lakers fans, who had come to their senses, began to vent their frustration:

“Boo!!”

Boos echoed throughout the stadium.

Grant Hill calmly sank both free throws.

Clay Lee laughed, raising his hands high, and Head Coach Van Gundy excitedly embraced his coaching staff.

The Lakers no longer attacked.

Everyone stood frozen in place, quietly waiting for time to expire.

121:114, after a hard-fought overtime, the Knicks finally secured the match point!

“Wow!”

On the Knicks bench, everyone rushed onto the court, embracing Lee in wild celebration.

Looking at Lee, who was raising his hands with a brilliant smile, Doug Collins again exclaimed loudly:

“4-for-6 from three-point range in overtime, scoring 12 points. Clay Lee completely dominated the game tonight!”

On the other side of the commentary booth, Marv Albert didn’t mind the boos from the crowd.

After receiving a cue from the director, he praised with a light tone:

“55 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers. Congratulations to Clay Lee for tying the Finals scoring record set by Rick Barry in ’67 and Michael in ’93!”

“What an incredible performance!”

19-for-34 from the field, 10-for-17 from three-point range, 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Looking at the box score, Doug Collins secretly clicked his tongue, and could only lament again:

“Clay Lee broke his own three-point record. Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night!”

“…”

…..

By the way, don’t forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me 🙂

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep