Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

``` Yu Fei didn't leave Kobe with many options. Continue to rest? Of course, he could, but after Yu Fei completed the four-point play, the Lakers had gone from trailing by 7 points to trailing by 11 points. This was just the beginning of the second quarter. A few more minutes of rest, and Yu Fei's threat might become a reality. Kobe took the towel from around his neck with his hand, which was fitted with a finger splint, and proactively asked Jackson to reenter the game, "Phil, they need me." The Zen Master, often criticized for making slow decisions in the moment, was very decisive tonight. As soon as he saw that the situation on the court wasn't right and Kobe wanted to return early, he agreed immediately. Half a minute later, the Lakers Team committed a defensive foul, and Kobe returned to the court. Now that the Supersonics were led by Yu Fei along with Durant, Childress, Frye, and Nick Collison, this lineup with four young players generally underperformed compared to the regular season under the Western finals' intensity. But with Yu Fei, some would naturally grasp the true essence of Jermaine O'Neal. Even a dog would become better by Big Fei's side. Kobe's return mainly impacted the Lakers by providing a strong point on both offense and defense. Kobe could both take the pressure of defending Yu Fei and act as the main offensive focus to attract the Supersonics' defensive pressure. Considering he had played this way in the past quarter, whether the heavily exhausted Kobe could maintain the same court influence in the second half was still unsure. This was not something the Lakers Team needed to consider right now. Kobe's comeback immediately stopped the decline on the court. He even managed to relieve some offensive pressure for the Lakers Team without having to shoulder the main offensive duties as much as he did in the first quarter. On the Supersonics side, there were just too many young players who were not accustomed to the high-intensity confrontation. A few minutes later, the Supersonics repeatedly missed shots, and the Lakers narrowed the gap to 5 points. So, Yu Fei moved to the low post and, feeling Kobe's defensive focus leaning back, immediately pulled back and turned for a jump shot after receiving the pass from his teammate. "Swish!" Yu Fei gave his teammates a calming pill, and then put a big block on Kidd in the defensive end, caught up with the loose ball, and scored on a fast break. Kobe immediately fired from the perimeter, clawing back 3 points for the Lakers. Yu Fei's response arrived swiftly, ignoring Kobe's defense, he dribbled between his legs twice, changed direction, and stepped back for a three-pointer that hit the mark. By now, the Lakers' defense seemed as flimsy as paper in Yu Fei's eyes. If they didn't double team him, no matter who they put on him one-on-one, he was confident he could blow past them. As the Lakers were about to have their situation reversed by Yu Fei's individual ability, the Zen Master made a quick decision, allowing his players to leave Childress open, thereby freeing up extra defensive resources to restrict Yu Fei. Childress's perimeter shooting was inconsistent, mainly relying on inside scores to get his points. What Jackson worried about was whether Yu Fei would still find Childress for the score under these circumstances? His concern was entirely justified. As the Lakers' double-team approached, Yu Fei protected the ball while looking for opportunities. He saw the chance for Childress to cut to the basket and promptly flicked the ball with one hand. Childress scored on the dunk. You can't defend against him one-on-one, and double-teaming leads to his passing breaking through your defense. The Lakers faced a defensive crisis. They didn't have an answer for Yu Fei, and this situation lasted for five minutes. Yu Fei, who had been playing for 17 consecutive minutes, was finally substituted out. He left with a versatile stat line of 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. During the five minutes he led the team on his own, the Lakers not only failed to narrow the score but also saw the gap widened to 10 points by him. When Karl substituted Yu Fei out for a rest, replacing him with other key players, the Lakers dared not take Kobe out. Because even though Yu Fei was off the court, Roy had come on. While Roy wasn't as much of a threat as Yu Fei, if there wasn't someone of Kobe's caliber to limit him, given Roy's performance that night, he would definitely take the opportunity to deal a heavy blow to the Lakers in Kobe's absence. The Lakers were completely trapped in a dilemma. Kobe needed to rest, but he couldn't afford to. If Kobe didn't rest, then Kidd couldn't either, as he was the only one who could reasonably balance Kobe's contributions with the system. Like Kobe, Kidd was also heavily fatigued. The Lakers, who should have focused on the inside game, now had to shift their emphasis to the perimeter due to Kobe's strong performance on the outside. However, Jackson thought it through, and in the end, all these problems could be traced back to Yu Fei playing an extra half quarter. With his own strength, he disrupted the Lakers' rotation, and even while leading four young players, he still managed to widen the gap, which is why they now hardly dared to substitute their core players out. As Kobe and Kidd raced around desperately for a possible second-half comeback, Yu Fei was already suited up and waiting for the last two minutes to arrive. How powerful can one's influence be to transform a team like the Supersonics into the top championship contenders of the Western conference in just one year? The more Jackson thought about it, the more alarmed he became. Having played and coached through modern basketball history, Jackson played against the likes of an aged Chamberlain, witnessed Jabbar's entire career, and saw Jordan become the greatest under his guidance, but he found it hard to believe that, had they been in Yu Fei's position, they could lead the Supersonics to the same heights. Could it be that his ability has already surpassed all predecessors? This thought flashed through Jackson's mind, but he didn't believe it. He understood psychology, and knew that such fantasies of magnifying an enemy without bounds are a psychological suggestion of "we might not be able to beat them." How could he entertain such thoughts? The Lakers still had a chance. If they stood no chance at all, the Supersonics would have swept them as they had in the previous two rounds, not dragged out to a King of the Hill match. ``` Jackson's gaze focused on the court, on the man who might bring about a miracle. Kobe, who already looked exhausted, was still attacking with full intensity. But his intensity had dropped on the defensive end. He began to flexibly use his experience, letting players like Little O and Foster help him with defense. Roy was taken in by the experience, falling into traps several times. However, Durant, who had been in a slump for the previous four games, suddenly found his touch after Fei left the court. When Roy fell into a trap, the only one he could see was Durant, and he passed the ball without a second thought. Durand stretched out his hands and shot, scoring. The same thing happened three times in the second quarter; all of Roy's dump-off passes were scored by Durant. However, luck can help the Supersonics for a moment but can't favor them all the time. The Lakers, having shortened their rotation and significantly increased the playing time of their core players, were essentially fighting desperately with bayonets on the court. It was a competition of quality and intensity. Four and a half minutes later, with the last 90 seconds of the first half approaching, the Supersonics sent Fei back into the game. And the Lakers took both Kobe and Kidd off the court. 59 to 55 The two veterans, both over 30 years old, had played 22 minutes straight just to keep the score difference to an acceptable number. After Fei entered the game, the Lakers aimed to control the pace and defend with all their might. This tactic worked for the following 85 seconds. The Lakers didn't score, and neither did the Supersonics. Then, the time reached the last 5 seconds of the first half. It was the Supersonics' ball possession. The Lakers fiercely pressed, attempting to kill the Supersonics' last attack on the sideline. Fei had to come close to the mid-court to have space to receive the ball, and then, as the time rapidly ticked away, there was no chance for a normal tactic. 4 seconds 3 seconds Fei, standing on the Supersonics' emblem, showed intense disdain for Walton's defense, executed a crossover behind-the-back step-back, and suddenly pulled up from eleven meters away from the basket. "This motherfucker can't possibly make it!" Little O yelled. "Luke, get a hand up!" Kidd shouted. Walton did indeed provide a distraction, but it had no effect on the shot. Fei shot a standard-form three-pointer from the mid-court. The raucous Key Arena focused on that spinning ball in silence for a moment, but quickly, as the buzzer lit up, the ball, carrying countless hopes, struck the backboard and bounced forcefully into the basket. "BANG!!!!!!" "BANG! BANG! BANG!" Mike Breen let out his signature roar, "He made it! Frye hit the LOGO shot right before the end of the first half!" Kidd's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape. He really didn't know what else Luke Walton could have done, their perspective told them that the defense was as good as it could have been. Fei's teammates rushed over to him, offering their congratulations. On the opposite side, the faces of the Lakers Team were filled with despair. In their eyes, it was a lucky shot. A buzzer-beating LOGO shot banked in, if not for luck, what else could it be? Does fortune siding with the Supersonics mean that tonight's goddess of victory would also open her arms to the Seattle folks? Had that last shot not gone in, the Lakers, although haggard, would have had a perfect first half result. Kobe and Kidd had fought for 22 minutes to keep the score within a 4-point difference for the second half, ready to fight again. Now with a 7-point difference, although not substantial, the psychological blow and damage the last shot of Fei inflicted on the Lakers Team was immeasurable. "You can really feel many of the Lakers' players' energy being drained in an instant," Jeff Van Gundy said, "Frye negated all their efforts with just one shot." Before meeting Fei, George Karl always felt irritated that Jackson got to coach Jordan and O'Neal. He could not help but think if he coached them, he could also have won so many championships. Over the years, his resentment had faded. Whenever someone said he was successful because he coached Fei, he'd be secretly thrilled. Yeah, I succeeded because of Big Fei. Who says you don't have a player like Big Fei? Fei's last shot of the first half made Jackson personally experience the feeling his rivals had when they thought they had done everything right, only to be thwarted by the unexpectedly miraculous play of Jordan. It was so exhilarating; this was the feeling of holding all the aces. "George, what do you think was the luck factor in Frye's last shot of the half?" "Luck?" George Karl, a staunch basketball purist, would bet a million US dollars that a LOGO bank shot wasn't a fluke. But when it came to Big Fei? That was another story. "Listen," Karl said like a true believer, "There's not a single shot from Big Fei that went in by luck." PS: The second chapter will be updated like yesterday, conservatively...before four o'clock should be no problem. If not updated, it means it's not finished yet.