When pride still matters

Chapter 410 It’s all over, Kobe
62 is better than 55
The Sonics entered the second half with a 7-point advantage.

That was the same margin that ended the first quarter, and the Lakers' efforts in the second quarter looked to be in vain.

However, this is not a big point difference, and it is not disappointing.

It's just that Yu Fei's last goal in the first half gave the opponents a bad premonition, and they felt that nothing good might happen tonight.

In the visiting team's locker room, Kobe stared at his fingers that had almost no feeling, thinking about tonight's game, what he did well and what could be improved. But no matter how he thought about it, the problem would eventually return to its roots. Come on - is he better than Yu Fei?

His answer is yes, but no one outside the world agrees with this view.

Even his body didn't agree with this point of view.

His physical exertion was severe, and his finger injury obviously affected his offense.

But do you want to give up? No, it's still very early, and they have every chance to change the outcome of this game.

In the home team's locker room, many people are still talking about Yu Fei's midfield logo shot.

The figure of the overlord who swallowed thousands of miles during the Bucks period has faded.

Yu Fei never underestimates his opponent, and he expects tonight to be a four-quarter game.

Yu Fei scored 35 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists in three quarters, once again putting the Sonics in the lead.

The Lakers' double-teaming came as a matter of fact, and the Sonics' sluggish shooting rate in the third quarter intensified their tendency to double-team.

Kidd's double team didn't help.

O'Brien proved that he is still a member of the immortal 1996 golden generation.

But Yu Fei has put this matter down.

"Your defense is like shit!" Yu Fei sarcastically said, "Do you want to add Kobe Bryant?"

In the last few minutes of the third quarter, Yu Fei took over all the Sonics' offense, scoring 14 points in a row. The Lakers, who had already caught up to 1 point, fell behind by 89 points 81 to 8 at the end of the third quarter.

If the two teams' teams are of equal quality, Kobe will not be worse than Yu Fei.

Jermaine O'Neal took advantage of the situation to break out, playing one-on-one in the low post, catching the ball in the pick-and-roll, and scoring on the second attack after grabbing the offensive rebound.

The game that has attracted the most attention since the start of the 2008 playoffs entered the fourth quarter.

During the supersonic era, Yu Fei restrained his strength.

From the beginning to now, Yu Fei's presence has been terrifyingly strong, but that's still not the him people remember.

In other words, this is what the Lakers have been waiting for.

The Lakers relied on their inside advantage to narrow the point difference to 1 point.

But it was suppressed, not lost.

In this difficult moment, everything the Lakers could get in the paint, they got.

The Lakers won't collapse because of a midfield three-pointer.

With a few minutes left before the end of the third quarter, the Sonics fell into a scoring drought, and fans' panic and worry spread in the Key Arena.

Yu Fei will not allow anyone to be in his position.

There is a force erupting on the court.

When miracle workers ignore the miracle itself, others will not be obsessed with it.

But with Kobe Bryant losing in the first round for two consecutive years, and Yu Fei winning two consecutive championships, discussing strengths and weaknesses is a sign of disrespect for the latter.

"If you think you can sit back and relax with a 7-point lead, we will be very sad in the second half." Yu Fei said loudly, "We have to play better in the second half!"

But the Los Angeles media and the James camp have similar arguments.

Friends, this is offensive to people who have climbed to the top.

Walton was blown away.

However, Kobe, who couldn't score a goal, still attracted a lot of defensive attention from the Sonics.

This kind of psychological expectation that puts the opponent at a high position allowed the Sonics to go into the second half with a good mentality.

In the third quarter, the Lakers played like the invincible championship team they were after the trade deadline.

Kobe's shine dimmed, and a finger injury affected his efficiency.

"I'm the No. 1 center in the Western Conference!" O'Neill arrogantly yelled at Brown, "and you're just a dog next to Frye!"

Kobe's arrival cannot stop this force.

Brown no longer cares about competing with O'Brien. He completely agrees with Marion's suggestion: "Yes, we defend well, and Da Fei just goes to attack!"

Only when Yu Fei goes all out is Supersonic's most powerful.

A few years ago, when Kobe Bryant's scoring exploded, there was a serious discussion about who was better between him and Yu Fei.

This opened up scoring opportunities for others on the Lakers.

Then, Yu Fei took over the ball from Roy and made a clear "ISO" gesture while dribbling across the half court.

"Frye, let's go attack." Marion said during the break, "Don't worry about us."

Yu Fei broke through directly from the middle, forced a hole from the double team, and moved to the free throw line to score a jumper.

Yu Fei looked at Roy. As another core member of the team, what did he think?

Roy realized that everyone was looking at him and said: "As a waste who made 5 of 0 shots in the third quarter, I think the only thing I have to do now is pass the ball to Da Fei."

At this moment, George Karl is the easiest basketball coach in the world.

He doesn't really need to exert too much personal influence on the team.

Because it's not his turn. Wherever Da Fei goes, the team will follow him. His personal imprint is everywhere here.

"Then, our offense in the fourth quarter is to let the ball fly and get everyone else out of the way!" Karl's focus is on the defensive end, "But defensively, we can't let them do whatever they want."

Karl's layout is very simple. He switches defense when encountering pick-and-roll screens. He gives up offensive rebounds and retreats at full speed without giving the Lakers a chance to set the rhythm. He infinitely forces the opponent's position to fight in singles, and has the ability to compete for stars.

Extreme arrangements will lead to extreme play styles.

The Lakers started from the inside, and Ou scored again. But Yu Fei maintained his fiery touch at the end of the third quarter, throwing the ball in the frontcourt and scoring a three-pointer.

92 is better than 83
The Lakers were already 9 points behind, and then the two sides fought each other under high-pressure defense. Kidd missed a three-pointer, and Yu Fei passed the ball to Roy during the counterattack. The latter was interfered with the layup and missed. O'Brien attacked the basket again, but this time he was blocked by Brown. Foster grabbed the offensive rebound and was intercepted by Marion.

The offense and defense became hot, and no one scored for a while.

Strike the iron, drop the ball, fall to the ground.

The high-pressure situation for nearly three minutes made both sides nervous. Yu Fei defended in front of Kobe, but was broken through. But Kobe had lost his absolute speed. Although he pushed Yu Fei with his elbow, he lost his protection before taking action.

Yu Fei jumped up and blocked it.

In just a moment, Yu Fei picked up the ball and threw it forward. Roy, who had made 7 of 0 shots in the third quarter, broke his consecutive misses with a simple layup.

94 is better than 83
"Come on, Kobe!" Yu Fei roared with fighting spirit, "Isn't this your favorite one-on-one?"

Few people dare to make such a request to Kobe, even his teammates.

More than one player who has been teammates with Kobe has said that if you beat Kobe in a one-on-one game, you will never get peace. Kobe will keep fighting with you. If you win one game against him, he will win ten games.

Kobe, who was troubled by physical strength, affected by injuries, and limited by the system, was suddenly beaten to death.

You can be careless about anything, but one-on-one? He won't lose to anyone!
This is a rebound from the old forces and an attack on the established royal power.

Ten seconds later, Kobe scored on a flying jumper.

94 is better than 85
"Come here!" Kobe said.

"Okay!" You can see how warm the smile is on Yu Fei's face, like an assassin who sees his target.

He turned around and let his teammates serve.

The others took the initiative to pull away, knowing that Yu Fei could not pass the ball.

Outside the three-point line at the top of the arc, Yu Fei was one-on-one with Kobe again.

Yu Fei changed direction fiercely in advance, like a taller version of Allen Iverson, shifting Kobe's defensive focus to one side and taking advantage of the situation to make a three-pointer.

97 is better than 85
With a cold face, Kobe also came to Yu Fei. It was his turn to respond.

Compared with Yu Fei, Kobe is not tall enough, not strong enough, and does not even have the advantage of speed. This is a deal made by a young man and Father Time.

You give me experience, skills, and a mature mind, and I give you part of my great talent.

fair enough.

Kobe first used a tentative step to shake Yu Fei's defense, then rushed to the basket and pushed away Yu Fei's body like a dynamite for a layup.

"Again!" Kobe shouted, "Keep going!"

Of course we have to continue, why not? It has reached this point, and Yu Fei will never give up until he defeats Kobe.

It was another positional battle, another one-on-one duel between two people. This time, Kobe's defense collapsed faster than expected.

Yu Fei shredded Kobe's defense in one step. His strong body instantly seized the opponent's position, and then he rushed to the basket and dunked like a beast.

"Good shot! That's it!" Karl roared excitedly, "Keep an eye on other people and don't let Kobe get into the basket!"

Yu Fei will never lose. This is the ideological stamp he has laid for the people around him in seven years.

How did he get revenge on Jordan? How did he end the O'Neal myth? How did he defeat Duncan in the 2003 Finals? There are too many examples, think about them, how could he lose to Kobe tonight?

"Frye vs. Kobe, how many times has this happened?"

"I don't know, but no matter who wins or loses, they let the fans see the best side of basketball!"

The best part? No, that's not the best, Mike Breen, not by a long shot.

The best basketball is always about dominance. Think about Chamberlain's 100 points in a single game, think about Magic's appearance in the finals of his rookie season, think about Bird's humiliation of Dr. J, and think about Jordan's change of hands in the air in front of Magic. The strongest personal ability, the best rookie story, the cruelest alternation between old and new, and the best divine performance.

What does Kobe have?
Seriously, what does he have?
He is nothing now, just a reformed rapist, a half-man, half-demon who desperately needs to prove himself. Defeating him here is not even a thing worthy of being written on Yu Fei's resume.

But some things still have to happen.

The exhaustion of the past three quarters, physical injuries, and the degradation of adrenaline effects caused Kobe to completely lose his rhythm in this singles.

He couldn't break through and couldn't find space. In the end, the only thing he could do was to force a jumper.

What greeted him was Yu Fei's block.

Then came the Sonics' counterattack.

99 is better than 85
The balance has been tipped.

Kobe's energy is fading, and he is unwilling to give in. Why can't he be at his best at this moment? Why can't he use all his strength to decide the outcome with Yu Fei?

He didn't believe he would lose.

Age and injuries should not be excuses.

The paranoia of being invincible made him even more crazy. He kept dribbling the ball, and from the eighth to the twentieth second of the attack time, he finally launched an attack, but it was a risky breakthrough.

Baishi Bailing's elbow pads did not push Yu Fei away. He came to the basket, but the defensive threat was still close at hand.

Unfortunately, the Black Mamba has given up thinking.

He roared and tried to force his attack, as if his opponent would be intimidated by his aura.

But Yu Fei had already jumped to a higher position, and his hands were on Kobe's head to grab his layup, shocking the world and holding it in his hands, causing a riot in the Key Arena.

"@#￥@#￥%"

Kobe chased Yu Fei desperately. He was so fast that it was hard to imagine that he could still have this speed. He caught up with Yu Fei, but the two of them had already reached the penalty area. Is there anything more to come?
The size difference is too big, and it is impossible for Kobe to stop Yu Fei in this position.

But he is Kobe. When he is calm, he can distinguish what is right and what is wrong. But now, he has lost his mind and forcefully jumped into the air, but was immediately defeated the moment he came into contact with Yu Fei. His body fell out of control, and then Yu Fei faced the unbalanced Kobe like a god and dunked to score.

Yu Fei roared and pulled off the basket, shouting to the complete loser in front of him: "It's all over, Kobe!"

Yes, it's all over.

Discussions about Yu Fei and Kobe, the controversy about who is the strongest high school student, and questions about who will win the Western Conference this year.

It's over in this moment.

(End of this chapter)