Chapter 293: Chapter 74: Post-game Face-off (Part 2)

However, as his stamina drained and the Pacers tightened their perimeter defense, Artest and Su Xi frequently double-teamed him.

Kobe faced unprecedented defensive pressure.

His shooting percentage plummeted.

Finally, with 1:17 left in the game, Phil Jackson called a timeout, signaling the start of garbage time.

At that point, the Pacers were up by 15.

"Kenny, I have to admit, you really know your basketball. Once you set aside your personal grudges, you can predict the game’s outcome objectively and accurately," Charles Barkley said, sincerely complimenting Smith.

Smith grinned from ear to ear.

Inside, however, he was cursing up a storm.

’What the hell is this? I can’t criticize him, and I can’t praise him. How does he always manage to win?’

’How did the Lakers get so completely shut down? Can they even make a comeback?’

’When are O’Neal and Kobe Bryant going to show their true strength?! They’re the most dominant center and the best offensive perimeter player in the league.’

’And they have Karl Malone and Gary Payton, too. There’s no way they should be losing this convincingly, is there?’

So Kenny Smith thought to himself.

In fact, the Lakers’ coaching staff was just as frustrated.

They hadn’t expected the game to end in such a baffling way.

The first loss came so quietly, so undramatically, like an ice cube melting in lukewarm water.

123-105.

That was the final score of Game 1.

Su Xi finished the game with 17 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block.

Little O’Neal had 19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and 1 steal.

Ron Artest had 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Reggie Miller had 16 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.

Foster had 9 points, 11 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal.

All five of the Pacers’ starters posted solid numbers.

Furthermore, Kenny Anderson came off the bench with 12 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds, while Bender, Krohseil, Tony Battie, Williams, and Spola all scored as well.

It looked like a very balanced attack.

It fit perfectly with the label the media had given them: a team of everymen.

But upon closer analysis, you’d find it wasn’t that the Pacers’ attack was truly so balanced.

Rather, it was because the Lakers’ defense lacked pressure, allowing the Pacers to find opportunities at every position.

"Now we’re faced with a stunning question: if the Pacers actually beat the Lakers to win the championship, will Little Sheep Su Xi be the Finals MVP?"

As the game concluded, Charles Barkley couldn’t help but say: "If Jack wins Finals MVP, he’ll become the first player in history to win the Rookie Challenge MVP, the All-Star Game MVP, Rookie of the Year, *and* the Finals MVP all in one go. His rookie season would be even more magical than Magic Johnson’s."

"This is just insane. If a year ago, someone had told me that some obscure backup point guard from Syracuse University would achieve all this, I would’ve scoffed at them."

Barkley lamented.

Kenny Smith’s face twitched. He desperately wanted to comment with his true feelings—things like how Little Sheep Su Xi couldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as Magic Johnson, that Little Sheep Su Xi was just a system player, that his ceiling was merely an All-Star, and to stop tarnishing the legacy of the greatest point guard of all time.

But in the end, he decided to lay on the praise instead: "There are no ’ifs,’ Charles. If the Pacers beat the Lakers, there’s no question about the Finals MVP. Who else on the Pacers is more deserving of Finals MVP than Little Sheep Su Xi?"

"Besides, it’s pointless to talk about just his rookie season. I believe this is just the beginning of Little Sheep Su Xi’s reign over the NBA. He’s only going to get stronger! Surpassing Magic Johnson shouldn’t be his goal—surpassing Jordan is his destiny."

Kenny Smith said all this without batting an eye.

Even the most die-hard Pacers fans watching on TV had to be thinking: ’Isn’t that a little too optimistic? Comparing Jack to Jordan?’

But Kenny Smith insisted on saying it. He was determined to stir up internal conflict on the Pacers while simultaneously giving the Lakers a common enemy to rally against.

He didn’t want the Lakers to end up like the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, who marched to their doom amidst a sea of hype.

...

"The Lakers didn’t show their true strength in this game. We were pretty lucky to win."

During his post-game interview, he put on a rare show of ’humility’.

"Shaquille O’Neal is definitely the most dominant center of all time, but our strategy against him today was solid. I’m proud of our guys in the paint."

"Kobe Bryant will definitely become the best guard in the league today, there’s no doubt about that."

"Gary Payton still has gas in the tank. He’s still a guard who can apply intense pressure on the ball."

"Karl Malone? Let’s not talk about him. I have no comment. If you know, you know."

Su Xi hyped up the Lakers across the board after the game. But at the very end, he aimed his attack at Phil Jackson: "If you have to find a reason for the Lakers’ loss, it’s because they don’t have the best coach on their bench."

When Phil Jackson heard Su Xi’s comment, he was stunned for several seconds.

Ever since becoming a dynasty-building coach, no one had ever questioned his professional competence.

Pat Riley had always looked down on him, both overtly and covertly, but he had never openly mocked him to the media.

But... Little Sheep Su Xi had actually done it.

’What does he mean by this? Is this a psychological attack?’

Phil Jackson had been playing mind games his entire life; manipulating people was his specialty.

He never expected Little Sheep Su Xi would dare to mess with him like this.

"I have no comment on his remarks," Phil Jackson said. "Perhaps he thinks *he’s* the best coach. After all, the whole world knows he likes to boss Carlisle around."

Phil Jackson was a crafty old fox. With that one statement, he was already painting Su Xi as a "team tyrant."

At the same time, he implied that Carlisle’s Coach of the Year title was illegitimate.

What kind of Coach of the Year takes orders from a player?

Does he have any authority as a head coach at all?

Furthermore, according to Phil Jackson, the reasons for the loss were: "We didn’t rebound well. We had too many turnovers. Our shooting percentage wasn’t good, and the role players didn’t provide enough help for the OK Combination and Karl Malone."

"We will definitely fix these issues. We are experienced."

Phil Jackson was very confident.

Then, he was asked why Kobe Bryant, who was scheduled to be there, didn’t attend the press conference. He said, "Kobe is resting his knee. He felt some pain, so we’re taking a conservative approach to his treatment."

However, his words were exposed as a lie just ten minutes later.

He was lying.

Kobe Bryant was photographed back in the gym, putting in extra work on his incredibly difficult turnaround jumpers.

Kobe was a stubborn man, and his poor shooting down the stretch had clearly gotten to him. So, he immediately went back to practice.

Su Xi went too.

Su Xi even challenged Kobe to some one-on-one. The result was, of course, a foregone conclusion. Kobe completely demolished him.

Kobe won with scores of 11-3, 11-5, and 11-6.

When it came to one-on-one, Kobe was probably the best in the league, even though he hadn’t yet unlocked his most terrifying ’acquired’ super-talent.

Su Xi was now sticking close to Kobe. His greatest desire was to quickly force Kobe’s acquired talent to emerge. That way, he could copy a great deal of his experience and court awareness.

"Jack, after your next two seasons are up, come to the Lakers and help me! I’ll get you a championship ring."

Kobe said, chatting idly with Su Xi on the sidelines after their one-on-one session.

Su Xi just smiled and said to Kobe, "I don’t think I’ll need you to carry me. I can win the championship this season."

"No, don’t be so naive. This game doesn’t prove anything. If Shaq and I were more in sync, you guys wouldn’t stand a chance," Kobe Bryant said with conviction.

He knew why they had lost.

"We have an old saying in China: a broken mirror can’t be made whole again. Your relationship with Shaq is already shattered. How can you possibly fix it?" Su Xi shrugged. "Besides, I’m guessing... you two will go your separate ways after this series is over."

"Otherwise, why would you be trying to recruit me to the Lakers?" Su Xi reasoned.

Kobe didn’t argue the point. He just said, "You’re not winning the championship this season, and you’re not making history. I know you’re ambitious, but me and that fatso are a mountain you won’t be able to climb."