Champion, please stay!

Chapter 166, Section 164: A Frenzied Offensive – Victory!
Kobe was furious when he saw the ball fly out of bounds.

But when he saw the scoreboard in bright red... the opposing team had scored 81 points in the first half!
The last time he saw a team score more in the first half was around the beginning of the 06-07 season, when the Nets and Suns scored 84-78 in the second half and went into overtime. The final score was around 160-150, with Nash scoring 40+10 and Kidd scoring 35+15+15...

He didn't remember anything earlier, but he knew that the Suns vs. Nets game ranked fourth in all recorded history in total points.

But the Knicks' 81 points in the first half tonight is definitely the highest half score he can remember in the last two and a half years!
He's become part of the background!
But he remembered that with 58 seconds left, the score was over 60 to over 70.

Old Blacksmith: Uh, I remember now, I made two consecutive three-pointers and scored 7 points, while Yi Jianlian on the other side also scored 5 points!
Kobe looked up at the big screen, which showed the opposing team's second-quarter scoring: Curry had 10 points in half a quarter, Yi Shui had 18 points in half a quarter, and the rest of the team had 19 points in the quarter... The whole team scored 47 points in the quarter!
This reminded him of the game where he scored 62 points in three quarters against the Mavericks. He remembered scoring 30 points in the third quarter, while the team had a total of over 40 points.

The two rookies on the Knicks put on a performance in this quarter that was almost identical to his performance in the third quarter that night!

Kobe regretted it; he was careless. He shouldn't have played like that. He should have either focused on teamwork, working with Gasol and Luke Walton to create a good team offense, or he should have just gone all out like he did in the last 58 seconds.

At least it won't end up looking like this mess!

Although they scored 37 points in the second quarter, their overall offensive performance was mediocre in his opinion. They scored 16 points in the first half of the quarter, which was only average considering their offensive capabilities and the opponent's defensive capabilities. They scored 21 points in the second half of the quarter, which seems like a lot, but it was mainly due to his 15 points in the last half of the quarter. To be precise, it was his 7 points in the last 58 seconds that boosted the score, while his teammates only scored 6 points in the last half of the quarter.

...

After halftime, the players from both teams returned to the field, and the atmosphere became wild again.

Kobe only remembered the general outline, but during halftime, the director posted the halftime scoring rankings from the past ten years or so.

半场81分，是近16年来第二高分！这期间，只有06-07赛季篮网队的半场84分比他们更高！

The last time a team scored 80+ points in the first half was back in 1993. That Warriors team, featuring Sprewell, Johnson, and Chris Mullin (three players averaging 5+ assists per game) and Webber and Billy Owens (two players averaging 4+ assists per game), upset the previous season's runner-up Trail Blazers 142-129, scoring 85 points in the first half and 142 points in total without overtime, defeating a 50-win powerhouse.

现场DJ提到了06年1月22号科比拿81分那场，湖人队第三节拿了42分、末节前8分钟拿了29分，但可惜科比最后4分钟没打，湖人队在科比下场休息后的4分钟时间只拿到两分，不然就那晚科比下半场20分钟时间拿到55分的表现，湖人队也有可能半场80+。

The fans didn't really have a concept of how many points they had scored; they just knew there were a lot. They were initially excited about the lead and Curry's impressive offensive run. But after learning that their team had put on such a crazy offensive performance, they became even more excited and couldn't wait to see the second half.

The players from both teams came onto the field, and both head coaches put back their starting lineups.

At the start of the third quarter, the Lakers took the initiative. Kobe received the ball at the high post but did not attempt a one-on-one play. Instead, he tossed the ball to the left side of the basket as Odom moved from the top arc to the left.

Gasol receives the ball, Kobe turns and cuts past Big Q, Gasol passes the ball... Ariza cuts in from the left sideline with Odom as a screen, and scores a layup!
During halftime, Kobe didn't take much time; he went to the bathroom and then made a decision—to make winning the game his top priority!

The Zen master was not surprised by this.

上赛季前3个月打完时，科比拿到6次40+、其中有2次50+，以场均29.7分排在得分榜第一，2月份交易得到加索尔后，科比后面35场比赛只有1次40+、场均26.4分，直接放弃了得分王竞争，最终以场均28.3分结束赛季、排在得分榜第二。

Because in the first three months of last season, the Lakers needed Kobe to score a lot of points to compete with the Suns and Hornets for the top spot in the Western Conference. With Gasol, even with Bynum out for the season, the team's offensive ability has increased significantly. If he continues his scoring style from the previous two and a half years, it will only drag down the team's offense.

Kobe isn't as obsessed with scoring anymore. Of course, he still gets carried away from time to time, but it's much better than during the Shaq-Kobe era or when he was leading the team alone. He always calms down when it's time to calm down... This time it happened a little earlier than Phil Jackson expected.

The triangle offense is back in action!
The double playmaking duo of Odom and Gasol could receive Kobe's pass from anywhere and then distribute the ball to teammates who had an opportunity.
Both players possess top-tier ball-handling and offensive abilities. Gasol excels in both low-post and mid-range isolation plays, while Odom can drive like a guard and attack from close range like an inside player. When Fisher and Ariza's receiving performance fluctuates, one of them can serve as the offensive initiator and the other as the playmaker, allowing Kobe to take on the role of a pure finisher, primarily responsible for catching the ball.

The Knicks didn't adjust their tactics at halftime. Leading by 9 points at halftime, should they play it safe? Not at all! Continue their fast-paced offense! Keep double-teaming Kobe!

Kobe scored 7 points in the last 58 seconds of the second quarter, which scared D'Antoni so much that he dared not take the 9-point lead as an advantage. Fortunately, Yi Shui withstood the pressure and scored 5 points, otherwise the point difference would have been reduced to within 5 points by Kobe.

When D'Antoni emphasized the details at halftime, his tone was similar to when they were down by 9 points. He instructed Cheeks to set up the defense, with only one goal: to stop Kobe!

The back-and-forth battle continued, with the Lakers, who were fully utilizing their triangle offense, showing significantly more offensive firepower than the Knicks and quickly seizing the initiative.

It's not that the run-and-gun offense is less powerful than the triangle offense, but rather it's due to lineup and defense.

With Garnett out for the season, the Lakers' starting lineup is the strongest five-man combination in the league, bar none.

Both teams played poorly defensively tonight, but there's still a difference between having defense and not having defense.

The Knicks' defense was truly lacking, and the Lakers' defense dropped a notch without Bynum, but it wasn't bad either, slightly above the league average. Furthermore, Phil Jackson didn't make any specific arrangements during halftime, instead having his players perform routine help defense, double-teams, and defensive rotations.

Without forwards like James and Artest who could effectively slow down the Knicks, and without power forwards like Garnett, Josh Smith, and Kirilenko who could sweep and double-team in the mid-range, and with center Bynum injured, it was impossible to stop Yi Shui. So Phil Jackson simply chose to give up on that and try his best to limit the Knicks' fast-paced offense.

However, the main reason why the Lakers had the upper hand on the court was just one name – Kobe!
After Kobe entered the game this time, his shooting was mainly based on 'receiving and finishing'. To put it bluntly, he would take the ball against the defense and pass it out. After he initiated the offense and passed the ball out, or after Gasol and Odom initiated the offense and passed the ball out, if Fisher or Ariza were not open, or if the open position was a shooting area that the two were not good at, the ball would return to Kobe who was double-teamed.

Kobe continued his strong shooting performance from the second half of the second quarter! This made his teammates play very comfortably, only taking shots when the opportunity was good, without having to force it, because their leader was there!
However, why do we say the Lakers dominated the game? Because their comeback attempt was far from smooth!

The Lakers have Kobe, the Knicks have Yi Shui!

Curry scored 10 points in the second quarter and went on a scoring spree for 17 points in the first half. He didn't completely collapse after the halftime break, but he returned to his normal performance.

Yi Shui certainly wouldn't place his hopes on elementary school students who had just entered the adult world; he was prepared to shoulder all the pressure himself!
With 3 minutes and 29 seconds left in the third quarter, when the Lakers narrowed the gap to 5 points, Yi Shui received the ball and drove straight into the paint, bracing himself against Gasol and Ariza's double-team, and made a high-arcing shot.
With 6 minutes and 17 seconds remaining, the Lakers narrowed the gap to 4 points and had possession of the ball. Yi Shui timely brought the ball down to the basket on the defensive end, delivering a big block to Odom, who was cutting to the rim. Da Q then grabbed the ball and dunked for two points. With 9 minutes and 33 seconds remaining, his teammates missed three consecutive three-point attempts, narrowing the gap to 3 points. Yi Shui received possession and drove straight to the basket, drawing a foul and making both free throws.

At 11:51, Fisher received the ball from Kobe and hit a three-pointer from the corner, bringing the Lakers within two points at 105-107. The score in this quarter was 33-26!
D'Antoni called a timeout and brought in Harrington. Yi Shui continued to play, with Duhon, Curry, and Anderson providing support.

After the timeout, Harrington received the ball from Duhon at the top of the key and launched an attack using a screen from Yi Shui.

After Yi Shui broke up, he didn't set a second screen with Curry, who was running up the sideline along the three-point line. Instead, he ran directly to the right sideline!

The Lakers anticipated the Knicks' strategy of setting consecutive screens at the top of the key and prepared to block Curry and Yi Shui's long-range shots. Yi Shui rushed to the right sideline and found himself in open space, allowing Harrington to pass the ball just in time!
Ariza quickly moved in to cover, but he didn't get too close. He remembered that this wasn't a shooting area for Yi Shui. When he saw Yi Shui raise the ball, he didn't rush in, afraid of being beaten.

But Yi Shui really jumped! Ariza couldn't stop him in time!
Yi Shui swiftly swung his knife, sinking a three-pointer from the sideline!

As Kobe hit another three-pointer from the center circle onto the backboard, the score after three quarters was 110-105, with the Knicks barely holding onto a 5-point lead!
科比这次中圈出手，又一次把命中率拉下来了，原本7投4中、其中三分球2中1、加上3中2的罚球，高效的单节11分，变成了8投4中、其中三分球3中1……三分命中率瞬间没那么好看了。

On the other side, Yi Shui's regular offense wasn't as good as Kobe's in this quarter, scoring 6 points on 3 of 6 shots. However, he scored several points with strong attacks, including a drive to the basket, drawing a foul, and a three-pointer from an angle he wasn't good at at the end, for a total of 7 points and 13 points in the quarter!
...

After the break, the two teams continued their offensive battle.

The Lakers played very hard on defense in the third quarter, but the Knicks still managed to score 29 points. With the game already at this point, they could only rely on their offense to fight back.

The Knicks, on the other hand, still had no intention of 'defending their advantage' and continued to attack!

Kobe went all out in this quarter, increasing his shot attempts and taking double-digit points in the quarter, shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, scoring a whopping 15 points in the quarter.

On the Yi Shui side, they also devoted themselves to the offense, taking one-on-one shots, making runs, and launching counterattacks when necessary. They made 5 of 10 shots, including 2 of 4 three-pointers, plus 3 of 4 free throws, scoring 15 points and barely managing to withstand Kobe's comeback.

However, the performance of their teammates was significantly different. With 11 minutes and 33 seconds left in the final quarter, Gasol passed the ball to Odom, who made a crucial floater.

The Knicks called a timeout!
这一节易水和科比打了个平手，但易水的队友们12次出手拿到13分、而科比的队友们11次出手拿到17分，单节比分28比32，这一节又输了4分！
However, despite the Lakers' dominance in the second half, winning the third quarter 33-29 and this quarter by another 4 points, and outscoring the Knicks 65-57 at halftime, the Knicks still lead the Lakers 138-137 by 1 point!
Commentators on CNN were relieved, saying it was all thanks to Yi Shui's three crucial shots at the end of the second and third quarters!

During the timeout, Kobe glanced at the score on the scoreboard and was also annoyed.

However, what annoyed him was not Yi Shui's three late-game baskets, but rather that every time they closed the gap, Yi Shui would attack the basket and score; when they tied the score, Yi Shui would step up again; just now, with 10 minutes and 12 seconds left, they had already taken the lead and were preparing to defend the Knicks and then score one or two more baskets to seal the victory. At that time, the Knicks' shooters and cutters were all ice-cold, but Yi Shui stepped up and scored 4 points in a row, and the Knicks took a 3-point lead again!
Moreover, Yi Shui had just instructed his teammates to block three-pointers and allow open cuts, forcing the Lakers to first attempt two points before focusing on defense and taking crucial shots.

He is talented, capable, has high basketball IQ, maintains composure and judgment in crucial moments, and possesses exceptional leadership skills!

Tonight's performance by Yi Shui made Kobe appreciate the number one draft pick, who is hailed as the 'greatest rookie in history,' even more. The game was... well, overall quite enjoyable, but it was really frustrating that his team was still behind in the final moments.

After the timeout, D'Antoni once again brought back the forward combination of Yi Shui and Harrington, with Duhon, Curry, and Big Q lined up as shooters.

The Zen Master anticipated that the opposing team would field a "small five" lineup, so he replaced his team with a combination of Farmar, Kobe, Ariza, Odom, and Gasol.

The Knicks are on offense, with possession in the frontcourt.

Harrington receives the ball and initiates an attack with a pick-and-roll with Yi Shui.

Just like in the final moments of the previous section, after Yi Shui broke apart, he headed straight for the right sideline!

This time, the Lakers players dared not give way. Kobe immediately moved over and joined Gasol to block Yi Shui. After Kobe pressed close to Yi Shui, Gasol moved towards the basket, and Odom moved to the right elbow area.

Kobe was guarding Yi Shui from below, Odom from close range, and Gasol under the basket; they were all focused on him, not giving him any chance to receive the ball!

However, when Yi Shui ran towards that location, Harrington stopped looking for him and went to Curry instead!
Curry ran out of bounds and cut to the basket, going around behind Yi Shui to the left corner. Kobe and Odom hesitated for a moment and neither of them went over to help.

Curry's 17 points in the first half was a highlight, but he returned to his usual form in the second half, scoring 7 points on 3-of-8 shooting, and missing two open three-pointers in the latter part of the final quarter.

Compared to Curry, Yi Shui, who scored 8 points with 3 perfect shots at the end of the second and third quarters, was more daunting to them, so much so that they used 3 players to defend Yi Shui when he received the ball.

As soon as Curry entered the inbounds line, Harrington delivered the timely pass. Undeterred by his previous two missed three-pointers, Curry caught the ball, jumped, and launched a three-pointer from the corner... and it went in!
The basketball mecca, which had been quiet for a moment, erupted into a frenzy of cheers!
Just like the Lakers chose to leave Curry open and block the Yi River, when the fans at the scene saw Curry catch the ball and shoot, they also thought about how Curry had been missing shots all along and were very worried.

The moment the ball hits the basket, the anxiety leads to suppressed emotions, which then erupt in a powerful rebound!
The Knicks extended their lead to 4 points, leaving the Lakers with only 14 seconds!
After the Lakers called a timeout, Kobe received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right side and quickly ran to the top of the arc. Facing Yi Shui and Wilson Chandler's chase-down defense, he attempted a three-pointer but missed. David Lee secured the defensive rebound... The Lakers' strategy of quick shots and tactical fouls failed, and they did not continue to struggle.

Du Hong received the ball, protected it steadily, and used up the remaining time.

At 8:24 p.m., the final whistle blew.

易水35投20中，其中三分球9投5中，加上14中13的罚球，狂轰58分！
库里20投9中，其中三分球11中5，加上4中4的罚球，拿到生涯第3高的27分！
两人力压拿到46分7助攻的科比、26分6助攻的加索尔、22分4助攻的奥多姆，率领尼克斯队以141比137险胜湖人队，赢下了这场疯狂的飙分大战！

(End of this chapter)