I've been playing in the NBA for three years, and this system is only now showing up?

Seeing that Kobe showed no sign of moving aside and remained blocking the door, Jackson sighed and said, "I know what you're thinking. You want the Finals MVP, the regular season MVP, you want the scoring title, you want to be the face of the league, the greatest of all time, you want to surpass Michael. You want the Lakers to be your team, you want to be the team's leader, right?"

"But you can't succeed by just blindly shooting without thinking. At best, you'll become like Iverson or Drexler, but you'll never become a true leader. It's not about scoring more points or taking more shots. Kobe, let me help you!"

"I will help you become the leader of this team, the soul of the Lakers. I guarantee that your status in the Lakers will even surpass that of Magic Johnson in the future, as long as you listen to me instead of continuing to throw tantrums and act recklessly."

At this point, Jackson looked at Kobe again and said, "Now, can I go in?"

Kobe finally made way for Jackson, saying, "I want to get better. I want to improve my game quality, not just my stats."

Jackson walked into Kobe's room and found a game playing on the TV; it was Game 1 of the series.

Jackson paused the game and put in the disc he had brought with him.

"Then, let's start from the first round of this match!"

"Oh, right, I also want to tell you a story, an original story I told Michael back then. It was after he understood this story that he truly became the King of the League!"

"Imagine a game's statistics are a huge cake. Who do you think should pick first? The leaders? Wrong! It's not the leaders who pick first, it's the role players who pick first, they take what they can eat, and then the main players take what's not so easy to eat."

"Finally, it was the leader's turn. The cake in front of him had no cream, fruit, or chocolate; it wasn't even baked properly—just dry bread dough. He had to eat it."

"If the leader doesn't do the hardest work, doesn't eat the most unpalatable part of the cake that no one else can stomach, then who will eat it? The role players on minimum salaries or the veterans nearing retirement?"

"The first thing you'll learn tonight and afterwards is what part of the cake you, as a leader, should eat! Like this one..."

……

It was 4 a.m. when Jackson came out of Kobe's room.

He was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open, but he believed he had won Kobe over and reached some agreements with him. At least in this series, Kobe wouldn't play so recklessly anymore.

The champion is always number one!

Then, Jackson returned to his room, lay in bed tossing and turning but couldn't fall asleep. This is a common problem among the elderly; their sleep quality is far inferior to that of young people.

After tossing and turning in bed for several hours, Jackson got out of bed early in the morning and knocked on O'Neal's door.

"Shaq, let's talk. I haven't been able to sleep all night. I've been thinking about this in my room and I can't convince myself. I have to come and have a good talk with you."

……

Even after calming down O'Neal, Jackson still couldn't rest. He still had tactical lessons to come, needed to continue downplaying last night's locker room incident, and needed to further boost the team's morale. During the Lakers' off-season, Jackson was destined to be exhausted to the point of collapse.

Who told him to be so difficult to deal with, each and every one of his men?

……

After a day of rest, the players from both teams gathered again at Brenda Barry Arena in New Jersey. In the locker room before the game, Jackson clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention to himself.

"So, Shaq, do you have something to say? Come on!"

"I'm sorry, Kobe." O'Neal stood up and extended his hand to Kobe. "I was too impulsive that night. As a leader, I should have trusted the coach and the team more, instead of impulsively blaming my teammates."

"After all, you just want to win, and we all want to win. We're all the same in that respect. What happened that night is in the past, right?"

"It's over." Whether he liked it or not, Kobe stood up and hugged O'Neal. From Kobe's apology to O'Neal's response, at least on the surface, what happened that night was over.

Jackson believes that, at least during the Finals, these two players will not have another relapse.

In fact, to prove themselves as competent leaders, O'Neal and Kobe, to prove they could catch up with Jordan, will likely play even better and more strategically than before.

So in that case...

Jackson looked at Lin Ze.

If two people with burdens fight more reasonably and restrainedly, who will benefit?

Jackson even began to suspect that Lin Ze, that bastard, might have planned all of this all along, just waiting for OK and the other two to fight it out so he could reap the benefits. Everything that was happening now was exactly what he had anticipated.

After all, if we were to immediately select an MVP after the series has progressed this far, Lin Ze, who once scored 62 points, is clearly superior to Kobe and Shaq in both his single-game highlights and average stats. He is the undisputed Finals MVP.

If Kobe and Shaq hadn't fallen out first, their frustration and resentment might have been vented on Lin Ze.

But now...

These two simple-minded guys have completely forgotten about Lin Ze, who is the biggest threat, and are now focused entirely on each other.

At the very least, they probably won't be able to react until tonight's game is over.

After tonight, with the series score at 3-1, even if the two of them realize that Lin Ze has reaped the benefits, it will be too late.

If Lin Ze delivers another MVP performance tonight, he'll undoubtedly be the MVP of this year's finals.

Could this have been planned?

The more Jackson imagined it, the more alarmed he became, and the more he analyzed it, the more suspicious he felt that Lin Ze was a bastard.

But looking at Lin Ze standing behind Fisher, using a forceful move to grab his neck and letting O'Neal scratch him all over, Jackson felt that although his disciple was a bastard, he shouldn't be that much of a bastard.

I guess so...

Inside the Lakers' locker room, a group of people were playing and joking around, everyone was laughing and having fun, but Jackson saw the signs of impending collapse...

Soon, as the game time approached, the Lakers filed out of the locker room. Jackson watched Lin Ze's retreating figure and wanted to call him back several times to ask if he did it on purpose, but he didn't say it.

Sometimes, it's better to pretend you don't know or pretend you don't know than to say it outright.

Let's have a match!

When both teams were back on the court, Kidd stood next to Kobe and said, "Got a beating going back, little cutie? Let me guess, your teammates made you the scapegoat for your hard work and effort, even though you weren't shooting well. Everyone's criticizing you, blaming you, and even calling you a piece of trash, right?"

"Shut up, Jason!" Before Kobe could retort, O'Neal turned around and said, "Kobe is my little brother! We wouldn't blame our little brother for playing badly in one game! Everyone has bad games sometimes, it's perfectly normal!"

"So, starting tonight, you'd better keep your mouth shut and just obediently take the beating!"

"Oh, oh!" Kidd exclaimed with an exaggerated expression, "Little buddy! Little! Right Kobe? You really are Shaq's cutest little brother!"

Kobe didn't say anything, but responded with action, raising his hand and elbowing Kidd. Kidd almost cried out in pain and wanted to complain to the referee, but the game hadn't started yet, and the referee couldn't do anything about it. Not to mention, Lin Ze walked over at this moment and put his arm around Kidd's shoulder.

"Jason, now I finally know why you can't beat your wife."

"Because you're a nasty gossip! An ugly gossip like you're no match for a beautiful young woman!"

"Go to hell, Lin! Fuck!" Kidd yelled. "What are you doing getting involved here? Can't you see I'm helping you? Can't you see I'm doing everything I can to get you the Finals MVP?"

"Thank you so much, Jason. You're truly the best brother I've ever had," Lin Ze said. "As a reward, we'll kick your ass tonight and beat you by 58 points, so you'll be remembered in history, how about that?"

"I guarantee you'll hold this record for the biggest Finals loss for at least 30 years. Even if the New Jersey Nets cease to exist, this record won't be broken. How about that, pretty good, right?"

Seeing that Lin Ze wasn't taking the bait, the other two Lakers players also looked like they weren't going to fall for it again, and Kidd also kept quiet.

He shrugged and walked back to his seat, pretending to be indifferent.

Although he appeared indifferent, Kidd knew that the Nets had no chance.

The Lakers have come together, and a united Lakers team is definitely not something the Nets can compete with.

Kidd knew better than anyone the huge gap between the two teams.

According to his original plan, the Lakers would at least slump in internal strife for 2-3 games, allowing the Nets to take advantage of the Lakers' infighting and achieve a winning streak. At the very least, they could tie the first four games 2-2, and with good luck, they could even win Game 5 and take the match point!

Even if the remaining two games are played in Los Angeles, Kidd is confident that he can give it his all and steal the championship from the Lakers!

But the current situation is that the Lakers only played erratically for one game before returning to normal, and it is almost impossible for the Nets to win three games against a Lakers team in good form.

To reiterate: the gap between the two teams is too large; without making good use of off-field factors, there's simply no chance of winning.

Next, when the game officially started, everything went exactly as Kidd had predicted.

The Lakers shattered Kidd's last remaining hope in the very first possession.

Kobe had the ball and played an inside-out pass with O'Neal on one side. Kobe passed the ball to O'Neal, who attracted a double team with the ball. Then O'Neal suddenly turned and passed the ball to Lin Ze, who followed up on the weak side and drove to the basket. Lin Ze received the ball and immediately went up for a layup!

The trio's signature teamwork demonstrated their selflessness and composure.

This rational Lakers team is simply no match for the Nets!

The following games almost became a showcase for the Lakers' trio.

A variety of plays emerged one after another: high pick-and-roll, back cuts and off-ball movement, drives and passes, high-low post plays...

33: 20!

The Lakers once again took a double-digit lead in the first quarter.

This is the fourth consecutive game they've done this in this round of the finals!

The Lakers in the first quarter are always terrifying, like a tornado!

What's even more terrifying is that the Lakers' lead tonight is for a completely different reason than in the previous three games!

In the first game, Lin Ze had a hot hand and scored 30+ points in a single quarter, a new high for a single quarter in the Finals. In the second game, O'Neal dominated the paint. In the third game, Kobe scored 21 points in a single quarter.

In three games, three players took turns shining, which allowed the Lakers to gain a double-digit lead in each game.

Tonight, all three of them are unleashing their power together!

奥尼尔4投4中罚球4罚2中拿下10分3篮板3助攻。

科比6投3中罚球2罚2中3分球2投1中拿下9分1篮板2助攻。

林泽5投4中罚球2罚2中3分球1投1中拿下11分3篮板2助攻。

The Big Three combined for over 90% of the team's points, scoring 30 points together and dishing out a total of 7 assists!

This is truly unsolvable; this is the most terrifying Lakers team at its full potential.

Jackson, watching from the sidelines, could only feel helpless.

This Lakers team will probably only have two more games like this at most.

The moment the Finals MVP is announced will be the moment when the Lakers are divided and alienated.

At that time, everyone will realize what's going on, or even before that, everyone will understand, since it's not a secret that's hard to discover.

But what can we do about it?

Because if they can't win the Finals MVP, they won't put in any effort, preferring to lose rather than let their teammates win the Finals MVP, and preferring to be the runner-up rather than win the championship without an MVP.

No one in this world could do such a thing.

Even if Kobe were ten times more obsessive, or Shaq were ten times more petty, they would never do that.

This game didn't require much direction from Jackson; for him, all the stress of this Finals series came from off the court.

The match proceeded more smoothly and easily than the previous ones.

The Lakers built a lead of more than 10 points in each of the first three quarters.

At the start of the fourth quarter, because the Nets didn't bench their starters, Jackson let his trio play for a while longer. It wasn't until the Nets surrendered with 7 minutes left in the game and substituted their starters that Jackson finally called it quits.

The game has completely entered garbage time.

125: 99!

In the end, the Lakers easily won by a huge margin of 26 points, taking a 3-1 lead in the series!

3: 1!

The Lakers are just one win away from their three-peat!

At this point, with the series already decided, more people started paying attention to the statistics and who would ultimately win the Finals MVP.

After all, a team like this one, with three top players performing exceptionally well at the same time, possessing top-tier output and ability, is extremely rare.

All three players have the potential and hope of winning the MVP award, so who will ultimately lift the trophy has naturally become the most anticipated topic among fans and the media.

In other words, it's time to divide the spoils.

前四场比赛，奥尼尔分别拿下24分14篮板5助攻3盖帽，40分16篮板3助攻2盖帽，25分10篮板4助攻4盖帽，30分15篮板8助攻5盖帽，系列赛场均29.75分，13.75篮板，5助攻，3.5盖帽，命中率高达56%，罚球命中率也有66%！

科比分别拿下23分5篮板4助攻2抢断，24分6篮板5助攻1抢断，43分6篮板2助攻3抢断，28分8篮板9助攻2抢断，四场比赛场均29.5分6.25篮板5助攻2抢断，看数据似乎并不比奥尼尔差的太多，但他的命中率却只有39%，哪怕有着89%的罚球命中率，也几乎是和艾弗森一个水平的效率。

林泽4场比赛分别拿下62分9篮板3助攻，28分7篮板3助攻，30分8篮板4助攻，28分4篮板8助攻，四场比赛场均能够贡献37分7篮板4.5助攻，同时还有着56%、45%、92%的三项命中率，直接进入190俱乐部！

If we look at the data of these three people separately, then each of them deserves to be the MVP, and each of them has a chance to win the Finals MVP.

But these three people happen to be on the same team.

Looking at it this way, it's no surprise that the Nets lost so decisively; in fact, it would be a pleasant surprise if they managed to win a game!

"Statistically, Kobe is basically out of the running; his efficiency is too low." On the rest day after Game 4 of the Finals, TNT's basketball program did not pause. Kenny and Barkley started a discussion in the studio, with Kenny first throwing out his opinion: "The Finals MVP is now a battle between Shaq and Lin."

Barkley said, "I agree with the first part. Kobe is definitely out of the running. Even if he plays a crazy 60-point game next, it will be hard for him to win the Finals MVP. After all, the Lakers' only loss was because of him. If it weren't for his chaotic performance in Game 3 of the Finals, the Lakers would have won the championship by now."

Barkley paused for a moment and said, "But I don't agree with the second half of your statement. I think the MVP of the Finals is already decided."

"O'Neal will be the final choice! Yes, Lin has a higher scoring average, but apart from that, O'Neal is better in rebounds and blocks, and even in assists."

"Then why not give the MVP to Shaq?"

"Of course it's because Lin delivered the craziest Finals performance in history!" Kenny said. "30 points in a single quarter, 62 points in total! Don't you know what that means, Charles? For the next 30 years, the league will remember Lin's performance. For the next 30 years, that will be the ceiling for individual performances in the Finals!"

"Based on this one game alone, it would be ridiculous and shameful not to give the MVP to Lina! I would even think that this is voter discrimination against minorities."

"Who? Who's discriminating against whom?" Barkley's eyes widened. "This has nothing to do with discrimination, Kenny! If you have to say, it's discrimination based on status."

"If Lin has won an MVP or scoring title once, if he has a successful career of 7-8 years, if he has always been a top-three superstar in the league, then I have no objection to giving him the Finals MVP."

"But Lin is clearly not a star of that caliber. Maybe he will be in a few years, but he isn't now! Shaq, on the other hand, is a star of that caliber!"

"When people are undecided, they will vote for the one with higher status! At least they won't be questioned. In most cases, people will choose the easier path."

"And Kenny, can you imagine Shaq in his prime not winning the Finals MVP?"

Kenny retorted, "Can you imagine someone averaging 37 points per game, with a 62-point game, not winning the Finals MVP?"

"In short, I'm on Shaq's side! Unless Lin scores 60 points again in Game 5, he has no chance of becoming MVP!"

Seeing that Barkley was unwilling to admit defeat, Kenny had no choice but to resort to his ultimate move.

"Let's make a bet, Charles!"

"I don't gamble!" Barkley shook his head without hesitation. "I've quit gambling!"

"Coward! Softie!" Kenny sneered. "No wonder you never won a championship!"

"I'm not betting anyway!" Barkley, unfazed, declared, "I think Shaq will get the MVP!"

Similar discussions are taking place throughout the United States and even the world.

But this discussion is just that—a discussion. Everything depends on the outcome of the fifth game.

After all, there's still a small group of Nets and Kidd supporters!

Kidd averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists in his first five games!

If this guy can maintain his stats, he will become the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double in the Finals. Having also set a historical record, why can't he become the second losing team MVP? Or even if this guy suddenly becomes incredibly powerful and leads his team to win 3 straight games?

That's not impossible!

Kidd: Don't drag me into this nonsense.

Game 5 of the series has begun.

99% of people no longer cared about the outcome that night; they just wanted to see how Lin Ze and O'Neal performed and who would ultimately emerge as the biggest winner.

Many people are eager to see these two clash, wanting to see them fall out over the MVP award. It would be even more exciting if they could actually fight on the field!

This was also the driving force that kept the Nets playing hard and refusing to give up.

You all worked together with one heart and one mind, and now it's time to divide the spoils. Can you really be selfless and maintain a calm mindset while continuing to play?

The first two possessions of the game left the Nets players feeling disheartened.

The first play came when O'Neal was double-teamed during a one-on-one situation and passed the ball to Lin Ze, who hit a three-pointer from beyond the arc.

The second play was when Lin Ze broke through with the ball and passed it to O'Neal, who then assisted O'Neal for a powerful dunk.

With the two parties involved feeding each other the ball and exchanging favors, what can the Nets expect?

The majority of the team players also became less and less motivated as the game progressed.

28: 18!

In the first quarter, the Lakers once again led the Nets by 10 points, achieving the feat of leading by double digits into the second quarter for five consecutive games, a first in NBA history!

"We can't just lose like this! This is fucking New Jersey! This is our territory! Fuxx! They want to win the championship? No problem! Go back to Los Angeles and lift the trophy! They have no place to celebrate in New Jersey." During the break, Kidd, who went 0-for-4 and scored no points in the first quarter, was completely enraged.

The guy smashed a water bottle on the floor: "I just hit a pile of shit, my touch was awful! Fine, I won't be hitting again!"

"Get running! I'll see you, I'll pass the ball to you! Let's run, let's fight for our dignity, for the fans, for ourselves!"

"Even if we don't win this series, we're going to win this game. We're going to show those bastards that we're not to be trifled with!"

"Byron, I don't need a rest, let me keep playing! I'll play all 48 minutes tonight, I'll give it my all. They don't want to bring the series back to Los Angeles? F*** you! Let those damn bitches die!"

"We're taking the series to Los Angeles!"

"Damn those bitches!" Under Kidd's barrage of insults, the Nets players finally regained their confidence and determination.

Damn it! Fuck him!

In the second quarter, the Lakers' dominance failed to continue, and it was Nets rookie small forward Jefferson who first erupted.

After coming off the bench, he first made a steal while defending Fox face-to-face, and then scored with a fast break dunk.

He then broke through and scored 4 points in a row with a layup during a set play.

During this time, the referee also called an offensive foul on O'Neal during the Lakers' first possession of the second quarter.

This was his second foul, not many, but it sowed the seeds of future problems in the game.

After this 4-0 run, the Nets played steadily and focused on defense. Meanwhile, Kidd went into a frenzy, dribbling the ball towards the frontcourt with his head down whenever he had the chance, regardless of whether it was reasonable or not, safe or dangerous.

Run! Run like crazy!

Although the Nets have Kidd, the league's best engine, this season, for various reasons, they mainly play half-court offense. Their pace and fast break scoring are not outstanding. This cautious style has allowed them to reach the Finals and make them one of the teams with the fewest turnovers in the entire league.

But when the team was in dire straits, when the team had no other choice, Kidd still brought out his best skills and what he was best at!

start running!

In the second quarter, Kidd didn't score many points; he only took two shots, both layups, and made both. However, he dished out 7 assists in the quarter!

With his skillful playmaking and excellent court vision, the Nets really got into the game!

Kidd Martin and Jefferson formed the team's new fast-break trio!

Kidd was in charge of controlling the overall situation, while Martin and Jefferson constantly attacked, using their physical attributes and talents to relentlessly assault the Lakers' interior defense.

In this back-and-forth offensive and defensive transition, the Nets gained the upper hand in the second quarter, outscoring the Nets 27-18 and trailing by only one point going into halftime.

"The Nets' all-out effort was truly unexpected," Barkley said. "After the first quarter, I thought they had given up."

"This is the Finals, Charles! Nobody gives up on becoming the champion!" Kenny said sarcastically. "Even you, when you were down 1-3, didn't you still not give up?"

"Now let's look at the stats for both sides. In the first half, Kidd scored 4 points on 2-of-6 shooting, but also had 10 assists and 7 rebounds, which is quite 'Jason'-like' stats."

"Martin scored a team-high 13 points, and Jefferson was the biggest surprise weapon tonight, also contributing 10 points."

「湖人队这边，奥尼尔上半场14分6篮板2盖帽2助攻，林13分4篮板2助攻1抢断。」

At this point, Kenny and Barkley exchanged a glance, then almost simultaneously exclaimed, "Unpredictable!"

With a "whoosh," Lin Ze turned off the TV in the away team's locker room with the remote control. Before he did, Kenny and Barkley were laughing heartily at each other's perfect understanding.

Jackson practically bowed to Lin Ze in gratitude for his actions.

Those two bastards really went too far.

When you two are listing the data, can't you include Kobe too? He played pretty well too!

It's unusually reasonable.

Aren't you going to read it?

Yes, you two have it easy, you're having fun with your memes, but what am I supposed to do?

Jackson harbored deep resentment, so much so that his halftime pep talk was filled with profanity.

Of course, they were all going after Kidd on the other side.

He was satisfied with the Lakers' overall performance in the first half. Although there were some mistakes and the lead was not much, this is the Finals. No matter how strong the West is, it is impossible to dominate the opponent in every game and win the game in the first half.

Therefore, Jackson mainly criticized Kidd for not only being ungrateful and refusing to surrender, but also daring to resist.

brazen!

Regardless of whether Jackson's rant was reasonable or logical, after his outburst, he calmed down, and the Lakers' morale was boosted.

Then, Jackson glanced down at his watch, waved, and the entire Lakers team stood up and walked out of the locker room.

The second half of the game is about to begin.

As Kobe got up, he subtly tugged at Lin Ze's jersey, signaling him to wait. Lin Ze didn't say anything and slowed down his pace slightly.

"This year, I fully support you to be the Finals MVP!" After making sure no one could hear, Kobe added, "Don't give it to Shaq!"

Lin Ze was not surprised at all. Not to mention that he and Kobe had a good relationship, well, even if Kobe had a good relationship with him, in short, even if the two of them didn't get along, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

It's common knowledge that Kobe disliked Shaq, so it's perfectly reasonable for him to support him.

But Lin Ze is different from everyone else.

In this situation, some people would say it's unnecessary, some would express their gratitude, and some would even try to share next year's honors with Kobe.

"But don't even think about getting my support next year."

Lin Ze's words were incredibly ruthless.

"No need." Kobe's expression remained completely unchanged, as if everything was within his expectations: "I don't need anyone's help to become MVP!"

"Amazing! No wonder it's Kobe!" Lin Ze patted Kobe's chest, then said, "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"What?" Kobe was a little surprised. He didn't expect Lin Ze to have something to ask of him.

"If you still play this badly next year and still have no chance of getting MVP, then keep supporting me! You don't need help, but I do."

"Have you no shame?" Kobe exclaimed in surprise.

"What do I need that thing for?" Lin Ze shrugged, shamelessly saying, "It's a deal, okay? You'll give me your all this time, and next time, you'll be ready to give me your all anytime!"

"What do I get in return?" Kobe said that he just likes to overthink things, but he is not stupid.

"Thank you!" Lin Ze patted Kobe's chest twice solemnly, then hugged him tightly before separating. He looked directly into Kobe's eyes again, as if this would make him seem more sincere, and then Lin Ze said that word again.

"Thanks!"

Before the second half even started, Kobe was already starting to regret his decision.

He felt he should do everything he could to help O'Neal win this year's Finals MVP.

After all, he just disliked O'Neal and couldn't be friends with him.

Although O'Neal was fat, lazy, and playful, although he didn't work hard, didn't train, and didn't take basketball seriously, although he always told what he thought were funny but ultimately worthless jokes and bullied rookies, and although he was noisy and disruptive in the locker room every day, making people want to punch him in the face.

But at least O'Neal is still a human being!

What exactly is Lin Ze?

But when Kobe passed the ball to O'Neal in the first possession of the second half, assisting him to dunk, O'Neal's smug look and the way his mouth seemed to be pointing to the ceiling immediately annoyed Kobe.

This physiological aversion is inexplicable; it's something that has gradually accumulated over the years of collaboration between the two.

This accumulated dislike is irreversible.

So after the first possession of the second half, Kobe stopped passing the ball to O'Neal.

He would pass the ball to everyone, especially Lin Ze, but he just didn't pay attention to O'Neal.

On the contrary, Lin Ze felt a bit tired after shooting a few times, so he fed O'Neal two balls.

"That was a great pass, Lin!" O'Neal gave Lin Ze a thumbs-up after scoring: "You're the best passer on our team! I fucking love you, bro!"

At the same time, he also truly felt that Lin Ze was his good brother.

Especially compared to Kobe, he's so much better!

The Finals MVP issue has become a hot topic, and everyone knows what happened, but Lin Ze is still willing to pass the ball to him.

O'Neal asked himself honestly, if he were a player with the ability to control the ball, he probably wouldn't have passed the ball to Lin Ze.

But Lin Ze sent it to him!

O'Neal even felt a little guilty.

He felt he had taken too much and should share some of the honor with everyone.

next year!

If we still have a chance to compete for the championship next year, we'll give the Finals MVP to Lin!

Of course, the prerequisite is that I can win my third Finals MVP this year!

Without anyone knowing, O'Neal quietly divided the spoils: he would take this year, Lin Ze would take next year, and Kobe would just watch from the sidelines.

Kobe, who was watching from the side, was practically grinding his teeth to powder.

brazen!

He couldn't imagine how he could have become friends with such a shameless person as Lin Ze.

He took the benefits for himself and then colluded with O'Neal?

So you want me to be all the bad guys? And you're the only good guy?

Holy crap!

Kobe was incredibly frustrated. It's just that he's still young. In a few decades, he'll realize that someone like Lin Ze will have a name that belongs specifically to him in the future.

Green Tea Bitch!

Then, a frustrated Kobe unleashed his anger on Kidd. When he tried to steal the ball while defending Kidd, he slapped Kidd's arm without touching the ball at all.

Kidd yelled in pain, then shrugged and said to Kobe, "Are you out of your mind?"

"Softie! Can't even handle normal physical contact?" Kobe was furious at the moment and immediately retorted to Kidd.

"Just wait and I'll crush you all!" Kidd cursed as he stepped to the free-throw line, making both shots to narrow the gap to 3 points again!

Although he was very unhappy, Kobe's physical disgust for O'Neal still outweighed his contempt for Lin Ze's shameless behavior. He called for Lin Ze to set a screen and then drew the defense to pass the ball to him.

Lin Ze received the ball beyond the three-point line and unleashed a powerful three-pointer!

"23 points!" Kenny shouted. "Lin's scoring has once again surpassed O'Neal's!"

"Shaq isn't bad either, he already has 21 points and 10 rebounds!" Barkley said. "In all five games of the Finals, Shaq has gotten at least 10 rebounds in every game!"

As the competition progresses, the battle for the Finals MVP has become increasingly fierce and tense. Both players are in equally good form tonight, and both are full of desire and determination.

With the Nets also keeping close behind and the Lakers never pulling away, the matchup between the two teams became even more intense and exciting!

In terms of intensity, tonight's game was definitely the most exciting of the five finals games!

Soon, with four minutes remaining in the third quarter, Jackson called a timeout.

The score at this point is 71-69!

The Lakers' lead has dwindled to just 2 points.

Looking at Lin Ze and O'Neal in front of him, he finally decided to make things clear!

Otherwise, given tonight's tense and unpredictable situation, who knows what kind of trouble these two might cause in the end.

"At this stage of the competition, there's no need for us to hide anything anymore. As the coach, I have to be absolutely fair. I can't say things like telling anyone to give up or stop."

"All I want is victory. The rest you'll have to figure out yourselves. I can give you a few minutes to try and make a comeback, but for the last eight minutes of the game, you two better listen to me and stick to the tactics!"

"So, who will play the remaining four minutes of the third quarter and the first four minutes of the fourth quarter?"

Jackson's words were quite clear and direct.

Each person can play for 4 minutes, however they want, but in the final moments of the match, you better behave yourselves!

He didn't give the two a chance to refute or discuss; he just wanted their answers directly.

O'Neal licked his lips but didn't say anything.

Although both are 4 minutes, there's a big difference between these two 4-minute periods!

Those four minutes in the third quarter were played consecutively, so there would be some issues with stamina, and the Nets probably wouldn't bench their starters so early.

On the contrary, during that run in the fourth quarter, the Nets' starters were likely out, and after resting, they were more physically fit.

It's clear at a glance which time period is better.