FWF Chapter 331 Waving is not an apology
Chapter 331 Waving is not an apology
As night deepened, the noise at Staples Center reached its peak.
Lakers fans gave Kobe's provocative behavior a five-star rating. This is it, that's right, this is what they want to see!
At this moment, the stadium seemed to have traveled back in time to the ancient Roman Colosseum a thousand years ago, with the spectators in the stands reverting to their animalistic instincts even before the warriors on the field.
The Zen master stood up at some point and turned his gaze to the young man on the field who had raised his palm.
A strong sense of déjà vu washed over him. He must have seen this scene somewhere before, but it had been so long that he couldn't remember where.
Discarding his chaotic thoughts, the Zen Master forced his attention back to the field. Although the Christmas game was essentially just a regular season match, no one wanted to go home with a defeat on such a joyous occasion.
"Guys, get your act together! This is our home court. Show them your aggression and let them see the Lakers' defense!"
I don't know what Kobe and Moriarty communicated on the court, but it's always good to get the players to strengthen their defense first.
As for offense, just go with the flow and let nature take its course.
On the court, Kobe watched as Mo Wen switched to a fighting expression, showing not fear but excitement.
This is exactly what he has been hoping to achieve today.
Kobe knows Mo Wen's current state all too well; to be precise, the entire Lakers team knows it very well.
Provoked – enraged – lose control – take over the game – kill the game (regardless of who gets killed).
In other situations, Kobe would never admit that this behavior was a character flaw, even though other teams had taken advantage of his flaws to steal countless victories from the Lakers.
The triangle offense is essentially about letting his best star play. Putting aside the fact that he gets double-teamed, the higher-ups will only make him more focused and work harder.
But right now, Kobe wants to win, so he chooses to temporarily remain true to the facts. This might have been his problem before, but now—
Ready to be ganged up on and beaten up by justice, kid?
Although he still believes he is the best one-on-one player in the league, this time he signaled to his teammates to double-team him.
He really wanted to win.
Mo Wen, holding the ball, was adjusting his breathing while cooking at the top of the arc.
Five minutes is neither a long nor a short time, but Mo Wen is confident that he can end the game in one fell swoop.
He conserved a lot of energy by playing casually earlier, so he can still perform at full strength now. His teammates, who were fed the ball by him for the first three quarters, also had good shooting touch, so you could say he has a lot of room to grow.
Mo Wen noticed the Lakers' slight adjustment in positioning, and combined with the distance Kobe maintained from him, he guessed what the Lakers were up to.
Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, what can be done?
Raise the cannons and blast their mother!
He called Tyson over for a high screen, and Mo Wen used a crossover dribble to initiate the shot, taking advantage of the gap when Kobe was retreating and trying to get around the screen to jump and shoot.
Kobe reacted quickly, noticing Mo Wen's shooting tendency, but Mo Wen's release was too fast. By the time Kobe moved forward to interfere, the basketball had already flown over his head.
The basketball went in cleanly, widening the gap to 7 points.
"It feels like dog shit!"
Kobe cursed under his breath and was about to ask O'Neal for the ball under the basket when Mo Wen, just like before the previous possession was over, called for his teammates to come up and press him.
"It's time, guys, get serious, it's time to put the babies to bed!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ray Allen, who understood the implication, pressed Paul, who was about to receive the ball. Seeing that the team's two leaders were putting on a high-intensity play, the others also abandoned their relatively easy defensive positioning and suddenly became tense.
This ability to mobilize the team without needing to call a timeout put more pressure on the Zen Master on the sidelines than on the players.
Paul's ball control ability is undoubtedly top-notch, but when O'Neal saw the SuperSonics' sudden pressing, he hesitated for a moment and passed the ball to Kwame Brown, who had a relatively relaxed receiving environment. Kwame Brown did not lose the ball due to butterfingers when facing Millsap's sudden pressing, but he still had to hold the ball and protect it.
He wanted to pass to Paul, but the pass was too high and Ray Allen tapped it in. Gay used his talent to outpace Udoka and get the ball back.
Upon seeing this, Mo Wen stopped arguing with Kobe, ran to the top of the key to receive the ball with a handoff, and used the screen to drive straight to the basket. The Lakers players who hadn't run far instinctively all double-teamed Mo Wen.
Mo Wen, however, charged into the crowd without the slightest fear, and then secretly tossed the ball behind him.
As Paul chased after the ball, a sense of indescribable despair washed over him as he looked at the basketball traveling in the opposite direction.
Beyond the three-point line, Gay, who received the ball in a wide-open position, even had time to look down and check if he had stepped out of bounds before leisurely releasing the ball.
Swish!
A 10-point difference.
Faced with a sudden double-digit point difference, the Zen Master did not rush to call a timeout, showing the composure of a great coach, standing quietly on the sidelines like a pine tree.
Kobe on the court glared angrily at Mo Wen, as if to say, "You're angry, why are you even passing the ball?"
If you don't seize an opportunity to take on five opponents, do you really want to be the god of basketball?
Having tasted success, the Supersonics players decisively continued their previous defensive strategy and pressed forward relentlessly.
A slightly anxious Kobe chose to step forward to receive the ball, his iron elbow barely creating space for him to receive it. However, the focused Mo Wen caught Kobe's dribbling rhythm and decisively poked the ball out of bounds with one hand.
Kobe was not discouraged and gave Paul a look that suggested he move away to receive the ball.
But this time, Mo Wen didn't interfere with Kobe. Instead, he stood in front of Kobe, facing the same direction, as if observing who would receive the ball and preparing to double-team him immediately.
Knowing that Paul didn't have a height advantage over Ray Allen, Kobe didn't use a high arc for that shot, but he regretted it the moment the ball left his hand.
Mo Wen seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. The instant the ball was released, he turned and jumped, appearing abruptly on the ball's path like a mother-in-law in love, and caught the ball in one go.
After landing, Mo Wen took a step beyond the three-point line, but his body was unstable. He touched the ground with his toes, turned around, aimed at the basket, and took another shot.
Swish!
Everyone was stunned, including the players on the field and the spectators on the sidelines.
What just happened? What did they see? Is Mo messing with gods and demons again?
Kobe's inbound pass was intercepted mid-air by Mo Wen, who then turned and shot it into the Lakers' basket.
Are you sure this isn't some kind of science fiction movie?
The bullet was frozen in mid-air by telekinesis, then returned along its original path to finish off the opponent.
Are you kidding me? This kind of ball can appear on the field?
In a film set cafeteria in Taiwan, a future master of time management was complaining to the screenwriter about why a school basketball movie still required wire work every day.
The screenwriter, upon seeing this, nodded in agreement.
"That's right, our script was written too conservatively, don't you think, Little Pig?"
"Let's raise the backrest a bit higher later."
On the court, Kobe seemed to have difficulty breathing, especially after seeing Morey give him a thumbs up.
That sarcastic little expression, paired with that thumbs-up, was as if saying, "Good pass, bro, good pass!"
For a fleeting moment, Kobe genuinely wanted to emulate Harden, the man who had once pinned him down on the scorer's table and given him a beating, and have a real fight with this bastard in front of him.
But he couldn't find any reason, and he couldn't say for sure whether he could win.
beep.
Fortunately, the referee's whistle saved Kobe from his predicament.
The Zen master finally couldn't help but call for a pause.
Just one minute ago, the Lakers were keeping the score close, responding to the SuperSonics' relentless pressure. With the home advantage, the Lakers players were cheered on by the fans wherever they went, truly having the best of both worlds. The vibrant and competitive atmosphere was still fresh in everyone's mind.
In just one minute, this place had become the Lakers' burial ground?
In fact, the Zen master overestimated the time, because the actual time running was less than a minute, not even half a minute.
"Has anyone tallied up how much time those rounds took? It feels like a whole round didn't even last a minute!" Barkley, who was already somewhat numb to Mo Wen's amazing performance in the TNT commentary room, found a new reason to praise him.
"You're right. When I watched the SuperSonics' possession just now, there were less than 9 and a half minutes left. Now there are 9 minutes and 8 seconds left. The SuperSonics used two turnovers to shut down the Lakers in their own half!" Kenny Smith exclaimed.
Because of Mo Wen, the league is paying more and more attention to three-pointers, but 13 points is still a rather exaggerated point difference.
"I reckon Kobe must have really angered Mo. Mo was playing like it was a crucial moment. Mo and the SuperSonics fully demonstrated what the dominance of an MVP and a championship team is all about. They can kill the game whenever they want."
Back on the bench, after the SuperSonics players high-fived Morven, they would subconsciously glance at the back of Morven's head again.
"Do you really have eyes in the back of your head? How did you do that just now?" Ray Allen, who had just seen the replay on the big screen above, was also shocked.
Mo Wen leaned back in his chair, his face weathered, and sighed softly, "You'll understand when you reach my age."
Ray Allen was initially stunned, then became so angry he laughed, and finally gave a perfectly polite middle finger.
Mo Wen smiled helplessly. This steal was three parts luck and seven parts his familiarity with Kobe. In the game, he had not only impersonated Kobe many times, but also Odom, Shaq, and Gasol. Even if he didn't know Kobe inside and out, he was familiar with some of Kobe's habits and details.
But none of these are the key points. His ability to steal the ball is actually due to his talent; he doesn't jump very high, so even if he knew, he couldn't reach it.
His 23-year-old body, at its peak, was the key to his ability to do whatever he wanted.
The Zen master on the other side maintained his silence throughout the pause.
He really didn't know what tactics to tell the players. They couldn't even serve properly, so what tactics could he possibly talk about?
What's the difference between setting up baseline inbound play for the team during regular play and slapping yourself in the face with a tactical board?
Fortunately, the teaching assistant remained relatively clear-headed and picked up the tactics board to do the dirty work.
"Did you piss him off just now?" Little O asked Kobe secretly, sitting to the side.
"I just did what I was supposed to do," Kobe said coldly, not believing he had done anything wrong.
This time, the little cannon next to him didn't stand up to argue as usual. He felt from the bottom of his heart that Kobe did nothing wrong, it was just that he encountered Mo Wen's explosive performance.
Just now, the supersonic speed suddenly tightened, catching them off guard with a sneak attack.
"Only 13 points, we still have 9 minutes left and we can still fight." This time, A-Pao chose to stand next to Kobe.
Kobe nodded, but as he listened to the time, he thought of what Mo Wen had said about ending the game in 5 minutes.
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
After the timeout, with Paul's top-notch ball handling providing excellent support, the Lakers finally managed to get the ball across half-court.
The Lakers fans on the sidelines breathed a sigh of relief and cheered.
Shaq, who was watching TV at home, didn't laugh when Mo Wen turned around and broke Kobe's constipated look, but this time he couldn't help but laugh.
It's been years since I've seen Lakers fans, and they've become so weak.
When did successfully dribbling the ball across half-court become a reason for cheers?
when!
After O'Neal set a screen, he received the ball and had a wide-open mid-range shot, but missed. Millsap grabbed the rebound and passed it to Mo Wen, and the SuperSonics quickly launched a counterattack.
Kobe, with his concentration at its peak, was not shaken off by Mo Wen's crossover dribble, and with the referee's tacit approval, he continued to engage in full-on confrontation.
Uduka was preparing to flank them.
Mo Wen had no choice but to grab the ball with one hand and flick it towards Gay, who was cutting inside.
Udoka's retreat was timely, and Kobe also half-turned over to check whether he needed to grab the rebound.
Neither of them noticed the trajectory of the basketball.
Udoka turned to Gay: Where's your ball? You're still running towards the paint, I'm asking you, where's your ball?
Guy: I don't know.
Kobe, reacting even faster, barely had time to raise the hairs on his forehead before the ball had already traveled along the positioning line from his tailbone to his skull, extending into the sky before finally slamming into the basket.
When Kobe turned around, Mo Wen spread his five fingers in front of him again.
Kobe's face darkened further. This damn bastard seemed to be reminding him that the game was over in five minutes, or perhaps showing off how big his hands were to be able to hold the ball with one hand.
So what if he has big hands? He can hold a ball with one hand too!
Turning around, when Kobe got the ball, he subconsciously shrugged it.
Yeah, he really knows how!
The referee, who was chasing after the referee, turned his head to the side while biting his whistle. "Fine, it's Christmas Day, you can do it!"
In this possession, Kobe finally scored with a difficult fadeaway jumper at an almost 60-degree angle, stopping the Lakers' bleeding.
But Mo Wen subtly and effortlessly passed the ball to Millsap, who was cutting to the basket after a pick-and-roll, easily bringing the score difference back to 16 points.
Seeing Mo Wen and Millsap high-five, Kobe remembered that he had teammates, so he glanced at Paul, who displayed the top vision and reaction of a top point guard, instantly meeting his gaze and reaching out for the ball.
My teammates worked very hard, that's good.
boom!
Kobe, who wanted to succeed, experienced failure once again.
The Lakers, now on edge, prevented the SuperSonics from launching a fast break, but Kobe's defense was torn apart by Mo Wen's consecutive crossovers. Mo Wen drove to the basket, pulled away from O'Neal's block, and made a successful layup, widening the gap to 18 points.
Mo Wen gave Kobe a "yeah" sign, and Kobe glanced at the scoreboard, looking somewhat dazed.
How did the score difference become so large?
The Los Angeles fans, who had come to their home stadium to celebrate Christmas, were much quieter.
On a normal day, if they score this much in the fourth quarter, they can leave the game one by one. After all, Los Angeles' traffic congestion index is only comparable to Chicago and the Big Apple in the whole country.
But since it's Christmas today and both cows and horses are resting, there's no need to worry. So, should we wait a little longer?
What if a miracle happens?
As if hearing the fans' lingering wishes, Kobe and Paul executed a crossover play. Paul, receiving the pass from Kobe, did not disappoint Kobe's trust and successfully turned a solid assist into two free throws, making one of them.
In an attempt to salvage the game, the referee called an early defensive foul on Udoka during a fast break by the SuperSonics, thwarting Ray Allen's potential three-pointer.
Before the Lakers, who had narrowly escaped defeat, could even breathe a sigh of relief, Mo Wen launched a three-pointer from two steps beyond the arc, widening the gap to a solid 20 points.
If it weren't for concerns about the consequences, Mo Wen would have really wanted to shove the whistle into Foster's mouth.
Go ahead and keep bragging if you dare.
Blow it!
Even if I gave you a chance, you wouldn't be able to use it!
Foster genuinely wanted to maintain the suspense of the game. Firstly, the league didn't want to see the Christmas Day game quickly lose its suspense, and secondly, the commissioner also wanted to boost the hype surrounding the Lakers' one-point difference between the Lakers and the SuperSonics.
Unfortunately, the Lakers were also provoked by the three-pointers. Kobe, Paul, and Luke Walton, who came in after the substitution, all tried to hit three-pointers but missed, giving him no chance at all.
There's no way around it. With a 20-point deficit, if we don't gamble on three points and just try to catch up by two points at a time, especially with Mo Wen on fire, there's really no hope.
When Mo Wen held up four fingers, the point difference between the two teams had reached 26 points.
"Aren't you flying back with the team later?"
"Yes, I'm going to my fiancée's place tonight and will stay here for a couple of days. You guys should go back and get some rest; it's a rare two-day holiday."
On the court, Mo Wen and Ray Allen were already talking about post-match activities.
It was just casual conversation, but Kobe's veins were bulging as he listened.
It's still match time, you bastards, do you have any manners?
Kobe, having regained possession of the ball, set a screen for O'Neal. He desperately wanted to score, then reclaim the conversation, say a few trash words, and bring the guys' attention back to the court.
But the kind-hearted Mo Wen couldn't bear to see Kobe ruin his Excel spreadsheet again, so he pretended to be blocked, but actually jumped up from the side at the same time as Kobe leaned back, knocking away the basketball that had just been released.
This helped Kobe avoid one missed shot but avoid one insignificant mistake.
Ray Allen, who had been watching this area, quickly stepped forward, grabbed the out-of-control basketball, and sprinted towards the frontcourt, leaving only a soft laugh behind.
Ha, who in their right mind would chat about everyday things on the court?
Ray Allen and Morey, who came up from the side, executed a fast break reminiscent of the "Morey-Wei connection" from two years ago. Ray Allen quickly ran to the basket and threw the ball into the air, while Morey caught the ball and dunked it powerfully.
Kwame Brown showcased his talent as the number one draft pick. Although he failed to defend the shot, he at least committed a foul, which boosted his presence in the game.
Mo Wen made the free throw steadily, and the point difference reached 29 points.
Snowflakes fell in Los Angeles outside the stadium. The home fans didn't get the miracle they were hoping for, but they didn't lose out either, because they received Mo Wen's "goodnight" blessing.
Chinese fans will wake up to a resounding victory, and Los Angeles fans will also see a resounding victory while they're asleep. Everyone has a bright future ahead.
The Zen Master called a timeout, and Mo Wen, unconcerned about the timing, once again held up five fingers to Kobe.
You know, waving isn't an apology, it means you still need to train.
Kobe, nearing 30, stood there blankly on the court, watching Mo Wen's retreating figure, suddenly losing all emotion and strength.
"If it were Michael Jordan instead, could he really beat an opponent like that?" (End of Chapter)