Black Mamba Moves!

The two-time champion Knicks turned up the pressure slightly, and one devastating run left the Lakers reeling.

It made them realize that Paul and Griffin's two-man game alone was nowhere near enough to defeat the Knicks.

Though Bynum had developed, he was still only Little Shaq.

He couldn't possibly destroy the Knicks' restricted area all by himself.

There was no questioning the defending champions' pedigree.

Beep! Beep!

The Lakers were forced to call a timeout.

There were 3 minutes and 17 seconds left in the second quarter.

During the timeout, Zen Master coach Phil Jackson walked over to Kobe and gave him a meaningful look.

Kobe nodded slightly, understanding perfectly.

They had played together for many years and had tremendous chemistry. They understood each other extremely well.

With a single look from Phil Jackson, Kobe understood.

He knew that relying entirely on his teammates, staying in the background, and only making his move in the final moments—

was no longer realistic.

That might work against ordinary teams, but it was completely impossible against the Knicks.

The second half had not even arrived yet, but Kobe knew he needed to step up and use his individual ability to help the team regain its momentum.

They needed to cut down the score difference first before worrying about clutch offense in the final quarter.

If they waited until the fourth quarter while conserving their energy,

then even if they could force their way to points, the team would already be down by 20-plus.

Even if you could score, what would it change? They would still lose the game.

It was a chain reaction.

It also showed that a game was a grueling 48-minute battle, not the highlight of any single possession.

Before long,

the timeout ended.

The fierce battle continued.

Paul calmly brought