What had seemed like a guaranteed win was dragged back to even by Kobe alone.
The young Black Mamba bared his sharpest fangs in the face of desperation.
The Lakers bench sprang to its feet as cheers erupted through the arena once more.
Phil Jackson's tense expression finally eased slightly.
That was Kobe—never giving up, growing fiercer the more desperate the situation became.
With one minute remaining, the entire game entered its most suffocating, decisive stretch.
The Lakers had a perfect chance to tie the game or even take the lead.
Kobe brought the ball up as every fan in the arena stood to watch, no one daring to blink.
He faced Jordan's defense again, making a series of rapid changes of direction while battling through contact.
Creating half a step of space, Kobe decisively rose for a three, hoping to end it with one blow.
At that moment, everyone in the arena thought a legendary game-winner was about to be born.
But the extreme physical exhaustion ultimately affected his shooting touch.
The ball's trajectory drifted slightly in the air, crashing hard off the front rim and bouncing away.
The crucial game-winning three clanked out in heartbreaking fashion!
It was Kobe's most critical mistake of the fourth quarter, and also his most fatal miss.
Li Fei held down the paint and secured the defensive rebound with ease.
The instant he landed, he did not pause for even a moment, raising his head to survey the court.
The Lakers could not get back in time, their defense was exposed, and a transition opportunity appeared instantly.
Li Fei gripped the ball in one hand and fired a powerful outlet pass across the entire court.
On the other side, Michael Jordan had already sprinted at full speed, leaving every defender behind.
The old