As his words fell, the team's postgame review meeting officially ended.
The Lakers' locker room, once heavy and subdued, had been completely transformed.
Disappointment had been replaced by fighting spirit, and regret by resolve.
Everyone dispersed to rest, each of them quietly gathering strength.
Kobe remained alone in the meeting room, replaying footage of the final possession over and over.
He repeatedly broke down his shooting motion and noted down his physical shortcomings.
Tonight's mistake would become the most valuable tempering of his career.
The victory at Madison Square Garden was only a temporary advantage for the Knicks.
The Lakers, carrying monstrous fury and absolute determination, were already poised to strike.
On the court of Game 2, the Black Mamba would surely return and launch the fiercest counterattack of revenge.
The late-night wind of New York swept past the glass curtain walls of Madison Square Garden.
The sea of blue outside the arena gradually dispersed, and the roaring cheers finally fell completely silent.
Yet the Knicks' private postgame review room remained brightly lit.
Not a single Knicks player who had just won Game 1 with a game-winning comeback had left early to rest.
The overwhelming praise from the outside world, the media reports crowning them as gods, and the fanatical worship of the fans—
None of it affected the mindset of this Dynasty team.
The joy of victory did not spread through the locker room in the slightest.
In its place was a crushing tension, so heavy it made it hard to breathe.
The entire meeting room was terrifyingly quiet, with only the faint hum of the air conditioner.
Every Knicks player wore an incomparably solemn expression. There were no smiles, no relaxation.
Everyone knew perfectly well that this victory had come far too dangerously.
This had not been