After saying that, he turned and jogged back on defense, leaving Kobe with a proud, resolute back.
The entire Staples Center fell silent for a full three seconds before erupting into a massive sigh and scattered boos.
"My God!"
Kevin Harlan's voice was filled with disbelief. "The King of Clutch! This is Li Fei! At the most critical moment, he used Kobe's best move to deliver the deadliest blow! That fadeaway jumper was practically a work of art!"
The Lakers called a timeout.
Phil Jackson quickly sketched on his clipboard, his expression as calm as ever, as though the basket that could have shattered any team's morale had not affected him in the slightest.
When the timeout ended, the Lakers inbounded the ball.
The Knicks' defensive strategy was now crystal clear.
Li Fei stood directly in the paint. His task was to shut down O'Neal and deny the Lakers their easiest scoring option.
That meant the Knicks were willing to gamble on their disadvantage in the perimeter matchups and dare the Lakers to shoot from outside.
Kobe received the ball at the top of the arc, and as expected, Donyell Marshall was guarding him.
Everyone knew what was about to happen.
Kobe's gaze turned ice-cold. He glanced at O'Neal, whose position in the paint was being firmly denied by Li Fei, then looked at Marshall in front of him, his eyes filled with contempt.
He did not even call for a screen, simply signaling everyone to clear out.
Staples Center fell silent again, leaving only the thump-thump of the basketball striking the floor.
Kobe began to dribble. His movements were not fast, but every bounce carried a precise rhythm, like he was composing the prelude to an offensive masterpiece.
Left hand, right hand, between the legs, behind the back...
Marshall