The Scales of Victory and Defeat

On the sideline, Mosaic Team coach Rudy Tomjanovich remained calm and composed. It was only a few fast breaks. He believed his players could adjust themselves soon enough.

This coach had been Houston's pride during his playing days. Over his 11 years in the NBA, he made the All-Star team five times. He currently ranked third on the franchise's all-time scoring list, behind only Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon.

This championship-winning coach was known for his player-instinct-driven management style and masterful use of the bench. He had been hospitalized several times from exhaustion. His unconventional, easygoing attitude toward his players earned him the reputation of being a "players' coach," and many veteran players longed to play for his team.

But his expression soon changed slightly. The Lakers' offense was too fast. Even O'Neal was joining the fast breaks. Whether the opposition scored or not, the Lakers immediately launched a counterattack off the quick inbound.

The Mosaic Team players on the court had all weathered plenty of storms. They could handle a fast-paced run-and-gun offense. But the Lakers' perimeter players were scorching hot. Kobe Bryant and Eddie Jones attempted 11 threes between them in the first quarter and made seven.

Mosaic Team's stars took nearly all their shots in the low post and the paint. Make or miss, Olajuwon and Charles Barkley were unable to join the team's transition defense right away.

And Kobe seized those fleeting opportunities, delivering one brilliant play after another in transition. He went 5-for-7 in the quarter, 3-for-4 from three, for 13 points.

His touch was simply outrageous. Even though Barkley tore Campbell apart and Olajuwon and O'Neal traded blows, the Lakers still took a sizable 30:23 lead in the first quarter.

"Great job!" O'Neal high-fived his teammates as they came off the court. Their run-and-gun attack and blazing shooting had caught their opponents completely off guard.

"They'll adjust soon." Kobe knew without a doubt that the opposition would not let the Lakers maintain this offensive surge. It might work well against conventional big teams or aging teams, but against this championship squad, it could only produce a temporary advantage.

To play run-and-gun, the Lakers lacked a floor-spacing power forward. That made their current fast-paced attack easy to target.

The bench came in, and this time the Lakers' reserves performed well. Ben Wallace locked down Kevin Willis and preserved the lead until the Lakers' starters returned.

Van Exel had a hot hand in this game. Coming off the bench, he repeatedly scored against the little-known Tracy Moore.

"The game's only just begun." When Kobe checked in during the second quarter, Drexler stood in front of him. The young man had been far too dazzling in the first quarter. Matt Maloney clearly could not guard him, so Drexler volunteered to take on Kobe.

Kobe's expression turned serious. The Glide was not easy to deal with.

With the Lakers in possession, Kobe handed the ball to Eddie Jones and began running frantically around O'Neal and Campbell's screens.

Drexler stayed glued to Kobe, only to see Eddie Jones pass the ball to O'Neal, who hit a floater under the basket.

Kobe had long prepared a way to deal with Drexler: run! Even if he could not get open, he could greatly drain Drexler's stamina. And in the decisive moments, the younger Kobe would still have the energy to change the game.

After Kobe was contained by Drexler in the second quarter, the situation became unfavorable. The Lakers' spearhead in transition had been stopped, and without their fast break, their offense no longer held the advantage. Meanwhile, Olajuwon and Barkley continued to wreak havoc in the Lakers' paint.

49:49! That was the score at halftime, with the Rockets erasing the seven-point deficit.

O'Neal had 17 points and 8 rebounds at the half, while Kobe had 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Charles Barkley had 21 points and 8 rebounds, having torn Campbell apart. Olajuwon had 15 points and 4 rebounds. Drexler had devoted all his energy to defending Kobe in the second quarter, going just 1-for-5 for 2 points under Bowen's defense.

The third quarter began with Kobe and O'Neal running pick-and-rolls. O'Neal's first-half performance had been an even exchange with Olajuwon. Olajuwon had not displayed the defensive form of his prime in the regular season, while O'Neal had already developed to the point where he could score relentlessly even against Olajuwon one-on-one.

The reason Campbell had remained on the court was to free up O'Neal offensively. With Campbell there, Barkley did not dare help freely against O'Neal. If the Lakers' fast break was stopped, only O'Neal could break through the defense.

If Ben Wallace came in, the Lakers' offense would immediately collapse whenever both Kobe and O'Neal failed to score efficiently!

Kobe and O'Neal's pick-and-rolls further drained Drexler and Olajuwon's stamina. Drexler could not dare leave Kobe open on the perimeter, while stopping O'Neal's attacks on the rim also consumed a great deal of Olajuwon's energy.

"Fatty, you've improved quite a bit." Olajuwon, breathing heavily, shook O'Neal free and hit the shot before speaking.

O'Neal ignored Olajuwon. Olajuwon had already scored more than 20 points on him. Trading explosions with a veteran in his thirties was not the result O'Neal wanted.

"Shaq, hang in there. They won't outlast us." Kobe firmly believed this game's victory would be his. After spending so long changing speeds and running with Kobe, Drexler was now battling O'Neal for position. Olajuwon had also expended plenty of energy at both ends of the floor. The decisive battle would come at the end.

In the third quarter, O'Neal remained the Lakers' only scorer. Drexler attacked Kobe's pick-and-rolls fiercely. Kobe restrained his urge to force shots and instead fed O'Neal inside. O'Neal was scoring efficiently, but Mosaic Team's Olajuwon and Barkley were both scoring as well.

The Lakers trailed 71:76 by five points. Entering the fourth quarter, the Lakers immediately brought back their starters, while Rudy Tomjanovich experimentally sent in his reserves, hoping to buy time for his exhausted starters.

Kobe knew it was time. His hand was blazing hot. He dribbled across half court and pulled up directly for a three over the shorter defender.

"He actually dared to shoot that?" O'Neal had been ready to receive the pass a second earlier, and the next second he was preparing to grab the rebound.

Swish.

The ball traced a perfect arc and dropped straight through the hoop.

Kobe turned back coolly. This was only the beginning.

"Beep!" Rudy Tomjanovich immediately called a timeout after Kobe's basket and sent his starters back in.

Barkley faced Campbell's defense and scored another two points.

Kobe brought up the ball, with Drexler in front of him.

"ISO!" Kobe gestured for isolation, then strung together a series of between-the-legs dribbles, trying to shake Drexler's balance.

"Left!" Drexler read Kobe's dribbling direction and quickly slid to his left.

Something was wrong!

After taking one step left on the drive, Kobe actually pulled the ball back behind him and returned beyond the three-point line. He rose and fired.

It went in again!

Kobe clenched his fist. Drexler fell silent.

There'll be a recommendation tomorrow~ Please give your recommendation votes in the new week, dear readers~ Only if the results are good during the recommendation period will there be another recommendation.

Thanks to readers Little Airplane, Dance Another Waltz, Only Thinking of Wang, and Clear Heart Tianze for the rewards~