The Game Starts Now!

The first quarter of the All-Star Game ended, Western Conference 27:35 Eastern Conference.

An eight-point gap! Jordan and Pippen, playing with bloodshot eyes, had not only pulled the score back but outright taken over the game!

With Gary Payton going through the motions and Richmond unable to hold on despite gritting his teeth, Pippen and Jordan combined for 18 points!

On a grand stage like the All-Star Game, two players scored two-thirds of their team's points?

That could only mean Jordan and Pippen were in a completely different competitive state from everyone else.

"They've gone insane! What's wrong with Jordan and Pippen today? It feels like they're playing this game as if it were the Finals!"

"Aren't they afraid of getting injured? There's still more than half the season left!"

"I get it. They want to beat Kobe—they'll do anything to beat Kobe!" Magic Johnson hit the nail on the head.

"The situation on the Western Conference side is bizarre too! Kobe and Sloan seem to have had some kind of conflict! Hopefully the reporters can bring us interviews from the front line."

Jerry Sloan was in a difficult position now!

As a great coach, Jerry Sloan naturally had no desire to deliberately lose the game!

What he had discussed with Stockton and Malone was to make Kobe so angry that he refused to play, just like what had happened to Malone and Payton last year!

Then he would lead the team to a resounding victory!

That way, no one could say anything.

Even if Kobe complained after the game, Jerry Sloan could claim it was a normal rotation and that everything had been for the sake of winning!

In Sloan's eyes, the Western Conference was stronger overall than the Eastern Conference!

Without O'Neal, David Robinson could fill in!

Without