The Shocking Opening Game of Game Twenty-Nine

"He shot that?"

"And it went in?"

"You're shooting again?"

"How did that go in again?"

"Are you ever going to stop?!"

"Please, stop shooting."

Pippen's morale went from fired up before tip-off, to surprise, to questioning his life, to utter dejection. It took just one game.

Scottie Pippen felt as though he had returned to the Finals from two years ago.

In last year's Finals, it had mostly been Michael Jordan guarding Kobe.

But two years ago, Kobe had been the one executing Pippen.

That feeling of helplessness surged back into his heart!

No matter how Pippen defended him—whether he stuck a hand in Kobe's face or even fouled him—

Kobe still made the shot!

There was no answer!

Pippen was hopeless. After the game, he looked like a young girl who had been ravaged hundreds of times.

Even Houston's teammates felt some sympathy when they saw Pippen's despairing expression after the game.

It was too miserable.

Getting blasted for 60-plus points was not terrifying. What was terrifying was that nearly every basket had been a contested shot, with no unnecessary moves at all, as if a college student were playing against elementary school kids!

He ignored the defense as though Pippen did not exist.

"Like he had divine help! Kobe's shooting touch was incredible this game!" Magic Johnson applauded excitedly. In the very first game of the season, Kobe went 23-for-35 overall and 12-for-19 from three, dropping 61 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 0 turnovers on 65 percent shooting!

A 60-plus game with zero turnovers!

Kobe had produced this miracle of zero turnovers right in front of Scottie Pippen, the greatest defensive small forward in history!

Every doubt vanished into thin air!

From that moment onward, people knew that Kobe was still the