"The Lakers had only one way to win this game, and the odds of pulling it off were less than 1%," Barkley howled into the microphone.
"That was for Kobe to score another 70!!!"
"Was that possible? Was it realistic?"
"Not a chance!"
"Did you think 70+ was that easy to get? I never scored 70+ even once in my entire career."
"Kobe had already put up back-to-back 70+ games. If he scored 70+ again this game, it would be three straight 70+ games!"
"We've seen three straight 40+ games, but three straight 50+ games had never happened, let alone three straight 60+ or 70+ games!"
"So the Lakers were definitely going to lose! If they managed to come back, I'd eat the game ball!"
Watching Barkley sway around excitedly, Kenny Smith seemed like he wanted to say something, but held it back.
Jinx them.
Keep jinxing them!
You jinxed our Rockets dynasty to death!
Now that O'Neal was in Houston, you were still jinxing them. Did you have some kind of grudge against Houston?
"Keep playing like this! We're definitely going to win!"
In Houston's locker room, O'Neal radiated confidence!
They were ahead!
Way ahead!
The Lakers had been suppressed across the board.
It was only because Kobe had run pick-and-rolls with Randolph, while Ginobili provided a burst of offense off the bench, that the score remained within single digits.
"Got it, Shaq!" Steve Francis said excitedly.
He had been playing high in the first half!
Due to stamina issues, Kobe had not guarded Houston's primary threat on defense, instead choosing to cover Cuttino Mobley.
Francis was facing the player he loved to play against most—Little Fish!
There were countless point guards in the league, and Little Fish's strength was undoubtedly among the very best, but his lateral quickness