April 13, 2003, Staples Center, Los Angeles.
"Screech! Screech!" The players' sneakers scraped against the polished hardwood, producing piercing squeals.
"DEFENCE! DEFENCE!" the fans roared at the top of their lungs!
"Fadeaway!!!" the commentator bellowed.
The Clutch God in the number 24 jersey leaned back at an outrageous angle under Battier's defense and released the ball!
Spinning through the air, the basketball slowly dropped into the net under countless gazes!
Nothing but net!
Kobe Bryant pursed his lips and clenched his fist!
A game-winner!
Another game-winner!
"Game-winner! Our God of Game-Winners, Kobe Bryant, has completed his seventh game-winner of the season!"
"Nineteen straight wins!!! The Lakers have won nineteen in a row!!! They haven't lost a single game since March!!!"
"The Lakers win!!! The Lakers defeated the Vancouver Grizzlies 107:105 at home!"
"The 2002-2003 regular season has officially come to an end!"
Staples erupted once more!~
This scene had played out many times this season, yet every time, it remained just as thrilling.
That was the power of basketball!
Until the final moment, you never knew who would win!
"Fuck, I still couldn't stop that." President Battier stood with his hands on his hips, his face full of frustration.
He had defended as perfectly as he possibly could!
His hand had practically been inches away from poking Kobe in the eye sockets!
Yet Kobe seemed completely unaffected.
Damn it, was this guy a Terminator?
Everyone knew fear, but Battier could not see even the slightest trace of it in Kobe!
"Sean, it's fine. The real games are only starting now." Carter calmly patted Battier on the back.
The regular season was over.
At one point after the season's halfway mark, the Grizzlies had climbed as high as second in the Western Conference.
But in the second half of the season,