Chapter 2185 - 15: The Old Turtle (Part 3)
points, Kobe scored 38 points in three quarters.
Allen Iverson immediately counterattacked with a breakthrough layup.
The Trail Blazers also quickly threw in the ball, Jack dribbled past half-court, breaking through the center.
The Glory contracted their defense, Jack passed the ball to Kobe, who did consecutive fakes, spun, shook his shoulders, stepped up and down to shake off Bell, but as he leaned forward to attempt a bank shot, Gan Guoyang pounced from the side and tipped it away.
Kobe didn’t give up, rushed under the basket to tap the rebound, Marion took the ball, and with a weirdly fast thrust, banked in a two-pointer.
This play left Gan Guoyang puzzled on how to block it, that little push, in a flash, the rhythm was too hard to control.
The following two offensive plays, neither side scored, and the third quarter ended, Glory 75:72, leading the Trail Blazers by 3 points.
Kobe’s scoring exceeded half of the entire team’s, not only with 38 points but also 7 assists and 6 rebounds.
He could be said to be fighting alone, against the Las Vegas Glory.
In the previous two seasons, Kobe had said he "enjoyed this state, patiently waiting for Jermaine and Mike to get back into the game."
But as time passed, the situation of supporting the team alone became more frequent, and Kobe’s patience was dwindling bit by bit.
He knew Ah Gan hadn’t exerted himself, this old fellow, playing dead in the first three quarters was happening more frequently, only to explode in the important fourth quarter and at some key moments.
No matter how Kobe provoked with words or used personal offense to stir up Ah Gan’s emotions, this guy remained as immovable as an old tortoise.
Actually, Kobe’s intention was to drive the team, besides Kobe, currently, the Trail Blazers only had Jack as a relatively reliable ball handler.
Others needed to be fed the ball and required good tactical spacing to score, Kobe was striving to create such space.
But Ah Gan stood beneath the basket like a giant Buddha, unmoving, when he moved in the third quarter, felt awkward, and shrank back again.
A brilliant strategy, using Yao Ming and Ah Gan, these two interior high towers to secure the paint, cutting off the Trail Blazers’ most efficient scoring method.
In an era where the three-point shot had yet to become a weapon of mass destruction, facing such a defense, the Trail Blazers certainly played with difficulty.
Gan Guoyang’s performance and experience beyond the three-point line inspired many, but even he himself had not become a true three-point fanatic.
Because before he traveled back to 1981, in his time, the three-point shot had just begun to emerge.
Including Gan Guoyang himself, treated the three-pointer as crucial, a special operations tool with miraculous effects, not regular armament.
Special ops used specifically for special missions, such as when expanding the lead in the fourth quarter.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang immediately cooperated with his teammates on the outside, made a long-distance three-pointer and scored.
Kobe’s breakthrough layup floater missed, counterattack, Gan Guoyang at the right 45 degrees, took another three-pointer, scored again!
The two 45-degree angles, these were Ah Gan’s execution stages, over the years, in crucial moments of matches, he had countless times used precise threes from these positions to strike opponents, changing the game’s dynamics in one fell swoop.
Originally only trailing by 3 points, they suddenly fell behind by 9 points.
Under reasonable physical and duty distribution, the Glory only played better and better, while the Trail Blazers found it difficult.
Apart from Kobe, the rest found it hard to score on their own, they never got it going.
Kobe knew that if they recklessly threw threes now trying for a quick rally, the result could very likely be widening the point gap even further.
He calmed down, relentlessly using his physical endurance to break into the three-second area, drawing a defensive foul from Gan Guoyang, going to the free-throw line.
"Damn it, getting a point is fucking hard. Sonny, why is it always so easy for you to shoot threes?"
"I have big strength, tall stature, plus I practice a lot."
Kobe shook his head, really just nonsense, yet true nonetheless.
Ah Gan’s talent was enviable, and he always had teammates around him who could help.
They didn’t need to be too strong, but at least they were all healthy.
Two free throws were unprecedentedly missed, Kobe felt somewhat exhausted, not in body, but in spirit.