Timeout.
Kobe sat on the bench, gasping for breath.
His youthful face was full of unwillingness, with a slight bruise under his right eye.
The team doctor handed him an ice pack, which he reluctantly accepted but didn’t apply to his eye.
Just now, he had a confrontation with Jalen Rose, and the two got tangled up during the encounter.
Kobe had been annoyed by Rose’s entanglement for some time, so he pushed Rose, not expecting Rose would respond with a punch.
Despite Kobe’s usual arrogant demeanor, acting as if he doesn’t care about anyone else, he doesn’t know how to fight.
He not only took two punches to the face, but all his counterattacks missed completely.
The live broadcast showed everything clearly to the audience across America.
Kobe’s two swings hit nothing but air, lacking power and accuracy, while Jalen Rose controlled the situation entirely.
Jalen Rose struck unexpectedly, with crafty punches directly hitting Kobe, leaving him quite embarrassed.
Thinking about getting hit on live TV and failing to hit back, Kobe felt deeply frustrated.
Gan Guoyang came over and handed Kobe a towel, saying, "Either fight back with your fists or fight back with basketball. Choose one."
Kobe took the towel and said, "I want to fight back both ways."
Gan Guoyang said, "But you’ve already lost the chance to fight back with fists. It’s not your strength. Focus on basketball like Michael."
Gan Guoyang didn’t encourage Kobe to retaliate. He knew Kobe wasn’t the type to fight well.
Jalen Rose was different. He grew up in the slums of Detroit, surrounded by guns, violence, and drugs.
In his student days, he was a loyal Detroit Pistons fan, and under the influence of the Pistons’ physical basketball, he began his basketball career.
His father was also an NBA player named Jimmy Walker.
Walker was quite successful in the ’60s and ’70s, having been selected for the All-Star twice, he was a highly capable player.
But like most black fathers, Jimmy Walker only contributed a seed, and except for basketball talent, he didn’t contribute a single cent to Rose’s upbringing.
Even when Jalen Rose later became famous in basketball, known as part of the Michigan Five, and entered the NBA with a high rank, Walker never came out to acknowledge Rose, only having a few phone calls with him.
In this regard, Kobe, whose father was also an NBA player, was much more fortunate than Rose.
So Kobe’s drive is only on basketball; when it comes to fighting, his skill level drops significantly.
Gan Guoyang saw this very clearly, seeing that Kobe was similar to Jordan in this aspect.
If you can’t fight, don’t fight. Learn to respond with basketball.
Facing Gan Guoyang’s advice, Kobe didn’t speak. It was unclear if he understood Gan Guoyang’s point.
After the short episode, the game continued. Both Kobe and Rose were substituted, as the coach wanted them to rest and adjust their mindsets.
The main players of both teams continued to battle on the court. Tonight was destined to be an intense confrontation; it seemed the Trail Blazers wouldn’t easily secure a win.
Miller kept running on the court, drawing and distracting the Trail Blazers’ defensive attention, creating better opportunities for his teammates.
A shooting guard skilled in moving off-ball has great invisible value on the offense, even if his stats seem thin.
Because of his constant movement, the player guarding him has to follow incessantly, consuming a lot of energy, and other defenders have to assist.
Moreover, with his continuous baseline cuts and movements at 45 degrees, he easily causes defensive mismatches, disrupting the defensive setup.
He might not even touch the ball during an offensive play but still exhaust the defense and create space for his teammates.
So, Miller’s stats never look impressive, averaging only 19 points and 2.1 assists per game, which looks like a second or third option.
But only those who have truly watched the Pacers’ games understand how vital Miller is to the Pacers’ offensive system.
Best, coming off the bench, utilized Miller’s effect on the Trail Blazers’ defensive setup to find an opportunity to break through, hitting a floater off the glass.
Previously, Best’s attempts to break through were disrupted twice by Gan Guoyang, but this time he finally seized the chance. The Pacers played with exceptional calm and resilience.
On the Trail Blazers’ side, Gan Guoyang didn’t lose composure, trying to make plays alone. The timing wasn’t right yet; he actively engaged in team offense to create opportunities for his teammates.
Chris Mullin, who had performed mediocrely in the first quarter, used a screen to break into the lane, making a layup.
Then Mullin grabbed an offensive rebound during a play, passed back out to Gan Guoyang in the low post.
Gan Guoyang received the pass, got double-teamed, passed it out to Mullin, who caught it and nailed a three-pointer!
Mullin scored 5 consecutive points, helping the Trail Blazers establish an advantage, slowly regaining momentum.
Reggie Miller was under tight defense by Gan Guoyang, constantly sweeping the perimeter, leaving the inside somewhat open.
Little O’Neal and Sabonis protected the rim, and the Pacers seized opportunities to attack inside.
This was purely a contest of player abilities, a Three Second Zone showdown of knights.
The spear and shield collided head-on; the tougher one would win, making the game increasingly fierce.
The Trail Blazers dominated the Pacers in the Three Second Zone with their tough interior play.
The Double Davis combination of Dale Davis and Antonio Davis didn’t gain much advantage against the Trail Blazers.