Kobe always had an extraordinary thought process, as he always considered himself first and not others.
In some respect, this is extreme arrogance, but from another perspective, it can be seen as being very self-centered and confident.
In everyday life and work, such people can be quite annoying, but in the highly competitive environment of the NBA, Kobe’s persistence and self-focus bring massive energy.
Of course, this energy is sometimes positive, and sometimes negative.
In the third game, it was positive. His confident three-point shots crushed the Glory’s defense, helping the team secure victory.
In this game, Kobe’s persistence harmed the team; his reckless shooting plunged the Trail Blazers from a balanced position into disadvantage.
Unfortunately, after the timeout, Kobe did not change his approach; he continued to shoot as usual, but his shooting percentage remained poor.
Yet, he did not give up, nor did he heed Carl’s helpless shouts from the sidelines; he stuck to his ways, with only one thought in his mind: "I will make the next shot."
In the third quarter, Glory extended the gap to 13 points, as Jordan and Gan Guoyang teamed up to break through the Trail Blazers’ defense.
Kobe certainly contributed; his excessive shooting and misses provided Glory with many fast-break opportunities.
With frequent fast breaks, Glory scored time and again, and the Trail Blazers’ defense couldn’t hold up and began to fall apart.
In the half-court play, Gan Guoyang and Jordan collaborated seamlessly, using numerous pick-and-rolls to take mid-range shots at the 45-degree angle and at the top of the arc, hitting the Trail Blazers’ defense.
The two veterans, who only put in minimal effort in the first half, experienced a surge of rhythm in the third quarter, contrasting with Kobe, whose missed shots became more glaring.
There were also Trail Blazers fans present at MGM Arena; most wore Kobe’s number 8 jersey, and seeing Kobe’s performance brought looks of disappointment to their faces.
Even Jordan couldn’t help but say to Kobe: "Hey, if you keep missing, why not stop attacking and change up your strategy, buddy? Don’t be so persistent."
"Shut up." This was Kobe’s response to Jordan, infuriating Jordan.
Returning to the bench at the end of the third quarter, Jordan cursed Kobe for not knowing better, saying that while he was offering advice to him, Kobe retorted angrily.
Gan Guoyang said, "Kobe is just like that; he doesn’t need your guidance, he has his own way of playing. That’s just who he is."
"He’ll lose if he continues this way."
"I know, but if he can’t win in his own way, it won’t be a win for him."
Gan Guoyang indeed understands Kobe better than Jordan, after all, he led Kobe to three championships and taught him many things.
This season Kobe did really well, but reaching the Finals, he’s still a bit short, and that bit makes all the difference in determining the championship.
In the fourth quarter, Kobe returned to the court early; facing a 13-point deficit, his expression was stern. He certainly wouldn’t give up or surrender.
In this quarter, Kobe indeed gradually found his shooting rhythm; in the entire third quarter, he shot 2 out of 11, suffering a very poor shooting percentage.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Kobe hit a three-point shot, and then the Trail Blazers stopped Glory’s attack, and Kobe hit another three in the fast break!
Chasing 6 consecutive points, the deficit suddenly shrunk from 13 points to 7 points, prompting Porter to call a timeout. As Kobe left the court, he gestured for all Glory fans to keep quiet.
This was Kobe’s current intimidation ability; he indeed has the capacity to single-handedly turn the tides of a game, and as the match progresses, once he regains his form, everyone worries if they will be overturned by Kobe.
At this time, Gan Guoyang was still resting off-court, and Jordan stood up.
Once the timeout was over, Jordan received the ball at the arc, stretched out, lowered his body, and forcefully drove forward with the ball.
Jordan’s speed was noticeably lacking, but the strength in his battle was enough to push Kobe away.
With a step back, he made a mid-range jump shot and scored!
Jordan’s posture remained elegant, bigger and more composed compared to Kobe.
Kobe’s attacks brought a sense of aggressive fiery flavor, while Jordan seemed more like freezing opponents with icy coolness.
Then Jordan engaged Kobe one-on-one in defense, with Glory no longer chasing Kobe everywhere.
Both sides entered the stage where stars decided the outcome of the game; Kobe wasn’t afraid, though Jordan’s defense was exceptionally tight.
Kobe repeatedly twisted and turned at the baseline, found an opportunity, and made a high-difficulty fadeaway jump shot to score!
Jordan immediately responded from the same spot, receiving a pass from a teammate and made a fadeaway jump shot, scoring as well!
Both were fadeaway jump shots, with Kobe’s appearing more glamorous but strenuous, involving many preliminary actions.
Whereas Jordan was very straightforward; despite being 39 years old, with slower speeds and decreased jump power, Jordan steadily followed the procedure, tossed the ball, and pocketed two points.
The deficit remained at 9 points, Kobe attempted a three-pointer, but Jordan stuck closely, providing no shot opportunity.
The ball went to Anderson, who drove under the basket but was disrupted by Ewing, failing to score, as Van Exel retrieved the rebound, passing back to Jordan.
Jordan missed a mid-range shot, and Kobe grabbed the ball for a fast break, charging against the defense to draw a foul.
Fast breaks are the sharpest weapon for the Trail Blazers currently, with Glory’s transition defense being insufficient.
Reaching this stage of the Finals, the game content began to become increasingly straightforward.
The game was filled with many one-on-one duels, fast breaks, reckless charges, drawing fouls, and so forth.