"Beep, beep!"
The final buzzer sounded. Time expired, and the Suns escaped with a one-point road win over the Lakers, taking another game in the series.
Kobe, who had gone for the extreme double-clutch, fell beneath the basket.
Blake, who had pinned the shot against the glass, landed under the rim as well. Standing in front of Kobe, he reached out a hand. Kobe froze for a moment, then took it.
Blake pulled Kobe up and gave him a pat on the backside. Kobe returned the gesture, and then the two brushed past each other.
Neither of them said anything.
At a moment like this, words were not needed.
Blake looked at Kobe and narrowed his eyes. "Kobe under Mamba Mentality is still as incredible as ever. But... I wasn't planning on losing again."
The Lakers had lost.
Lakers fans left in disappointment. Down 1-3, they felt an enormous sense of urgency, along with the danger of losing the series and watching their dynasty dream shatter.
At the commentary table.
The two commentators, speaking from a neutral position, were still caught up in the excitement.
"Wow, wow, wow!"
Jeff Van Gundy exclaimed, "What a game. Ups and downs, twists and turns, one reversal after another.
My blood is still pumping.
That was incredible. This game was absolutely incredible!"
"Yeah."
Mike Breen looked just as fired up. "I thought Kobe had killed the game when he scored 7 straight in the final minute.
Then it flipped.
Blake answered with a steal and a transition three to turn the game back around.
Then, just when everyone thought Kobe was going to recreate last game's game-winner, he turned it over, and for a moment, it felt like the game was over.
Then it flipped again.
Kobe redeemed himself with a steal, turned into the 'Bloodthirsty Mamba,' got past George, Blake, and Nash, and went up for the layup.
In the air, he even avoided Frye's block and tried to finish with an extreme double-clutch to win it.
Then it flipped again.
After getting beaten, Blake chased the play back down and delivered a huge chase-down block, completely ending the suspense and locking in the result.
A game with this many twists was honestly even more exciting than the Western Conference Finals."
"Hahaha!"
Van Gundy laughed and nodded repeatedly, then continued, "Now let's talk about the players' numbers.
The main comparison, of course, is Kobe and Blake.
Kobe went 9-for-22 tonight, including 3-for-7 from three and 8-for-9 from the free-throw line, finishing with 29 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.
Blake went 11-for-20, including 5-for-8 from three and 5-for-7 from the line, finishing with 32 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks.
Tonight, both teams played with tremendous defensive intensity. Under those conditions, Kobe and Blake both put up excellent, all-around numbers.
Overall, Blake was a little better.
But you could tell both of them gave everything they had tonight to win.
And in a game this intense, what it ultimately comes down to is your stars. It comes down to how they handle the biggest possessions, their clutch ability.
Both of them were outstanding.
But tonight... Blake's clutch ability was just a little stronger. In the end, that block gave him the one-point win.
Kobe under Mamba Mentality had already pushed himself to the limit.
But tonight... the most valuable player, the one and only MVP of this game, has to be Blake. It can only be Blake.
Mike.
Now that the game is over, what do you have to say about it?"
"Uh..."
Mike Breen thought for a moment, then said calmly, "Defense."
"Defense?"
"Yes." Mike Breen nodded and continued, "Those final sequences that seemed to decide the game, all those reversals.
They were all about defense.
Pau Gasol's steal set up Kobe's three that put the Lakers ahead. Blake's steal led to his transition three that put the Suns back in front. Kobe's counter-steal after his own turnover gave him the chance to attack again.
And then Blake's final block.
All of it, every single bit of it, came from defense.
So... I think if you want to win games, in the end, it still comes down to defense. It proves what people always say: defense wins championships."
"Well said."
Van Gundy nodded again and again in agreement.
...
While the two commentators were still sighing over the game, the online discussion around this spectacular battle had already exploded.
At the same time, Game 4 between the Hawks and Bulls had also tipped off on the Hawks' home court.
Tonight, the Bulls gave the Hawks no chance. They rolled forward from start to finish, overwhelmed Atlanta, and ultimately took an easy 7-point win.
With the series at 3-1, they took match point.
The next day.
The media, newspapers, and fans were all focused on the Lakers and Suns matchup. The Bulls and Hawks game barely got any attention at all.
That discussion lasted all the way into the evening, until the Celtics vs. Heat and Mavericks vs. Spurs games began.
First came Celtics vs. Heat.
Tonight, with the Heat already leading 3-0, a win in Game 4 would mean a sweep of the Celtics and make them the first team to advance to the Conference Finals.
And based on the way the villainous Heat had crushed them through the first three games, there was a very high chance they would win again tonight and sweep their opponent.
Of course, that was only what people on the outside thought.
The Celtics, the "Big Four," did not think that way. Even down 3-0, even with the series almost impossible to win, they were not willing to give up.
They did not want to give up.
And they would not give up.
Tonight, everything was aimed at victory.
"Sugar Ray" Allen's three-pointers, "The Big Ticket" Kevin Garnett's tough mid-range jumpers and tenacious defense.
"The Truth" Paul Pierce's low-post back-downs and steady mid-range shooting, along with "Coach Rondo" Rajon Rondo's calm organization under his high basketball IQ.
The "Celtics' Big Four."
Tonight, amid the roaring cheers from the home crowd, they pushed their individual abilities to the limit. The four of them combined to unleash tremendous fighting power.
For a while, even the "Heat Big Three" seemed unable to withstand it.
No.
They simply could not withstand it. They were beaten by the fully unleashed "Celtics' Big Four" tonight. In the end... the Celtics won one at home.
They changed the series score to 1-3 and kept the series alive.
After the game.
In the broadcast studio.
After watching the entire game, Mike Breen sighed and said, "In one game, Pierce, Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rondo all broke out at the same time.
That's really rare.
But it was exactly that kind of breakout that allowed them to beat the 'Heat Big Three' and earn this hard-fought win."
"Yes."
Van Gundy agreed and said, "Facing the 'Heat Big Three,' under the pressure of being almost completely crushed in the first three games, they still managed to win one.
What I want to say is... Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen, these Celtics veterans who were once among the league's best, truly show that old soldiers never die.
Their hunger for victory, their hunger for a championship, is admirable. It deserves everyone's respect."
...
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