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12th man to Cricket legend. It's a cricket book for cricket lovers only.
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***
"0 points! 81-point scorer!"
"You're the Los Angeles clown!"
"Go lick Shaquille O'Neal's ass"
"Oh! Chicago doesn't need imitators either!"
At Madison Square Garden, the Christmas War, which had been promoted for half a month, took place as scheduled, but the Los Angeles Lakers got off to a rough start.
When Kobe fell out of bounds, his ears were filled with jeers.
As the New York Knicks launched another counterattack, the Madison Square Garden erupted again.
The Los Angeles Lakers players, dressed in purple and gold away jerseys, were numb.
To retreat quickly on Defense, no one went to help their boss.
Phil Jackson on the sidelines was still roaring loudly.
The Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man was genuinely anxious, chasing the referee and unleashing a torrent of complaints:
"Just announce the game result! Are you all blind? My player was knocked out of bounds!"
This anxious mood did not help the team.
Instead, it made the New York fans even more excited.
Many raised their beers and laughed at Phil Jackson.
No one here respected the outdated Champion Coach.
Kobe's fumbled pass ultimately cost them.
Lee, receiving the ball, quickly advanced down the middle.
Near the three-point line at the arc, he found Hill cutting to the basket on the right wing with a bounce pass.
Unmarked, Hill took off directly after receiving the ball, finishing the fast break easily with a one-handed dunk, gripping the ball with his right hand.
6:14, with 7 minutes and 38 seconds left in the first quarter, the Los Angeles Lakers hadn't scored in a long time.
Luke Walton, Brian Cook, and Kwame Brown, retreating on Defense, stopped in frustration.
This was harder than the coaching staff had predicted.
They had been overwhelmed by continuous counterattacks.
Derek Fisher, trailing behind, didn't say a word, just clapped his hands repeatedly, reminding his teammates to quickly inbound the ball.
"It seems the Los Angeles Lakers are in trouble. Kobe Bryant hasn't made a field goal yet, only scoring 2 points from free throws. He must step up and hit these response shots in time."
At the ABC commentary booth, Hubie Brown could only comment truthfully.
Kobe's performance was truly poor.
He seemed completely lost against the New York Knicks' perimeter Defense.
"I think the Los Angeles Lakers should make adjustments as soon as possible. They've had problems with rim protection since the start. Bynum should get more playing time."
Mike Breen had briefly questioned the starting lineup earlier, believing that fielding two 210-cm big men would be more beneficial for the Los Angeles Lakers' rim protection.
"Defense!"
Amidst shouts of "Defense!", Derek Fisher dribbled past half-court.
As he reached the right wing, Kobe, who had run to the right baseline corner via a baseline cross screen, immediately moved up.
Ron Artest, switching on Defense, noticed Lee's gesture and didn't chase him, instead switching again and following Old Fish towards the right baseline corner.
The New York Knicks players were all very familiar with the Triangle Offense's opening.
As Brian Cook at the right low post came to the three-point line to set a screen, Kobe, without waiting for his teammate to get into position beside him, suddenly lowered his center of gravity.
Moving quickly, Kobe executed a swift in-and-out dribble with his left hand, pushing the ball outward.
He then took a large dribble and suddenly stopped short, disregarding Lee's close Defense, and forced a jump shot from the wing!
Lee's interference from the side still had an effect.
Kobe's shot was wildly off, hitting the backboard and quickly rebounding.
Kwame Brown finally squeezed past Chandler, but before he could reach out, the ball slammed directly into his face below the left side of the rim.
Amidst laughter, Kwame Brown, who instinctively reached out to grab the ball, grunted.
Before he could secure possession, Chandler, reacting quickly, snatched the ball from his hands.
"Damn it!"
Phil Jackson on the sidelines twisted around and cursed in a low voice, angered by the poor shot selection and the absurd offensive rebound.
This offense had no tactical merit whatsoever.
The sideline referee, thinking the Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man was still complaining about him, gave a verbal warning, then quickly ran to the other end of the court with Hill, who had received the ball.
The Los Angeles Lakers' retreat on Defense was not slow, and they completed their defensive matchups in time.
As the basketball returned to Lee's hands at the arc, the New York Knicks again settled into a 1-3-1 formation.
Kobe, pulling up his shorts, pursed his lips and stared intently at Lee's movements.
Noticing Pau Gasol quickly coming out to the three-point line, he hastily shuffled his feet, trying to stick close and squeeze through the screen.
The moment Pau Gasol set the screen, Lee first took a lateral jab step with his right foot.
As his body swayed, he suddenly dropped the ball with his left hand and immediately broke through with a crossover step.
Although Kobe made the correct defensive choice, Lee's center of gravity was extremely low, and his explosive first step easily gained him more than half a step.
With a big stride, he broke free from the Defense as he reached the three-point line.
Old Fish knew Kobe couldn't defend him at all, so he retreated early, trying to interfere with the offense in the left elbow area.
Before the opponent could close in, Lee suddenly gathered the ball while moving.
Old Fish had just raised his left arm when the basketball flew directly to the left baseline corner.
"Artest for three! That's good!"
Mike Breen exclaimed loudly from the commentary booth.
Ron Artest, who had easily made the three-pointer, grinned widely and patted Old Fish, who had just landed after another defensive closeout:
"Don't leave me open, Bro! You know our strength!"
Derek Fisher turned to look at Lee, who was smiling and giving a thumbs-up to his teammate, then glanced at Kobe, who was silent, his face long, staring in a death glare, and subconsciously muttered:
"Don't look at me, I tried my best."
6:17, Phil Jackson called a timeout.
The Los Angeles Lakers' team morale was low.
This was not the game they wanted.
"Calm down! Stop taking wild shots! We must move the ball around!"
The Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man, shouting hoarsely, stared at Kobe as he said this.
Seeing him nod, he then drew on the tactics board, while also calling out to Bynum:
"Rebounds! Don't let me see you miss those opportunities within reach again!"
Before going back on court, the Los Angeles Lakers players huddled together.
Old Fish led a chant of "Team," but when Kobe heard the shouts from the front row fans, he became even more displeased:
"Mr. 0 points is going to cry!"
"Thief, how dare you show off that ring!"
The continuous promotion for over half a month had clearly backfired.
Many young fans disliked Kobe's flopping, and the Los Angeles Lakers' poor performance made it difficult for them to respect their opponent.
After the timeout, the Los Angeles Lakers' first offensive possession followed the same pattern.
Mike D'Antoni smiled and shrugged towards the bench as he watched Bynum receive Kobe's lob pass in the right low post.
It was exactly as he had predicted.
Fortunately, Bynum showed his determination, backing down Chandler repeatedly.
He eventually turned towards the baseline, shouldering the Defense, and put the ball into the basket.
The atmosphere in the Madison Square Garden was unaffected.
After the New York Knicks' quick inbound pass, as Lee approached the mid-court line, Kobe suddenly stepped up to double-team him.
A bounce pass went to Hill near the Logo.
The Los Angeles Lakers switched on Defense again, and Old Fish immediately rushed towards his former teammate, who was accelerating with the ball.
As Lee ran without the ball towards the left baseline corner, Hill had already rushed into the paint.
Noticing the Los Angeles Lakers' defensive line collapsing, he stopped, dribbled behind his back, switched to his left hand, and actively shuffled backward.
Derek Fisher had been controlling his defensive position, guarding against both shots and drives, and was still eyeing Pau Gasol, who was preparing to set a screen behind him, when he suddenly saw Hill gather the ball and instinctively reached out to swipe it.
The basketball glided past his side, precisely finding Lee, who was cutting to the basket from the left baseline corner.
Kobe, chasing him from behind, gritted his teeth and tried to pull him back, but Lee, receiving the pass, was incredibly fast.
He took two quick steps, dashed to the basket, and soared into the air.
In the air, he gripped the ball with his right hand, pulled his arm back, and amidst the cheers of the New York fans, Lee glided to the front of the rim, stretched his body, briefly suspended in the air, and slammed the ball down with a windmill dunk!
"Ah!"
Watching Kobe stumble and chase, the New York fans behind the rim all rose and screamed loudly.
8:19, the point differential was still in double digits.
"Grant always delivers assists like that this year. Clay Lee's assist numbers have dropped recently, but his offensive efficiency is still climbing."
"Kobe Bryant is having problems on both ends of the court. He seems to have lost his focus."
Hubie Brown didn't expect the Los Angeles Lakers to be in such poor form.
He subconsciously gave Kobe a quick assessment, and Mike Breen, enjoying the sight, instinctively took over, saying gleefully:
"Perhaps this is the Los Angeles Lakers' true strength. They can't break through the New York Knicks' Defense."
Changing direction, Bynum tried to receive the ball in the left low post, but Chandler's tight Defense prevented the Rookie from getting into a deeper position.
Brian Cook's screen for Kobe at the free-throw line didn't do much either.
Ron Artest stuck to him relentlessly, and the two tangled as they popped out to the arc.
Old Fish ultimately chose to safely lob the ball to the big man.
Near the left block, Bynum received the ball and, without any fakes, tried to back down into the paint with his right hand, but Chandler didn't let the Rookie succeed.
Bynum, still trying to dribble and exert force, noticed Lee retracting and became flustered, getting the ball stolen the moment he gathered it.
"Hey! Hey!!"
Lee, who successfully stole the ball, rushed forward with it.
Bynum, who had lost the ball, was still loudly complaining to the referee, and cheers once again erupted through the Madison Square Garden.
Watching Lee, who was rushing near the free throw line and about to be double-teamed by Kobe and Derek Fisher, make a fake shot in the air and then a real pass, Mike Breen excitedly shouted again:
"OH! Beautiful Pass!"
Ron Artest, following up, received the ball undefended, rushed to the lower left of the hoop, and scored another 2 points with a bank shot.
The Los Angeles Lakers accelerated their offensive rhythm.
Bynum passed the ball in and out, and Kobe received it again on the left wing.
His step-through after putting the ball down with his right hand failed to shake off Ron Artest.
Noticing Lee contracting from the right wing to the elbow, Kobe ultimately passed the ball to Old Fish, who received it and made a tough contested jump shot over the Defense.
At 10:21, Derek Fisher stepped on the line, missing the Los Angeles Lakers' first three-pointer.
Facing the fast-advancing Lee, Kobe established his Defense position early, while also remembering to direct his teammates.
He needed the big man to remind him.
After slowing down, Lee dribbled between his legs, slightly pulled the ball back when switching to his right hand, then suddenly lowered his center of gravity, completing a body-front crossover instantly.
Kobe, with his feet wide apart, couldn't slide in time and was easily broken through by Lee from his right side.
He gritted his teeth and chased him to the three-point line, only to be thrown off balance by a sudden stop and a behind-the-back pull-back, stumbling into the three-point line.
Watching Lee reset his feet and gather the ball at the top of the arc, undefended, the New York Knicks players all raised their hands in celebration, while also moving to retreat on Defense.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly, and Kobe, straightening up, stared blankly.
Receiving the ball near the right block, the moment Kobe caught it, he immediately put the ball down with his left hand, turned towards the baseline after continuous post-ups, was blocked by Ron Artest, and after several fakes, missed a forced shot.
Pau Gasol secured the rebound, and the Los Angeles Lakers players rapidly retreated on Defense.
Just as both teams stopped, Lee, after slowing down at the top of the arc, quickly performed a body-front crossover with a between-the-legs dribble.
Derek Fisher had no reaction, turning his head to watch Lee, dribbling with his right hand, break through past him.
Amidst the cheers of the New York fans, Lee again stopped abruptly at the top of the arc, undefended, and confidently took a transition three-point jump shot!
"A perfect arc! Clay Lee has taken control of the game. The Los Angeles Lakers have collapsed!"
The three-pointer went in cleanly, and Mike Breen cheered happily.
The roaring Madison Square Garden made Hubie Brown involuntarily raise his voice, and the Old Coach once again criticized Kobe's offensive choices:
"A 17-point difference. Kobe Bryant has paid the price for his poor offensive choices. As a leader, he should be more patient."
At 10:27, two three-pointers instantly widened the score difference.
When Kobe, after a screen from Bynum, missed another long two-pointer at the top of the arc, Phil Jackson on the sideline couldn't help but cover his face with one hand.
The Old Man couldn't hold it together anymore.
In a semi-transition offense, Kobe, with a fierce expression, gasped and retreated on Defense in time, focusing completely on Lee, oblivious to the movement behind him.
As Pau Gasol and Chandler raised their screen positions and set, Lee made a large behind-the-back dribble.
Watching the basketball fly to his right, Kobe lunged forward and crashed into Chandler.
Bynum, following up, had no reaction, watching Lee chase the ball, stop abruptly, and take another long-range three-point jump shot!
The basketball flew towards the hoop, and Lee turned his body, looking at the wide-eyed Kobe and teasingly said:
"40 points! I hope you like this Christmas gift!"
"Shit!"
Cheers once again echoed in Kobe's ears.
He knew the ball had gone in again.
The familiar smiling face in front of him completely broke his Defense, and he rushed forward, wanting to throw a punch, but was immediately restrained by Chandler beside him.
"Fuck you! What the hell do you want to do! Show some respect!"
Bynum watched Kobe and Chandler wrestling, and instead of helping, he secretly chuckled with his head down.
Parker on the bench loudly egged them on but didn't get up.
Kobe, surrounded by the New York Knicks players, almost fought one-on-four until Derek Fisher and the referees rushed over and separated the two.
Pulled apart, Kobe looked at Lee, who was continually waving and egging on the New York fans at the other end of the Madison Square Garden, and for a moment, he was almost bursting with rage.
And at that moment, Phil Jackson was still shouting:
"Calm down! Everyone, calm the hell down!"
The Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man was very displeased with Bynum's performance, but on national television, he still saved face for his players.
He waved his hand forcefully, called the big man to his front, and after a thorough scolding, the game continued.
Vanessa, who had received complimentary tickets from Lee before the game, sat in the front row.
She was initially in a good mood, but as the game progressed, she involuntarily began to cover her mouth.
During a Los Angeles Lakers offense, Kobe missed a shot.
In a semi-transition offense, Lee quickly performed an in-and-out dribble while moving, pushing the ball outwards with his right hand, lowering his center of gravity, and once again broke through Kobe's Defense.
Kobe, desperately chasing on Defense, didn't have time to call for teammates to help.
The two Los Angeles Lakers big men watched Lee drive hard down the middle and perform a tomahawk dunk!
"Boom!"
The rim exploded, and Brian Cook, seeing the basketball severely deform, was stunned.
How much force must that have been?
The Los Angeles Lakers repeatedly missed shots, and Lee continuously broke through Kobe's Defense.
The steadily rising score made Madison Square Garden completely erupt, and excited New York fans began to wildly mock the opponents.
Kobe, whose Defense was completely broken, eventually committed consecutive fouls.
In the latter part of the 1st quarter, Lee repeatedly went to the free throw line.
Luke Walton, who had been invisible, used a teammate's screen to hit a shot from the right elbow, helping the Los Angeles Lakers break their scoring drought.
In turn, Lee missed a three-pointer, and the rebound was again snatched by Chandler.
Derek Fisher, facing Lee's direct drive at the top of the arc, again committed a foul, and boos and curses began to fill the Madison Square Garden.
"Clown who only knows how to foul!"
"Go back to Los Angeles, shameless flopper, you don't deserve to play at Madison Square Garden!"
"Stop showing off your rings! You know how they were stolen!"
Kobe, leaning on his knees outside the three-point line, gasped and stared intently at the abusive New York fans.
As a result, the crowd cursed even more vigorously until Lee started shooting free throws, and the shouts unified:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The elegantly dressed Vanessa now covered her mouth with both hands.
The crude shouting made her especially uncomfortable.
As Lee's score increased, a frenzied atmosphere filled the Madison Square Garden.
In the final moments of the first quarter, Kobe committed consecutive turnovers, and Lee easily assisted Raja Bell and Tayshaun Prince, who came off the bench, to score.
Thanks to Turiaf's free throw, the score was set at 14:43, and the Christmas War had completely turned into an exhibition game.
Clay Lee, who played the entire first quarter, raised his arms as he walked towards the bench, continuously high-fiving the New York fans.
The shouting wouldn't stop, and the New York fans in the very back rows, who were screaming, were jumping and yelling wildly.
7-for-8 from the field, 3-for-4 from three-point range, 8-for-8 from the free throw line, 25 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 stealsâClay Lee's first-quarter explosion took the game away.
"It's insane! Clay Lee proves to us again that if he wants to score, no one can stop him!"
"This is a wonderful performance, and I think New York fans will definitely love this Christmas gift!"
The happy Mike Breen couldn't stop praising, and Hubie Brown, looking at the dejected Los Angeles Lakers players, no longer commented on the game, sighing helplessly:
"Lamar Odom's injury has had a huge impact. To chase a championship, the Los Angeles Lakers still have a lot of work to do."
0-for-6 from the field, 0-for-2 from three-point range, 2-for-2 from the free throw lineâKobe Bryant had no field goals, with 2 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 turnovers, repeatedly missing shots and collapsing the game.
Kobe, seething with anger, couldn't hear anything sitting in his seat.
Seeing Parker smiling and bouncing around warming up, he once again broke his Defense:
"Fuck! What the hell are you happy about! We've been humiliated!"
"Hey! Why are you mad at me, fuck you! You got blown out by Lee!"
"..."
....
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