Su Xi remained motionless, looking at him as if he were a clown.
The second half began.
Fred Jones was completely locked down by Gary Payton. Payton's defense wasn't just for show like Derek Fisher's; it was genuinely suffocating.
With Artest providing an outlet, he was forced to pass to Krohseil.
Krohseil drove inside and took a pull-up jumper. It missed. Karl Malone grabbed the rebound, swinging his elbows in excitement.
Karl Malone was beaming with satisfaction.
With Su Xi unable to play, Malone was more excited than if he'd won the lottery.
He could already see the championship beckoning.
His dream was finally about to come true.
The Lakers' offense still ran through Kobe, who continued to run the pick-and-roll with Karl Malone, relentlessly exploiting Artest's poor defense against it.
Kobe drove again, drawing the help defense from Little O'Neal before passing to Karl Malone. Facing Artest, Malone went straight into his jump shot... SWISH!
He hit it again.
