Chapter 458 This is a conspiracy
Yang Mo smiled happily, but Phil Jackson, sitting on the bench, was at a loss. The internal conflict between Kobe and Bynum was undoubtedly a devastating blow to him. As a head coach who had witnessed the disintegration of the OK combination firsthand, no one knew better than him the devastating consequences of a discord between the inside and outside players.
Super Yang is so cunning! So vicious!!
Phil Jackson shook his head helplessly. He looked at Yang Mo with a complicated expression, one that was hard to tell whether it was admiration or anger. After a deep look at Yang Mo, he reluctantly withdrew his gaze, stood up, walked over to Bynum, patted his shoulder, and then said to Odom, "Lamar, you'll play later. You'll be the power forward and support the inside with Paul."
Phil Jackson had no other choice but to make this arrangement. Honestly, he'd already given up on the game; his mind was now focused on resolving the conflict between Bynum and Kobe Bryant. The playoffs were approaching, and if the conflict between the two escalated, there would be no hope of reaching the Finals. It would be more realistic to prepare for a vacation early.
Phil Jackson took the initiative to make a substitution. Kobe Bryant continued to nag Bynum for a few more words before finally calming down. Then he looked up at Phil Jackson and said, "Sir, I need a pick-and-roll. I also want to get into the Knicks' restricted area and cause damage!"
"Okay!" Phil Jackson agreed without hesitation. He knew it was impossible to stop Kobe at this point. Since he was determined to do it, let him do it. It was just a game, the Lakers could afford to lose.
The Lakers could certainly afford to lose. A win or loss wouldn't affect them at all. Their playoff spot was already secured, and their top spot in the Western Conference was secure. However, Phil Jackson still harbored some resentment, feeling as if Yang Mo had schemed against him.
"Kobe Bryant blaming Bynum for this issue seems a bit unleaderlike. After all, it was he who failed to defend Young. However, I have a question. Kobe is obviously a player in the best defensive team. Why can't he always defend Young's breakthrough?" ESPN commentator Hollins said very puzzledly during the timeout.
"No one can defend Young one-on-one, just like no one can defend Kobe one-on-one. I once asked Thomas of the Kings about his experience defending Young. He described it this way: 'This guy doesn't look tall, big, or strong, but when he gets going, you can clearly feel the aura of O'Neal and Iverson. Yes, his speed is comparable to Iverson's, and his strength is like Shaquille O'Neal. Who can defend a guy like that?'" Chris Webber explained with the tone of a professional: "As for Kobe's All-Defensive Team, it's not his individual defensive ability that counts, but his role within the overall defensive system. He's indeed a very good and intelligent defender, but it's impossible for him to defend Super Yang one-on-one. In fact, no top star in the league can be defended one-on-one. Players who can be defended one-on-one don't deserve the title of superstar."
Steve Kerr surprisingly didn't refute Chris Webber's argument. He'd played basketball himself and knew what a superstar meant. A true superstar was someone who could directly disrupt the opponent's defense. If the opponent could just send one person to do it, then they were just functional players, never capable of carrying the weight of a core. Steve Kerr, on the other hand, was a functional player; his role was to shoot three-pointers!
Soon, the game continued.
After the game resumed, Kobe Bryant indeed sought a pick-and-roll immediately, but he still did not get fouled because there was no one in the interior to stop him and he was allowed to make a layup.
After scoring the goal, Kobe Bryant seemed a bit exasperated. He glared at Yang Mo indignantly, "You are so despicable! You actually told your teammates not to defend me. You have no competitive spirit at all."
Kobe's righteous accusation was as if Yang Mo had cheated. Yang Mo didn't care at all for Kobe's accusation. Instead, he smiled and replied, "You can do the same. When we set up the bet, we didn't stipulate that you can't play defense. A true foul-drawing expert can get a foul regardless of whether the opponent is defending or not. If you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you right away!"
Yang Mo walked as he spoke. By the time he finished, he was already outside the three-point line. He quickly waved and received the basketball from Tony Allen. Then... he quickly sought help from Jeffries' pick-and-roll. Using Jeffries's pick-and-roll, Yang Mo swiftly shook off Kobe's defense. After shaking off Kobe's defense, Yang Mo didn't immediately rush into the penalty area. Instead, he stopped right in front of Ron Artest, who was helping him defend.
Artest subconsciously felt a little scared when he saw Yang Mo, because he had been beaten badly by Yang Mo. Since Yang Mo's rookie season, he had never gotten any benefits from Yang Mo, and was always being taught a lesson. Now that Yang Mo stopped in front of him again, he couldn't help but feel a little panic.
Just when he felt panicky and unsure, Yang Mo spun around him like a carousel. He subconsciously turned around, but at this moment, Yang Mo suddenly leaned back , shrank into his arms, and then attacked... Ding!
The referee blew the whistle decisively, indicating that the Artestra players had committed a foul.
Artest was stunned. He rushed to the referee and asked, "Did I commit a foul? I didn't do anything. I turned around to see if he was there. I wasn't even defending, and I committed a foul?"
Artest's face was filled with disbelief. The referee didn't bother explaining, but simply pointed to the large screen overhead, which was showing a replay. Artest looked up, and it just happened to show Yang Mo turning around and dribbling past him. He noticed that after Yang Mo dribbled past him, he didn't immediately rush into the penalty area, but paused. At that moment, the image of him turned around, his hand slightly raised, and Yang Mo took advantage of that slight angle to rub against his body before shooting.
Judging from the picture, Artest did commit a foul, and it could even be called a personal foul, because it really looked like he was pulling someone!
While Artest looked aggrieved, Yang Mo had already whistled at Kobe Bryant: "Hey, Kobe, did you see that? Even if your teammates aren't defending, I can still draw fouls. That's called intelligence. Get it?"
Kobe found Yang Mo's provocation piercing, but at this moment, Yang Mo actually added: "Oh, sorry, I shouldn't comment on something you don't have."
Kobe was so furious when Yang Mo said this that he practically gnashed his teeth. If it weren't for his own self-discipline, he would have almost attacked. He had previously thought Yang Mo's personality was very similar to his own: stubborn, arrogant, and unyielding. He hadn't expected that, despite all his strengths, this guy actually had Michael Jordan's weaknesses: foul mouth and the ability to kill without a knife!
While Kobe Bryant was fuming, Yang Mo had already walked to the free throw line and made two free throws steadily, adding two points to himself again.
In the following game, a deeply stimulated Kobe began to penetrate the paint again and again, causing severe damage to the Knicks' restricted area. He finally drew five fouls before the end of the first quarter, leading Yang Mo by one point. However, the Lakers lost an extremely ugly 15-point game.
Yes, the defending champions lost to the Knicks by fifteen points in a single quarter.
Phil Jackson wasn't surprised by this result. After all, the Knicks had already started their full-strength offensive mode in the second half of the first quarter, while the Lakers had been dominated by Kobe. Even Kobe, as brave as he was, had his moments of failure and even his failures.
It was an ugly game, with poor individual heroism completely ruining the glory of victory.
When the Lakers players returned to the bench at the end of the first quarter, Phil Jackson shook his head helplessly and sighed.
He understood, but he didn't want to point it out. Beyond winning, there were more important things he needed to maintain. For example, team unity, Kobe Bryant's well-being. As a team aiming for a championship, they would lose more by dwelling on this insignificant game. So, the Phil Jackson chose to turn a blind eye.
"I think the Lakers have fallen into a trap. Kobe Bryant has completely embarked on his own path because of that bet. While he is desperately trying to break through, he will also be digging a grave for his team. If he doesn't change immediately, they will not be able to defend their home court today." The ESPN host analyzed this during the intermission.
"Do you think Phil Jackson doesn't know? Do you think Kobe Bryant doesn't know? They actually know better than us that they are on the wrong path. But... with Kobe's personality, how could he admit defeat to a junior? I think Super Yang made this bet because he saw through Kobe Bryant's character. This victory is not important for the Lakers, but it is very important for the Knicks. If they win, they will be closer to sixth in the Eastern Conference. Sixth in the Eastern Conference means that they will avoid the two strongest teams in the playoffs and concentrate on dealing with the Magic, who are third in the Eastern Conference. In this way, their chances of winning are greater." Chris Webber made no secret of his admiration: "I think Super Yang is so smart. He is simply the winning soul of the Knicks. He can always think of unique ways to win!"
"That's despicable." Steve Kerr sneered and said slowly, "At the same time, it's also a cowardly act. They actually used such a strategy to avoid the Celtics and the Cavaliers. How shameless!"
"You think that's shameless?" Chris Webber sneered and sarcastically asked, "Then why did the Suns give up the game and completely tank to compete for the No. 1 pick? If I remember correctly, you were the Suns' general manager back then, right?"
"I...what do you know? This is an action that concerns the fate of the team." Steve Kerr argued.
"Super Yang's actions are also related to the fate of the team. Who doesn't want to find a relatively weak opponent in the first round to advance and improve their strength at the same time?" Chris Webber stared at Kerr and questioned.
“…………” Cole was speechless.
