Kobe scrambled to catch up, but just as he gave chase, he saw Su Xi make a sharp turn. Su Xi began to run outwards, hugging close to Carl Malone’s side... It was a hairpin turn.
Seeing Su Xi’s intention to sprint past him at close range, Carl Malone moved his right foot in a split second and raised his right hand... He was trying to create an ’obstacle’ to block Su Xi’s path.
But unexpectedly, in the instant Su Xi sped past him, his body jerked back as if he had been struck. His acting was incredibly convincing and happened so fast that no one could clearly see if Carl Malone’s hand had actually brushed his head. Most importantly... he also kicked Carl Malone’s ankle, making it look like he’d been tripped.
TWEET!
The head referee quickly blew his whistle.
Carl Malone imdiately let out a pained cry, clutching his ankle as he sat down on the court.
Su Xi wasn’t as dramatic. He stumbled a couple of steps, rubbed his forehead, and turned back with a look of indignation.
Without a mont’s hesitation, the referee called a defensive foul on Carl Malone.
Carl Malone was already in imnse pain, and now he was being called for a foul. He was instantly fuming.
He jumped up and questioned the referee, "Why was that a foul on ? Shouldn’t it be a foul on him?"
The referee didn’t even bother arguing with him.
He just thought Carl Malone’s acting was over the top.
No one believed Carl Malone.
Even the Lakers fans thought Carl Malone had been caught red-handed this ti.
Magic Johnson even said on TV, "Little Sheep Su Xi needs to get used to this. He still has a lot to learn from these old-tirs. Even when you’re the one making dirty plays and getting caught, you can quickly switch to playing the victim and put on a deeply wronged expression. In comparison, Jack was too reserved. If he were a veteran player, he would have been clutching his head and rolling on the floor to try and draw a technical foul."
"Jack’s just not experienced enough," Charles Barkley added with regret.
"But it’s better not to learn those kinds of tricks anyway. A basketball player should let his ga do the talking," Magic continued.
The two of them discussed it on air.
The television audience also felt that Carl Malone’s acting was too convincing, while Su Xi didn’t know how to capitalize on being fouled.
"Alright, Carl. Stop acting."
Shaquille O’Neal pulled Carl Malone aside. "Keep it up and you’ll get a technical foul."
"I’m not fucking acting." Carl Malone’s eyes were wide, his ankle throbbing with pain.
SMACK!
Shaquille O’Neal smacked Carl Malone on the head. "Are you confused? I’m not the referee."
’I...’
Carl Malone was suffering in silence, unable to explain his grievance.
He already had four fouls, and the first half wasn’t even over.
Phil Jackson frowned, contemplating whether or not to substitute Carl Malone.
But when he saw Su Xi forcing himself to run out of bounds to inbound the ball, he made up his mind to keep Malone in the ga.
After all, Carl Malone was expendable. As long as he could drain Su Xi’s stamina, it was a net gain.
"Don’t be too hasty, rein it in, Carl," Phil Jackson shouted from the sideline.
Carl Malone: ?
He was roaring internally: ’I’m already fucking reining it in! I’m not fucking acting!’
Just then, Su Xi inbounded the ball directly into the paint. Carl Malone had just reacted when he saw Little O’Neal streak past him into the paint and leap high into the air. He scrambled to give chase but was a step too slow... age hits the legs first, after all. Besides, his ankle was genuinely in pain now.
’How did Su Xi’s kick land right on my ankle?’
BOOM!
Little O’Neal finished with a ferocious two-handed slam dunk.
On the Pacers’ third possession since Su Xi entered the ga, they took the lead.
After Su Xi ca on, the Pacers went on an 8-0 run.
No matter what the basketball comntators discussed, they couldn’t erase one cruel fact: the Lakers had no answer for Su Xi.
"If Jack could play the whole ga, would we even need to worry about the championship?" Larry Bird couldn’t help but sigh. Although the Lakers had their superstar "F4" this year, in Bird’s opinion, their strength was far from what it was during their three-peat era. He even felt this Lakers team was weaker than the one that lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the West semifinals.
"I really hope Jack’s secret weapon is his stamina. That he’s actually been hiding his true strength this whole ti, just to deliver a fatal blow to the Lakers in the Finals."
At that mont, Charles Barkley was musing on television.
But Kenny Smith couldn’t help but ask a question: "Excuse , but how do you hide stamina?"
"You just pretend to be weak. Don’t you pretend to be tired every night when you get ho so you don’t have to deal with your wife?" Barkley retorted.
Barkley had his own theory: "I really don’t think Jack’s stamina is that bad. Otherwise, how do you explain him making two Hollywood starlets fight over him, and apparently giving them ’unimaginable pleasure’? Besides, don’t you guys think he’s always full of life after just a short rest? Have you ever seen anyone with such strong recovery abilities? I haven’t."
Barkley asked Magic Johnson, "We’ve both played basketball. We know that once your stamina drains, it’s impossible to recover for high-intensity competition in a short amount of ti."
Magic Johnson nodded.
Then, he said with bewildered surprise, "Could it be that Jack really is hiding it?"
At this mont on the court, Su Xi was clearly showing signs of fading stamina.
After he helped the Pacers retake the lead, he seed to let out a sigh of relief.
Kobe Bryant broke through his defense on the wing, hitting a pull-up jumper while on the move.
After that, Su Xi was still running, but you could clearly see his movents getting slower and slower.
But as long as he was running, Kobe Bryant had to follow him.
This created open looks for the other Pacers players.
Artest hit a jump shot.
Little O’Neal also started to target Carl Malone. With four fouls, Malone was forced to be more cautious. Plus, his ankle really hurt.
Little O’Neal was pretty much doing as he pleased.
The second quarter turned into a civil war for the ’96 golden generation.
The two sides went back and forth.
Su Xi’s steps grew slower and slower.
His breathing grew heavier and heavier.
But he stayed on the court. He had to keep Kobe occupied and also tie up Carl Malone.
At this point, everyone, from the Pacers players to the Lakers fans, knew very well that Su Xi wouldn’t be able to co back in the second half.
He was on the verge of complete exhaustion.
Kobe Bryant, on one hand, was trying to drain Su Xi’s stamina, but on the other, he also wanted Su Xi to get off the court and rest. ’Dammit, you’re still so young. It’s just one ga in a Finals series you’re destined to lose anyway, why are you killing yourself?’
Even Kobe was thinking this.
The Pacers fans watching on TV were even more moved.
Larry Bird even turned his back, feeling deeply apologetic. He felt he hadn’t done enough.
He said to the owner, "If we don’t win the championship this year, it’s all my fault. I’ve let Jack down, I’ve let the Pacers down. I should have found a couple more backup players."
The owner sighed and said wistfully, "But how many people out there could possibly replicate Jack’s crucial role in the ga?"
A player who could do what Jack does wouldn’t co to a team just to be a backup.
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