chsdbacks Chapter 28 The Night of the Dragon Slaying
Chapter 28 The Night of the Dragon Slaying
2008年12月16日，晚7:30。
Los Angeles, Staples Center.
Knicks vs. Lakers.
In the front row, Hollywood star Jack Nicholson, wearing sunglasses, gave the middle finger to Li Xiangbei, who was warming up. Meanwhile, the 20,000 fans in purple and gold jerseys chanted in unison the name that made the entire league tremble:
"Kobe! MVP! Kobe! MVP!"
Li Xiangbei stood in front of the scorer's table. He looked up at the retired jerseys hanging in the air above the stadium, and finally his gaze fell on the man wearing the number 24 jersey in the center of the court.
Kobe Bryant, expressionless.
……
Section 1. A Show of Force.
From the start of the game, Kobe demonstrated the dominance of the league's best player.
On the Lakers' first possession, Kobe called for the ball in the low post. Facing Li Xiangbei's defense, he didn't call a screen at all.
Turn your back, sway your shoulder to the left, suddenly flip to the right, and jump.
That was a beautiful fadeaway jump shot.
Li Xiangbei had gone to extremes; his fingers even reached Kobe's eyes.
But in the face of absolute technology, all of these seem to fail.
"brush!"
The basketball swished through the net, barely even touching the net itself.
2:0.
Kobe landed but didn't celebrate. He simply passed by Li Xiangbei on his way back on defense and patted him on the butt.
"Welcome to the West, Ticket King." Kobe's voice was indifferent.
Li Xiangbei rubbed his buttocks, a smile actually appearing on his lips.
"Is this what top-tier is?"
Turning back, the Knicks went on offense.
Li Xiangbei dribbled the ball up the court. Facing Kobe's signature death grip with his hands slapping the floor, he didn't call a screen.
He lowered his center of gravity and suddenly accelerated.
Kobe's sliding step was incredibly fast, instantly blocking the path.
But instead of dodging, Li Xiangbei slumped his shoulders and took the initiative to confront the opponent!
"Bang!"
The two collided.
Kobe was knocked back half a step by the impact.
It's this half-step!
Li Xiangbei stopped abruptly and pulled up for a mid-range jumper.
"brush!"
2:2.
After scoring, Li Xiangbei looked at Kobe and shrugged.
"Thank you for the welcome. Also, Derrick said your defense was tight? It doesn't seem as exaggerated as the media makes it out to be."
Kobe's eyes narrowed instantly. Good, this kid's not only tough, he's got a sharp tongue too.
……
Section 3. The Mutual Destruction of Physically Powerful Monsters.
By the second half, the match had completely devolved into a one-on-one duel between the two players. The other eight seemed to have become mere spectators.
Kobe has already scored 30 points, including a series of incredible, high-difficulty shots. Li Xiangbei has also scored 28 points, keeping the score close.
But what shocked the entire Lakers team was Li Xiangbei's physical abilities.
Logically speaking, a rookie would have been exhausted by the third quarter under Kobe's level of offensive and defensive exertion.
But Li Xiangbei continued to run at full speed, sticking to Kobe every possession.
"Dude!" Trevor Ariza said, panting, during a break between free throws. "Isn't this kid tired? He's been guarding you for the entire 30 minutes! Even I'm about to throw up!"
Kobe bit his jersey collar, his chest heaving violently. His amazing stamina was beginning to wane.
He looked at Li Xiangbei, who was still full of energy not far away, and a look of horror flashed in his eyes.
Give me the ball.
Kobe spit out his jersey.
"I want to see just how big his gas tank is. I don't believe it's made of iron."
……
The final 45 seconds of the fourth quarter.
Lakers 108:106 Knicks.
A moment of suffocation.
Kobe Bryant holds the ball. The entire arena rises to their feet, chanting "MVP."
Facing Li Xiangbei, he dribbled between his legs repeatedly, then suddenly broke through to the right, stopped abruptly, faked out Li Xiangbei, and then drifted to the left before releasing the shot!
This is a goal with a difficulty rating of 10.0!
"brush!"
110:106.
Staples Center erupted! Jack Nicholson pumped his fist in excitement. With only 30 seconds left and a 4-point lead, it was practically a death sentence.
Kobe clenched his fist and roared at the audience.
But Li Xiangbei had no time to be discouraged.
He received the serve from the baseline and advanced at full speed.
Just past half-court, Kobe came up to defend.
Li Xiangbei glanced at the time. 26 seconds.
If they don't make a three-pointer, the game is over.
[Guaranteed winnings: 1/5 (last chance today).]
Li Xiangbei suddenly stopped the ball.
It was about two meters away from the three-point line.
Li Xiangbei stared intently at Kobe, his eyes like those of a hunter locking onto its prey.
"You want to see a miracle? Then I'll show you."
Jump and shoot.
The movements were so precise, it was like they were in a training session.
The basketball flew over Kobe's outstretched fingertips, and over the gasps of the 20,000 spectators.
"Whoosh—!"
It was an extremely crisp sound of something entering the net.
110:109.
The entire arena fell silent instantly. Kobe turned sharply, staring at the still-swaying net, his pupils contracting.
Answer Ball! It hit Kobe's head!
……
The last 25 seconds.
The Lakers had possession of the ball and controlled the clock.
They still lead by 1 point.
As long as they don't make mistakes and as long as they make their free throws, the Lakers won't lose.
But the Knicks still have one last chance to score.
Kobe receives the ball. Does the entire Knicks team swarm to double-team him? No, D'Antoni didn't arrange for a double-team.
Li Xiangbei single-handedly defends Kobe.
"Come on." Li Xiangbei spread his arms wide, like a large net.
Kobe didn't pass the ball. This is the Mamba's pride. He wanted to kill the game himself.
5 seconds.
Kobe starts his run, turns his back, and leans back! That's his most lethal move!
But in the instant he turned around...
Li Xiangbei seemed to have foreseen the future.
Instead of being shaken off, he used all his explosive power to anticipate Kobe's turn direction and jump height.
The moment Kobe took the shot.
"Snapped!"
A very faint sound.
Li Xiangbei's middle fingertip brushed against the bottom of the basketball.
The interference was minuscule. But for this kind of extreme fadeaway jumper, it was enough to be fatal.
"when!"
The basketball bounced high off the front edge of the rim!
The game-winning shot missed!
"Rebound!!"
Randolph, amidst a bunch of tall players, used his massive rear end to push past Gasol and Bynum, and desperately grabbed the rebound!
There are 1.8 seconds left on the clock.
Randolph saw Li Xiangbei rushing down the slope at breakneck speed.
Go!
Randolph swung his arms and threw the ball forward.
Li Xiangbei received the ball, with no one in front of him. Behind him, Kobe was frantically chasing and defending.
0.6 seconds.
Li Xiangbei jumped and made a layup.
"beep--!"
The red light is on.
The ball spun around the rim once...
"brush."
Goal stands!
111:110.
A game-winning shot! A game-winning shot in return!
A deathly silence fell over the entire Staples Center. That silence was more deafening than any booing.
Jack Nicholson took off his sunglasses and stared blankly at the field.
When Li Xiangbei landed, there was no celebration, no roaring.
He simply rested his hands on his knees, panting heavily. This time, he was truly exhausted. Fighting a monster like Kobe for the entire game, even with the system's stamina boost, was incredibly mentally taxing.
Kobe stood under the basket, hands on his hips, watching the replay on the big screen.
After a long while, he shook his head, and a smile actually appeared on his lips.
There was no anger, only the excitement of encountering one's own kind.
He walked over, but instead of reaching out, he bumped Li Xiangbei hard with his sweat-soaked chest.
"Bang."
See you at the All-Star Game.
Kobe's voice rang in Li Xiangbei's ears.
"I'll keep you under tight control. And I mean it."
Li Xiangbei rubbed his chest, which was sore from the impact, straightened up, and looked at the paranoid maniac.
"Then you'd better get up early, Kobe."
Li Xiangbei smiled.
"Four o'clock might not be enough. Let's try three o'clock."
Just then, Scarlett Janssen sent a text message.
"I'm waiting for you in the parking lot. The air conditioning is on in the car. Remember your promise, if you win... you can do whatever you want."
Li Xiangbei looked at his phone, then glanced at the Los Angeles nightscape outside.
"Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night."