Chapter 600 91: Finals Pinnacle Showdown

Su Xi sat courtside, watching the game with rapt attention.

Before the game started, both Yao Ming and Kobe came over to greet him with a high-five.

But the Los Angeles fans booed Su Xi.

The boos made no sense.

'Aren't the Spurs supposed to be your opponents?'

'Shouldn't you be booing the Spurs?'

'I'm a spectator, too. Am I supposed to be the enemy here?'

The game started quickly.

This was the first time this season Su Xi was watching a premier Western Conference matchup live as a spectator.

Watching up close as a spectator allowed him to see much more.

The Spurs' teamwork was precise. Every play was meticulously planned, and their execution was seamless.

The Lakers weren't quite as precise, but the core roles of Yao Ming and Kobe were crystal clear. They were like two great anchors, setting the team's course.

From the start, both teams were locked in a fierce, tight contest.

It was a back-and-forth battle.

The game was a hard-fought, neck-and-neck affair.

By the end of the first quarter, the San Antonio Spurs were up by one point.

But in the second quarter, Yao Ming went on a scoring streak.

Since joining the Lakers, he had changed his playstyle. He wasn't just banging down low in the paint anymore; he was also getting plenty of opportunities for face-up jumpers. Whenever Kobe drew a double-team, he'd pass it to Yao, and Yao's finishing was excellent.

He had scored a season-high 52 points in a single game, a new career high.

He never had opportunities like that with the Rockets.

Watching Yao Ming sink one shot after another, Su Xi couldn't help but cheer him on.

Both teams were potential rivals, and the Lakers were arguably the more formidable of the two.

But deep down, Su Xi was still rooting for the Lakers to win.

After all, he was closer to Kobe and Yao Ming.

Yao Ming's dominant performance in the second quarter allowed the Lakers to take the lead, and they headed into the locker room with a three-point advantage.

As Su Xi sat courtside, a Hollywood actress came over to chat him up.

"Jack, why'd you get tired of Scarlett, Jessica, and Fox? Don't you like sexy starlets anymore?" Hilary Duff asked Su Xi.

Su Xi replied honestly, "What makes you ask?"

"The media's already dug it up. You and your Chinese girlfriend are wearing matching rings. They think you're already married, or at least engaged." Hilary Duff was like a curious child, just one of the many celebrity gossip fans.

Su Xi just smiled.

He didn't engage further with Duff, lest the media start spinning wild stories.

But Hilary Duff was eager for an answer.

She kept pressing him.

It got to the point that Su Xi had to call over a TNT sideline reporter. "Hey, how about you come interview me about basketball? This Hollywood actress keeps pestering me about my private life."

Su Xi was exasperated.

"Who do you think will win, the Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs?"

The TNT reporter was delighted to oblige and quickly followed up.

"The Lakers."

"Why?"

"Because Kobe and Yao Ming are both exploiting the Spurs' Achilles' heel, but the Spurs aren't."

"Do you think this series will go to a Game 7?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because the Lakers are playing better and better."

"Are you worried about the Lakers posing a threat to you if they make it to the Finals?"

"I'm looking forward to facing the Lakers. They might actually be able to pose a real threat."

"Which team do you think is stronger: this current Lakers squad, or the one you faced in the Finals?"

"Without a doubt, this one."

"Why? That team had four superstars."

"That Lakers team was actually very fragile. They didn't have a reliable rotation back then. Gary Payton was a poor fit for the Lakers' system, and Karl Malone was old. Kobe and O'Neal were each playing their own game. It was only natural that we beat them. It wasn't just us, either. If the Pistons had made it to the Finals that year, they would've taken them down too."

"But this year's Lakers are completely different. Their roster is deeper, and Kobe Bryant is stronger and more unselfish than he was back then. Most importantly, while Yao Ming doesn't have O'Neal's destructive power, his chemistry with Kobe is perfect. There's no struggle between them over who's the number one guy. Yao Ming is the perfect superstar center to pair with Kobe."

"After all that, are you confident you guys can beat the Lakers?"

"Of course."

"What do you think the Knicks' chances are of winning the championship in the Finals?"

"One hundred percent!"

"No chance of an upset?"

"None!"

Su Xi was resolute.

The interview got the North American audience fired up. They finally had a definitive statement from Su Xi.

'So Su Xi is rooting for the Lakers!'

But would his prediction prove to be correct?

TWEET!

The whistle blew, signaling the start of the second half.

The Lakers launched a fierce offensive in the third quarter. First, Kobe went off with a series of isolation plays, and then Yao Ming followed up to keep the pressure on.

In the second half, the Lakers deployed a twin-towers strategy. The center duo of Yao Ming and Kwame Brown, both former number-one draft picks, threw the San Antonio Spurs into disarray.

It was a bit like the Cavaliers' twin towers.

But it was far more effective.

After all, Kobe wasn't a player like James, who just relentlessly drove to the basket. His scoring technique was far more sophisticated.

He was also willing to pass the ball to Yao Ming, which made the game much easier for him.

This made O'Neal extremely envious as he watched.

You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.

Compared to LeBron James, Kobe was a much more appealing partner.

Just as Su Xi had predicted, the Lakers gradually took control of the game.

In the fourth quarter, the San Antonio Spurs tried to make an issue of Yao Ming's stamina.

But while Yao Ming was resting, Kobe carried the team.

When Yao Ming returned, another round of offensive dominance began.

In this pivotal game, the Lakers won by 13 points.