Chapter 601 91: The Finals: Peak Showdown

This was their biggest and easiest win of the series.

The Lakers were hitting their stride.

The San Antonio Spurs had become their whetstone.

After the game, a TNT reporter told Kobe about Su Xi's prediction.

Kobe flashed a grin, revealing his pearly whites. "That's right. The guy has some insight, at least. He knows how to watch the game."

"But he also said the Knicks would beat the Lakers, one hundred percent."

"He's just trying to hide his fear. He can't even face his own true feelings."

"So, you think the Lakers will win this year's championship?"

"Why not? With a lineup like ours, it'd be a crime not to win the title!"

Kobe said confidently, "The best guard plus the best center... The championship is practically a toy in our hands!"

Kobe was incredibly smug.

The San Antonio Spurs, however, were furious. Popovich believed Su Xi was trying to mess with his team's morale, that he was intentionally stirring up trouble.

"His prediction is wrong. Just because someone can play basketball doesn't mean they can analyze it."

"He's afraid of the Spurs, that's why he deliberately said he's afraid of the Lakers."

"The whole world should be wary of this schemer."

"The San Antonio Spurs won't be fooled. We will win this series. We'll pull off a miracle."

Popovich cast himself as the victim: "Even though we've faced the same kind of treatment."

What a crafty old bastard.

But all this trash talk was meaningless. The game itself would do all the talking.

In the following Game 6, Su Xi proved his analysis correct. He could not only play basketball, but he could also expertly critique it.

The Lakers won easily in San Antonio, beating the San Antonio Spurs by 15 points and setting yet another record for the largest margin of victory in the series.

Yao Ming put up 35 points and 12 rebounds in that game, while Kobe had 38 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

The two of them were the perfect template for an inside-outside superstar duo.

They were even stronger than the OK Combination back in the day.

The Knicks flew from New York to Los Angeles. And while Isaiah Thomas claimed there was no crisis, that he wasn't worried in the slightest, he was actually quite nervous. The Lakers were getting stronger and stronger, and the Knicks' confidence was shaken.

The players acted nonchalant, but they had been training their hearts out in New York.

After Su Xi joined them, they also used the basketball facilities at UCLA to practice for two days.

The Knicks' practice at UCLA drew a crowd of players from the university's basketball team.

Su Xi even invited them to join in on their training.

UCLA's current star player was Collison. He was good, definitely NBA-caliber.

But Su Xi had his eye on two freshmen: Westbrook and Kevin Love.

Even though Su Xi didn't play for a Los Angeles team, that didn't stop these young players from idolizing him.

Westbrook even had Su Xi sign his jersey. Su Xi obliged and even gave him a pair of his signature shoes. He told the guard, whose athleticism and explosive style were astonishing, "If you make it to the NBA, remember to be a spokesman for my shoe line."

Westbrook was ecstatic. He had absolutely no NBA draft stock at the moment. He hadn't been a Five-star High School Student, and in the past season, he had only served as Collison's backup, getting precious little playing time.

But now, the great Goat Su Xi himself was saying he could make it to the NBA and even wanted him to endorse his shoes.

He stammered excitedly, "Of course! Whenever you need me, I'll be ready."

"Keep it up. I believe in you," Su Xi told him.

The Knicks trained at UCLA for two days, and then the Finals began.

This game attracted global attention.

The epic showdown between Su Xi and Kobe Bryant.

The all-China showdown between Su Xi and Yao Ming.

A showdown between the two biggest cities on the East and West coasts of the United States.

A showdown between the NBA's marquee superstars.

A showdown between the star challenging Jordan's legacy and the star who plays most like him.

The game was charged with countless layers of meaning.

And indeed, it had basketball fans all over the world buzzing with excitement.

Everyone was looking forward to the result of this game.

Could the Lakers stop the Knicks from repeating as champions?

Could Goat Su Xi really achieve the legendary four-peat?

Before the game, Su Xi and Yao Ming sat down together for an interview with CCTV.

The two of them, sitting together, represented the pinnacle of Chinese basketball.

Now, they were facing off in the NBA Finals—the highest stage in the basketball world.

For fans in China, it was a wonderful dilemma.

While the hardcore fans of each player might argue, most fans felt blessed. It was like choosing between the palm and the back of your hand—both are a part of you. They would be happy and ready to celebrate no matter who won.

The game drew the eyes of tens of millions of viewers across China, with many people skipping work or cutting class just to watch.

Some people even posted a popular joke online: "The college entrance exam happens every year, but a Su Xi versus Yao Ming Finals only happens once."

Of course, most of those were just jokes from people pretending to be students; the real high-school seniors were being forced by their parents to stay home and study.

"This is the first time for us, but for us, it's not a surprise. At the start of the new season, we made a pact to meet in the Finals. He did it, and I did it," Yao Ming told the camera.

"I was the one who recommended that Yao Ming join the Lakers," Su Xi said. "I didn't think he should stay with the Rockets. I felt their lineup didn't suit him, that he couldn't achieve success there. As it turns out, I was right."

"I have a lot of respect for Su Xi and the Knicks," Yao said. "But I believe this year's championship belongs to the Lakers. He already has three rings. This year, it's my turn."

"This isn't about taking turns, Yao. The Lakers can only win a championship in their dreams. I'm serious. The Knicks will finish this in six games!"

"I thought you'd say 4-0. This just proves you're not confident at all. You're scared."

"I don't even know the meaning of fear. I'm just being humble."

"Hahahaha. Your version of 'humble' is pretty damn arrogant."

"..."

The two bickered in Chinese before the game.

When this segment was broadcast on CCTV, the fans in front of their TVs all smiled knowingly.

Clearly, everyone found it to be a heartwarming scene.

It was also the most competitive and most interesting matchup in the history of Chinese basketball.

BEEP!

The whistle blew.

Amidst the eager anticipation of Chinese fans, the game officially began.

Staples Center was packed with fans tonight. They were going wild, all of them here for the Lakers, cheering for the Lakers.

The Lakers' five starters for the night were: Sasha Vujacic, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown, and Yao Ming!

Twin Towers!

Or rather, a triple-tower lineup!

This lineup had bulldozed the San Antonio Spurs in the previous series.

Now, it was the Knicks' turn.

The Knicks' starting lineup was: Gary Payton, Su Xi, Stephen Jackson, Zach Randolph, and Darko Milicic.

A head-to-head matchup.

Both sides brought out their most experienced lineups.

As the head referee tossed the ball up at center court, Yao Ming and Milicic leaped for the tip-off.

But Yao Ming couldn't get very high, and Milicic decisively tapped the ball to Su Xi.

Su Xi took the ball and pushed it up the court, with Kobe shadowing his every move.

Su Xi reached the top of the arc and passed the ball to Payton.

Payton and Stephen Jackson ran a crisscross screen before feeding the ball into the paint. Milicic caught it, gave a quick pump fake to get Yao Ming off his feet, and took a fadeaway jumper... CLANK! The ball hit the rim.

But in the split second the ball clanked off the rim, Su Xi, wearing the Knicks' blue road jersey, flashed into the paint like a bolt of lightning. Kobe was powerless to stop him. He could only watch as Su Xi soared, snatched the rebound right over Kwame Brown's head, and stuffed it into the hoop... BOOM!

A thunderous putback.

Su Xi kicked off the Finals with an aggressive dunk.

After the basket, Su Xi gave Milicic a high-five and said, "Nice pass!"

Milicic smiled. He liked Su Xi's humor.

'Even Kwame Brown liked it.'

'After all, Milicic got praise for his mistake.'

'He, on the other hand, was getting Kobe's 'death stare'.'

'No wonder Milicic is having a breakout year.'

'He has that support!'