The Phoenix Suns returned to a starting lineup featuring Olajuwon and Gugliotta.
In a single postseason, the Phoenix Suns had already gone through several different starting lineups.
This particular lineup was a clear sign they were giving up on the inside and focusing entirely on offense.
Lexi snuggled deeper into Chen Yu’s arms, as quiet as a cat. Holding her, Chen Yu felt his own heart pound with nerves.
The psychological tactics had worked, but no one knew what the final result would be.
If they could win this game, it would naturally be the best possible outcome—a happy ending for everyone.
But if they lost and it went to a true Game 7, everything would be up in the air again.
The game began.
Olajuwon leaped into the air and won the tip.
With O’Neal’s current weight, it was clear he couldn’t jump much anymore. He relied entirely on his sheer force to play.
The Phoenix Suns’ offense was the same as usual, but Chen Yu had noticed that J Kidd was handling the ball less. Now, he mostly just brought it past half-court before handing it off to Hardaway to run the offense.
It had been the same in the last game; in fact, the trend had started to emerge as early as Game 4.
Chen Yu didn’t know if this was an adjustment made by Skiles, but it felt like a waste of J Kidd’s playmaking and court-control abilities.
Of course, Hardaway could also organize the offense and was a good passer.
It was the pick-and-roll again.
Hardaway and Olajuwon’s coordination was getting better and better. It was clear the Lakers were constantly trying to figure out how to counter the Phoenix Suns’ strategy. They were hedging earlier, Kobe was fighting through screens faster, and even O’Neal had become more active.
It looked like Jackson had really been getting on his case.
But Hardaway’s release off the screen was just too quick and consistent. Combined with the high-quality screens from Olajuwon, it was a major reason his series average had climbed to 33 points per game.
He sank it.
Chen Yu nodded silently. The Phoenix Suns’ starting lineup had plenty of flaws. J Kidd had a poor outside shot, Marion could only drive to the basket—each of them had their issues.
Only Hardaway was a consistently reliable star.
So, all things considered, the Phoenix Suns’ roster was actually very good, very strong. Making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals wasn’t just luck; they had real talent.
The Lakers were on offense.
Giving O’Neal some space didn’t mean they weren’t defending him at all.
It just meant they were focused on denying Kobe any opportunity to shoot from the perimeter.
The moment Kobe got the ball, J Kidd swarmed him. They double-teamed him right away.
On the TV, two South Korean commentators gasped in surprise.
But Kobe didn’t pass, still looking to attack. ’I deserve this double-team,’ he thought. ’After how I played the last two games, who else would the Phoenix Suns possibly double?’
But against a defensive duo like J Kidd and Hardaway, even Jordan would have his hands full.
Kobe was forced to pick up his dribble and had no choice but to pass the ball.
Fisher glanced over and saw O’Neal was wide open in the paint.
He only had Olajuwon on him, which was as good as being unguarded.
He immediately sent the ball inside.
Kobe, meanwhile, had moved to get open, his hands out, ready for a return pass.
O’Neal couldn’t quite believe it when he caught the ball, but his reaction was lightning-fast. He instantly made his move, brutally backing down Olajuwon and scoring with a drop step.
Leaving Olajuwon to guard O’Neal one-on-one was truly asking too much of him.
After scoring, O’Neal excitedly pounded his chest.
Chen Yu took it all in. ’The desired effect is there,’ he thought. ’Now it’s just a matter of whether the Phoenix Suns can withstand O’Neal’s unstoppable barrage.’
Then there was Kobe. Chen Yu really didn’t understand why he insisted on competing with O’Neal to be the team’s number one. Kobe was highly intelligent; he should have known that he and O’Neal were like Jordan and Pippen—an unbeatable duo in the league.
And yet, he still had to fight for it.
As for O’Neal, Chen Yu had met him several times and felt he had a decent understanding of him. From a psychological standpoint, Chen Yu believed O’Neal was a relatively narrow-minded and petty person.
He might seem carefree and easygoing, but that was just a facade. In reality, he was very concerned with his image. That’s why, when faced with a challenge from a young upstart like Kobe, his attitude was, ’I was already a star when you were still a nobody.’
Thinking about it that way, their personalities really didn’t mesh.
Neither of them was willing to sacrifice.
Chen Yu even felt it was the same situation when O’Neal left the Magic. Both Hardaway and O’Neal had been unwilling to sacrifice for the other.
In that respect, Hardaway was actually a lot like Kobe—just as young and ambitious. It was only a series of injuries that had blunted some of his sharp edges.
As he mulled this over, Chen Yu had a sudden realization. ’When building a team around the common two-star model, you can’t just consider the players’ skills; you have to consider their personalities as well.’
Take the current Phoenix Suns, for example. Their backcourt had never had any issues, and that was because both Hardaway and J Kidd were willing to make sacrifices.
Hardaway gave up his playmaking duties to focus on scoring.
And J Kidd didn’t care too much about his own scoring numbers, concentrating on orchestrating the offense.
In terms of personality, J Kidd was the mature, level-headed type. He was smart enough to know what the right decision was.
Chen Yu’s thoughts drifted back to his trip to China and his meeting with Yao Ming.
If they drafted Yao Ming, he would clearly become the Phoenix Suns’ franchise center for at least the next four years.
’Would his personality be a good match for Hardaway’s?’
Chen Yu thought they would be. From their interactions, Yao Ming was clearly the ’iron fist in a velvet glove’ type. On the surface, he was low-key, humble, and always seemed so shy, but he actually had a very strong will.
For instance, when the Eastern Team refused to let him go last year, he had flat-out told them that if they didn’t let him enter the draft, he would retire on the spot.
So, Chen Yu felt he and Hardaway would probably get along well. At the very least, there wouldn’t be any major issues.
Lost in his thoughts, Chen Yu realized the first quarter had already ended.
25-24, with the Lakers ahead by one point.
O’Neal had completely dominated, scoring 11 points in the quarter and drawing two fouls on Olajuwon.
Kobe, on the other hand, had only managed to score 2 points.
Chen Yu’s eyes followed Hardaway. He had only scored 9 points in the first quarter; it felt like he hadn’t been very aggressive.
He had a habit of pacing himself early on, saving his energy for an explosion in the fourth quarter.
’But he can’t do that this game,’ Chen Yu thought. ’The Phoenix Suns’ strategy is working, but if they want to win, they’ll need Hardaway to carry them.’
To put it simply, he needed to match O’Neal point for point.
In the second quarter, the Phoenix Suns started to build momentum.
Their bench players made a difference.
After winning the Celestial King Mountain game, you could clearly feel the team’s morale had surged.
After all, every media outlet was saying that if the Phoenix Suns could just get past the Lakers, the championship was as good as theirs.
At a time like this, even a group of veterans on the verge of retirement were willing to give it their all.
Not to mention the Phoenix Suns had Ewing on their bench, a man who craved a championship more than anything. For that ring, he was willing to sacrifice everything—starting when asked, coming off the bench when asked, all without a single complaint.
For a once-dominant superstar center, it was actually quite a tragic and heroic sight.
In the second quarter, Ewing went 4-for-5, efficiently contributing 8 points and helping the Phoenix Suns take the lead by halftime.
52-47, the Phoenix Suns were up by 5.
"O’Neal is just too dominant. He’s like Ronaldo, completely unstoppable," Andy Dunbar muttered.
But Alina shook his head. "Ronaldo is incredible, of course, but I’m not high on Brazil’s chances this year, not when you compare them to Argentina, Italy, and France."
Speaking of France, Alina grimaced. "Based on how they played yesterday, they didn’t look anything like a favorite to win it all."
Dunbar fell silent. ’I never said Brazil was going to win,’ he thought to himself.
"Chen, I have a feeling this year’s World Cup is going to be much more exciting because of you," Alina said, turning to Chen Yu with a sigh of admiration.
"Me?"
Alina nodded. "Just think about it. Argentina was already strong—they had the best record in the qualifiers. Batty is still in his prime, and you healed his ankle. And then there’s Redondo... I can’t even imagine how good they’re going to be."
"And Italy! The media says Baggio is as healthy as a 20-year-old now. Then you have Big Inzaghi, Maldini, and Nesta, all healed by you just in time for the World Cup. Add to that Piero, Totti, Vieri, Cannavaro, Zambrotta, and Buffon... Who wouldn’t drool over that roster?"
And that’s not even mentioning Germany.
If it weren’t for Chen Yu, would Scholl and Desler have even made it to the World Cup?
And England! Beckham and Gerrard almost let down the entire United Kingdom.
It’s all thanks to Chen Yu that these players are able to step onto the World Cup pitch.
Contiguglia nodded in agreement, smiling. "Chen, I think even Blatter should give you an award. If it weren’t for you, this year’s World Cup would have a lot less star power."
Chen Yu laughed. "Well, you’ll have to be the one to mention that to Blatter, then."
Still, Chen Yu thought it was a good thing.
If a player wasn’t selected for the World Cup because they weren’t good enough, there was nothing to be said.
But missing out because of an injury would be a terrible shame.
Being able to see these top stars compete on the field at their absolute best, without holding anything back—that was a blessing in itself.
On that note, Contiguglia suddenly asked a question. "Chen, I don’t think you’ve ever said which team you root for. Who do you want to win the World Cup? You’ve healed so many stars, and a lot of them have become your friends. Who are you supporting?"
Inside, Alina and the others all turned to look at Chen Yu.
Chen Yu paused. He honestly hadn’t thought about it.
But after giving it some serious thought, Chen Yu shook his head.
’They’re all my friends; I can’t just pick one over the others.’
So Chen Yu laughed and said, "Our United States Team, of course."
Alina rolled his eyes. He felt he could live to be a hundred and still not see the United States Team win the World Cup.
After the joke, Chen Yu thought for a moment before saying seriously, "Honestly, I just hope that they can all play without any regrets."
For players like Baggio and Redondo, the World Cup truly means so much.
And that, Chen Yu felt, was what truly mattered.
Contiguglia shrugged, showing he didn’t quite get it.
Chen Yu didn’t explain. He just grabbed a beer bottle and gestured for the others to turn their attention back to the game.
It looked like O’Neal was starting to assert himself.
O’Neal, who already had 19 points by halftime, came out of the break and exploded again. He absolutely dismantled them in the third quarter, dropping another 15 points.
He single-handedly took over the game.
Chen Yu sat up straighter, his expression turning serious.
The score itself wasn’t the problem.
The problem was Olajuwon’s foul trouble. Before anyone knew it, he’d already picked up his fifth foul.
It wasn’t that they expected him to stop O’Neal or score a lot of points, but the Phoenix Suns’ offense couldn’t function without him. They needed his screens and his help defense.
If he fouled out early in the fourth quarter, his replacement, Ewing, wouldn’t be able to fill his role in the same way.
Sure enough, Jackson had noticed Olajuwon’s foul trouble. At the start of the fourth quarter, he had O’Neal relentlessly attack him.
Just over three minutes in, Olajuwon helplessly raised his hand. He had fouled out.
At that moment, the Phoenix Suns were still only trailing by three points.
But as soon as Olajuwon left the court, the Phoenix Suns’ offense seemed to short-circuit, getting bogged down completely.
Their fluid teamwork vanished, replaced by a fragmented offense that devolved into one-on-one plays.
Hardaway started to force the issue, but he couldn’t reverse the team’s decline.
91-99. Amid the pained groans of the home crowd, the Phoenix Suns lost.
Chen Yu scratched his head in frustration. 3-3. It was going to a Game 7.

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