CLANG.
Sabonis leaped into the air, once again disrupting Yao Ming’s shot from the low post.
"They’re just cheating!"
On the Lakers’ bench, Lambis shouted indignantly.
He just couldn’t understand what kind of magic was in Chen Yu’s physical therapy and massages that allowed Sabonis, who had been gasping for breath, to be running all over the paint with such energy in the second half.
"Phil, I think we really need to file a protest with the league," Lambis added.
It was the same thing last year, and now it’s happening again. Who can put up with this?
They had suspected Chen Yu was using performance-enhancing drugs.
But Olajuwon had been traded to the Lakers this year, and they’d confirmed with him that no performance-enhancing drugs were involved—it was purely physical therapy and massage.
But it just didn’t make any sense.
Jackson folded his arms, his gaze profound behind his glasses. "Protest what? And what could the league even do? Forbid him from treating players mid-game? That’s completely unrealistic."
Rather than protesting to the league, Jackson was more interested in poaching Chen Yu.
Unfortunately, a reporter had broken the story that Chen Yu had already signed a contract extension with the Phoenix Suns—a three-year deal, no less.
The salary was rumored to be very high, nearly approaching the league’s mid-level exception.
If any other team doctor were making that kind of salary, Jackson would have laughed and said the team’s management was out of their minds. But this was Chen Yu. Jackson could only think, ’If you wanted money, you should have just said so! Forget the mid-level exception; we could have talked about a ten-million-dollar annual salary!’
Lambis sighed and said no more.
But after a moment of silence, Jackson suddenly said, "Kurt, perhaps we really have to admit that there’s still a significant skill gap between us and the Phoenix Suns right now."
Their first-half lead had given Jackson hope that they could win this game.
But now, deep into the fourth quarter, the Suns had not only kept the score tight but had even shown signs of pulling ahead.
Incredibly resilient!
Most importantly, Jackson could see the Lakers starting to wear down.
Yao Ming was still raw and inexperienced; they couldn’t count on him too much in clutch moments.
The bigger problem, however, was the role players.
Horry, who had reliably contributed three-pointers last year, was playing as if he’d forgotten how to shoot. Forget making threes, he was barely even attempting any shots.
Fisher and Brian Shaw, key contributors to the Lakers’ back-to-back championships, were completely invisible now.
And looking at the bench, it was a mix of old-timers and rookies. When the team needed them, there was no one who could step up.
If it weren’t for Kobe going off and dropping 40 points, the Lakers wouldn’t have even had a lead to begin with.
"And I can’t see any weaknesses on the Suns’ roster."
The playoffs are all about exploiting your opponent’s weaknesses.
But this Phoenix Suns team seemed to have none.
They had a highly creative playmaker in Hardaway, veterans who could step up in the clutch, and athletic, penetrating threats and defensive stalwarts on the wings.
Even their bench had a few clutch veterans who wouldn’t flinch in key moments.
They had a star for consistent scoring, tenacious defense, and unwavering mental fortitude. Balanced on both offense and defense, they were almost flawless.
And this was with O’Neal out. Once he returned, the Phoenix Suns would only be stronger.
Jackson had to admit that compared to last year, the Lakers were significantly weaker.
Kobe had evolved, but the veterans were all a year older, and they no longer had the all-powerful, dominant force of O’Neal in the paint.
Perhaps they could rely on Kobe’s explosive performance to grind out a win today, but over the course of a series, the difference in overall strength would ultimately decide the outcome.
Lambis detected the note of dejection in Jackson’s voice and, for a moment, didn’t know what to say to reassure him.
After a moment’s hesitation, Lambis said, "At least we still have the future."
Once Yao Ming develops, the Lakers can still contend for a championship.
The Phoenix Suns called a timeout.
Only three and a half minutes remained on the clock.
Sabonis was gasping for air, looking as if he were about to cough up a lung.
He was completely gassed.
Skiles’s gaze swept across the bench.
Charalidis had the size and heft, but he had gotten almost no playing time this season, effectively becoming a benchwarmer.
Kevin Willis could certainly step in.
The league’s renowned iron man had always kept himself in incredible shape. Even at 41 years old, he still had a pair of massive, well-defined arms.
But after a moment’s thought, Skiles’s eyes landed on Charles Oakley.
He subbed in Oakley and moved McDyess to the five-spot.
He deliberately sacrificed height in the frontcourt to increase the lineup’s speed.
The Lakers had been trying to push the pace and run fast breaks all game, and Sabonis was having trouble keeping up.
McDyess, however, was explosively athletic. Even against the much taller Yao Ming, he could use his powerful frame to hold his ground.
It was a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Back at the start of the season, the coaching staff had discussed contingency plans for what to do if O’Neal were to get injured.
Sabonis was also injury-prone; it was unrealistic to expect him to completely fill O’Neal’s shoes.
At the time, assistant coach Frank Johnson had proposed the idea of moving McDyess to the five and putting Charles Oakley at the four.
This would give the Phoenix Suns a starting five where every player was over two meters tall.
They might sacrifice height in the paint, but their overall athleticism would improve dramatically. Taking a page from the Sacramento Kings’ playbook, they could move the ball around and potentially get some good results.
Since the Lakers were pushing the pace today, Skiles figured it was the perfect time to give it a shot.
Besides, he was running out of options.
Even if it didn’t work and they lost, it wasn’t a huge problem; O’Neal would be back for the next game.
A full-strength Phoenix Suns team shouldn’t lose to the Lakers under any circumstances.
After quickly laying out the strategy, Skiles sent his players back onto the court.
’Are they gassed?’
Jackson glanced at the opposing team.
’They should be. It’s already mind-boggling that Sabonis could play this long on those legs of his.’
The problem was, Yao Ming was also running out of gas.
His stamina wasn’t great to begin with, especially for a guy his size.
Fortunately, with just over three minutes left, he should be able to hang on and tough it out.
The Phoenix Suns had possession.
With Sabonis off the court, the increase in the Suns’ speed was immediately noticeable.
Moreover, McDyess had much more room to operate.
With Sabonis on the court, his space had been crowded.
With constant movement, screens, and ball sharing, after just a few passes, Hardaway seized an opportunity and tossed a lob toward the rim.
Marion cut out of nowhere to finish the play with an alley-oop slam.
After the successful offensive play, all five players hustled back on defense.
By the time Kobe brought the ball past half-court, all five Suns players were already in their defensive positions, waiting for him.
He instinctively lobbed the ball into the paint.
Yao Ming had the height advantage.
McDyess puffed out his cheeks, stubbornly holding his ground against Yao Ming’s push, and barely gave up any position.
Plus, he was a quick leaper. He sprang into the air and managed to disrupt Yao Ming’s hook shot.
Behind them, Oakley grabbed the rebound, and as he looked up, he saw Marion already streaking down the court.
He fired a long outlet pass. Marion, sprinting at full speed, flicked the ball behind him without looking back.
James Posey, trailing right behind, soared high, caught the ball, and finished with a thunderous dunk.
By this point, Yao Ming still hadn’t made it past half-court.
On the sidelines.
Jackson shot to his feet, disbelief written all over his face.
He had never imagined the Phoenix Suns could execute such a fluid and rapid offense.
And Jackson quickly realized that the Lakers were struggling to keep up with the Suns’ tempo.
Yao Ming’s speed and agility were considered fast for a player of his height.
But no matter how fast, he couldn’t keep up with the exceptionally athletic, 6’9" McDyess.
Furthermore, the problem wasn’t just how to stop the Suns’ offense; the Lakers’ own offense was now sputtering.
The triangle offense involved a lot of strong-side to weak-side ball movement, and Yao Ming often had to step out to set screens.
But with their smaller lineup, the Suns’ switches and help defense became much faster.
When Kobe made a cut to the basket, Oakley was right there to rotate over and provide help defense.
The two 6’9" forwards could extend their defensive coverage all the way out to the three-point line.
In just a matter of possessions, the Phoenix Suns seized the opportunity to extend their lead to six points.
In a little over two minutes, the Phoenix Suns had managed to completely break the Lakers.
It wasn’t just Jackson who was stunned; Kobe and the other players on the court were also reeling.
Leading the entire game only to be overtaken and have it all fall apart in the final three minutes was a tough pill for anyone to swallow.
’We’ve won.’
As Oakley rushed out to double-team with Marion, trapping Devon George on the sideline and forcing a crucial turnover, Chen Yu felt the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt.
Through the first three quarters, Chen Yu had genuinely thought they were going to lose this game.
Kobe’s performance today had been simply outstanding, too dominant to handle.
He hadn’t seen the exact stats, but Kobe must have had at least 45 points.
Beside him, Nelson suddenly said, "Chen, do you think this lineup we have on the floor right now is pretty good?"
"What do you mean?"
Chen Yu turned to look at him.
Nelson pointed to the court. "Antonio is only 6’9", but he’s very strong and exceptionally athletic. Back when he was with the Nuggets, he sometimes played the five, and at that position, he can actually defend a lot of taller centers."
"Most importantly, don’t you think our ball movement is quicker and our defense has improved?"
Chen Yu nodded thoughtfully.
Whether the offense was better or not was debatable, but the defense was undeniable. The key to this comeback at the end was shutting down the Lakers’ offense.
A traditional, stationary big man has his advantages, but he’s certainly not as versatile or have the defensive range of a ’tweener’ power forward like McDyess.
He and Oakley roamed the paint, able to front their men to deny entry passes and swarm to block perimeter drives like a pair of closing doors.
Combined with three perimeter players all over two meters tall, the Phoenix Suns used this advantage in length and athleticism to completely lock down the Lakers.
Nelson continued, "Auerbach believed the flexibility and agility of smaller players in transition could neutralize the advantage of big men in a half-court offense. Riley ushered in the ’Showtime’ era with the Lakers, and we have the player who’s closest to being another Magic Johnson."
Before he was called the next Jordan, Hardaway was constantly being compared to Magic Johnson.
"Combined with the athletic and defensively tenacious McDyess, I think we have all the pieces to create our own ’Showtime’ era right here with the Phoenix Suns."
It dawned on Chen Yu.
That flamboyant Showtime era of the ’80s and ’90s was probably his most vivid childhood memory of the NBA.
But after a moment of thought, Chen Yu countered, "Is that really necessary? We have O’Neal, after all."
A healthy OP Duo, plus the incredibly talented Marion and an All-Star caliber McDyess.
As long as the roster was healthy, the Phoenix Suns didn’t need overly complex tactics; they could win a championship on sheer talent alone.

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