Chen Yu sat back down and watched the game quietly.
The Lakers didn’t seem to anticipate that the Phoenix Suns would push Nowitzki to the center position. If Nowitzki were a power forward like Duncan, this move wouldn’t have been an issue. But surprises aside, it didn’t stop the Lakers from immediately opting to let Yao Ming force the issue.
Kobe drove and kicked the ball out. Yao Ming caught it and made his move. He couldn’t completely bump Nowitzki away with his first step, so he paused slightly and pulled up for a hook shot, sinking it smoothly. Relying on his towering height, Yao’s hook shot had become just as unguardable as his turnaround jumper. Unsurprisingly, Nowitzki simply couldn’t stop him. There was no room for fantasies on the court, only the cold, hard reality of the skill gap.
However, the Phoenix Suns picked up the pace.
Nowitzki quickly inbounded the ball. Hardaway caught it, executed a smooth spin move that left Fisher in the dust, and took a single dribble before launching a full-court pass to Marion. The delivery was as precise as anything Nash could throw. Marion sprinted down the court with Artest right on his hip, constantly bumping him. Aside from Yao, the Lakers’ transition defense was actually quite fast; their roster was stacked at every position.
Marion charged straight to the rim. He stopped abruptly but failed to shake off Artest, while Odom had already caught up from behind to spring a double-team trap. Marion bent low, protected the ball, and fired a cross-court pass to the right wing, where Poseidon was already waiting. However, Kobe was also present, leaping into a flying closeout.
In this game, putting aside off-court factors, both teams were truly showcasing championship-level offense and defense. Poseidon didn’t force the shot. He swung the ball again. Ben Gordon arrived right on cue, pulling up for a three-pointer. This time, Ben had the touch, and the shot splashed through the net.
Pacing the sidelines, Jackson’s gaze deepened. He had already figured out the Phoenix Suns’ intentions. They were actively downsizing, mirroring the Pioneers’ strategy of relying purely on offense to win games. Honestly, if he were in Skiles’s shoes, he would have made the same choice. After all, the Suns had no usable big men left. Brown’s presence on the court offered very limited help and couldn’t turn the tide. In that case, going to the extreme and hoping to win a shootout was a solid bet.
Thinking of this, Jackson almost wanted to give Ken Moore a thumbs-up and shower him with praise. Fouling Chandler out of the game was a lethal blow to the Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers had experience dealing with this kind of playstyle. The way they dismantled the Pioneers last year relied on one simple principle: you play your game, I play mine, and I won’t let you dictate the tempo. The Spurs had lost precisely because the Pioneers dragged them out of their rhythm.
It went back to Yao. He posted up Nowitzki and went straight to his turnaround jumper, draining it with unshakable stability.
From Chen’s angle, it was clear that Nowitzki was giving it his all, but he just couldn’t get a stop. He was forced to play at Yao’s pace. This current Lakers squad possessed genuine championship caliber. Furthermore, limiting Yao wasn’t as simple as using a collapsing zone defense, like teams once did to O’Neal. Yao was far more agile and had a much wider range of motion. If a team dared to collapse the paint, the Lakers’ perimeter shooters would blast them out of the building.
Against top-tier juggernauts like this, the only option was a head-on collision, winning purely through superior strength.
Fortunately, the Phoenix Suns’ offense didn’t falter, allowing them to firmly maintain their lead. Subbing out Chandler for Ben naturally raised the team’s offensive ceiling. Nowitzki couldn’t guard Yao, but conversely, Yao couldn’t guard Nowitzki either. The big German roamed around the court with the agility of a small forward—how could Yao possibly keep up?
At one point, the Phoenix Suns had all five players out on the perimeter, leaving the paint completely empty. Under these circumstances, Yao’s rim deterrence was practically zero. The moment he stepped out to the three-point line, the Suns would immediately slash to the basket. But if he stayed anchored in the paint, they would inevitably leave a shooter wide open.
Chandler’s ejection had placed the Phoenix Suns in a dilemma, but shifting Nowitzki to the center position had put the Lakers in one as well. Jackson couldn’t exactly bench Yao.
What baffled Jackson even more was that the point differential was slowly widening in the Phoenix Suns’ favor. He quickly realized the root of the problem. Yao was taking more shots, and the Suns seemed to be expanding their defensive coverage, daring the Lakers to attack the paint. No matter how unguardable Yao was, his baskets only counted for two points. Meanwhile, the Suns were jacking up a massive volume of three-pointers with solid efficiency. Trading twos for threes resulted in a net loss of one point per exchange. Consequently, in this back-and-forth offensive shootout, the Suns gradually pulled away.
To Jackson’s further frustration, if the Lakers opted to shoot more threes, it would completely waste Yao’s interior dominance, reducing him to a mere hub for ball reversals and setting screens. It was an unsolvable puzzle. The only real solution actually rested in the Phoenix Suns’ hands.
Jackson constantly glanced at the shot clock, pacing anxiously. The reason the Phoenix Suns could maintain and expand their lead with this playstyle was their blazing shooting efficiency. Every single player was in peak form, hitting shots at an absurd clip. The moment they went cold and their percentages dropped, the Lakers would instantly reclaim the lead.
Watching Nowitzki catch the ball, give a slight hesitation, and splash a pull-up jumper, Jackson felt a numb tingling in his scalp. In the first half, Nowitzki’s offensive efficiency was already sky-high. He never expected the German’s performance to elevate to another level in the second half.
Jackson knew this made sense. Since Chen had returned to the locker room at halftime, it was safe to assume Nowitzki came back with fully restored stamina, whereas the Lakers’ players were fatigued. Ebb and flow—it was acceptable for Nowitzki to perform better. But this was ridiculous. He was playing like he had a cheat code, sinking absolutely everything he threw at the rim.
In the third quarter, Nowitzki shot 5-for-7, racking up another 12 points. So far in the fourth quarter, he had poured in another 10. His total score for the game had reached a terrifying 41 points! And his scorching-hot touch showed no signs of cooling down.
Even worse, Yao’s stamina was starting to wane. He hadn’t rested at all during the entire second half! He was the primary focal point, so they had to run the offense through him. Kobe was still struggling to find his rhythm tonight, even though Ben’s presence on the court had given him a more relaxed offensive environment. Perhaps Kobe had been guarded too tightly in the first half and couldn’t immediately find his stroke.
Jackson called a timeout.
Only 3 minutes and 27 seconds remained on the clock. The Phoenix Suns led 93 to 88, holding onto a five-point advantage.
Both teams had showcased incredible offensive efficiency tonight, resulting in a high-scoring affair. This entire playoff series came down to these final three minutes. Heaven and hell would be decided in these fleeting moments.
It was too late for Jackson to make any sweeping adjustments or draw up new schemes. In these life-or-death situations, it all came down to who could grit their teeth and hold on until the bitter end. So, the only thing Jackson could do was give everyone a breather and peddle some motivational platitudes.
On the other bench, Skiles opted for the exact same approach, trying to boost team morale.
Chen crouched beside Nowitzki, making the most of the short break to help him recover his condition.
"Chen, don’t be nervous. Relax, we’re definitely going to win," Nowitzki said, surprisingly calm.
Chen looked up at him. There was nothing but pure confidence on his face. After Game 6 ended, he seemed to have broken free from his inner demons and finally made peace with himself.
"I believe you."
After finishing his pep talk, Skiles signaled the team to take the floor. Suddenly remembering something, he shouted a reminder. "Watch out for the referees!" He didn’t even say "watch out for fouls"—he laid his cards on the table and explicitly warned them about the officiating. Standing not too far away, Ken definitely heard it, and his expression grew a bit unnatural.
The game continued.
Both teams stuck to their respective playstyles. Everyone had shifted into peak gear; it was time to see whose superstars shined the brightest.
This time, Kobe was the first to find his touch. Using a screen from Yao, he pulled up and drained a three-pointer.
It was useless. Hardaway immediately attacked the rim, pulling off a high-difficulty acrobatic finish to convert an And-1 play. You score one, I’ll answer right back.
Yao backed his man down in the low post, unleashing his Dream Shake before Marion could rotate over, and laid it in. On the ensuing possession, Nowitzki held the ball on the wing. He faked a drive, executed a lightning-fast crossover pull-back, and drilled a pull-up jumper. The sudden change of pace was so devastating that Yao tripped over his own feet, nearly collapsing to the floor.
Neither of them could stop the other.
The seconds ticked by.
Jackson was spinning in anxious circles. It was just a five-point deficit! If anyone lost their focus and missed a shot or two, the Lakers could immediately snatch the lead. But two minutes passed, and the Lakers simply couldn’t catch up.
Kobe grew truly desperate. There was no time for excessive ball movement, so he ignored Yao establishing position in the paint. Even with Poseidon’s hand draped right over his face, Kobe hoisted a ridiculously tough fadeaway three.
Trading two points for two was no longer viable; they needed threes. Miraculously, Kobe managed to sink the impossible shot!
Chen couldn’t sit still anymore. He stood up and walked to the sidelines. The next possession was absolutely crucial. If the Phoenix Suns failed to score and the Lakers answered with a steady basket from Yao, the deficit would be entirely erased.
Chen and Skiles were tense to the extreme, but Nowitzki didn’t panic. In fact, none of the Suns’ players panicked. Hardaway casually brought the ball past half-court, and everyone began running their routes according to the playbook, passing the ball with meticulous patience.
Nowitzki curled off a screen and caught the pass. Odom instantly lunged at him. In these final moments, Nowitzki was simply too dangerous, too lethal. Acting as if the two defenders in front of him didn’t even exist, Nowitzki geared up for a shot. Yet, at the very last second before releasing it, he passed.
Marion set an off-ball screen to pick off Artest, allowing Poseidon to cut baseline into the paint. He caught the dish and finished with a thunderous dunk.
The lead was back to five points.
Witnessing this play, Chen’s heart suddenly grew tranquil, and he sat back down with peace of mind. Given Nowitzki’s Leader Level performance in the clutch, they had this game in the bag!
And they did.
Even in life-or-death moments that could render an entire season of hard work utterly meaningless, the Phoenix Suns still controlled the tempo of the game. They stuck to their offensive sets, prioritizing high-percentage looks. If there was no good opportunity or sufficient confidence in a shot, they chose to trust their teammates. And Nowitzki was tough enough to handle the pressure. Even if the ball was swung around for twenty seconds and dumped back into his hands at the buzzer, he could still knock down a fadeaway jumper.
As Kobe frantically and forcefully wrapped his arms around Hardaway in a desperate foul, the entire Staples Center plunged into a massive, deathly silence.
The Lakers were finished. They had lost!
The dream of a Lakers championship—chanted for nearly a year—had finally been shattered.

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