Champion Creed

Spoelstra's outstanding performance ensured that the Warriors would not lose the series due to that 10% factor.

This also heralded that this round of the series would be the ultimate showdown between star players.

Most teams facing Roger would start to doubt themselves when trailing 0-2, essentially sentencing themselves to defeat.

But Kobe did not.

In Game 3 of the series, the match returned to the Staples Center.

Even in Los Angeles, there were quite a few fans holding signs saying, "Send this rapist to jail."

Although such signs were quickly confiscated, it was enough to show how unpopular Kobe was now.

In fact, Kobe had just rushed back to the Staples Center this afternoon from the court in Colorado.

On-site commentator Mike Brown jokingly stated: "Kobe only slept three hours last night before going to court in Colorado, then rushed back to Los Angeles, and slept an hour on the plane. As long as Kobe is still human, he must be very exhausted. However, I don't know whether this is bad news for the Lakers or the Warriors."

It turned out that Kobe's exhausting schedule followed some kind of causality that ordinary people couldn't reverse or change.

In the state of Kobe's exhaustion, when the Lakers were on the brink of elimination, Kobe miraculously scored 42 points, helping the Lakers cut the series deficit to 1-2.

Roger really couldn't explain it, he had already suffered twice from this exhausting schedule this season.

All he could say was that this bastard's mental strength was abnormally strong.

He wished to vent all the frustrations he faced in court on the basketball court, so once he returned from court, his performance was always outstanding.

Most players in such situations probably couldn't even think about playing, but Kobe truly demonstrated what it means that anything unable to condemn him only makes him stronger.

Roger now recalled a hell joke unique to this timeline: Want Kobe Bryant to surpass Roger? Then find a girl to accuse him every year.

1-2, the Lakers reclaimed a win at the Staples Center.

But honestly, losing one game is an acceptable result for Warriors fans and players.

What is truly hard to accept is that the Lakers won two consecutive games at the Staples Center!

In Game 4 of the series, Kobe's shooting was blocked, but Steve Nash, hitting 15 of 20, scored 38 points!

Steve Nash was somewhat overshadowed by Kobe, but when Kobe couldn't carry the team, Steve Nash often shone brightly.

Roger scored 34 points, but eventually, the Warriors still lost by a margin of 4 points.

2-2, the Lakers tied the series!

In the following two games, both the Warriors and the Lakers each secured victory at their home court.

In Game 5, Roger forcefully led the team to victory with 47 points, preventing a playoff three-game losing streak.

But in Game 6, the dual prowess of Nash and Kobe gained the Lakers another win.

After Game 6, all Lakers fans were cheering.

Even when trailing 0-2, they had pushed the series to a Game 7, which was enough to prove the team's strength this year.

After all, historically, not many teams could force Roger into a Game 7.

Kobe delivered on his promise, dragging Roger into hell, not letting him escape easily.

The viper bit down hard on Roger's arm, refusing to release its grip.

Now, the only way was to directly chop off the snake's head.

Of course, it was also possible that the snake hunter was poisoned to death.

In the post-game interviews, Kobe mentioned 1999.

"That was Roger's second season in Atlanta; he turned the Hawks into champions. Everyone also thought that the Miami Heat wasn't worth mentioning before the defending champs. But in the end, the Heat forced the Hawks into a Game 7 and laughed last. I am confident in the Game 7 showdown; believe it or not, just like when the Lakers were trailing 0-2, no one believed we could make it this far."

Karl Malone was more direct in his mockery: "We are capturing a self-proclaimed godly egotist."

This was the first time O'Neal didn't know who to support in a game.

Roger was undoubtedly a bastard, but Kobe was the bastard of all bastards!

Game 7 was like the great equalizer in the basketball world, where this one game determined the outcome for everyone.

No matter if you are a superstar, if you lose this game, there won't be another chance.

At this moment, the pressure on the Warriors was undoubtedly greater than that on the Lakers.

Because the Warriors were forced into a Game 7 after leading 2-0, which meant in the last four games, the Warriors had a record of 1 win, 3 losses.

The momentum was rising for the Lakers, while it was declining for the Warriors.

However, Spoelstra calmly told reporters at the press conference: "No one knows what Roger will do in a do-or-die battle."

He acted as if not worried about the Game 7 showdown at all.

Meanwhile, the series between the Timberwolves and the Spurs had already concluded.

Keen on facing Roger at the peak, Kevin Garnett posted 22 points and 17 rebounds in Game 6, but eventually, they narrowly lost to the Spurs by 6 points.

The reason for the Timberwolves' loss wasn't KG, but Sam Cassell's injury.

When he announced that he would miss all the remaining games of the season, the Timberwolves were effectively sentenced to defeat.

Kevin Garnett was indeed playing at an MVP level this season; if you watched Timberwolves' games, you would know— the Timberwolves were entirely different teams depending on whether KG was on the court or not.