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Leonard's three-pointer smashed right on the rim, and Jordan Hill grabbed the rebound before Duncan. Although Duncan immediately knocked the ball away and retrieved it on the bounce, the final buzzer had already sounded...

The score froze at 130 to 127, with the Lakers narrowly defeating the Spurs by 3 points, winning this high-scoring showdown!

The fans on site started cheering and shouting wildly as soon as the ball bounced off the rim, and the teammates rushed to Zhang Yang at the first sound of the buzzer, gathering around him to celebrate.

Aside from the score, the big screen also displayed Zhang Yang's performance tonight: 15 of 27 shooting, including 3 of 6 from three-point range, plus 9 of 11 free throws, for a total of 42 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks!

Kobe pursed his lips for two seconds, squeezed into the crowd, and put an arm around Zhang Yang, playfully messing up his crew cut.

Zhang San: Damn, bald Kobe, are you jealous of my thick hair? Trying to take this chance to make me bald too? Without Stone Buddha's hand, you just rely on brute force!

Old Ironsmith: I used to be the one taking the crucial shots! I also defended the key plays! Now that it's taken away, I could just pluck you bald...

As a fanatic, Kobe couldn't suppress his feelings of jealousy. He simply didn't bother to suppress it, but jealousy aside, he knew full well that without Zhang Yang, they wouldn't have won this game. The opponent's overall strength had reached a level beyond what he could handle alone now.

Maybe in a year or two, if the team's system improved to the level of the Spurs system, he wouldn't need Zhang Yang; just give him a top-notch 3D player, and he could lead the team to play like the opponents. But Duncan is two years older than him, and whether he'd even be willing to play a season or two later is uncertain... As for whether he can, Kobe believes that with Duncan's physique and skills, as long as he wants to play, he can keep going like Sky Hook or the Chieftain, as long as injuries don't stop him.

However, Kobe was quite self-aware; he didn't have thoughts like "if only there was no Zhang Yang." He knew that if Zhang Yang weren't there to overshadow him, he wouldn't be playing like he is now, and replicating the Spurs system would be impossible...

Outside the crowd, Leonard was staring blankly at the hoop swinging back and forth, and during this last offensive and defensive round, he profoundly realized the gap between him and Zhang Yang.

When he was defending, he was already sticking very closely, but in just a split-second turn of the head, Zhang Yang seized the opportunity to hit him with a 2+1.

And just now, during his shot, his jump and exertion were limited, the shooting space compressed, he could only force a fadeaway, using core strength, long limbs to throw the ball out, with no control over force or direction.

As a major defensive player, he knew that defending Zhang Yang's shot was way more challenging than when Zhang Yang was defending him.

They were trailing by 3 points, needing a three for the final shot, and when Zhang Yang took his shot, the score was tied.

But, in the same situation, if Zhang San replaced him for this shot, it wouldn't have seemed as forced, and Zhang San probably could have created a better opportunity. Even if the shot were forced, the likelihood of making it would have been higher...

Just when Leonard was bewildered and at a loss, a big hand patted his head, pulling him into an embrace.

Duncan consoled him: "Don't be disheartened, turn everything before you into motivation, the future is yours."

Clamp: You're comforting me, hugging me, fine, say nothing, but where are your hands wandering? Could you touch somewhere else?

Also, don't say those words! Although I don't know why, it just feels like nothing good will come of it...

…

From a 0 to 1 start, to trailing 1 to 2, then leading 3 to 2, this series between the Lakers and the Spurs, which was already highly anticipated, became even more intense.

Zhang Yang exploded in two consecutive games, scoring 32 in Game 4 and a whopping 42 in the pivotal Game 5, turning the tide of the series and once again changing the media narrative.

After the first 3 games, the media and haters alike were hyping up that his performance relied on the Spurs system. After Game 4 tied up the series, those voices subsided, but even then, media were more lavish in praising Kobe's precise mid-range shot...

Previously, Kobe was always the one being used as a stepping stone, say, praising Shaq while stepping on Kobe, but with Zhang Yang on the Lakers, Kobe became the praised one in comparisons... Perhaps this was one reason he accepted the number two status so readily, as his joy was hard to resist once tasted.

After this critical Game 5, the media finally started to lavishly praise Zhang Yang. Perhaps wanting to save face, their praise went like this: -- Even under the same Spurs system, different strengths yield completely different performances.

The one being stepped on this time naturally was Leonard.

In Game 5, Leonard went 7 for 15, 0 for 3 from the perimeter, with 4 of 4 on free throws, totalling 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block -- not a bad performance.

But who asked him to take the last shot? And on a solo play, no less!

Previously, Leonard's fans, Spurs fans from Duncan's fourth peak period, could argue there's a 3-year age gap, Leonard still developing, and comparing the two was unfair to Leonard. Zhang Yang's fans accepted this, even joking "Jack waits for Leonard to grow up."

But this time, as Leonard stood up to take the shot, it meant he actively opted to be directly compared to Zhang Yang, making it extremely brutal, as Zhang Yang put 42 with a 2+1 near game-winner right in his face...

For once Leonard stepped up, wanting to take the game-winner, and it resulted in a furious media storm.

Generally, when young future cores face such circumstances, coaches and veteran teammates would offer comfort and encouragement. The Spurs coaching staff, GP, and other veterans were indeed ready to act, but they didn't know how to start. Despite Duncan appearing cold, communication wasn't difficult; Leonard was extremely aloof, leaving coaches and teammates helpless, unaware that "D" had already extended his ominous hand...