173: The changing of the throne!

In the Staples Center, not a single fan was still sitting.

Everyone was standing, arms raised high, venting the excitement in their hearts with primal roars!

On the court.

For the first time, a dazed expression appeared on Durant's face.

He looked at the retreating back of number 24, his eyes filled with incomprehensible confusion.

That fadeaway jumper just now.

That jump height, that hang time, that shooting arc... it was exactly the same as the peak Kobe Bryant in his memory!

How is this possible?!

How could a veteran who had suffered an Achilles tendon rupture still be in this state?!

"Russell!"

Durant growled at Westbrook.

"Get it back! Use your speed to crush him!"

Westbrook didn't respond.

His chest heaved violently, his eyes fixed on Kobe, burning with humiliation and a completely ignited fury!

To be stripped clean by an old guy in such a manner!

This felt worse than death!

Thunder's possession!

Westbrook charged at Kobe once again, like a wild bull!

This time, he didn't hold back at all!

He pushed his speed and explosiveness to the absolute limit!

He wanted to use his purest talent to crush the so-called legend standing in front of him!

Kobe stood his ground, expressionless.

His legs were slightly apart, his center of gravity low, assuming a textbook defensive stance.

Under the blessing of Lin Feng's [Emperors Edict].

His brain was as calm as a supercomputer!

All of Westbrook's fakes became full of holes, like slow-motion replays in his eyes!

A feint to the left!

A drive to the right!

Kobe's body remained motionless, as if he had foreseen the future!

At the very moment Westbrook was about to force his speed and break through from the right!

Kobe's feet moved!

A perfectly accurate, anticipatory lateral slide!

He firmly cut off all of Westbrook's paths forward!

Westbrook felt like he had slammed into a wall!

He was forced to come to a sudden stop!

Then, he forced a shot with an extremely awkward posture!

*Clang!*

The basketball hit the front of the rim and bounced high!

The rebound was easily secured by Howard!

"He stopped him!"

"Kobe! Once again! He perfectly shut down Westbrook's drive!"

Kenny Smith on the commentary desk shouted excitedly!

Meanwhile, Barkley rubbed his eyes as if he had seen a ghost.

"This isn't Kobe!"

"This is the Kobe from 2008! My God! He's back!"

At the other end of the court.

Lin Feng's body swayed.

His vision went dark for a moment, and a sharp ringing sound echoed in his ears.

He leaned on his knees, gasping for air.

His mental energy was completely depleted.

He could feel the power of [Heavenly Emperors Eye · ZONE] fading rapidly!

He had to end this battle before the power completely vanished!

Lakers' possession!

The ball was once again handed to Kobe!

This time, the person defending him changed to Durant!

A direct confrontation between two of the league's top scorers!

Durant spread his terrifying, spider-web-like long arms, completely sealing off all of Kobe's shooting space!

His gaze was solemn to the extreme!

He absolutely didn't believe this old guy could still score over him!

Kobe didn't use any wasted movement.

He simply used a series of rhythmic between-the-legs dribbles to adjust his attacking tempo.

Suddenly!

He moved!

An incredibly swift drive toward the baseline!

Durant immediately slid laterally, keeping up with his pace!

However!

Just when everyone thought Kobe was going to force a drive!

His body, in a posture that seemed to defy the laws of biomechanics, came to a sudden halt!

Step back!

He pulled back beyond the three-point line!

Durant reacted lightning-fast and lunged forward again!

But it was already too late!

Kobe's body was already in mid-air!

It was that picture-perfect fadeaway jumper that Durant found so hauntingly familiar!

Facing Durant's long arm that was almost in his face!

A cold-blooded smile belonging to the black mamba appeared on Kobe's face.

With a gentle flick of the wrist!

*Swish!*

The ball once again found the net!

Three-pointer!

"Roar!!!"

After the shot, Kobe roared toward the sky!

He pounded his chest fiercely!

All the unwillingness, all the suppression, and all the anger he had felt throughout this season!

Were all completely vented at this moment!

The entire Staples Center fell into a total frenzy!

Meanwhile, the Thunder's bench was in dead silence.

head coach Brooks stared blankly at the back of number 24 on the court, his eyes empty.

He couldn't understand.

He really couldn't understand!

Why was this happening?!

The next few minutes.

Turned entirely into Kobe Bryant's personal highlight reel!

He was like a god of war stepping out of mythology!

Time and again, he tore through the Thunder's already collapsed defense in the most unreasonable ways!

Facing Westbrook's tight pressure, he scored with a graceful turnaround fadeaway!

Facing Ibaka's help defense in the paint, he used an inconceivable mid-air double-clutch to avoid the block and finished with a reverse layup!

On the defensive end!

He was even more like an insurmountable purple-and-gold barrier!

Every steal and every anticipation of his was so precise it made one's scalp tingle!

Durant and Westbrook, two of the league's top scorers.

In front of him, they actually became like two rookies who had just entered the league!

Helpless!

The point difference was quickly widened!

Fifteen points!

Eighteen points!

Twenty points!

When the fourth quarter had only been underway for two minutes.

The Lakers were already leading the Thunder by a full twenty-two points!

The suspense of the game had been completely killed!

*Beep—!*

D'Antoni called a timeout.

With a wave of his hand, he subbed Kobe out.

As Kobe turned and walked toward the bench.

Tens of thousands of spectators in the arena spontaneously stood up from their seats!

They used all their strength to roar the name of the eternal god in their hearts!

"Kobe!"

"Kobe!"

"MVP!"

"MVP!"

The mountain-like, tsunami-like waves of sound went on and on.

Kobe's eyes were a bit moist.

He waved to the fans throughout the arena.

Then, he didn't head for his seat.

He walked through the crowd straight to the swaying player wearing number 11.

Lin Feng felt like he was about to collapse.

The world before him was spinning.

Just then.

A warm and powerful embrace held him tightly.

It was Kobe.

In a tone full of gratitude and relief, he whispered into Lin Feng's ear, in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Kid."

"This era... is yours now."

After saying that.

Kobe let go and heavily patted Lin Feng's shoulder.

At that very moment.

Lin Feng could no longer hold on.

The string in his mind, stretched to its limit, snapped completely!

[Heavenly Emperors Eye · ZONE], forced shutdown!

An overwhelming, irresistible sense of fatigue instantly swept through his body!

His vision went black, and his body slumped toward the ground.

"Lin!"

Pau Gasol, who was beside him, was quick to react and caught him, preventing him from hitting the floor.

Lin Feng leaned against Gasol, breathing heavily.

He had exhausted his very last bit of mental energy.

For this nearly impossible, great victory,

he had placed a perfect period.

The rest of the game entered a completely suspense-free garbage time.

The Thunder also subbed out all their starters and gave up resistance.

*Buzzer!*

The final whistle echoed throughout the Staples Center!

On the big screen above the arena, a score that shocked the world was fixed.

125:98!

The Los Angeles Lakers, at home, defeated the powerful Oklahoma City Thunder with a hearty victory!

They tenaciously brought the series total to 1-3!

They created a miracle and avoided the shameful fate of being swept!