95: An unsolvable war of attrition! The burning Mamba!

Kobe's eyes were fixed on Lin Feng, filled with the last and total sum of hope.

"We must find a way to shatter their damn system."

"It's on you, understand?"

Those words were like a red-hot branding iron, seared into Lin Feng's heart.

He watched Kobe turn and limp toward the court, his back carrying a sense of tragic determination.

Lin Feng clenched his fists.

He understood.

This game was no longer just about winning or losing.

This was Kobe's final battle, with his career on the line.

He, Lin Feng, was the last card Kobe had placed on the gambling table.

"Beep—!"

The opening whistle of G2 echoed through the AT&T Center.

When Kobe's name was called, the Spurs fans throughout the arena unexpectedly stood as one.

They gave Kobe a long, enthusiastic round of applause.

There was no hostility or mockery in the applause, only respect.

But to the ears of the Lakers players, this respect was more piercing than any vicious curse.

It felt like a condescending handout.

A final salute to a warrior about to be executed.

The Lakers' first possession.

Naturally, the ball was handed to Kobe.

Facing Leonard's defense, he performed his signature triple-threat jab step.

Then, he forced a jump and took a fadeaway shot.

Everyone expected that familiar, picture-perfect form.

"Clang!"

The basketball hit the front of the rim weakly and bounced away limply.

There was no expression on Kobe's face.

But Lin Feng saw it.

Kobe's vertical jump was at least ten centimeters lower than usual.

His shooting power was clearly insufficient.

That painkilling injection had numbed his pain but also stripped away the fine motor control of his muscles.

The Spurs grabbed the rebound and immediately launched an attack.

It was that same familiar, fluid ball movement.

The ball didn't stay in anyone's hands for more than two seconds.

Duncan received the ball at the free-throw line and made a simple bank shot.

"Swish!"

The ball went in.

It was as easy as a practice session.

The Lakers brought the ball in.

Before the ball even crossed half-court,

Danny Green was like a hound, sticking right to Lin Feng.

His chest repeatedly bumped against Lin Feng's back.

His arms, like vines, constantly harassed Lin Feng's dribble.

Just as Lin Feng shook him off,

Kawhi Leonard's figure appeared silently before him, spreading those massive hands.

Rotational defense.

Full-court press.

They were like two well-trained hounds, ordered to tire their prey to death.

Popovich's intention couldn't be clearer.

Kobe was already half-crippled.

As long as they smothered Lin Feng, the only explosive scoring threat left, the game would be over.

Lin Feng felt the impact on his chest and the frustration of his dribble being constantly disrupted.

He gave up.

He completely gave up on using the [Eye of the Heavenly Emperor] to decipher the Spurs' damn system.

It was useless.

You can never wake someone who is pretending to sleep, and you can never use anticipation to defeat a system that has no fixed tactics.

Since reason wouldn't work,

Then flip the table!

A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes.

He stopped passing and stopped organizing.

He activated [Formless Shot]!

Facing Danny Green's tight pressure, Lin Feng suddenly forced an acceleration!

Green followed him closely.

Just as the two were about to fly out of bounds, Lin Feng's body jerked backward in mid-air at an angle that defied the laws of physics!

Behind him, Leonard and Duncan had already rotated into defensive positions!

A triple-team!

An airtight cage!

With his body almost parallel to the ground, Lin Feng flicked his wrist and threw the ball.

It was a drifting shot with no discernible arc.

Every spectator in the AT&T Center held their breath.

"Swish!"

The basketball brushed the edge of the backboard and went straight through the net!

A three-pointer!

A collective gasp echoed through the arena.

Even Popovich subconsciously frowned.

This shot shouldn't have gone in.

It was illogical.

But before the Lakers players could cheer,

The Spurs' inbound pass had already flown across half-court.

Parker made a simple drive, drawing Gasol's help defense.

A bounce pass.

Duncan appeared at his most comfortable forty-five-degree angle.

Wide open.

Jump, bank shot, score.

2 to 3.

The Spurs effortlessly took back two points.

The excitement on the Lakers players' faces froze.

It felt like you had exerted all your strength to throw what you thought was a world-shaking punch.

Only for your opponent to casually extend a finger and neutralize all your power.

Lin Feng felt a massive drain on his energy.

That miracle shot had nearly drained almost half of his stamina.

But he didn't stop.

On the next possession, he held the ball again.

Facing a double-team from Leonard and Green, he slipped through the gap like an eel.

But just as he charged into the paint, the mountain that was Duncan blocked his path again.

A moment before losing his balance and falling, Lin Feng closed his eyes and tossed the ball toward the basket.

The ball traced a strange, crooked arc through the air.

"Swish!"

It went in again!

The entire arena fell into an eerie silence once more.

If the first one was luck,

What about this second one?

Lin Feng climbed up from the floor, his chest heaving violently.

However,

Before he could even catch his breath,

The Spurs' attack came again.

This time it was Ginóbili; he didn't even drive.

With just a few simple pass screens, Parker appeared in the corner.

Open.

A layup.

Score.

Once again, the Spurs responded to Lin Feng's miraculous shot in the simplest, most effortless way possible.

The entire first half fell into this bizarre cycle.

Lin Feng kept the Lakers alive with one unreasonable, inconceivable individual play after another.

He hit a drifting three-pointer over three people.

He completed a casual floater while losing his balance.

He completed a three-point play (2+1) the moment he was fouled.

Every one of his scores was worthy of a spot on the daily Top 5 plays.

But every time he looked back, panting,

The Spurs would always use a casual team play lasting no more than five seconds to take back the score.

The Lakers' morale was constantly eroded in this alternating cycle of "hope" and "despair."

Nick Young's face no longer held its usual playfulness and arrogance.

Gasol's eyes were filled with confusion and frustration.

Kobe was on the court, constantly running and acting as a decoy.

Like a lion with its teeth pulled, he used his remaining physical presence to draw defensive attention away for Lin Feng.

Every run, every step he took, seemed exceptionally heavy.

"Beep—!"

The half-time whistle finally blew.

The score was frozen at 55 to 40.

The Lakers were still trailing by 15 points.

Lin Feng rested his hands on his knees, gasping for air.

Sweat had completely soaked through his jersey.

He could feel his stamina clearly declining under the opponent's relentless, rotational exhaustion.

He had beaten his individual matchups, Leonard and Green, but lost to the entire Spurs system.

The players walked silently toward the tunnel.

In the dim shadows of the tunnel entrance,

A camera inadvertently captured a scene.

Kobe Bryant, the man who always held his head high, was now leaning heavily against the cold wall with one hand.

He was bent over, his whole body heaving violently like a drowning man, gasping for air in pain.

Beside him, the Team Doctor's face was filled with helpless worry and anxiety.

This scene was broadcast to the entire world.

In that moment, the hearts of countless Kobe fans watching on television broke.