Carrying an old science teacher with him

Chapter 72 Clash of Wills

Wang Kai and Kobe, who were "chatting" in the corner, were interrupted by a sudden basketball. Baron Davis missed a three-pointer, and the young Biedrins couldn't fully control the rebound. He flicked the ball outwards, but it hit Kwame Brown's hand, and the ball bounced right into the corner.

Wang Kai, reacting even faster, used his wingspan advantage to control the ball, and then imitated Kobe's move to shoot a three-pointer after a fadeaway.

The basketball hit the edge of the rim and luckily bounced into the net.

"That's the fifth one. You'd better be prepared to lose."

Wang Kai extended his hand, once again provoking Kobe.

Kobe, who had initially developed some liking for Wang Kai, finally lost his temper.

During the Lakers' offense, Kobe received the ball and immediately shot from beyond the three-point line, but this time his shot bounced off the rim.

Warriors' Biedrins secured the rebound immediately and passed the ball to Baron Davis.

Baron Davis didn't dribble; he simply threw the ball forward, where Wang Kai was already sprinting at high speed.

Kobe was hot on Wang Kai's heels. After missing his shot, he saw Wang Kai speeding towards the frontcourt, so he immediately turned around and chased after him.

Byron's long pass was very skillful, preventing Kobe from intercepting the ball midway while allowing Wang Kai to maintain his sprint speed.

After receiving the ball, Wang Kai did not hesitate at all and immediately stopped and shot from beyond the three-point line.

However, the moment Wang Kai made his shot, Kobe descended like a god, swatting Wang Kai's shot into the stands with a volleyball-sized block.

After making a spectacular block, Kobe turned to look at Wang Kai, silently responding to Wang Kai's earlier provocation.

"You run really fast, you're amazing."

Wang Kai gave Kobe a thumbs-up with a grin, seemingly unconcerned about being blocked by Kobe just now.

The game continued, and the Warriors had possession in the frontcourt. Wang Kai received the ball on the sideline but was cornered by Kobe Bryant, who blocked his dribbling space. Wang Kai had to pass the ball to Baron Davis, but Baron Davis was not in good position when he received the ball and was intercepted by Smush Parker behind him.

The Lakers launched a counterattack, and Kobe immediately rushed to the frontcourt, with Wang Kai gritting his teeth and following behind him.

Smush Parker was a bit faster; he rushed inside the three-point line, glanced back slightly, and then threw the ball toward the backboard.

Smush Parker's intention was clear: he wanted to use this opportunity to curry favor with Kobe.

Kobe realized what Smush Parker was trying to do. He jumped up and caught the ball, intending to make a spectacular dunk. However, just as he was about to dunk the ball, Wang Kai blocked it from behind Kobe.

The referee blew his whistle, calling a foul on Wang Kai.

"I...am...not...slow...to run."

Wang Kai was panting heavily after sprinting at high speed.

With mixed feelings, Kobe walked to the free-throw line and made one of two shots, maintaining the Lakers' slight lead.

Wang Kai's performance in this match was definitely more demanding than in his usual games, but he persevered and didn't want to give up on this rare opportunity.

Kobe also expended a great deal of energy, but it must be admitted that the physical strength of "beasts" like Kobe and the old gambler is absolutely beyond the imagination of ordinary people. More importantly, they all have the characteristic of maintaining their own movement stability under high-intensity exertion.

For the remainder of the second quarter, Wang Kai continued his high-intensity battle with Kobe, while the Warriors gradually found their offensive rhythm, scoring repeatedly from beyond the three-point line.

On the Lakers' side, relying on Kobe's dominance, other players gradually started to score, especially Smush Parker. Although he was repeatedly attacked by Baron Davis on defense, his speed on offense also caused a lot of trouble for the Warriors.

At halftime, the Lakers led the Warriors 56-51.

During the halftime break, Wang Kai felt his physical strength had recovered somewhat, but after the start of the third quarter, his shooting was no longer as consistent as it had been in the first half.

The Lakers played somewhat disorganized in the third quarter, and Kobe's offense went cold, missing three consecutive shots.

Relying on their advantage in the paint and Odom's playmaking, the Lakers maintained a slight lead.

For the Warriors, Jason Richardson regained his form. In the third quarter, he stopped shooting from beyond the three-point line and instead repeatedly attacked the Lakers' basket. Near the end of the third quarter, Jason's drive drew Kwame Brown's fifth personal foul.

After Kwame Brown left the game, Andrew Bynum, the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft, got his chance to play.

The young Bynum was still very inexperienced, and he was dunked on by Baron Davis as soon as he entered the game.

At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers led the Warriors 78-74 by 4 points.

Wang Kai only scored 4 points in the third quarter, missing all four of his three-point attempts.

As the game entered the fourth quarter, both teams' offenses began to slump, with the Lakers maintaining their lead thanks to Kobe's drives to the basket and second-chance opportunities.

Warriors' Dunleavy hit a three-pointer at the start of the fourth quarter, but he was soon injured by Bynum.

The seemingly simple-minded Bynum is not yet the villain who deliberately knocked Barea away in the future; he bumped into Dunleavy unintentionally.

Forced to make a substitution, the Warriors, led by Baron Davis, did not give up the game. He repeatedly attacked the Lakers' basket and drew fouls by taking advantage of Bynum's lack of experience.

With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Lakers led the Warriors 97-94 by three points.

In the final moments of the game, Kobe began to take over. He first backed down Wang Kai in the low post, drawing a foul from Wang Kai and scoring the basket.

After making the free throw, Kobe stole the ball from Wang Kai, pushed the fast break forward, and then hit a three-pointer.

Kobe, on the defensive back, also extended a hand to Wang Kai. This was his fifth three-pointer, and it was made using Wang Kai's most familiar fast-break style.

In just two rounds, the Lakers extended their lead to double digits, and it seemed the game was about to be over.

At that moment, Baron Davis first hit a three-pointer, and then intercepted Smush Parker's pass on defense. He then launched a fast break, and after rushing to the frontcourt, Baron Davis decisively passed the ball to Wang Kai who was following up.

Wang Kai launched a powerful three-pointer from beyond the arc, bracing himself against Kobe's defense, and the basketball swished through the net with pinpoint accuracy.

Sweating profusely, Wang Kai made a Chinese "six" gesture to Kobe, not caring whether Kobe understood it or not.

Wang Kai, whose physical strength was nearing its limit, gritted his teeth and persisted in the game. At this moment, his duel with Kobe was no longer a contest of skills or physical qualities, but a true contest of wills.