This is the second ti today that Roger said he’ll punish Kobe.
Erik Spoelstra had to bring in Mount Mutombo early to strengthen the inside line, with Marcus Camby sitting back on the bench, covering his head with a towel.
On the free throw line, Kobe, affected by the intense confrontation, made only one of his two free throws.
Spoelstra patted Marcus Camby’s shoulder: "Your efforts are aningful."
Marcus Camby shrugged: "Let’s talk about whether our efforts are aningful once Roger takes out number 15."
Dikembe Mutombo’s mobility and bounce are far inferior to Marcus Camby’s. He is a traditional rim-protecting center, which ans his help defense is diocre, and his switching flexibility is downright terrible.
But Mount Mutombo worked very hard upon entering the ga, using his enthusiasm to compensate for so shortcomings in speed and bounce, continuing to support the Warriors’ defensive foundation.
However, Mutombo, like Marcus Camby, did not get rid of foul troubles.
Kobe Bryant continued to charge aggressively with his brute force, utilizing his incredible confrontation ability to repeatedly put himself on the free throw line.
Soon, Dikembe Mutombo accumulated five fouls.
After drawing a foul and making the shot, Kobe raised his arms and showed off his muscles: "Roger, relying on this? Your inside line will be flattened by !"
Dikembe Mutombo clutched his chest, elbowed in the air, and swallowed hard.
For a mont, he felt as if he was back in the series against Shaq.
After Kobe made the bonus free throw, the Lakers led by 7 points, with less than 3 minutes left in the ga. It seed the Los Angeles Lakers were about to win at Oracle Arena again.
This series was very peculiar in that both sides couldn’t hold their ho court yet always won on the road.
Today, this strange pattern seed set to continue.
In the suffocating atmosphere, the Warriors paused the ga.
From the start of the ga, the Warriors’ bench had been brimming with anger, now reaching its peak.
"Damn it, the refs are too biased towards the Lakers, I’ve never seen such amateurish referees!"
"The league just wants to drag the series to the seventh ga, those damned bastards in suits!"
"Ugly officiating, damn it!"
Emily Vigee sat right behind the Warriors’ bench, listening to the crude swearing, with her palms already soaked in sweat.
She had a good education since she was a child and knew she couldn’t be rude.
But at this mont, fully imrsed in the ga, she too wanted to shout alongside the Warriors players.
She was observing Roger, curious about what that man would say.
Roger didn’t join the cursing of the referees. Indeed, the Lakers got plenty of free throws today, but most of them were solid fouls.
Facing the assault of such a heavy guard like Kobe, fouling was an inevitable choice. For a star player of Kobe’s caliber, so preferential calls are understandable. Conversely, Roger also drew many fouls against the opponent, received preferential treatnt, albeit his drive ability wasn’t as lethal as Kobe’s.
Moreover, the number of Lakers’ fouls wasn’t outrageously high.
At least not as outrageous as during LeBron’s tenure with the Lakers, accumulating over 1200 more free throws than their opponents over three seasons.
Roger’s focus wasn’t on the officiating but rather glancing at the Lakers’ bench.
Can Kobe sustain playing like this?
Roger saw two Lakers doctors helping Kobe relax his legs, which ant what? Kobe’s leg muscles were extrely tense.
Last season in the playoffs, when Kobe fractured Roger’s rib, he also sustained a minor knee injury.
Basketball gas are fair, Giannis Antetokounmpo, possessing a monstrous physique, yet his shooting and dribbling skills have never been top-notch. Chris Paul, with the smartest brain and most comprehensive skills in the basketball world, is limited by his height of 183 cm. Nikola Jokic might be the strongest offensive player in history, dominating advanced stats led by Jordan and Jas for several seasons, but his great offensive influence ans he never had much energy to focus on defense.
In basketball gas, acquiring sothing necessitates giving up sothing.
Similarly, basketball is fair to Kobe. Excessive weight grants Kobe advantages but undeniably takes away so things too.
The imnse pressure on his legs is the price Kobe Bryant has to pay.
Kobe already paid this price last season, and now the sa scenario is unfolding.
Today, Kobe has been brutally attacking the rim, playing almost like peak Charles Barkley.
This granted him nurous free throw opportunities but also made his legs incredibly weary.
Roger was confident; Kobe was done!
Once the tiout ends, his lower body won’t be as powerful as before, affecting his drives and even his shooting efficiency.
When a man is weak in the legs, he can’t conquer a woman, let alone conquer the ga.
Indeed, it was historically reported that Kobe later reduced his weight, as it was difficult to endure such pressure, choosing to sacrifice so confrontation for his health.
Roger looked at the current state of Kobe, clapped his hands: "Stop complaining, I’ll punish him, I promise! Erik, from now until the ga ends, I’m taking over Kobe!"
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