Chapter 309: Chapter 82: Brutal Dunk on Carl Malone

’Is this the Pacers’ secret weapon?’ Phil Jackson wondered.

He watched the triumphant Dunk King, Jones, on the court. ’They think they can beat us with dunks?’

He found that a bit far-fetched.

Phil Jackson was still trying to figure it out.

The Lakers methodically advanced the ball. Once they were in the frontcourt, the Pacers’ defensive intensity and aggression were both high. Fisher passed the ball to O’Neal, who was posting up in the paint.

The great Shark went to work in the post against Tony Battie.

Tony Battie’s strength was decent, but O’Neal possessed god-given power and was significantly heavier. With one ferocious bump, he shoved Battie aside and smoothly spun... O’Neal’s coordination, agility, and explosiveness were all top-notch. Although he had clearly declined from his peak, he was still too much for any ordinary center to handle.

He turned, ready to leap up for a thunderous dunk.

Tony Battie endured the immense force pushing him away, charged right back, and brought his hand down hard.

He smacked O’Neal hard on the wrist. O’Neal tried to power through it... and the two were locked in a struggle.

Tony Battie was sent flying, but O’Neal was also unable to complete the dunk.

Battie had used every ounce of strength he had.

TWEET!

The head referee called a foul on him.

But he didn’t care.

He was even a little excited. He didn’t care how long he got to play. As long as he could help Su Xi while he was on the court, it was worth it.

He was a die-hard protector of Su Xi.

The prospect of Su Xi returning at full strength in the second half was incredibly meaningful to him, firing him up and making him play with even more passion.

There was no other reason.

It simply gave them something to hope for.

Although the other Pacers players weren’t such staunch protectors of Su Xi, they all shared a similar mindset.

This was why the Pacers’ morale was currently so high.

CLANK! CLANK!

Shaquille O’Neal, ’pulling the trigger’, angrily bricked both free throws.

Tony Battie secured the defensive rebound.

The Pacers launched a fast break.

Fred Jones lacked playmaking talent, but he was fearless and aggressive. With Su Xi as his safety net, he was full of confidence. As soon as he got to the frontcourt, he made a beeline for Derek Fisher’s defense.

Fisher’s defense was practically nonexistent.

In the blink of an eye, he was a step inside the free-throw line, forcing Luke Walton to help on defense. Facing Walton’s help defense, Fred Jones directly emulated Kobe, pulling up for a jump shot, toughing it out against the defense, and just going for it.

CLANK!

The ball hit iron.

But the ’Kobe Law’ came into effect.

With Tony Battie desperately holding off O’Neal, Little O’Neal easily crashed the boards and tipped the ball into the basket.

The Pacers took the lead.

Rick Carlisle stood on the sideline in amazement. Who would have thought the Pacers could actually take the lead under these circumstances?

"Indiana is tough. Su Xi spent all his bullets in the first half, and now in the second, his teammates are stepping up one by one. They have absolutely no intention of losing. I love a team of tough guys like this."

Barkley gushed on TV.

Magic Johnson, however, had a different opinion. He believed that courage and fighting spirit alone weren’t enough to beat the Lakers in the Finals.

Because at this level, no one lacked courage or fighting spirit.

Just as Magic said, the Lakers quickly stabilized. Kobe Bryant isolated on the wing, drew the defense, and then quickly passed to Luke Walton. Walton dished the ball to the corner, where Derek Fisher caught it and hit a three-pointer.

Immediately after, Little O’Neal took Luke Walton to school. Luke Walton wasn’t a true power forward. He was put at the 4-spot for his passing and playmaking ability, which helped connect the OK Combination.

Little O’Neal just loved feasting on this ’Bill Walton’ brand cookie.

After Little O’Neal’s basket, Phil Jackson glanced at the bench. He called out Carl Malone’s and Gary Payton’s names, telling the two of them to get ready.

’Time to end the trial period,’ he thought. ’It’s getting chilly; time to just destroy the Pacers with the Super F4.’

Kobe Bryant hit a turnaround jumper from the post.

Play resumed on the other end. Little O’Neal once again went one-on-one with Luke Walton, forcing Shaquille O’Neal to come over and help out.

When O’Neal came out, Tony Battie quickly cut to the free-throw line. Little O’Neal passed him the ball, and Su Xi’s protector hit the shot cleanly.

The two teams were trading blows, playing on even terms.

With a wave of his hand, Phil Jackson sent Carl Malone and Gary Payton into the game, subbing out Derek Fisher and Devin George.

Luke Walton shifted to the 3-spot.

"The Lakers are starting their closeout," Magic Johnson announced on TV.

Barkley interrupted him in an urgent tone, "Hey, what is Carl Malone doing...?"

The camera cut to the sideline. As Carl Malone walked onto the court, he made a point of going near the Pacers’ bench. He started spewing a torrent of trash talk at Su Xi.

His expression was defiant, his posture one of condescending mockery.

In fact, you didn’t need to be a lip-reader to know he was provoking Su Xi.

The viewers at home all felt his actions were classless and over the line.

Barkley was even more blunt, saying, "Carl Malone has always loved bullying the ’weak.’ When it comes to kicking someone when they’re down, he’s the best in the world."

But all he could do was talk; he couldn’t get on the court and play himself.

Gary Payton brought the ball into the frontcourt and passed it to Kobe.

Kobe and Carl Malone ran a pick-and-roll, and he drove inside... exploiting Artest’s weakness in defending the pick-and-roll.

Little O’Neal had no choice but to step up and help.

At that moment, Kobe passed the ball out to Carl Malone.

Malone caught the ball and released a jump shot... SWISH!

It was good.

After the basket, Carl Malone grew even more smug. He turned aggressively, made a fist at Su Xi, and said, "Hey, rookie. You’re about to see how I beat down the Pacers, punch by punch."