He wanted a no-holds-barred game, like the one right now. Even though they led in score, facing Su Wan's incessant "trash talk" without responding felt like losing anyway.
So Phil Jackson knew that Kobe was very displeased, extremely displeased!
But that was from his perspective. From the coach's perspective, his strategy was extraordinarily successful.
The fourth quarter began, and Kobe started to take over the Lakers' offense.
However, perhaps because he was preoccupied, he wasn't in the zone at the beginning. Facing Su Wan's "trash talk," he missed three consecutive one-on-one plays.
At this time, the Pacers caught up by 5 points.
Two of those points came from a pick-and-roll between Su Wan and the young O'Neal, with Su assisting the latter to complete a slam dunk.
The other three points came as Su, facing Kobe, quickly passed the ball after a pick-and-roll, ending with a three-point shot.
Unable to enter "The zone"...
