Chapter 37: Seeking to Cripple Someone?

"Beautiful steal."

"Li has successfully executed another steal after his first defensive lapse."

"The Knicks' core player, Eddy Curry, was handled with ease."

"Kobe has the ball and is starting the counterattack."

Li Rui’s steal from Eddy Curry sent the home crowd into a frenzy once again. Li Rui was not only delivering an outstanding performance on the offensive end but was also shining brightly on defense. He was rapidly winning over the New York fans.

As Kobe accelerated into the counterattack, Li Rui sprinted up the left side, with the entire Lakers squad pushing forward quickly. Odom was slightly slower in the middle, Walton was trailing behind Kobe, and Bynum, while the slowest, was also putting in the effort to keep up.

Kobe encountered defensive pressure on the sideline and quickly passed the ball to Odom in the middle. On the other side, Nate Robinson stuck closely to Li Rui. The three Lakers players charged toward the Knicks’ backcourt like a lightning bolt.

"Don't let him get open!"

"Stop him!"

Isiah Thomas stood up again, shouting. He sensed the crisis in this possession once more. Odom charged into the frontcourt and cut toward the paint. With Crawford and Richardson collapsing inward, Odom’s path was blocked, so he looked for an outlet.

Who to pass to?

Li Rui was positioned outside the three-point line on the right. Without a second thought, he caught the ball and immediately launched a jump shot.

What kind of threat could a 5'9" "Kryptonate" pose to him? Did he really think that because he had blocked Yao once, he could block him too?

Just as Li Rui had anticipated, with his preparation, the little guy couldn't interfere with the shot. Nate Robinson jumped with all his might, only to watch helplessly as the basketball sailed over his head.

"Swish!"

The three-pointer was like an arrow! 63 to 48.

This play perfectly exploited the height advantage. After the basket, Li Rui pumped his fist in celebration; he was one step closer to his goal for the quarter. However, in the next two possessions, Li Rui’s three-point attempts missed, as the Knicks sent Richardson to guard him, creating significant trouble.

With 8:15 remaining, Li Rui found Nate Robinson again, sealing him off in the low post on the left. Odom, holding the ball at the top of the key, decisively passed it over. Nate Robinson looked miserable. Li Rui played this possession even more simply: a shoulder check, backing into Nate, followed by a turnaround fadeaway jumper.

You can't touch it—you just can't touch it.

"Swish!"

The ball went in easily. The score was now 69 to 53.

"Nate, when you’re guarding me, could you not look at me so tenderly? I almost thought you were asking me if we should take a photo together after the game," Li Rui said to Nate.

What! What!

Hearing Li Rui’s trash talk, Nate Robinson pulled a face like a victimized child, his eyes looking even more aggrieved. Who the hell wants a photo with you?

Isiah Thomas called a timeout and put Marbury back in. Nate’s defensive liabilities were too significant to keep him on the floor for long. In his first possession back, Marbury used a screen from David Lee to shake off Li Rui, drove to the basket, used his knee to push Bynum away, and scored.

The returning Marbury played more rationally; he was less selfish and distributed the ball promptly when facing high-intensity defense. This caught the Lakers off guard, leading to frequent lapses in their defense. The Knicks' players were simply uncoordinated, not unskilled.

Crawford, Eddy Curry, and Marbury took turns exerting pressure, leading the Knicks on a scoring run and turning the game into the Knicks' rhythm for a short while. Li Rui’s individual defense was fine, but the entire Knicks team had been energized, requiring a collective defensive effort. The Lakers couldn't maintain high defensive intensity indefinitely; they would slack off, and the gap continued to narrow.

With 4:11 left, the score was 74 to 66.

Kobe held the ball at the top of the key to organize the offense. His expression was calm. Once the floor was spaced out, he changed direction and accelerated to shake off Crawford, driving into the right side. Richardson and Marbury converged to double-team Kobe.

Kobe then dished the ball to the left corner, where Li Rui had run after using a screen from Bynum. Li Rui had already shaken his defender. He made no wasted movements.

He caught the ball and jumped. The basketball was released with a flick of his wrist.

Li Rui’s shot flew over the head of the rushing Eddy Curry. Having switched onto him, Curry was already out of position, but he didn't brake; instead, he charged toward Li Rui with a vicious look. The NBA has never lacked dirty players, and many talented careers have been derailed by underhanded tactics.

Unable to stay calm in his attempt to stop Li Rui, Eddy Curry placed his foot directly where Li Rui would land. If Li Rui had been a naive rookie, he might have been injured and fallen to the floor, but he was not. Having seen Leonard suffer from the same "landing zone" tactic, Li Rui never took a shot without being prepared. Human nature is unpredictable; whether on offense or defense, Li Rui always prioritized protecting himself first.

Li Rui slightly splayed his legs in mid-air, avoiding Curry’s foot. However, he was still knocked off balance by Curry’s massive frame and stumbled to the floor.

"Bang!"

"Swish!"

"Beep-beep!"

The referee blew the whistle: a three-point play!

"OMG, that’s a crime."

"A crime!"

"The Knicks are using dirty tactics against Li."

"God, the slow-motion replay shows Eddy had absolutely no intention of pulling back."

"Eddy has insulted the sport of basketball. He doesn't deserve to step on the court at Madison Square Garden."

The New York fans near the baseline stood up and cursed at Eddy Curry. Phil Jackson, who had been sitting on the sidelines, could no longer contain himself. He rushed to the head referee to furiously protest the incident.

Just when many expected the referees to at least call a flagrant foul on Eddy Curry, they ruled it a common foul, refusing to upgrade the penalty. The arena erupted in deafening boos, and some fans with Asian faces even flashed middle fingers at the referee.

"A common foul? Joey, are you kidding me? That’s a flagrant foul!" Jackson yelled at Joey Crawford, throwing his hands up.

"Phil, stay calm, or I’ll give you a technical foul," Joey Crawford warned.

In the small-ball era, such an action would be a flagrant foul. A few years ago, it might have been ignored. In the current era, it sat right in the middle, leaving the decision to the referee's discretion. Joey Crawford had seen far worse fouls, and since Li Rui hadn't been injured, Crawford felt no need to upgrade the penalty.

Calm? It was hard for Jackson to stay calm. He continued to verbally berate Joey Crawford. Crawford decisively ejected Jackson, and the cursing coach was dragged away by staff.

"Damn it, that’s criminal behavior."

"Are you joking?"

Even Walton came over to argue with Joey Crawford. Regardless of the Lakers' protests, Crawford remained expressionless and kept the call as it was.

"I didn't mean it," Eddy Curry shrugged with an innocent look, feigning harmlessness.

"You know exactly what you did, Eddy. Fuck you," Kobe said, walking over and pointing his index finger at Curry’s nose.

Li Rui was too important to the Lakers; Kobe wouldn't stand by and watch this happen, and he was angry enough to stand up for Li Rui. Kobe didn't have any personal relationship with Curry, who was notorious for his poor character and constant legal troubles.

Curry didn't challenge Kobe and simply turned and walked away.