Chapter 1088: 347: The Court May Not Judge You, but the Savior Can

Words : 919 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Chapter 1088: Chapter 347: The Court May Not Judge You, but the Savior Can Kobe wiped his sweat. His previous defense was flawless, and he did his best with every step, but his effort didn’t bring him any reward. Will he be discouraged because of this? No, he will make Roger feel the same pain! Lakers on the offense, Steve Nash initially intended to pass the ball to Kobe, but seeing that his defender switched from Roger to Tayshaun Prince, he waved and called for Karl Malone to set a screen. But the Little Prince’s ability to bypass screens is also impressive. Although his defensive aggression is not as strong as Roger’s, his extensive defensive coverage constantly kept Nash in check. Nash isn’t the type who prefers forced shots. In this situation, his first option is to pass the ball to someone more reliable. Kobe, who ran outside the three-point line, received the basketball, with Roger closely guarding him. The duel between the star players continues! Kobe held the ball with his back to the basket, leaned back twice, and directly turned around for a shot. Even with Roger’s fingertips in his face, the basketball still sailed through the net. “No one can judge me, not even you!” Kobe shouted excitedly, like he was venting all the pent-up emotions of the past year. This statement had a dual meaning, referring both to the Colorado courtroom and to Roger. He doesn’t accept judgment from anyone! The battle between Satan and God reached a fever pitch, with Roger and Kobe matching up against each other in every possession, neither willing to yield. They scored high-difficulty shots and executed spectacular defensive plays. They proved their worth as the league’s top two scorers and also as the league’s top perimeter defenders. They made the game’s time fly by, and John Cage felt like only a few possessions had passed when the game reached the last 43 seconds. With Kobe’s forceful drive against Roger resulting in a foul, and sinking both free throws, he reached a new playoff career-high of 51 points! “Roger with 52 points, Kobe with 51! This is a cataclysmic duel!” Al Michaels exclaimed with excitement, while Jeff Van Gundy looked utterly exasperated. The scoring ability of these two men far exceeded Jeff Van Gundy’s expectations, challenging his understanding of basketball. As a coach who prioritizes defense, Jeff Van Gundy can see that both sides’ defenses have reached their limit. Yet, the result of both Roger and Kobe scoring over 50 points shattered Jeff Van Gundy’s beliefs. Can defense really solve all problems? After Kobe’s basket, the Lakers were still trailing the Warriors by 2 points. Though both teams played fiercely and the back-and-forth between Kobe and Roger was incredibly exciting, the Warriors hadn’t let the Lakers take the lead at any point in the fourth quarter. Hubie Brown called a timeout, feeling that his old heart could barely withstand such high pressure. The camera zoomed in on the substitute bench where Roger and Kobe were taking deep breaths of exhaustion. Such a scene was rare for them. Now, they were enduring both physical and psychological pressure. Hubie Brown picked up his tactics board, just said a few words, and suddenly clutched his chest, collapsing onto the bench. “Hubie?” Roger was startled; he knew that in history, Hubie Brown also only coached two full seasons for the Grizzlies due to health reasons. The pressure from coaching the Grizzlies and the Warriors was vastly different; his stress level might be five or six times greater than in the original timeline. At 70, he was certainly considered elderly for a coaching position, with someone like Gregg Popovich coaching until age 75 being an exception. Most coaches retire around the age of 70. The same goes for Old Neil, Jerry Sloan, Larry Brown, Chuck Daly, and others. It seemed Hubie Brown was no exception. The live commentators seemed to sense something was wrong and craned their necks to look at the Warriors’ bench: “Hubie Brown is clutching his chest on the bench. What has happened? Will it affect the game?” The Warriors’ head team doctor, Chelsea Lane, quickly arrived. She knew Hubie Brown’s heart had some minor issues but had always been under effective control. However, she couldn’t take risks now for safety’s sake. “Hubie must withdraw from this game!” Ever since she announced Marcus Camby had to be written off for two consecutive years, Chelsea Lane had hated her job. This job always made her the bearer of bad news. Hubie Brown knew the game was at a critical moment, but his heart’s rhythm indeed made it hard for him to continue. Hubie Brown struggled to look up, glancing at Spoelstra and Jeff Hornacek. In the end, with a weak voice, he made a choice: “Erik, you take over for the rest of this game.” This was a reasonable choice, after all, Jeff Hornacek had only been an assistant coach for two years, whereas Spoelstra had been with Pat Riley for many years. Plus, due to physical reasons, Spoelstra had been handling a lot of Hubie Brown’s responsibilities all along. In an instant, Spoelstra found himself surrounded by everyone’s gaze. He took the tactics board, while Hubie Brown patted this young man on the shoulder. He knew how hard Spoelstra worked; he also knew what he was capable of. With the team doctor’s support, Hubie Brown left, leaving Spoelstra with little time to set up tactics.

Chapter 1088: 347: The Court May Not Judge You, but the Savior Can

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