The third quarter was extremely tense.

On one occasion, O'Neal single-handedly knocked down both Yao Ming and Mobley while posting up the basket, and he wasn't called for a foul.

The referee's standards were still quite lenient.

Especially inside the penalty area, the referee considered these to be legitimate collisions.

........

The third quarter has ended.

79:67!!

The Rockets lead by 12 points.

At halftime, the score was 53-53, meaning the Lakers only scored 14 points in the third quarter, while the Rockets scored slightly more with 26 points. Both teams played very intense defense.

Even Wei Guo...

He scored 17 points in the third quarter, making 6 of 11 shots, with a shooting percentage of only 54%.

........

Russell, who was present at the game tonight, walked up to Wei Guo and asked, "Are you confident of winning this game?"

"Um?"

Wei Guo glanced up at the scoreboard and asked, "Is there still any suspense in this game?"

"I don't like your playing style."

Russell said, "You're the best center, stop shooting those damn three-pointers."

Russell came to watch Wei Guo and O'Neal battle it out under the basket, but Wei Guo took 11 shots in the third quarter, 6 of which were three-pointers.

Speaking of which...

These older generation players still don't really approve of three-pointers.

This statement silenced Wei Guo, and Russell was very satisfied, feeling that he had struck a chord with Wei Guo.

........

At the start of the fourth quarter, Russell sat next to Yao Ming, quietly watching Wei Guo's performance.

Russell also highly regards Yao Ming...

This tall guy from China has a decent shooting touch, but he doesn't shoot three-pointers, and he dares to go head-to-head with those big, strong guys under the basket.

Shaq, Kobe, defend the nation!

All three remained on the court. O'Neal and Kobe wouldn't rest; if they couldn't win this game, they would be out of the playoffs.

Cummings is on the court!!!

The Rockets were on offense. Cummings dribbled the ball just past half-court and then accurately delivered it to Wei Guo.

Francis laughed and said, "Cummings is very good at passing the ball to Wei Ge... He should get more playing time."

"He's a champion with a ring."

Gentry remarked with a sigh, then said to Francis, "But Cummings has a more important task, even more important than the last game."

Wei Guo received a pass from Cummings under the basket, circled around to the three-point line, and took a shot.

This move...

It completely baffled both O'Neal and Russell!

O'Neal was eager to compete with Wei Guo under the basket, but Wei Guo dribbled away and slipped away, leaving O'Neal unsure where to direct his efforts. Russell thought Wei Guo had taken his advice to heart, but when given the chance to compete with O'Neal, Wei Guo stayed far away and shot three-pointers.

"Whoosh!!!"

The crisp swishing sound of the net made O'Neal even more annoyed.

Gentry explained to Russell, "When Wei received the ball just now, there was only Fisher on the weak side. O'Neal is not as fast as Wei. Kobe and Horry were on the strong side. At that time, coming out was equivalent to shooting an open three-pointer."

"I can understand it..."

Russell snorted, "I'm just not happy!"

Russell wasn't the only one unhappy; O'Neal was the most unhappy. Only Cummings was happy, even though Cummings wasted an assist by receiving the ball and then coming out to shoot a three-pointer.

82:67!!

The Rockets are now leading by 15 points.

This point difference is even more dangerous for the Lakers. If the gap widens to 20 points and there is only one quarter left in the game, the Lakers will not be able to turn the tide.

........

This attack is very important.

Fisher dribbled steadily across half-court, and O'Neal received the ball under the basket!

But...

Facing Wei Guo's defense, O'Neal did not blindly attack, but passed the ball to Kobe again, who received the ball and... took a three-point shot.

"bang~~~"

Forge iron!!!

That missed shot was fatal. Kobe missed the shot while being defended by Rice, and Wei Guo also grabbed the defensive rebound.

Wei Guo's solo run with the ball...

"Surround and defend the country!"

The Zen Master shouted anxiously, "He won't pass the ball! Stop Weiguo's shot!"

The Zen Master was right. Wei Guo really didn't pass the ball. He shot when he was still a step away from the three-point line!

George's hasty defense hit Wei Guo's wrist, but the basketball had already slipped past Wei Guo's fingertips.

*Smack!!!*

Wei Guo lost his balance and fell to the ground.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball went into the net.

"Beep!!!"

The referee blew his whistle and called a defensive foul on George.

The Zen master angrily turned around and kicked a stool away, Wei Guo made him feel despair.

"3+1!!!"

Cummings excitedly pumped his fist, shouting, "My brother Wei is invincible!"

86:67!!

Trailing by 19 points, the Lakers had no chance to turn the tide.

........

With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Lakers were still down by 20 points.

The Rockets' bench has already begun celebrating the victory...

The Zen Master understood that the game was lost, so he substituted his key players and said he would try again next season.

Only Kobe...

Kobe refused to give up and insisted on staying on the court, trying to catch up in the score.

Moved by Kobe's spirit, Wei Guo stayed on the court to prevent Kobe from closing the gap. Every time Kobe scored, Wei Guo responded with a basket of his own. With O'Neal off the court, Wei Guo had every chance to score under the basket.

"Beep!!!"

As the whistle blew, Kobe looked unwilling!

He lost to Wei Guo once again...

Match statistics:

Wei Guo: 69 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, and 6 blocks

Cummings: 2 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks

Kobe: 46 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

O'Neal: 33 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks

........

Kobe and O'Neal combined for 79 points and 26 rebounds, while Wei Guo and Cummings combined for 71 points and 18 rebounds. Statistically, the O'Neal duo won, but Wei Guo and Cummings won the game.

4:1!!!

This series is over.

The Rockets defeated the Lakers to become the first team to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

actually...

The moment the final whistle blew, Kobe was at peace... He accepted his defeat wholeheartedly!

It's indeed difficult to defeat the Rockets, and Kobe even admires the teamwork of the Rockets. This team seems to be a unified whole, just like the 76ers last season.

Every other team... will have some locker room conflicts to some extent, but there have never been any reports of anyone having conflicts with anyone else in the Rockets' locker room.

The Rockets have also lost games, and when they lose, every player tries to take the blame upon themselves. The Rockets often win games, and when they win, every player attributes the credit to their teammates.

The Zen Master shared the same thought as Kobe: if the Lakers were as united... perhaps they could beat the Rockets.