Inside the locker room at halftime, the atmosphere felt different from usual.
They were still trailing, but no one had their head down.
The Lakers had played well toward the end of the first half. Aside from Kobe, everyone else had contributed.
The momentum was starting to build.
"They're definitely going to adjust their defense in the second half," the Zen Master said, sketching quick diagrams on the whiteboard.
"Don't get careless. Our shots still haven't fully fallen. Link, Sasha—you two need to shoot with more confidence!"
Kobe wiped the sweat off his face with a towel and spoke in a low, steady voice.
"LeBron's probably going to attack a lot more in the second half. We've got to protect the glass and not give him chances to run in transition."
Just as Phil and Kobe predicted, the Cavaliers came out with a clearly different approach to start the second half.
LeBron James flipped the switch and went into attack mode.
First, he used a series of screens at the top of the arc and drilled a pull-up three.
Then, on the defensive end, he read Kobe's passing lane perfectly, got the steal, and went coast to coast for a thunderous tomahawk dunk.
Five straight points.
The lead instantly stretched to seven.
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse exploded, the roar nearly shaking the building.
"Give me the ball!" Kobe shouted, his face dark, already calling for it in the backcourt.
He crossed half court, went straight at LeBron, chained together a couple of between-the-legs dribbles, and forced his way into the lane.
After heavy contact between the two, Kobe faded back and got the shot off anyway.
The ball bounced out.
There was contact—arguably a foul—but the whistle never came.
The Cavs secured the rebound, and LeBron pushed the break again.
This time, he drew three defenders and fired an almost unbelievable behind-the-back pass to a trailing Eric Snow.
Snow caught it cleanly and let it fly.
Three points.
In less than three minutes, Cleveland ripped off an 8–0 run.
47–58. The deficit ballooned to 11, and the Lakers had no choice but to call timeout.
"Settle down!" Phil yelled from the sideline.
"Don't let LeBron dictate the pace! Move the ball! Kobe—trust your teammates!"
Out of the timeout, Link checked back in as the Lakers took possession.
This time, Kobe didn't force it. He held the ball on the wing.
LeBron guarded him one-on-one, while the rest of the Cavs watched like hawks.
On the weak side baseline, Link kept moving, circling and cutting, trying to shake free.
Finally—using a perfect "elevator doors" screen from Bynum and Odom—
Link found a razor-thin window at the left wing, about 45 degrees from the basket.
Kobe caught it out of the corner of his eye.
In the split second LeBron's attention shifted toward Link's movement—
Kobe took one hard dribble and fired a sharp skip pass to Link!
It was a beautifully timed play, a display of Kobe's elite basketball IQ.
In a blink, LeBron was pulled out of help position.
Link caught the ball in rhythm.
[Focused Shooter Lv.2 activated!]
[Quick Release Lv.2 activated!]
Up. Release. Lightning fast.
The ball arced high through the air.
Swish!
The crisp sound of the net was like a shot of adrenaline for a tense Lakers team.
The lead was back to single digits.
"Great shot!" Kobe pumped his fist hard.
That three couldn't have come at a better time—it stopped the bleeding.
The next few possessions were a back-and-forth battle.
The Lakers' forwards struggled to contain LeBron.
On the other end, Kobe took full advantage of Cleveland's thin perimeter defense.
By the end of the third quarter, the Lakers had clawed back to 75–79, trailing by just four.
LeBron had 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists—one assist shy of a triple-double.
Kobe had poured in 33 points.
Both stars were clearly spent.
During the break, Link sat on the bench chugging a sports drink.
The Cavs loved to run, and every possession was exhausting.
To keep up, Link had already logged nearly 20 minutes through three quarters.
He had 15 points and 3 rebounds—one of the main reasons the Lakers were still in it.
There had been one possession where Link ended up switched onto LeBron.
Even though his athleticism had improved dramatically—
Against LeBron, it still felt like trying to stop a freight train with bare hands.
One simple shoulder bump sent Link stumbling backward.
All he could do was watch as LeBron soared through the air for the dunk.
Now, the final quarter—the decisive battle—was about to begin.
From the opening tip of the fourth, the game turned into a brutal tug-of-war.
LeBron took over completely, initiating the offense every trip.
Kobe answered with relentless isolation scoring.
Punch for punch, bucket for bucket.
Neither side could land the knockout blow.
Midway through the fourth, Link checked back in.
His role was crystal clear.
Keep moving. Create space for Kobe.
And be ready to shoot when the chance came.
The crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse was deafening.
This superstar showdown had more than delivered its price of admission.
With less than a minute left, the score was tied—95–95.
Cavs head coach Mike Brown called timeout.
Cleveland had the ball for a potentially game-deciding possession.
On the Lakers bench, Kobe bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for air.
He'd been carrying the offense while also guarding LeBron—his tank was nearly empty.
On the other side, LeBron was diagramming the final play himself, completely taking over the huddle.
Everyone knew this possession could decide the game.
Out of the timeout, LeBron caught the ball up top.
The Lakers were on high alert—Kobe picked him up personally.
The entire arena held its breath.
Second by second, the clock ticked down as LeBron dribbled at the arc.
With eight seconds left on the shot clock, he made his move.
A violent crossover.
Using pure strength, he shoved past Kobe just enough and exploded toward the paint.
Bynum and Odom collapsed at the same time, forming a wall.
The Cavaliers' perimeter was wide open.
He's going to pass.
The thought flashed through Link's mind like lightning.
He knew LeBron too well.
Throughout his career, LeBron had always played "the right way."
For years to come, people would criticize him for these kick-out passes, accusing him of avoiding responsibility.
Link quietly prepared to rotate to the corner.
In a split second, LeBron leaped—but didn't shoot.
Surrounded by three defenders, he whipped the ball to the left corner.
Larry Hughes was wide open.
Just like I thought.
Link's heart skipped.
The same old familiar taste.
The instant the ball left LeBron's hands, Link exploded into motion.
His first step was terrifyingly fast—just enough to arrive before the pass fully reached Hughes.
Hughes' vision was disrupted by the sudden contest.
He wanted to swing the ball again, but the shot clock was nearly gone.
Forced into it, he rose up and fired over Link's outstretched arm.
Clang!
Missed shot.
Andrew Bynum secured the rebound.
Possession changed hands.
With 27 seconds left, Phil called timeout.
LeBron lowered his head, frustration etched across his face.
The brief timeout ended quickly.
The Lakers had plenty of time to work.
Terrified of Kobe's jumper, the Cavs trapped aggressively beyond the three-point line.
Kobe spotted the opening and zipped a pass inside to Bynum.
Bynum rose up and slammed it home with authority.
97–95!
After trailing all night, the Lakers finally took the lead at the most critical moment.
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse fell silent—then erupted in stunned groans and disbelief.
Cleveland's final possession.
Once again, the ball went to LeBron.
The Cavs were out of timeouts, and the clock was bleeding away.
LeBron launched a desperate, ultra-deep three.
It missed.
The buzzer sounded.
On the road, after a brutal, all-out battle, the Los Angeles Lakers completed the comeback and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeBron James finished with a massive triple-double: 33 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists—an impeccable performance.
Kobe Bryant answered with 42 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
After the game, drenched in sweat, the two stars met at center court and shared a hug.
Players from both teams exchanged handshakes.
When LeBron reached Link, he paused briefly, then joked,
"Hey, Prophet Link—don't tell me you peeked at my playbook on that last one?"
He winked, his tone relaxed.
Link smiled back. "Just got lucky and guessed right once."
LeBron raised an eyebrow, then said seriously,
"Honestly, Link—how about coming to Cleveland when your contract's up?"
"I promise Gilbert will give you a great deal."
Link was momentarily caught off guard, then replied casually,
"Sounds tempting, LeBron—but tonight, I've got a win to celebrate with my teammates."
He pointed toward the celebrating Lakers.
LeBron burst out laughing and gave Link a solid pat on the shoulder.
With a carefree wave, he turned and headed down the tunnel.
Link watched his back and shook his head with a smile.
The young king's leadership and charisma really were something special.
For all the criticism he drew—
His flaws couldn't outweigh his greatness.
Years down the line, he would inevitably become one of the greatest players the NBA had ever seen.