The atmosphere in the locker room was thick—you could practically wring the tension out of the air.
Trailing by 17 points at halftime to the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns, almost everyone could smell defeat.
Phil Jackson didn't immediately jump into Xs and Os. His deep gaze swept over his dejected, slumped-shouldered players.
"We played too selfishly in that first half," the Zen Master said, his voice calm but carrying undeniable weight. "Basketball is a five-man game. If anyone's eyes are only focused on the basket, they can watch the rest of the game from the bench."
While he didn't name names, the message was clearly aimed at Smush Parker.
Parker's face darkened, but he didn't dare react while Jackson was speaking.
Link kept his head down, having completely suppressed his own negative emotions.
---
The second half began quickly. The Lakers started with the same lineup.
Perhaps the halftime speech worked, as the Lakers' offense flowed much better, resulting in several wide-open dunks.
On the other side, the Suns' shooting touch started to cool off, and Kobe keenly sensed the chance to close the gap.
After a series of moves on the baseline, Kobe leaned into his defender and hit a near-impossible fadeaway jumper from the zero-angle, scoring six points in a row!
"Beep…"
Mike D'Antoni quickly called a timeout.
"He's going crazy again…" Shawn Marion wiped the sweat from his face, still reeling from Kobe's spectacular shots.
The Suns had tried every defense imaginable against Kobe, but nothing was working.
Once Kobe enters scoring mode, there's not much you can do besides double-teaming him.
Midway through the third quarter, sensing the team's momentum building, the Zen Master made a change.
"Link, go in for Devin."
---
The Lakers pressed their advantage, ramping up the offense!
Link entered the game again. On the first possession after he came in, the Suns missed. Kobe grabbed the long rebound and immediately pushed the tempo.
Link noticed the defense shifting heavily toward Kobe. He made a quick V-cut and found himself momentarily open at the top of the arc.
Kobe didn't hesitate, delivering a precise cross-court pass right on the money.
Raja Bell reacted fast, racing over and leaping high to attempt a block.
Link caught the ball, didn't think twice, and simultaneously activated [Focused Shooter Lv1] and [Quick Shooter Lv1]!
Knees bent, jump, release... the entire motion was much faster than usual!
The ball flew past Bell's fingertips—the quick release catching the recovering defender completely off guard!
"Swish!"
The ball dropped cleanly through the net!
The Lakers continued to chip away at the lead.
Brian Shaw on the sideline wore an astonished expression. "How did Link's release look so much faster?"
"Wow!!!" A round of applause erupted across the Staples Center.
Offense fueled the defense. The Lakers played with renewed intensity, successfully stopping several Suns fast breaks.
In one switch, Link even absorbed a charging foul from Boris Diaw, planting his feet and taking the brunt of the impact!
That successful defensive play earned a huge roar from the crowd and a slight nod from the Zen Master.
Phil Jackson loves players like that: smart, high-execution, and willing to throw their bodies on the line!
Opportunity always favors those who persevere.
In the final minute of the third quarter, Kobe attacked with the ball.
Drawing a double team, he made the smart play and kicked it out to a wide-open Luke Walton on the wing.
Walton didn't get greedy; he quickly swung the ball to Link, who had a better look on the baseline.
Link's shooting touch was still hot. The ball traced a perfect arc and connected again!
A deafening cheer shook the Staples Center!
"Great shot, Link!" Walton ran over for a strong high-five.
Kobe pumped his fist in celebration, nodding toward Link from a distance.
On the last possession of the third, Steve Nash's speedy footwork manipulated the defense, and he drove to the basket for a tough floater over Chris Mihm.
82-89. The Lakers went into the fourth quarter down by seven.
They were still trailing, but they had found hope.
The struggling Suns were forced to rely on their core point guard, Steve Nash, to carry the offensive load for the quarter.
Nash scored 9 points in the period but only recorded 1 assist—the exact rhythm the Suns usually hated.
---
Late in the fourth quarter, the Zen Master made a surprising move: he subbed Link back in, pairing him with Kobe and Odom.
Smush Parker was glued to the bench.
With the coach's trust, Link played without reservation, making more aggressive cuts and setting strong screens.
First, he made a smart trailing cut on a fast break, catching an Odom bounce pass for a successful layup!
Then, using Kobe's gravity to his advantage, he caught the ball mid-range, launched a shot while off-balance over a defender's closeout, and sank it—earning a foul!
Link scored five straight points! He was up to 11 points for the night, continuing his excellent play from the previous game.
The gap continued to shrink!
D'Antoni called another timeout.
The entire crowd was on its feet. The noise level was almost tearing the roof off the building.
After the timeout, both teams played incredibly cautiously. The score climbed slowly, and the game reached a fever pitch.
The air felt frozen; every breath was hot, and every squeak of a sneaker on the hardwood was clearly audible.
"Defense! Get back on defense!"
After a missed offensive possession, Kobe loudly called for his teammates to scramble back.
Kobe's voice was already hoarse. He wasn't just providing offense; in these final moments, he was personally guarding Nash on defense.
Every fan in the Staples Center was standing, and the deafening chant of "Defense! Defense!" echoed through the arena.
---
With under a minute left, the Suns had possession, and the Lakers trailed by one. Kobe was guarding Nash on the perimeter.
The immense pressure forced even the peak "Fuzzy" Nash to be incredibly careful as he looked for a chance.
As the clock wound down, Nash drove, using a teammate's screen to try and shake Kobe.
After a few tense moments, Nash broke free from Kobe's tight coverage, but the shot clock was almost out.
Just when it looked like the Lakers had gotten the stop, Chris Mihm stumbled and fell for the fake. Nash seized the opportunity and drained a mid-range jumper!
21 seconds left. 109-112. The Lakers trailed by three.
The Zen Master called a timeout. They still had a chance!
During the brief timeout, Jackson set up the final play with a simple instruction:
"We'll go for two first. Everyone space out. Get the ball to Kobe!"
Link was breathing heavily. Even with the [Physical Enhancement] effect, he was winded.
The short 20-second timeout flew by.
Kobe ran hard to shake his defender, caught the ball, and without hesitation, took one dribble and pulled up for a jump shot over Shawn Marion.
"Clank!"
The ball hit the front rim and bounced out. Players from both teams rushed in, instantly creating a chaotic scramble.
Time was ticking away. In the struggle, the ball bounced into Link's hands!
Link glanced up at the clock—it was almost expired. He took one step outside the three-point line, jumped, and released the shot.
With the entire game on the line, Link's mind was calm, and he followed through with the shot decisively.
The motion was standard, almost perfect. All Link saw was the rim and the red digits flashing on the shot clock.
The ball flew through the air, carrying everyone's hopes. Even the iron-willed Kobe had his fists clenched.
The result...
The ball spun once around the inside of the rim and popped out...
Missed!
The Suns grabbed the long rebound. The Lakers were forced to foul. Marion hit both free throws, sealing the outcome.
In the end, the Los Angeles Lakers failed to complete the comeback at home, losing to the Phoenix Suns 109-114.
As the final buzzer sounded, Link stood frozen, hands on his knees, panting heavily, sweat dripping from his chin.
In that moment, he couldn't even think about whether missing the shot would affect his contract.
He looked up at the scoreboard, his eyes filled with regret and self-reproach. He had missed the key three-pointer that would have tied the game.
"Hey, rookie," Smush Parker's passive-aggressive voice cut in from behind him. "Looks like your luck ran out, huh? Not everyone is built to take the last shot."
Link turned and walked away, offering no reply. Any words felt hollow in the face of failure.
In the locker room, Link sat motionless, staring blankly at his spot. Just then, Kobe walked over.
Kobe's expression was calm, with no hint of blame in his eyes.
"Nice shot. Next time, make it."
With that, he patted Link's shoulder and walked toward the player tunnel.
Link watched Kobe's retreating back, stunned.
This warrior of a man standing before him had been through countless moments like this.
He knew better than anyone that true courage is being willing to take the 1,001st shot after missing the first thousand.