Chapter 299: Chapter 77: Might as Well Charge You Some Money
O’Neal’s presence was overwhelming.
Kobe Bryant also gave 200 percent on defense, matching up directly against Su Xi.
This had an impact on the Pacers, but it diminished as Ron Artest and Reggie Miller started hitting their shots.
The two teams traded blows.
The Lakers maintained their lead all night. They also got some favorable calls, though it was within the normal scope of home-court advantage. It was just like how the Pacers got a few calls in Indiana.
Carl Malone also had an excellent game tonight. As the third option, his shooting was decisive and consistent.
Under these circumstances, the Pacers were forced to play catch-up the entire time.
By the fourth quarter, Su Xi had led a charge that cut the deficit to just three points.
But then, Kobe went on a tear, hitting consecutive three-pointers.
Furthermore, when the Pacers resorted to fouling, the Lakers simply took O’Neal off the court.
This should have been the Pacers’ opportunity. Su Xi kept feeding the ball into the paint, but Little O’Neal failed to capitalize. He was practically a double agent, bricking so many shots in a row that even Carl Malone started taunting him.
By the time Su Xi took control of the ball himself and tried to force the issue, it was already too late.
Su Xi gave it his all, going one-on-one against Kobe.
Although he didn’t have as many offensive moves as Kobe, he still fearlessly drove into the paint, forcing his way to the basket.
But Kobe’s touch was just too hot; he couldn’t miss.
In the end, the Lakers won the game 106-94.
When the final buzzer sounded, Su Xi stood panting, hands on his knees, his eyes fixed on the scoreboard overhead.
1-2.
The Lakers had clawed one back in the series.
Kobe Bryant was the biggest reason for the Lakers’ win, finishing with a stat line of 32 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
Su Xi put up 23 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block in 29 minutes of play. He was just shy of becoming the youngest player to record a triple-double in the Finals.
Su Xi’s performance in this game was beyond reproach. Though his shooting percentage was a little low, with the Pacers’ big men struggling, he was the team’s sharpest weapon on the perimeter.
...
The mood on the Pacers’ team bus was somber on the way back to the hotel. The loss had dampened everyone’s spirits.
Back in the locker room, Reggie Miller had given a long speech, encouraging everyone to keep fighting in the next game.
Carlisle, meanwhile, took all the blame during his press interview. "...Every one of our players performed exceptionally well, and I’m proud of all of them. The reason we lost this game is my fault. I wasn’t prepared enough; I was blindly optimistic."
Carlisle was a good man. Publicly, he shouldered all the blame for the loss. Privately, he announced that the next day would be a day off, for everyone to do as they pleased.
The Pacers would be staying in Los Angeles for at least another week.
The Lakers had three consecutive home games.
On the team bus, a local TV analyst was babbling excitedly on the built-in television: "...As long as we win these three home games, then even when we go back to Indiana, we’ll have the series on match point and can finish it in one fell swoop! We will reclaim the honor that belongs to us! The greatest king of the new century has set sail once again tonight..."
Ron Artest changed the channel, not wanting to agitate the team any further.
Su Xi glanced up at the TV. It was an interview with a comedian. Just as he looked up, he heard the comedian, in his unique rhythmic delivery, answer a question about his profession: "...People have been laughing at me since I was a kid. I just thought, fuck it, might as well charge them for it. That’s why I got into the comedy business..."
Su Xi raised an eyebrow.
Back at the hotel, Su Xi lay in bed, tossing and turning.
He kept replaying the game in his mind, wondering what he could have done better, where he had fallen short.
He thought back for a long time but couldn’t come up with anything.
The Pacers’ inside presence had been weak, but not disastrously so. And he himself had played exceptionally well. His shooting percentage was a little low, but that was because he was the one forcing the issue and taking all the tough shots. On top of that, he had played 29 minutes at full throttle, giving it his all.
To lose despite all that could only mean one thing: when both parts of the Lakers’ OK Combination were firing on all cylinders, the Pacers simply couldn’t compete.
’How did the OK Combination suddenly get so in sync?’
’They can’t keep playing at such a high intensity, can they?’
The more Su Xi thought about it, the more restless he became.
He decided to turn on the TV, deliberately avoiding the sports channels so he wouldn’t get more upset.
But when he flipped to other channels, he felt even worse.
The entertainment media were all over the Pacers’ loss. While they praised the Lakers for securing a victory for the City of Angels, they were also painting Su Xi as the main culprit. They claimed he had been corrupted by the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, that the beautiful women fawning over him from the sidelines had made him lose focus, ultimately costing the Pacers the game.
Having this pile of crap dumped on his head, Su Xi was instantly pissed off.
’I’m so damn chaste, and you’re accusing me of womanizing? Have I ever asked a single one of those women for their number? They were throwing themselves at me, trying to touch me, and I pushed them all away. And now look, I’m the one being painted as some kind of playboy.’
’Fuck.’
Su Xi cursed under his breath.
He couldn’t help but think of the comedian’s interview.
A blaze of irrational anger welled up inside him. ’Fine. You all say I’m a playboy? Then I’ll show you a playboy.’
Su Xi dialed Jessica’s number and asked her to come pick him up at the hotel.
While he waited, Su Xi also called Mike O’Connor. "If there are any parties tomorrow, I’ll go. Just make sure they’re high-class."
Mike O’Connor saw the message and practically jumped out of bed in the middle of the night. This was fantastic! He could finally go out and ride Su Xi’s coattails again, finally get to flex a little.
...
Su Xi got into Jessica Alba’s car and they headed for Beverly Hills, to a house she had just recently purchased. Before she started dating Su Xi, she hadn’t been earning much. But ever since their relationship went public, the constant buzz had caused her popularity to skyrocket. She landed numerous commercial endorsements, and her fame even spread to Asia.
This led to a significant increase in her acting fees as well.
As a result, she was able to purchase this French-style mansion.
Soon, Su Xi was letting her experience a pleasure she could have never imagined. It was a long journey that began in the garage... from the garage to the living room, to the elevator, to the bedroom...
It was a wild and sleepless night.
But it wasn’t just a sleepless night for them. It was a sleepless night for Scarlett Johansson as well.
Scarlett had just pulled into the hotel garage, planning to give Su Xi a surprise, when she saw him get into Jessica’s car.
Instead, Jessica gave her a shock.
For a moment, she even wanted to jump out of her car and snatch Su Xi away.
But then she spotted the paparazzi nearby, filming everything.
She didn’t want to cause a huge scene. In that moment, she demonstrated an unprecedented ability to see the bigger picture.
This act would later earn Su Xi’s admiration.
The media, however, would not let such an explosive story slip by.
They had originally been tailing Scarlett, but they stumbled upon an unexpected jackpot. They had caught not only Jessica, but also Su Xi getting into her car... This footage alone was enough to send the entertainment world into a frenzy.
It was the first time the drama of two women fighting over one man had been so clearly documented.
The SJ shippers had won a huge victory.
This was guaranteed to cause a media firestorm.
Time Warner clearly agreed, because they paid the paparazzo 500,000 USD for the exclusive rights.
And this was 500,000 USD in 2003.
This just went to show Su Xi’s immense influence.
After acquiring the tape, Time Warner didn’t rush to release it overnight. Instead, they prepared the press copy and streaming assets, planning to launch a media blitz starting at noon the next day.
They intended to make back that 500,000 USD many times over.
Meanwhile, Su Xi was completely oblivious to the storm about to break.
He was still in the heat of battle.
He was still thinking, ’Fuck it. Since everyone’s calling me an unprofessional playboy anyway, I might as well give them a real show.’
...
