They were leading by 8 points.
And Hardaway knew that these first few minutes of the second half were crucial.
Skiles wanted him to draw Kobe into a one-on-one matchup, score, and use the opportunity to pull away.
An old fox like Jackson would never let Kobe keep hurting the team with these one-on-one plays.
But if they could seize this chance and extend their lead to double digits, it wouldn't be so easy for the Lakers to make a comeback.
'So my mission is a heavy one.'
'Not only do I have to provoke Kobe into this duel, but I also have to defend him as best I can and score as much as possible.'
'It's hard.'
'This is Kobe, after all—already one of the best guards in the league, a contender for the scoring title and MVP.'
But the road to a championship was never easy, and Hardaway was well aware of that.
Taking a deep breath, Hardaway made his move.
