Link's sudden explosion disrupted the Spurs' original rhythm.
But Popovich made adjustments quickly.
During a dead ball.
The Spurs made a substitution: Robert Horry replaced Mohammed.
Duncan slid to the 5.
Link's eyes narrowed.
Robert Horry, Big Shot Rob.
Not only was he a deadly shooter, but his mobility was miles ahead of Mohammed's.
Popovich's substitution was extremely targeted.
When Link caught the ball in the mid-range again.
Horry was right in his grill, his defensive versatility making it hard for Link to shake him.
"The Spurs adjust so fast! They're forcing Link out of his comfort zone!" Mark Jackson pointed out sharply.
Sure enough, the Lakers' offense stagnated briefly.
Link kicked the ball out twice, but Walton and Farmar both bricked their three-point attempts.
The Spurs seized the opportunity to ramp up their offense, pushing the lead back to 8.
At the end of the first quarter, the Spurs led the Lakers 28-20.
However, they underestimated the Lakers' ability to adjust, and even more so, they underestimated Kobe's lethal ability to read the game.
Midway through the second quarter, Kobe and Link checked back in.
They quickly found a solution.
Without Mohammed as a meat shield in the paint.
Kobe attacked the rim relentlessly, drawing two fouls on Duncan in less than three minutes.
He hit all four free throws, leading the Lakers on a run.
Saddled with foul trouble, Duncan had to play tentatively.
This opened the door for Link.
With 7:06 left in the second quarter, Spurs led 40-37.
Lakers possession.
Kobe posted up on the strong side, drawing attention from the wing.
Link started from the weak side corner, looking like he was going to use an Odom screen to pop out.
But midway through, he cut backdoor, diving straight to the rim!
Ginobili, trailing on defense, was left in the dust.
Kobe, almost simultaneously, threaded a needle with a bounce pass, delivering the ball right into Link's hands.
Duncan was the help defender at the rim.
Link didn't shy away from the contact.
He leaned into Duncan in mid-air, contorted his body, and floated a lefty shot.
Duncan didn't dare reach.
The ball rattled twice.
Good!
40-39. Lakers cut it to 1.
A classic "Kobe-Link" connection.
"Beautiful play! Kobe drew the defense, and Link's cut was perfect!" Mike Breen shouted.
"Link's offensive bag is getting deeper. He has no blind spots on the floor!" Mark Jackson praised.
Last season, Link was purely a spot-up shooter.
This season, his finishing package was expanding, making him much harder to guard.
But he wasn't done.
5:48 left.
Tony Parker dribbled across half-court and signaled a play.
Tim Duncan came up from the low block and set a rock-solid screen for Parker at the top of the key.
Andrew Bynum was slow on the switch.
Parker slithered through like an eel, driving straight into the heart of the Lakers' defense.
Lamar Odom rotated over to help at the rim.
Parker didn't even look; he flicked his wrist and found a rolling Duncan with pinpoint accuracy.
Duncan caught it. nothing but the rim in front of him.
He took his habitual pause, adjusted his feet, and went up for the bank shot—a shot he could make with his eyes closed.
But a purple and gold blur exploded from the weak side!
It was Link!
He had abandoned Michael Finley in the corner.
Flying in with reckless abandon.
Just as the ball left Duncan's hand.
Link soared like a falcon, his right arm winding up and swatting the ball!
SMACK!!!
A crisp, violent block!
Link pinned the ball against his hand, completing the rejection.
Duncan landed, looking genuinely stunned for a second.
The AT&T Center gasped in unison.
Then came the explosion of cheers from the Lakers bench and the thud of towels being slammed.
"Oh my goodness! Link! He rejected Tim Duncan! A perfect weak-side rotation!" On the commentary, Mike Breen's voice went up an octave.
The ball changed direction.
Kobe had taken off the moment the block happened.
Like a black lightning bolt, he streaked into the Spurs' half.
1-on-0. Kobe threw down a powerful dunk!
The Lakers bench went nuclear!
That play flipped the switch.
The Lakers started flowing, and Link's three-ball finally started dropping!
At the end of the second quarter, the Lakers led 52-50!
In the first half, Kobe had 20 points and 4 assists, while Link chipped in 16 points.
The Lakers' shooting percentage skyrocketed in the latter part of the second quarter.
During halftime, Mike Breen commented, "The Lakers' duo combined for 36 points! Kobe is still unstoppable, and Link's adaptability and contribution are exceeding expectations!"
Mark Jackson agreed, "Exactly. Popovich's adjustments were met with even smarter responses from Phil Jackson!"
"Link's maturity is startling. He doesn't look like a second-year player at all!"
Second half. Crunch time.
Popovich, predictably, changed his lineup again.
The Spurs ramped up the physical contact on Kobe, trying to wear him down and deny him the ball.
At the same time, they were even more decisive about leaving the Lakers' third options open, daring anyone not named Kobe or Link to beat them.
The third quarter turned into a physical, gunpowder-filled brawl.
Bowen's defense got rougher, and the whistles blew frequently.
Kobe got tripped by Bowen on a drive, fell, and roared at the ref, earning a technical foul.
However, adversity only seemed to fuel the superstar.
Facing brutal defense, Kobe's eyes grew colder.
Post fadeaways, driving finishes, pull-up jumpers—
Every shot seemed to be fired with anger.
Kobe dropped 14 in the quarter, practically carrying the Lakers against the entire Spurs team.
End of the third: Tied at 78.
Fourth quarter. The real battle began.
All the starters were back on the floor.
The game reached a fever pitch!
The Spurs remained that stable machine; Duncan and Parker scored consecutively in the paint.
Ginobili hit an absurd three-pointer.
But on the Lakers' side, Kobe and Link found the key to firing simultaneously.
After a crucial defensive stop, Kobe pushed the ball.
He kicked it to Link on the wing, then cut hard to the basket.
Link read it perfectly and threw a lob.
Kobe soared and hammered the alley-oop!
Next possession, Link's mid-range game struck again.
Using a double screen to shake Bowen, he caught the ball at the left elbow. Duncan switched out.
Link faked a pass the moment he caught it, selling it with his eyes.
Duncan bit on the fake.
Link calmly rose up and fired!
Good again!
"Kobe and Link! They're trading blows! The Spurs defense is starting to crack!" Mark Jackson shouted excitedly.
With 2:17 left in the game.
The Lakers' lead grew to 5.
Spurs ball.
Ginobili drove with his signature Euro-step, contorting his body to kick it to Finley in the corner.
Finley fired the three.
Clang! Front rim.
Bynum secured the defensive board and immediately outlets to Kobe.
Kobe brought it up slowly, milking the clock.
Bowen was draped all over him, hand-checking constantly.
Kobe muscled his way to the free-throw line, stopped on a dime, and faded away.
Right hand high.
Bowen jumped with him, hand practically in Kobe's face.
But Kobe's fadeaway was extreme; he seemed to hang in the air for a split second before flicking his wrist.
The ball sailed over Bowen's fingertips, spinning rapidly, tracing a beautiful arc.
Swish!
Another one!
Lead extended to 7!
The AT&T Center was silent.
Spurs timeout.
Kobe landed, expressionless, just habitually blowing on his shooting fingers.
Out of the timeout, Duncan managed a tough two-pointer.
Time was running out.
The Spurs went to a full-court press.
Kobe caught the ball in the backcourt, immediately doubled.
He barely managed to pass it to Link near mid-court.
Ginobili was flying at him.
Link faked and drove.
Ginobili was coming in too hot and couldn't stop.
In desperation, he reached out and grabbed Link.
As their arms tangled, Link went straight up.
Tweet!
Whistle blew!
Foul on Ginobili!
At that moment, Link stabilized his core in mid-air.
The bonuses from [Quick Release] and [Mid-Range Master] surged.
Honed muscle memory allowed him to get the shot off despite being off-balance.
A super-high arc scraped the ceiling of the arena.
The entire Lakers bench was on its feet.
Even the stoic Zen Master looked tense.
Every fan in the building held their breath.
A brief silence—
Swish!!!
Nothing but net!
The AT&T Center went dead quiet.
The Lakers bench looked like they were about to storm the court.
"Ohhhhhhh!!! Unbelievable! Link! AND-ONE! He put the nail in the coffin! 1:13 left!" Mike Breen was practically screaming.
The AT&T Center was a tomb.
Popovich called a timeout, but the momentum was gone.
The Spurs rushed their threes in the final minute, bricking shot after shot.
The Lakers played smart, sealing the win with free throws from Kobe and Link.
Final buzzer: 108-99.
The Los Angeles Lakers took down the San Antonio Spurs on the road, snapping their home winning streak!
Kobe finished with a monster line: 39 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists.
Link contributed 27 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists.
After the game, Link shook hands with the Spurs players.
Ginobili walked up. "Good game, man!"
"Thanks, Manu!"
"Pop said he's gonna dismantle me and ship me back to Argentina for that last foul!" Ginobili joked.
"Hahaha! You can always come to LA, we'd welcome you!" Link was stunned for a second, then laughed.
Post-game, the media flashed an interesting stat.
Counting last season, in games against the Spurs:
Kobe averaged 35.5 points. Link averaged 27.3 points.
Both shot above their season averages.
Especially Link—facing the defensive juggernaut Spurs, his efficiency actually went up!
ESPN's headline was bold:
LA's Dual Stars Shine in San Antonio, A Spurs Terminator Born?
The article read: "Kobe is still the omnipotent Black Mamba, but Jerry Buss must be celebrating that they didn't—"
"Trade Link for Shawn Marion."
"Shawn is a good player, but he definitely wouldn't have done this against the Spurs."