Chapter 82: 50 Points? I Could’ve Taken It, But Why Bother?

In the end, it was a Georgetown man who defeated another Georgetown man.

The Miami Heat were still within reach with the 9-point deficit early in the fourth quarter.

Pat Riley had a backup plan—a surprise move—but Alex Mo struck first.

He came out firing at the start of the fourth quarter, unleashing a personal 10-0 run that pushed the Lakers' lead from 9 to 19 points in just a few minutes.

Pat Riley called a timeout to stop the bleeding. After the timeout, the Heat fought hard and cut the lead back to 15, but they were out of gas.

Amid the cheers of the home fans, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Heat 103-89, handing Miami their first back-to-back losses of the season.

Meanwhile, the Lakers remained undefeated, keeping their perfect record alive.

"Nice job, Alex. You got me today," Mourning said as he approached Alex after the game.

The two Georgetown alumni hugged.

"We'll meet again in Miami. And next time, I'm not losing," Mourning said, patting Alex on the back.

"I'll be ready. But it won't matter—whether it's Miami or L.A., victory will still be mine."

Mourning laughed heartily. "See you in Miami, then!"

On the way back to the locker room, Tim Hardaway walked with his head down. He was frustrated—on multiple levels.

First, they'd lost the game.Second, Alex Mo didn't play like a center at all. He did everything—from defense to fast breaks to three-point shooting—dominating from positions 1 through 5. It was just too much.

To make things worse, Hardaway also didn't come out on top in his personal battle with Iverson.

As for Mourning, although Alex's 49-point, 22-rebound, 7-block performance was incredible, Mourning had fought valiantly. His tough play and relentless effort kept the Heat in the game for three quarters. If not for Alex's fourth-quarter explosion, Mourning might have dragged this game into a nail-biting finish.

But in the end, Tim Hardaway lost the bet—and $50,000.

"What are you thinking, Tim?" Mourning patted him on the shoulder. "We've got to work harder, man. The young guys are catching up."

When Mourning first joined the Heat, he thought there was plenty of time to dominate the league. Now, the rookies from the 1996 class were already taking over.

Mourning refused to be one of the veterans swept aside by the next wave of stars. "I'm not done yet."

"But about that bet…" Hardaway started.

Mourning cut him off with a grin. "What bet? I don't remember any bet. Tim, all I care about is beating Patrick and the Knicks, Michael and the Bulls, Dikembe and his team… and now, Alex Mo and his Lakers."

"Forget the money. Victory is all that matters."

Tim Hardaway nodded, feeling reinvigorated. "You're right! In fact, let's make it more interesting—next time we play the Lakers, I'll double down. If we lose again, I'll owe you another $50,000, but if we win, the bet's canceled!"

Mourning laughed. "Deal. But now I'm not sure whether I want us to win or lose!"

In the Lakers' locker room…

After showering and changing, Allen Iverson stood next to Alex Mo, still thinking about the bet. $150,000 was a tough pill to swallow.

"I played well today, but compared to your performance, there's no question you won the bet."

Iverson felt like he'd walked straight into a trap.

"No installments allowed," Alex said with a smirk. "Come on, Al. You're not the type to dodge a bet, right?"

"Of course not!" Iverson slapped his chest. "Give me your account number—I'll send you the money within three days!"

Be willing to admit defeat—that was the Allen Iverson way.

Post-Game Press Conference

ESPN's reporter kicked things off. "Alex, congratulations on scoring a career-high 49 points. You were just one point away from your first 50-point game. Do you regret not going for it?"

"Regret it? Not at all," Alex said with a shrug. "When I hit 49, there was still time left. If I really wanted 50, I could've taken another shot."

For Alex, 50 points was just a number. 49 was enough to secure the win, and that was all that mattered.

As for his career 50-point games? There'd be plenty of time for that.

A local reporter from Los Angeles followed up."Alex, you've now beaten two of your Georgetown seniors—Mutombo and Mourning. The last one standing in your way is Patrick Ewing. Do you think you can beat him too?"

Patrick Ewing, the "Gorilla" of New York, was one of the big four centers in the league—a step above Mutombo and Mourning.

Alex smiled. "Before the game, no one knows the outcome. But before I faced Alonzo or Dikembe, who thought I'd dominate the way I did?"

He left the reporters with one final thought: "Let's wait and see."

The questions shifted to an upcoming game against the Minnesota Timberwolves."Alex, Kevin Garnett recently said in an interview that he can shut you down on both ends of the floor. How do you feel about that?"

Alex chuckled. "Confidence is good. Let's see how it plays out on the court."

Meanwhile, in Minnesota…

Kevin Garnett watched the interview on TV, clenching his fists. He'd been waiting for his chance to prove he was more talented than Alex Mo. That day was almost here.

"Just wait," Garnett muttered. "I'll show him what real talent looks like."