Chapter 85: Blood-Chasing Block! Alex Mo’s Iron-Blooded Push-Ups!

In the end, Garnett chose to hold back his celebration—a gentleman can wait ten years for revenge.

The Game Begins

The Lakers transitioned to offense.Allen Iverson brought the ball across half-court, his signature lightning-quick first step leaving the defender in the dust for a mid-range jumper.

Iverson had already proven himself as a top scorer, dropping 30+ points in three of his first six NBA games. Against 34-year-old veteran Terry Porter, Iverson was unstoppable.

Timberwolves' Turn

Porter didn't have time to pass—Iverson stole the ball right out of his hands!

"Young guys have no respect for us old-timers," Porter thought. But Iverson didn't care. He dashed into the frontcourt like he had Hot Wheels strapped to his shoes, throwing a no-look pass behind his head without even checking who was there.

Of course, there was only one person who would be there—Alex Mo.

"BOOM!"Alex flew in and hammered down a powerful dunk. 4–2, Lakers.

The Timberwolves responded with Tom Gugliotta, their All-Star forward. Gugliotta had entered his prime, averaging 24 points and 9 rebounds per game so far this season.

He scored easily, tying the game.

Back on offense, the Lakers exploited a clear weakness—the Timberwolves' aging perimeter defense. Both Terry Porter (34) and Doug West (31) were no match for Iverson's speed, leaving them chasing him helplessly.

Iverson sliced through their defense repeatedly, while Gugliotta and Ray Allen kept the Timberwolves competitive with jump shots and hustle plays.

Halfway through the first quarter, the Lakers led 17–14.

The Big Block

Iverson attacked again, flying toward the free-throw line for a mid-range jumper.

"SLAP!"Kevin Garnett came out of nowhere, swatting Iverson's shot and sending the ball flying.

"Kevin Garnett with the block! He's showing off his incredible defensive instincts!"

Garnett didn't stop there—he sprinted downcourt on the fast break. Porter lobbed the ball to him, and Garnett soared for a dunk.

Or at least, he tried to.

Alex Mo had chased him down from behind, leaping into the air with both hands extended.

"BOOM!"Alex rejected the dunk with authority, sending both the ball and Garnett crashing to the floor.

The Target Center fell silent for a moment before erupting into cheers—not just from Timberwolves fans, but also from Lakers supporters and Alex Mo's growing legion of fans.

Garnett, lying on the floor, glanced at the referee, hoping for a foul call.

Nothing. The ref ignored him.

It was a clean block.

"SH*T!" Garnett cursed under his breath.

Then, without waiting for his teammates to help him up, he dropped into a set of push-ups right there on the court.

"Kevin Garnett's response is… doing push-ups?"

The crowd went wild. Garnett's iron-blooded push-ups became an instant sensation.

"Looks like Garnett's a tougher guy than Rasheed Wallace," said Big Ben on the bench, watching with interest. "He's got some fight in him."

"Mo Ran may have met a real tough opponent today," Director Zhang commented on CCTV. "Kevin Garnett might be just as hard-nosed as Alonzo Mourning."

"Mo, did you see that?" Big Ben said excitedly. "That guy's got guts."

But Alex didn't flinch. He watched as Garnett stood up and pounded his chest, acting as if he had made the block himself.

"This guy's got flair," Alex thought, smirking.

The First Quarter Ends

Despite Garnett's bravado, Alex and Iverson dominated the first quarter. The Lakers led 28–22, with Alex tallying 11 points, 3 blocks, and several key plays that stopped the Timberwolves from tying the score.

Iverson added 12 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals, keeping the Timberwolves' defense in disarray.

On the other side, Garnett put up a solid performance, but it was Ray Allen and Gugliotta who carried the Timberwolves' scoring load.

Halftime Strategy

"Great job, everyone," Del Harris said during the timeout. "Allen, keep using your speed to break their perimeter defense. They'll have to adjust eventually."

He turned to Alex, circling his number on the whiteboard. "Mo, once they tighten up their perimeter defense, that's your time to take over. Be ready."

Del Harris had planned the game carefully—Iverson would force the Timberwolves to shift their focus, giving Alex the perfect opportunity to dominate.

Second Quarter – Back on the Court

The Timberwolves returned with renewed energy.

"Kevin, stay active on defense and cover from the free-throw line to the three-point line," Coach Philip Saunders instructed. "Help contain Iverson."

"No problem," Garnett said confidently, wiping his sweat. "I've got him."

But Iverson had other ideas. As he attacked the Timberwolves' defense, Garnett stepped in to cut off his driving lane.

"You can't get past me!" Garnett shouted.

"Who said I wanted to pass you?" Iverson smirked. With a quick glance, he bounced a perfect pass to Alex Mo in the corner.

Garnett reacted instantly, sprinting toward Alex.

But Alex was faster. He crossed over Garnett with a quick step, leaving him behind in an instant.

With an open path to the basket, Alex charged into the paint and slammed down a two-handed dunk over the 7-foot-2 Timberwolves center Frankovic.

The arena erupted once again.

The battle of talent was far from over—but right now, Alex Mo had the upper hand.