Chapter 86: Ignite the Fuse? The Wolf King Throws the Ball at Alex Mo!

"Roar!!"

After delivering a powerful dunk over the Timberwolves' center, Alex Mo let out a roar that echoed through the Target Center.

He wasn't the only one. Lakers fans in the arena exploded with cheers. They had sat through a lot of back-and-forth plays, but this ferocious poster dunk brought the energy back to life.

"Man, that was insane!"Allen Iverson ran up, shoving Alex in celebration. "I didn't think you'd go for that dunk right away—totally brutal!"

The Timberwolves Fight Back

Garnett received the ball at mid-range and tried to answer with a one-on-one move against Alex. He wanted to return the favor, but Alex saw through him. He blocked KG's layup with ease, rejecting the ball and grabbing the rebound.

Alex quickly threw the ball to Iverson, who sprinted upcourt and scored with a 1v2 layup.

The Timberwolves were starting to show signs of frustration. Their offense was falling apart, while the Lakers' dual-core attack of Alex and Iverson kept gaining momentum.

Garnett, still reeling from being blocked, forced a contested jump shot.

The ball bounced off the rim. Timberwolves center Frankovic grabbed the rebound and went for a quick putback—

"BAM!" Alex Mo soared in from behind and delivered a chasedown block, slamming the ball off the backboard.

"That's Alex Mo again!" shouted Mr. Zhang from the CCTV studio. "Is this his first block?"

"No, Director Zhang," his partner corrected. "That's his fifth block, and we're not even at halftime yet!"

Mo's relentless defense and shot-blocking had the commentators wondering:"Could this be the game where Alex Mo records his first triple-double with blocks?"

Garnett's Panic

Kevin Garnett was visibly shaken.

He had expected to dominate the defensive end with his versatility, covering both the paint and the perimeter. But so far, it was Alex Mo who was controlling the game on defense.

On offense, Alex became the "Pie King," effortlessly finishing every opportunity set up by Iverson. His high-efficiency scoring and full-court defensive coverage made it seem like Alex was everywhere at once.

The Timberwolves couldn't catch a break. Every time they tried to cut into the Lakers' lead, Alex would deliver a key block or basket to shut them down.

Big Ben Enters the Game

With the Lakers up by 16 points, Del Harris signaled for Big Ben Wallace to enter the game.

"Ben, warm up. You're going in."Del Harris gave him a stern warning: "No fighting. Stick to basketball."

Big Ben grinned. "Don't worry, Coach. Unless someone tries something stupid, I'll keep it clean."

The crowd buzzed as Big Ben walked to the scorer's table.

"Could it be?" The ESPN commentator asked. "Is Ben Wallace, the enforcer who KO'd Rasheed Wallace, about to make his return?"

"Guide Zhang, Roaring Tianzun is about to check in!" exclaimed Zhuan Qun on CCTV. "Does this mean we're going to see Big Ben on the court again?"

"This is great news!" Director Zhang replied. "His defensive presence next to Alex Mo is far superior to Campbell's."

A Mysterious Substitution

With two minutes left in the second quarter, Big Ben checked in. Everyone expected him to replace either Alex or Campbell. But instead, small forward Cedric Ceballos was subbed out.

"Wait, what?"

The commentators were stunned.

"Are the Lakers running a lineup with three bigs? Is Big Ben playing small forward?"

The truth became clear on the next possession.

"Mo, you're the small forward now," Big Ben whispered. He thought it was a secret tactic.

Alex gave him a helpless look. "Everyone's going to figure it out as soon as I shoot."

Sure enough, when the ball came to Alex on the perimeter, the 6'10" "small forward" calmly drained a three-pointer over Gugliotta.

"Bang!" The ball swished through the net.

"Mo Ran—uh, Alex Mo for three!" shouted the ESPN commentator. "Wait… is he really playing small forward now? This is incredible!"

At 6'11" with a wingspan that stretched forever, Alex was unstoppable at the small forward position, creating natural mismatches against shorter defenders.

On the Timberwolves' bench, Coach Philip Saunders was stunned.

"What kind of lineup is this?"

The Timberwolves Strike Back

The Timberwolves weren't ready to give up yet. On the next possession, Garnett received the ball in the post, ready to take advantage of his size against Big Ben.

But Big Ben was solid as a rock. Garnett tried to push him back but couldn't budge him.

So, Garnett turned and shot a fadeaway jumper—only for Alex to help from the weak side and swat the shot away.

Garnett's frustration boiled over.

Garnett's Desperation

Later in the game, Garnett grabbed an offensive rebound, only to find himself trapped on the baseline by Alex and Big Ben. With no escape, he made a split-second decision.

He jumped and smashed the ball at Alex Mo, hoping it would bounce out of bounds and save the possession.

The ball flew toward Alex like a cannonball. But Alex dodged it at the last second, and the ball sailed out of bounds.

Lakers' ball.

But it wasn't over.

Big Ben's eyes locked on Garnett. In his mind, there was one rule:

"Throw the ball at me? Fine. But throw it at Alex? That's crossing the line."

Big Ben clenched his fists. "Time to teach him a lesson."