With his back against Kobe, Roger suddenly spun around, attempting a forceful drive, but Kobe's tight steps and strong resistance made it hard for the fatigued Roger to break through such a defense.
Phil Jackson gritted his teeth, surely this time the defense would hold? Roger is almost out of strength!
No, Roger was still seeking other ways.
After creating a slight gap with Kobe by pushing him back, Roger used this space to make a significant change of direction. To avoid getting stripped, Roger lowered his center of gravity to a point where his shoulder was nearly pressing against Kobe's hip.
This allowed him to evade Kobe's hands, which were adept at stealing the ball, but the low center of gravity during the direction change almost made Roger stumble.
Kobe thought Roger made a mistake and was ready to dive for the ball.
