Hayes injured his knee in the last game and needs to rest for a week.
This is already relatively lucky, at least the Lakers' main force was not injured.
Winning the championship requires strength and luck.
Suns starting lineup, Nash, Laga Bell, Diaw, Stoudemire, O'Neal.
At the beginning of the game, Bynum beat O'Neal again in the jump ball, and the Lakers took the lead.
The Lakers are still following their old routine, with Zhang Zhiyuan attracting defense on the outside and Kobe waiting for opportunities to attack inside.
The Suns gave up double-teaming and chose man-to-man defensive tactics, hoping that Laga Bell and Diaw could guard the Lakers' twin stars.
With O'Neal guarding the basket, Bynum couldn't take advantage. Odom had some technical advantages against Stoudemire, but he was a little weaker physically.
As a result, the burden of offense still fell on Double Star.
As long as any of them takes advantage, they can force the Suns to change their defensive strategy.
Kobe attacked first, and Laga Bell followed closely.
Kobe took two hits, turned around and shot a jumper.
The ball didn't go in.
The Suns counterattacked, and Nash advanced slowly and played very steadily.
The two sides fell into position and the Suns players started running.
Stoudemire and Nash played a pick-and-roll. After success, Nash broke through Odom and rushed towards the basket. Kobe covered the defense and Nash fired the ball into the bottom corner.
Lagabel made a three-pointer and scored.
In fact, Kobe's choice of help defense is very bad. Laga Bell's three-pointer cannot be missed.
Kobe ran to help defend because he was used to it, and it was easier to grab rebounds closer to the basket.
Due to the reduction in ball rights this season, his assists have dropped dramatically, and he has unknowingly developed the habit of crouching under the basket and waiting for rebounds.
Although not as exaggerated as Westbrook would be in the future, this defensive habit is still somewhat bad after all.
However, no one is complaining about this flaw of his for the time being, because the Lakers have been winning.
When the Lakers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan received the ball and singled out Diaw. After dribbling through, Stoudemire made up the defense.
Stoudemire's defense is not good, but now he doesn't want to be swept, so he is much more active on the defensive end.
Zhang Zhiyuan's breakthrough was blocked and he lobbed the ball to Odom.
Odom took a mid-range shot and missed the ball.
"It's okay, the opportunity came up, I just didn't score."
Zhang Lili commented.
When the Suns attacked, Nash chose to challenge Fisher. After pretending to break through to mobilize Fisher's center of gravity, he stepped back and shot.
This is not his regular move, but it's not that he doesn't know how to use it.
The ball goes in.
0 to 5, the Suns started very well.
The fans at the scene were very excited and cheered loudly.
However, while they were happy, they were still a little worried. After all, the opponent was the Lakers, and the first 5 points really didn't count as an advantage.
The Lakers attacked and Zhang Zhiyuan continued to break through. As a result, Diaw did not lose his position. Zhang Zhiyuan could only force a shot or find a teammate to pass the ball.
Zhang Zhiyuan chose to pass the ball. After Fisher received the ball, he was forced by Nash. Fisher also chose to pass the ball.
When the ball reaches Kobe's hands, his position is not very good at this time. There is Laga Bell in front and Stoudemire not far away who can defend at any time.
The ball should be passed again, but the Lakers' offensive time is running out.
Kobe chose to deal with it simply and rely directly on his personal ability to force the shot.
His shooting percentage for this kind of shot is not very low, but he didn't hit it this time.
The fans at the scene cheered directly.
The Suns counterattacked, but they failed to find a good opportunity.
After all, it is the playoffs. Everyone has a better defensive attitude and is very defensive. It is not easy to find opportunities.
Laga Bell faced Kobe and took a forceful shot.
The ball goes in.
There is some luck in this goal, but luck is also a part of strength. Who has not scored a lucky goal? Kobe has scored more lucky goals than Laga Bell.
0 to 8.
When the Lakers attacked, Kobe was a little anxious and rushed to the basket when he got the chance.
Lagabell didn't block, and O'Neal made a ruthless move, dragging Kobe down and sending him to the free throw line.
"I'm different from you, this still makes two points to me."
Kobe trash-talked O'Neal and mocked O'Neal for his inaccurate free throws.
O'Neal looked cold. If possible, he would have a boxing match with Kobe.
Kobe walked to the free throw line. At this time, the fans behind the basketball circle began to cause trouble. They worked together to hold up a large poster with a photo of Zhang Zhiyuan holding the MVP.
Others were shouting at Kobe: "Kobe, when will you win a championship as the boss?"
O'Neal was very happy to hear this, and the expression on his face was undisguised.
Kobe shot the free throws with a stern look on his face, and unexpectedly missed the first free throw.
Kobe became even more angry and threw the second ball.
Bang!
Kobe used too much force and was a bit outrageous.
Stoudemire protected the rebound and O'Neal laughed.
He could imagine how the media would ridicule Kobe after the game, and would definitely link Kobe's missed free throws to the fans' interference.
"Calm down, those are all rubbish."
When returning to defense, Fisher couldn't help but remind him.
Kobe was angry and annoyed. Of course he knew it was trash talk. Fisher's reminder had no effect on him and only made him more embarrassed.
The Suns attacked, Odom was distracted, and Stoudemire rushed up.
Nash passed the ball, Stoudemire took three steps back after receiving the ball and dunked.
Bynum was blocked by O'Neal and could only watch.
0 to 10.
The Suns got off to a fantastic start.
Jackson still didn't call a timeout, and Zhang Lili looked anxious for him.
The Lakers attacked and Zhang Zhiyuan broke through after receiving the ball.
Diaw is very versatile and can guard many positions. However, in the NBA, versatility often means that he does not have top abilities.
His ability to defend small forwards is only above average, but Zhang Zhiyuan can be super good at this position.
Zhang Zhiyuan successfully passed the ball, Stoudemire was a step slower in assisting the defense, and Zhang Zhiyuan went to the basket.
Now it was Bynum's turn to block O'Neal, and Zhang Zhiyuan successfully scored a layup, scoring the team's first two points.
2 to 10.
"You have to watch Zhang at the critical moment."
Smith said.
In transition between offense and defense, Nash controls the ball and advances.
After halftime, the Suns began to make various tactical moves, and even O'Neal started to move.
The dazzling tactical coordination made Bynum dumbfounded. He was fooled. He walked towards Stoudemire, O'Neal slipped to the basket, Nash passed the ball, and O'Neal scored two points.
2 to 12.
"The Suns' offense was really smooth today. If we keep it up, we might be able to win the game."
Barkley openly rebelled and had hope in the Suns again.
"Unfortunately, it is impossible to maintain this kind of offense and defense all the time."
Smith said.
The Lakers attacked, and Kobe regained some form and hit a one-on-one jumper with Bell.
4 to 12.
"Send him to the free throw line."
O'Neal whispered in Bell's ear.
He wasn't sure if it would be effective, but if Kobe could see the poster a few more times, he would feel better.
Lagabel nodded.
The Suns attacked, Stoudemire caught the ball, and when he was about to start again, Zhang Zhiyuan went over to double-team him in time.
Stoudemire passed the ball to Diaw, and Zhang Zhiyuan turned around and pounced on Diaw.
Diaw's shot was a little slower and was affected somewhat. The Suns' tactical cooperation was a failure.
The ball didn't go in, and Diaw was a little depressed.
In the transition between offense and defense, Zhang Zhiyuan broke through and attracted double-teams to score the ball. Odom caught the ball and hit a jumper.
6 to 12.
The Lakers fans suddenly became happy and began to show off in various ways.
"Worrying about the Lakers is simply unnecessary."
"So what if I give them 10 points first?"
"It's impossible for the Lakers to lose. It's impossible for the Lakers to lose again this season."
.......
The Suns counterattacked, and Kobe missed the ball. Laga Bell had no time to adjust after receiving the ball, so he could only shoot a long two-pointer, but the ball went in.
The ball went in, it was a beautiful shot.
6 to 14, of which Lagabel scored 8 points alone.
Although he only averages 13 points per game this season, it is not impossible to score 30 points in a single game when he occasionally breaks out.
This kind of role player outburst is the biggest headache for opponents.
Increasing defensive efforts will definitely give the opponent's core force more opportunities. No matter what, he may really kill his opponent.
The Lakers attack, and Kobe seems to want to use offense to make up for his mistakes on the defensive end.
Kobe catches the ball, dribbles, changes direction, initiates a breakthrough, and goes all the way to the basket.
Stoudemire fouled him and sent him to the free throw line.
Suns fans started causing trouble again, waving placards with the words Eagle County on them.
Kobe took a deep breath and adjusted his condition.
Kobe was slightly relieved when he made the first free throw.
At this time, he was actually under great psychological pressure.
For the second free throw, Kobe aimed at the basket and took the shot.
Unfortunately, the ball didn't go in.
Madfak.
Kobe couldn't help cursing secretly. Making one of two free throws was an outright failure for him.
7 to 14, the Suns attack.
Kobe followed Laga Bell closely, and he had sworn in his heart that he would never give Bell another chance, not even a single chance.
Under Kobe's full attention, there was really nothing Lagabell could do.
But Laga Bell was not the main attacking point of the Suns. After Kobe was taken out of the three-point line, Nash directly passed Fisher and made a throw.
This is not Kobe's problem, this is Fisher's problem.
Of course, if Kobe still wants to stay in the All-Defensive Team, he must give Fisher some help.
When the Lakers attacked, Fisher was unhappy with being bullied twice by Nash, so he chose to fight Nash alone.
Although he is much less famous than Nash, he has an advantage over Nash on the offensive end.
Relying on stronger strength, Fisher arched toward the basket step by step. After arching almost enough, he turned around and threw a ball, and the ball went in.
9 to 16.
The Lakers' offensive efficiency slowly returned to normal levels, but Jackson was very dissatisfied with the team's performance because the Lakers' scores were all in positional battles and there were no fast break scores.
Without a fast break, O'Neal cannot be consumed quickly.
This has been playing for almost 5 minutes, and O'Neal is still jumping around on the court.
The Suns attacked and Stoudemire missed the mid-range shot.
Then Jackson called a timeout and reminded the players to play their own rhythm, play fast breaks, and drive the rhythm.
For this reason, he even replaced Bynum, replaced Ariza to speed up, and let Odom serve as a guest center.
This will inevitably make the Lakers' inside line very weak, but it doesn't matter to Jackson.
As long as the rhythm is brought up, the Lakers can win in chaos.
The timeout ended and both sides returned to the court.
To Jackson's surprise, O'Neal was also replaced.
Although O'Neal played well just now, D'Antoni still chose to make a substitution. I don't know if he guessed Jackson's thoughts or for some other reason.
In short, the changes in the sun's formation are just right.
The game continued, the Lakers attacked, and Kobe shot against Barbosa and scored.
Compared to Lagabel, fighting Barbossa is really easy.
The Suns counterattacked, and Barbosa shot from outside the three-point line.
The ball goes in.
The offense and defense transitioned, and Kobe continued to beat Barbosa.
Laga Bell helped defend, Kobe passed the ball, Stoudemire stepped in front of Zhang Zhiyuan, Zhang Zhiyuan passed to Ariza, and Laga Bell retreated in front of Ariza.
This defensive strategy of infinite defense changes consumes a lot of energy. The Suns cannot use this strategy all the time, but it is okay to use it for a few minutes occasionally.
When Ariza faced the defender, his true colors were immediately revealed. He had no ability to attack with the ball.
As a result, Ariza jumped up on the spot and took action. This simple way of handling the situation was too new for Laga Bell, who directly jumped up to cover his eyes.
The ball didn't go in.
The Suns counterattacked. Nash and Barbosa quickly passed halftime. Only Zhang Zhiyuan of the Lakers retreated in front of them. Neither Fisher nor Kobe could keep up in time.
Fisher is a short and stocky point guard, and speed has never been his strong point. After Kobe gained weight, his speed could no longer deserve the nickname Peter Pan.
The fastest player on the Lakers team today is Zhang Zhiyuan.
With one defense against two, Zhang Zhiyuan had no choice but to watch Barbosa go to the basket and score two points.
He would rather let his opponent score two points than give Nash a chance to shoot a three-pointer.
With Nash's open three-point ability, there is no need to gamble on that kind of luck.
11 to 21, the score difference reached double digits.
The game continued, and the two teams were having a great time fighting back and forth.
The Lakers' shooting percentage began to rise, but the Suns' offensive efficiency has also remained efficient.
It is too easy for a three-back lineup to create opportunities, and the Suns seem to have a good touch.
As a result, the two sides fought evenly in the second half of the first quarter.
After the first quarter, 27 to 36, the Suns led by 9 points.
Being 9 points behind is not a problem for the Lakers.
What really worries fans and commentators is that both Kobe and Zhang Zhiyuan played the entire first quarter without taking a break.
Still falling behind under such circumstances makes some fans anxious.
Without Kobe Bryant and Zhang Zhiyuan, the Lakers' lineup would suffer greatly during substitute time.
"There is no other way but to let Kobe continue to play. For him, playing 44 minutes occasionally is not a problem."
Barkley gave the Lakers an idea that was not an idea.
"Speaking of it this way, Zhang Zhiyuan's physical strength is actually very strong, and he has also played the entire game."
Smith said.
"In other words, the Lakers have no physical problems, so it's still very difficult for the Suns to win."
Buckley said.
Obviously the Suns have a greater advantage, but the Lakers duo are still optimistic about the Lakers.
