After the game, the media issued soul-searching questions.
At the beginning of the season, everyone thought the Lakers were going to be invincible, and they even shouted the slogan of 82 wins.
The result is, just like this, you can’t even make it through the Western Conference Finals?
If they really lose to the Clippers, they will fail even more than the Celtics, who have made it to the Finals anyway.
【Who is the real core? 】
Another article has begun to discuss the core issues of the Lakers last season, which may have been controversial before.
However, as Zhang Zhiyuan's performance gets better and better, and Kobe Bryant's performance becomes more and more outstanding, this issue seems to have been concluded.
This conclusion is very harmful to Kobe. After all, if it is proved that Zhang Zhiyuan is the first core, then Kobe will become the second player to win the championship.
Originally, there was still hope of surpassing Pippen in terms of honors, but if the second player wins the championship, he will not be able to compare with Pippen. After all, Pippen has six.
As soon as the article came out, Kobe's fans were very angry.
But anger is anger. In the face of a large number of facts, they suffered a lot in the debate and were often ridiculed.
Except for a few die-hard fans who are still talking harshly, other fans have chosen to shut up or quit being fans.
On the 20th, the third game between the Magic and the Cavaliers.
This was a physical battle. Howard made three free throws early. The Cavaliers' Yinorgskas and Varejao also frequently fouled in order to stop Howard.
The game turned into a free throw shootout, and James finished taking Howard's free throw.
James made 24 free throws and Howard made 19 free throws.
At the same time, James also made 28 shots and hit 11. He took 40 shots in total and scored 41 points.
In the end, the Magic won the game, leading 2-1.
Both the Eastern and Western finals were ranked second, which is a bit of a coincidence.
On the 21st, the Clippers played Game 4 against the Lakers.
The Clippers narrowly won, leading 3-1.
The moment the game ended, not only Lakers fans, but also Clippers fans couldn't believe it.
Won, really won.
3 to 1, only one step away from the finals.
Considering that the Cavaliers and Magic are weaker than the Lakers, the championship seems to be within reach.
The series hasn't ended yet, but the media has already praised Zhang Zhiyuan to the sky.
Led by a single core, Zhang Zhiyuan defeated the five-star luxury lineup in the first year of reconstruction. No matter from which point of view, Zhang Zhiyuan's season can be regarded as great.
"The game is not over yet, we will achieve a reversal."
In the face of the media, Kobe is still speaking harshly.
No. 22, Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The strength of the two teams is really close. The winner of the first three games was decided at the last moment, and today it is again.
In the last six seconds, with the Magic trailing by 1 point, Lewis hit a three-pointer to take the lead by two points.
The Magic had already started cheering, but James broke through for a layup, causing Pietrus to foul.
James made two free throws at the critical moment, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime, James and Howard staged a king-on-king battle.
Howard made 4 of 4 shots and scored 10 points including free throws.
James made 3 of 7 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and scored 10 points with two free throws.
At the end of the game, the Magic also led the Cavaliers 3-1 and got the match point.
James scored 45 points, but his teammates couldn't help.
Howard only scored 27 points, but Alston scored 26 points, Lewis scored 17 points, Pietrus scored 17 points, and Turkoglu scored 15 points.
On the 24th, Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals begins.
Already leading 3-1, Zhang Zhiyuan did not use any more props.
Without the use of props, the Clippers were still not weak. They played back and forth with the Lakers and only fell behind by 4 points in the first half.
However, in the second half, Zhang Zhiyuan's physical strength declined more seriously, and his hand feeling was not very good.
Zhang Zhiyuan's state directly affects the Clippers' state. If he is in good form and attracts more double-teams, the rest of the Clippers will be able to perform well.
Once his shooting percentage drops, the Lakers will defend alone, and the scoring efficiency of the rest of the Clippers will be greatly reduced.
Therefore, when Zhang Zhiyuan's condition declined, the Clippers collapsed directly, losing by 10 points in the third quarter and another 6 points in the last quarter.
In the end, the Lakers beat the Clippers 127-107 by 20 points, tenaciously pulling the score to 2-3, retaining their hope of advancement.
Next, as long as they win another away game and drag the game into a tiebreaker, their hopes are still quite high.
Of course, the premise is to win the next away game.
At the post-game press conference, Kobe expressed his ambition to advance.
Winning by 20 points, a big victory, really boosted morale.
Not only Kobe, but Artest also expressed confidence in advancing and winning the championship.
Barkley didn't see it that way. He continued to throw out his own conspiracy theory, saying that the Clippers wanted to play one more home game and earn more ticket money.
This is the home court of the Western Conference Finals, and it is an epic showdown. The ticket price has broken the previous record, exceeding the ticket price of the Finals.
Even so, it's still hard to get a vote.
When questioning Zhang Zhiyuan, the reporter also asked him if he lost on purpose to earn ticket money.
Zhang Zhiyuan replied: "Thank you very much for thinking so highly of me, but I need to remind you that the Lakers are very strong and difficult to beat. I am not 100% sure of defeating them, only 80% sure at most. How dare I
Losing on purpose? I can’t wait to finish them off in 4 games.”
The tone sounded sincere, but the content sounded strange.
The phrase "80% at most" made the fans extremely happy. This is not looking down on the Lakers.
Some people think that Zhang Zhiyuan is arrogant, but Zhang fans say that the idol is telling the truth.
There's no 100% guarantee of beating the Lakers, but it's 80% certain.
On the 25th, Magic vs. Cavaliers.
As if they had agreed with the Clippers, the Magic also lost, and the score became 3-2, leaving some opportunities for the Cavaliers.
Mo Williams performed well in this game, scoring 26 points. Together with James' 37 points, the two scored 63 points together.
The Magic's Alston performed poorly and only scored 3 points.
No. 26, Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals.
Zhang Zhiyuan has decided to deal with his opponent in this game, just in case.
There would be many variables if it was delayed until the tiebreaker. He didn't want to take risks, and there was no need to take risks.
Zhang Zhiyuan used a triple-double machine, and then the two teams started playing.
The Lakers attacked first, and Kobe continued to follow the assist flow route. It was not that he liked this style of play, but that his efficiency in facing Zhang Zhiyuan's singles was really not high.
Kobe wanted to win, he really wanted to win.
In order to achieve this goal, he has sacrificed a lot and paid a lot.
Gasol scored a layup and the Lakers led 2-0.
When the Clippers attack, Zhang Zhiyuan naturally focuses on driving his teammates.
This was Zhang Zhiyuan's strategy before the game, and the rest of the Clippers increased their running positions.
Lowry passed by Zhang Zhiyuan, Zhang Zhiyuan blocked Fisher, and then passed the ball to Lowry.
Lowry took off the ball, shot, and hit.
2 to 3.
When the Lakers attack, Kobe plays with his back first and drives towards the basket.
Although he mainly focuses on assisting, he can't stand and deal cards. His intention is too obvious.
Kobe hit it twice, then threw the ball to the bottom corner, and Fisher caught the ball.
If you want to beat the Clippers, you have to shoot three-pointers.
Unfortunately, Fisher's three-point shooting is unstable.
The ball didn't go in.
Switching between offense and defense, Zhang Zhiyuan also tried to break through.
Relying on his skillful ball-handling skills, Zhang Zhiyuan passed Kobe and broke into the paint to score two points.
When he can score, Zhang Zhiyuan will never be polite.
2 to 5.
When the Lakers attacked, Kobe passed to Gasol. When Gasol saw that Bynum had grabbed a favorable position, he gave up the shot and passed the ball to Bynum.
Bynum scored easily.
When they started sharing the ball with each other and pursuing efficiency together, this Lakers team was very strong.
When the Clippers attack, they rely on Zhang Zhiyuan's invincible ability.
After Zhang Zhiyuan broke through, Gasol made up the defense, Zhang Zhiyuan scored the ball, and Hayes scored a jumper.
In this round of the Western Conference Finals, he has averaged 10 points and 4 rebounds per game, and his shooting percentage is as high as 78%.
After this round of the Western Conference Finals, there will definitely be teams offering high wages to poach Hayes.
He has successfully created an image of playing dead in the regular season and showing off at critical moments.
For a team that aims to win the championship, they need this kind of player.
"The Clippers are in good shape again today, and the Lakers will most likely be in trouble."
Even Fox, who supports the Lakers, is not optimistic about them. The Clippers' offense is really too efficient and smooth, and the Lakers still haven't found a way to defend the Clippers.
"It's normal. It's too difficult to come back after falling behind 1-3. In the last game, the Clippers were in poor condition and were missed by the Lakers."
Guests commented.
"If Zhang Zhiyuan wins the championship this year, he will be the well-deserved number one active player."
...
On the court, the Lakers counterattacked, and Kobe avoided Zhang Zhiyuan's shot.
The ball goes in.
The Clippers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan singled out Kobe and made a hit.
They both scored goals, but the two were already different.
The Lakers counterattacked, and Kobe missed a three-point shot. Gasol grabbed the rebound and scored a tip-in.
They took advantage of their rebounding advantage.
The Clippers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan faked a back shot, passed the ball without looking at anyone, and threw it to Lowry who was open, and Lowry hit a jumper.
In front of the TV, Jrue Holiday said to an NBA agent next to him: "If you can help me get selected by the Clippers, I will work with you.
You sign the contract."
"You are sure that with your ability you can definitely enter the top fifteen. The Clippers' draft picks are not that high."
The agent reminded.
"That doesn't matter, as long as you can be selected by the Clippers, even if you fall to the second round. Look at Lowry, how easy it is for Dragic to play with the Clippers. Dragic is also in the second round, but
He is now worth more than most first-round picks.
He played in the Western Conference Finals in his rookie season, is expected to win a championship, and has stable playing time as the first substitute. How many first-round picks are as good as him?"
Holiday asked.
The agent smiled bitterly when he heard this. Of course he understood this truth, but now all the rookies who want to go to the Clippers are on the team, so it's not that easy to get in.
Not only mid-level candidates like Holiday, but also some popular rookies are exploring the possibility of going to the Clippers.
It's so comfortable to play next to Zhang Zhiyuan. As long as he can shoot open shots, he can play with the Clippers. If the defense is better, he will be more comfortable.
Harden, Curry, DeRozan...
Those who have confirmed their participation in the draft are all thinking about the opportunity to go to the Clippers. Unfortunately, their draft market is too good. If they want to fall behind, they will be left behind.
Not easy.
Those rookies who were predicted to fall to the second round actually had more hope, fantasizing about some possibility, a miracle.
Not only are rookies who have not yet entered the league, some veterans who want to win a championship are also considering joining the Clippers.
Francis will obviously realize his dream this year, which will irritate many veterans who are trying to realize their dream.
On the court, the first quarter of the game has ended.
35 to 41, the Clippers lead by 6 points.
Although the 6-point gap is not big, Lakers fans are already starting to get anxious.
They can't afford to lose. If they lose this game, it will be over.
Not only will they lose the championship, but this five-star lineup will definitely be dismantled.
If you can't win the championship and still maintain this lineup, you can only make people laugh.
In the second quarter, Kobe continued to play, and he was ready to play a full 48 minutes.
He regarded this game as his last and no longer had any reservations.
Zhang Zhiyuan was resting, and Kobe was full of glory and hit two consecutive shots.
However, he felt tired after two rounds, and then Tony Allen showed his strength and guarded Kobe for two consecutive rounds.
Jackson looked on from the court and shook his head. Kobe's fight was in vain and a waste of energy.
His original intention was to hope that Kobe could calm down and use his physical strength rationally, but Kobe didn't listen.
After a few rounds, Zhang Zhiyuan came on the court again.
As soon as he came up, he singled out Kobe Bryant.
Kobe was broken through, Kobe was knocked away, and Kobe was blocked.
Zhang Zhiyuan crushed Kobe in this short period of time, and Jackson had no choice but to replace him.
It's not that Kobe can't play, it's just that it's inefficient and meaningless.
The Lakers have no shortage of scorers. As for defense, Ariza, who has plenty of physical strength, is no worse than Kobe.
After the substitution, the Lakers attacked, and Ariza hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding from beyond the three-point line.
"It should have been changed a long time ago. What's the use of playing with anger?"
Sun Zhengping complained.
"Before, Kobe played very calmly, which was quite reasonable. But when he fell behind by 6 points, he became impatient, not calm enough, and his mental quality was not strong enough, and he became emotional easily."
Zhang Lili commented.
He used to be a Kobe fan and he admired Kobe very highly.
But after having Zhang Zhiyuan for comparison, he increasingly discovered that Kobe's playing style was not perfect enough.
Now he has stopped bragging about Kobe and has begun to make fair comments.
The Clippers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan sent a wonderful pass, and Jordan made an alley-oop attack.
The two second-round picks selected by the Clippers last year are both shining on the stage of the Western Conference Finals.
People who once laughed at the Clippers have silently shut their mouths now.
It turns out that the clown is actually themselves.
The Clippers' series of operations now seem to be wise moves.
The Lakers attacked, McGrady made a mistake in his breakthrough, Zhang Zhiyuan stole the ball, and the Clippers counterattacked and scored.
The former four major points, Kobe and Tracy McGrady were both being rubbed by Zhang Zhiyuan, which made fans sigh.
Only then did they understand that the era of the league has truly changed. From now on, the league will be the era of Zhang Zhiyuan. Moreover, as long as Zhang Zhiyuan does not suffer any devastating injuries, it will be the era of Zhang Zhiyuan for a long time to come.
