Chapter 53 The Lakers are ruthless, and the Birdman takes off!
The game continues.
After getting some rest, Kobe returned to the court with full health.
As soon as he came up, he made a long two-pointer over McGrady.
Later, on the defensive end, he used one of his famous stunts - mad dog defense!
Starting from the backcourt, Kobe stayed close to McGrady all the way.
After he catches the ball, he constantly uses his body to create pressure.
This kind of defense is very taxing on both yourself and others, and it also tests your physical fitness.
Kobe's ability to become a first-line defenseman (best defensive player first team) many times depends on this!
Under Kobe's constant "biting", even as strong as Tracy McGrady, it was a bit difficult to resist.
At the same time, Lakers fans at Staples Center also began to cheer for their leader:
"Defense!!!"
"Defense!!!"
"Defense!!!"
In addition, there was not much offensive time left at this time and it was impossible to reorganize the attack. In the end, McGrady had no choice but to force the shot...
"Hey, McGrady has lost his center of gravity on this ball. It's not appropriate to force the shot like this...Hey, it's in!"
Yang Yi exclaimed.
Originally, he wanted to scold McGrady for choosing to take action in such a difficult situation instead of passing it to his teammates.
But now that the ball has been scored, he has no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
Kobe shook his head helplessly. He had already defended this ball to the extreme.
However, he was not discouraged at all and immediately started running.
At this time, there were only 5 seconds left before the end of the half. Lakers center Gasol quickly rushed to the baseline, took the basketball from the referee, and prepared to serve the baseline ball quickly.
When people are in a hurry, they tend to overlook important details.
When Gasol saw Kobe opening his hand for the ball, without thinking much, he flicked his wrist and passed the ball.
Unexpectedly, Danny Green, who was lying in wait, suddenly jumped out and appeared in the passing lane.
"Wow, a very smart steal! This is the young player who just came on the field - Danny Green!"
Yu Jia commented timely.
After the mistake, Gasol immediately returned to the basket and prepared to defend.
But Danny Green wasn't in a hurry to shoot.
His next choice was beyond everyone's expectations.
Green dribbled directly outside the three-point line, then turned around and shot.
"Shua~"
The basketball hits the net!
Moreover, the moment the goal was scored, the red light on the timer sounded, and the half game was over.
At 66:59, with five consecutive points scored at the last moment, the Rockets returned to the locker room with a 7-point lead.
.............
During halftime, Phil Jackson made a rare appearance in the Lakers locker room.
As one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, "Zen Master" is good at governing by doing nothing.
He is used to giving his team members ample room to develop and allowing them to use their subjective initiative to solve problems.
In ordinary games, even if the team is beaten by the opponent, the Zen Master will rarely call a timeout.
But, today's game is different.
Shortly after the game started, Phil Jackson saw how extraordinary the Rockets' young team was!
Less than half a quarter into the game, Zen Master had a glimmer of understanding in his mind - no surprise, this young Rockets team will become a team that can compete with the Thunder in the next few years and can compete for the championship.
!
This is not good news for the Lakers, who have dominated the Western Conference for three years.
After realizing this, Zen Master, who had always been calm, became extremely eager to win a game.
"In the first half, we had fewer targeted attacks."
"The rockets have no height, we must take advantage of this."
"Starting from the third quarter, Paul (Gasol), Lamar (Odom,) you become the main attack point, everyone strives to go inside every ball."
The Zen master arranged.
Hearing this, everyone subconsciously looked in Kobe's direction.
"Why are you watching me? Listen to the coach."
Kobe said seriously.
He has always been strong, but he always strictly abides by the coach's arrangements and never oversteps his authority.
The Lakers generals nodded and said yes again and again.
"This game may be more critical than everyone thinks."
"Perhaps, this year we will not only have to face the challenges of Miami and Boston, but also the Thunder in the Western Conference and today's Rockets, all of which may become our competitors."
"So...show your best and win this game."
Even when the Zen Master was giving blood, his tone was as calm as ever.
But the players have already felt the head coach's desire to win from his words.
Ever since, Fisher, the veteran of the team, took the initiative to walk to the middle of the locker room and stretched out his right hand.
Kobe also stood up, walked to the center, and stretched out his hand.
Soon, all the Lakers players gathered together.
"123!"
"go. lakers!"
............
After a short break, the second half of the game started quickly.
The main players from both sides also returned to the field.
At the beginning of the game, the Lakers generals implemented Phil Jackson's tactics and began to play crazy inside.
Not only did Gasol and Odom frequently make trouble, but Kobe also kept attacking the basket through breakthroughs.
After a few rounds, Tucker, who worked hard to defend, saw a rapid increase in the number of fouls.
Moreover, although he has gained weight during this period, compared to Tucker in the "mature stage" of the original time and space, his current defensive skills are still slightly insufficient.
Gasol was so aggressive that he hit 3 goals in 5 attacks and also caused Tucker to foul twice.
Odom also faced Tucker and completed a tough layup.
In the end, during a breakthrough by Kobe, Tucker received his third foul of the quarter and had no choice but to leave the game.
Griffin was helpless.
He has unparalleled jumping ability, but limited by his wingspan and defensive experience, it is difficult to help Tucker completely protect the frame.
Kobe goes to the free throw line.
At the same time, in the Rockets coaching bench, Mark Jackson shouted to the depths of the bench:
"Chris, get ready."
The next moment, a white man with a mohawk jumped up.
He took off his training clothes with an excited smile on his face.
"Leave it to me, coach."
The person speaking was none other than Birdman—Anderson!
He finally got his chance to play!
............
Not long after, the Lakers repeated their old trick and once again handed the ball to the inside.
Gasol hit Griffin with his back, and taking advantage of his size, he turned around and threw the ball with a small hook.
Just when the fans thought that the ball was going to hit the net again and were about to cheer, a figure appeared out of the sky and flew high above the basket!
"Snapped!"
He slapped the ball away and directly killed Gasol's shot!
"woo..."
The entire audience was in an uproar, and the fans were obviously very surprised that "Cheng Yaojin" came out halfway.
"Wonderful rim protection! From Chris Anderson, who just joined the Rockets this summer!"
Yu Jia commented timely.
"Birdman takes off! The Rockets trade Anderson just to protect the rim!"
Yang Yi said with a smile.
His eyes returned to the field.
Lowry's quick eyesight and quick hands quickly controlled the ball, and the Rockets immediately launched a counterattack.