Chapter 865: The card is clear, its just consumption
Amid the cheers of the home fans, the Lakers began to counterattack. Kobe was also in good shape tonight. It seems that Walton Jr. chose to go all-in for a reason.
The Lakers advanced to the frontcourt, and Kobe dribbled the ball to the three-point line, signaling for his teammates to pull away.
The Trail Blazers still defended Connett Lee alone and did not double-team.
Continuous dribbling, a breakthrough after a change of direction, Kobe dribbled the ball to the free throw line, and before Wang Zelin arrived to help defend, he took the shot directly.
"Whoosh!"
The basketball hit the net.
A player's shooting percentage is certainly related to touch and matchup defense, but it also has a lot to do with mentality.
This is also the reason why Kobe always hits so many difficult goals!
Since no one from the Trail Blazers double-teamed him, Kobe was a little confused, but he was also happy with it and attacked more and more as he pleased.
The Blazers' offense, Wang Zelin's running to contain the defense, Beverley sent an alley ball to Jokic, who put the basket in and scored.
39:26, the score difference is still more than double digits.
The Lakers attacked the frontcourt, with Lou Williams and Butler standing on both sides to open up the space. Kobe attacked with the ball.
There was still no double team, and Kobe turned around near the free throw line and hit the ball again.
At 28:39, Kobe Bryant has already scored 19 points, and he is still one point away from breaking through 20 points in the first quarter!
"What is Coach Stotts doing? Why not double-team Kobe?"
"Yeah, didn't you see how the Lakers targeted Wang? There were at least two people waiting for him under the basket when attacking in the low post, but when it came to our side, Kobe was allowed to score..."
"Kobe is getting older, not a loser! He is the Black Mamba after all. How can we let him play one-on-one like this?"
The home fans in the stands were very confused and began to raise some doubts.
However, there are also some more rational fans who believe that Coach Terry must have his reasons for this arrangement, and everyone can just watch the game with peace of mind.
Zhang Lili of Tianchao Sports Station is also quite puzzled by this. Although he also likes Kobe Bryant, as a famous commentator, he still has basic fairness.
Zhang Lianda said: "Today, the bosses of both sides completely took over the offensive end. They have been exchanging blows since the beginning. But now the Lakers have reacted. As soon as Zelin catches the ball, they will attack like crazy from behind. On the other hand, the Trail Blazers have always adopted a one-on-one approach.
I think there is something wrong with the defense, and coach Terry Stotts should make adjustments in time."
Yu Jia also said: "The Trail Blazers' reaction was indeed a bit slow. Coach Terry should have double-teamed Kobe long ago. Connet Lee, Patton, and Batum are good at individual defense, but don't forget.
Their opponent tonight is Kobe Bryant, the Black Mamba! Is it inappropriate to let Kobe score so much?"
In fact, Coach Terry has been thinking about this issue.
He is the head coach and has to be responsible for the game. Unlike Zhang Lijia, Yu Jia and the others, they are just commentators and have no responsibility for the game at all, so he will be more cautious in his considerations.
However, what he was thinking about was not how many points Kobe could score in one-on-one defense, or even defeat the Trail Blazers' perimeter defense, but the Lakers' touch against others.
In fact, he has been waiting for an opportunity, waiting for the opportunity when other Blazers players feel cold.
The core players of the Trail Blazers are all veterans, not to mention Kobe and Gasol. Paul, the youngest of the Big Three, is almost 31 years old. His physical recovery speed is definitely not as fast as his peak age, and he has never been able to win this game.
The ball will definitely feel cold to the players' hands.
Don't forget, the Lakers had just played six games against the Thunder in the first round, and they were still very exhausted. How could those old guys recover so quickly?
In fact, many league coaches, including Coach Terry, privately believe that the reason why the Lakers were able to eliminate the Thunder with relative ease in the first round of the series was partly due to the conflicts that broke out within the Thunder team.
For example, in the next two games, the two core players of the Thunder, Durant and Westbrook, played their own roles throughout the game and basically had no cooperation. Such a negative attitude will undoubtedly affect other role players, causing the Thunder's first round series to be very difficult.
It is difficult to achieve the original strength.
Therefore, when they learned that their second-round opponent was the Lakers, Coach Terry breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared with the Thunder, the Lakers' shortcomings are very obvious, that is, the core players are seriously aging, and they may not be in good shape at any time.
Historically, there are very few teams that can win the championship in a single season with a bunch of old guys as the core. Since the 21st century, I am afraid that only the Mavericks in 11 years have achieved such a miracle.
Since it is a miracle, it is naturally elusive. At least Coach Terry does not think that the Lakers do not have such strength.
Soon, after the first quarter, Kobe scored another three points, scoring a terrifying output of 22 points in a single quarter.
But even so, the Lakers are still 11 points behind the Trail Blazers, just because the performance of the Trail Blazers boss Wang Zelin is even worse than Kobe...
25 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal. In just one quarter, he posted the statistics that an All-Star insider needs to get.
When such data was shown on the big screen, everyone was shocked. Many commentators from major TV stations who were commentating on the game couldn't help but swear at the risk of being deducted from their money.
The reaction of the Lakers players was particularly obvious. After seeing Wang Zelin score 25-10 in a single quarter, the previous joy of Kobe Bryant's 22 points disappeared, and what followed was an unprecedented sense of suffocation and oppression.
Damn it!
How to fight this?
There is a mythical beast on the opposite side!
After the intersection break, Walton Jr. asked Paul to lead the team and lead a group of substitutes on the field to challenge.
For the Trail Blazers, Coach Terry directly showed his talent and sent Lillard and Wang Zelin, two strong men, together with Patton, Carter, and Yi Jianlian.
Judging from his appearance, it is very likely that he will use Lu's guidance tactics tonight and let Wang Zelin play for 48 minutes.
In response to this, Mr. Wang expressed his gratitude!
If the No. 24 opposite was a famous physical monster in the NBA when he was young, then the Chamberlain and Marshal Zhang he drew may be the number one super physical monster in the long history of the NBA!
In the regular season of his career, he averaged 45.8 minutes per game, ranking first in history!
The average playing time per game in the career playoffs is 47.2 minutes, also the first in history!
In the 1961-62 season, the average playing time per game reached an incredible 48.5 minutes, exceeding the time of a regular game...
Even in the 1972-73 season, the last season of his career, Zhang Dashuai could still play 43.2 minutes in the regular season, and it increased significantly in the playoffs, averaging 47.1 minutes per game.
It's no wonder that he was later praised by countless people as a super beast with the best physical fitness in NBA history!
The body is so durable!
In this game, Coach Terry made it clear in the second quarter:
Labor and management are here to fight with you. If you are capable, just continue. If you are not capable, surrender as soon as possible. Maybe you can still choose a good fishing position.