This was a huge hurdle because the scoring stalled.
And unlike the first few dozen games, at that time the Lakers were still a "weak team" and were looked down upon, so they were not taken seriously or studied seriously. But now, it is completely different, without the 50+ high inside line
In terms of shooting percentage contribution, if you want to win with Kobe alone, that's a dream within a dream.
Crazy.
Although Tang Qian did not score 50 points in every game, he still scored in many fierce battles, such as the last time he played the Thunder. If he hadn't scored 51 points in the paint, he would have lost.
.And it’s still 51 points with a shooting rate of over 80%! It’s very difficult to fill this hole.
Gasol's comeback has been sluggish in the past few games, which is one of the keys. After all, according to the original plan, after Tang Qian's silver score card + silver monthly card ended, Gasol also happened to come back for a few games, so he could regain his form.
Entering the team role he should enter. But God is not as good as God. In these few games, the Spaniard has not only failed to improve his state steadily, but has become worse and worse as he plays. For example, the last time he played
For the Thunder, he was benched by D'Antoni in the fourth quarter and overtime and was not allowed to play at all.
This is actually double damage to the Lakers and Gasol.
But now, Gasol and head coach Mike D'Antoni are at odds. This is not an open conflict, but a silent struggle. Just like what he was doing in the original time and space.
Inertia is present in everything, including time and space-time.
In fact, not only D'Antoni, Gasol's dissatisfaction with the Lakers as a whole will also increase.
Including the "indifference" of his teammates, Kobe's "incomprehension", Tang Qian's "advantage", and the "disappointment" of the fans. This series of factors have converged into Gasol's current mentality. He committed ordinary things.
It's a mistake everyone makes.
That is to blame too much on others instead of yourself.
The current Spaniard always feels that the Lakers are "not good enough", "not close enough" and "not respectful enough" to him, but they have forgotten what a professional basketball player should do to truly win back these things on the court.
Even Kobe Bryant was criticized for his wasted seasons after his Achilles tendon injury. Didn’t everyone know that he suffered a sports injury to his Achilles tendon that was difficult to reverse? Of course you do. But you are a professional
Basketball players, you play just to compete and win, and the rest is just "adding to the ball."
Not a main staple.
Kobe is like this, let alone Gasol?
In a vicious circle, the Spaniards went further and further, and almost got into the bull's horns.
At the end of the intermission and the start of the third quarter, it seemed that we were leading by a big score, so the cheers and cheers in the Chesapeake Energy Arena were full of excitement, full of taunts, and full of overlooking and taunting of the impending victory.
.
"You're screwed! Los Angeles people! This is not Staples! No referee can save you! Haha~"
"Durant is the MVP of this season! You are already the old Black Mamba!!!"
"The Thunder must win tonight! Oklahomans must win! You are no longer our opponent!!!"
"Kill the Lakers! Challenge the Spurs! Fight for first place in the league!!!"
Under this situation, everyone on the Thunder team played energetically. Although the Thunder replaced Westbrook and Ibaka in order to avoid words, Durant still stayed on the court. It seems that tonight
, they are not prepared to give Los Angeles any chance of a comeback.
This is the rhythm to win 100%!
Gasol still played relatively passively. I don’t know what was wrong with his mentality. Facing the pure rookie Steven Adams, he didn’t want the ball and hit hard. As a result, Kobe could only force the shot and the basketball collapsed!
On the defensive end, the Spaniard received another close dunk from his opponent!!! The referee made a penalty and the goal was valid, 2+1!!!
At the Chesapeake Energy Arena, the shouts rose again, and the Lakers' momentum almost hit rock bottom.
Kobe gritted his teeth and forced a charge, causing the Thunder to commit a defensive foul, but he only made 1 of 2 free throws. This prevented the Lakers' scoring drought from being completely broken. Tang lurked inside and blocked Reggie Jackson's breakthrough.
He took a shot, but the basketball was taken by Nick Collison, and then the basket was strong. Under Gasol's defense, he scored the basket attack.
It was impossible for Tang Qian to separate. He jumped to block Reggie Jackson on the other side. It was too late to move to the other side to block the shot. Nick Collison seized this opportunity and instantly became stronger. Logically speaking,
, Gasol is 7 feet tall, while Nick Collison is only 6 feet 10 inches, almost 5cm taller! In addition, Gasol also has a super wingspan of 230+cm, so he should have an advantage in offense and defense.
.
But this ball was not visible at all.
On the next ball, Gasol actually took the ball and shot from the high post and mid-range. Although it was a moderately open space, what the Lakers wanted now was not this. The Thunder seized this high post rebound and switched offense and defense.
, defensive counterattack, their talent and lineup mobility, even Miami can't match it, so they started running, and the Lakers completely lost. Durant caught the ball and flew for a fast break dunk, "Bang~", the score of the two teams
The difference was widened again.
Compared with the opponent's consecutive scoring, the Lakers only scored 1 point!
Out of 4 and a half points, only 1 point was scored, and the score difference has now expanded to 27 points!
There was no way, the momentum was completely lost, and the main offensive force inside was extremely sluggish. Mike D'Antoni could only call a timeout to interrupt the opponent's momentum and relieve the Lakers' pressure on the court. Otherwise, he was really afraid that he would suddenly
He was completely defeated, and then the rest of the game failed to recover.
"Paul! What were you doing just now? A mid-range shot? Now we need you to play at the basket! You know how to play at the basket???" Mike D'Antoni immediately said in a face-to-face manner: "Ibaka is not here now.
There is only one Steven Adams, why can't you handle it? He is a pure rookie this year! You kept complaining last season that you didn't have the right to shoot in the low post. Now that I've given it to you, why don't you want it? You're kidding
Am I still trying to fool everyone and all Lakers fans?"
It's normal for D'Antoni to be angry. The Lakers' record is unexpectedly good now, and he doesn't plan to give up so easily. If he can keep it up, he may even win the Coach of the Year award this season. Although the Lakers
This season, it has little to do with his tactical system.
But the outside world doesn’t know.
And how many people would dislike having too many honors in their career resume?
Of course D'Antoni is the same, he will have to rely on this to make a living in the future, right?
Gasol was silent, and D'Antoni didn't mean much when he said this alone. Soon the entire Lakers bench area fell into a strange "cold scene." Finally, someone spoke first and said: "Paul,
Can you still fight?"
As soon as this man spoke, everyone turned their attention to him. He was the absolute ace of the Lakers, No. 24, Kobe Bryant.
Gasol looked at Kobe, but still didn't speak. He was always like this, even when he was beaten on the chest by the "Zen Master". Outbreak means saying nothing most of the time, and death means saying nothing most of the time. Silence is superfluous and direct.
Expression, I really don’t know how he is Spanish but lacks the matador spirit of a bullfighting country.
"I ask you, can you still fight?" Kobe asked again, this time his voice was obviously much harsher than the last time.
Gasol wanted to say something, but ultimately didn't speak.
He hoped that Kobe could understand him, but even the most understanding couple would sometimes not understand each other.
Kobe, that's it now.
The sense of oppression in the last season made him bear a lot of pressure this season that he could not explain clearly to others.
Originally, he hoped that the Spanish man in front of him would understand him best, but his current situation was full of disappointment.
But it was precisely because he was Gasol that Kobe would tolerate it until now, otherwise he would have directly criticized and reprimanded him in the locker room.
Gasol seemed a little dissatisfied with Kobe's tone. Tang Qian wanted to come out to smooth things over at this time, but after talking, he found that the former looked at him with a special look. This look was... displeased? No.
Joy? Resentment?
No, it can’t be right? Did you see it wrong???
In fact, he didn't feel wrong. Gasol had already developed an indescribable feeling for him.
It's not a rotten female, a base, a sentimental thing, but he thinks that Tang Qian has taken away something from him.
Something that should belong to him.
There is team status, fan love, and even a little bit about No. 24... that is the trust of the best comrade.
People are possessive. Gasol has always believed that he is Kobe's best partner in the NBA. He and No. 24 are even better than No. 8 and No. 34. Gasol has always believed in this.
Kobe also trusted him and took great care of him in the Lakers. In the early days of this season, Kobe, who had not yet recovered, helped Gasol write the preface to his new photo book "Life.Vida".
It says:
If today, I could choose someone to be my brother...
If one day, his group makes him lose his former favor, he will never be downcast...
Our connection is higher than the trust between ordinary friends...
I'm honored that I have a place in this preface...
Gasol also wrote on page 184 of this book: Lakers No. 24, Kobe Bryant, Black Mamba, he is like my brother and sister.
This 275-page new book has 16 chapters. Only one chapter is about basketball life stories, and most of this entire chapter is about No. 24, Kobe. So the relationship between Gasol and Kobe is really better than most people imagine.
is much better.
Otherwise, after Kobe retired, he wouldn't have directly said that the one who best matched him was Pau Gasol.
Speaking of a perfect match, 1+12, Kobe and Gasol are definitely one of the models in NBA history.
Therefore, Gasol was actually a little bit inexplicably jealous of Tang Qian.
It feels like someone has taken something that belongs to you.
Instinctive resistance, instinctive displeasure, and instinctive dislike.
But Tang Qian didn't realize this.
Real professional basketball is never about statistics, games, or taking things for granted. Dealing with relationships between people is sometimes not easier than playing games. On the contrary, the fortress is breached from within. If something happens in the locker room,
, then no matter how strong the lineup is on paper, it will still be vulnerable. There are too many such examples in history, and the "expensive Nets" in the past few seasons are also one of them. What's more, the Lakers this season are not even at all.
It’s not that the lineup is too strong.
Because there are too many loopholes.
And except for Kobe and Tang Qian, the rest of them are basically vacillating in fighting spirit. Even Nick Young and Sacre are just conscientious and working so that they can stay on the team in the future. Of course, this is already good, but it is still not good.
It has reached a higher level than the former ones. In short, they don’t care what happens in the end of this season. Whether they win the championship or not, the relationship is not that strong. At most, they will be happy if they win the championship. If they don’t win the championship, it doesn’t matter.
It would be so disappointing, not to mention sad.
They have already calculated it, and there is no need to think about the fighting spirit of the remaining mercenaries with short contracts and basic salaries.
If the ball goes with the wind, it will be OK. If you count the ball against the wind, you are dreaming big.
I thought that Gasol would join the first echelon with his return. At least, Tang Qian and Kobe originally thought so. But now it seems that they were too optimistic. Gasol did not even enter the second echelon.
, completely reduced to the morale group of "temporary workers" and "mercenaries".
This is surprising and angry at the same time.
"I ask you, can you still play?" Kobe's emotions burst out when he said this. His expectation for Gasol's return may be greater than that of anyone on the Lakers. So relatively, he is now disappointed.
The degree is also the highest.
He originally thought that once Gasol returned, he would form a double tower with Tang Qian, dominate the offense and defense, and then add his own scoring at critical moments to finally win the game. In this way, even some "temporary" players who were just soy sauce would be able to win the game.
If "workers" and "mercenaries" don't work hard, that's okay.
At least winning will be much easier.
He thought that once Gasol returned, the Lakers would make great progress, and even beat the Spurs, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, to reach the top and become the No. 1 seed in the regular season and enter the playoffs. He thought... As a result, now it is like this
What a look!
No. 29's offense suddenly stopped working, and Gasol's offense and defense were greatly compromised!
Among the main players of the team, he is the only one with a stable scoring point! And he needs to score hard to maintain it! This, what is this??????? This is not 2005!!! This is his last season
Yeah!!!
After playing basketball for so many years, how could he not know that he should not work hard in the regular season? How could he not know that he should save some physical and energy reserves for the playoffs? But, under the current situation, can he rest?
??
Paranoia, desire to win, perseverance, disappointment, loneliness, and other emotions were superimposed on Kobe. He looked at the person he thought was his closest comrade, waiting for the latter's answer. Gasol wanted to say something,
But in the end, he still couldn't tell it. In fact, if it were a different scene and a time with fewer people, Gasol might be inspired, but at this moment...
"Since you can't play, don't play anymore!!! Sit down there and be the chief VIP fan!!!"
Kobe turned around with an angry face and was disappointed by the Spaniard's comeback performance.
"Paul, why are you doing this? You shouldn't only have this little strength!" Tang Qian's words also came, but they still had the opposite effect.
Because Gasol brought something subjectively, he didn't hear the good side of Tang Qian's words at all.
It just feels like ridicule and ridicule.
Contempt and ridicule.
"What do you care about me? Who do you think you are!!!"
Gasol finally spoke, but his words were not good.
Tang Qian froze on the spot, and he didn't understand what it was for until the sound of the end of the pause sounded.
…
Tang Qian also started to take the initiative to attack. Although the offensive crystal brick increased by half a block, reaching six and a half blocks, it was still limited. His independent attack finally became a bit threatening.
It's not that he didn't make any achievements at all. He was a lot better than before, but... there is still a huge difference between him in the first dozen games.
First of all, the attack success rate drops significantly.
You don't have a scoring ability card. It's nonsense to keep a shooting percentage of more than 80% in every game. Moreover, Tang Qian himself has not yet adapted to the sudden loss of this absolute ability to score points. He can score now.
, but as a stable scoring point, it is still a dream!
If it were possible to combine off-ball offense with hard attack at the basket, Tang Qian's offense would definitely be good at the moment, averaging 20 points per game, which is not a dream. But without Nash, the former ability has plummeted and cannot be released, and he can only rely on the back.
Item, at most, about ten minutes per game, no more. This is naturally a big improvement compared to before, but now the Lakers want much more than this.
And much more.
Kobe is at his best again, but if this continues, the Lakers won't be able to hold on for long.
In addition, Nick Young, who had just made two three-pointers, injured his ankle due to a defensive collision. Although Gary Vitti's initial inspection said that the problem was not serious and he could recover in a week at most. But now
The Lakers lacked offense, and Nick Young was feeling good. It was like "fate", giving the Purple and Gold Army a sense of gloom.
In the original time and space, the Lakers have been injured one after another in the past few seasons. It seems that this problem has also been continued here.
Tang Qian felt that he tried his best, but his offensive effect was still limited. Kobe finally scored 10 consecutive points. However, the opponent quickly returned two three-pointers, and the score difference suddenly returned to 20 points.
superior.
"Bryant, you lost! There is absolutely no chance of an accident this time! I just gave it to you last time!"
Durant spat at Kobe after scoring. He was in good shape tonight. He currently made 7 of 10 shots. Including free throws, he scored a total of 25 points. It seems to be less than Kobe's 32 points, but his physical fitness
Very abundant, and he didn't think Kobe could keep scoring tonight.
Because as the same top scorer, Durant felt that Kobe was tired.
It's the kind of tiredness that consumes your physical reserves, or your vitality.
He had noticed it in the last game, and this game it was even more obvious.
Hey, let's just say, even an Iron Man can't handle the chaos like you. You really think it's Chamberlain who has unlimited energy and physical strength.
Jordan doesn’t even have this energy, okay?
Kobe has played so far and has played all three quarters again, scoring 32 points, which is a lot. There is still one quarter left, and he should be able to get a little more. But looking at him sweating profusely and starting to breathe slightly, Durant,
It was not wrong.
If the Lakers only think about winning by "hard work and hard work on Kobe".
Maybe there will be a huge tragedy waiting for you.
But what else can be done?
Tang Qian raised his head and looked at the scorer above his head, thinking hard in his heart, but he couldn't think of a way.
Because this is a real basketball game. If you don’t have the help of powerful cards, it is basically difficult to violate some fixed court rules. What should I do? What should I do? How can the team go ahead? How can the ball be conceded?
Team wins???
PS: The book and preface mentioned in this chapter are real, not made up by Xiaozi. They were released just before the start of the 13-14 season. If you are interested, you can check it out for yourself~ There is another chapter, work hard to write it~~~