novelraw Chapter 311 A dunk over a blood-stained hat, an adrenaline-fueled start!
Chapter 311 A dunk over a blood-stained hat, an adrenaline-fueled start!
Chapter 311: A dunk and a bloody block, an adrenaline-pumping start!
"The Shaq-Kobe duo are the Lakers' two most important assets and their absolute core! With our roster, it's difficult to completely stop Shaq, but we can stop Kobe! So this time, we're focusing our defense on Kobe!"
"I can accept Shaq scoring 25+15, even 30 points and 20 rebounds! But Kobe, you have to keep him contained! I want his shooting percentage below 40%, and I want his score to not exceed 20! Defend him completely! Lin, Doug, Vince, and Chris, you guys can double-team him anytime if necessary!"
"Ben, you don't need to. Your job is to guard that shark! I want you to stay behind him at all times, wear him down, torture him, and make him suffer!"
"Understood!" Several Pacers players nodded in agreement at the same time.
"Besides these two, the only guy we need to pay special attention to is Glen Rice. Just three years ago, he was the third-highest scorer in the league. Now, although he's content to play a supporting role and has almost become a spot-up shooter, his firepower should not be underestimated!"
"He averaged 16 points per game in the regular season, which dropped to 12 points in the playoffs. However, despite the decline in scoring, his three-point shooting percentage has increased from 35% in the regular season to 40% now! His outside shots are something we must pay attention to and absolutely cannot underestimate!"
"As for the rest of the players, Robert Horry was a member of the Rockets' two-time champions. He is experienced and mentally strong. Although his strength is average, he may be able to deliver the fatal blow when the game is over! Then there are Brian Shaw, Rick Fox, and Derek Fisher, who performed well in the Western Conference Finals."
"These three guys aren't particularly outstanding, but they're incredibly confident. They'll shoot as soon as they get the ball, and if you leave them open, they'll actually make the shot! So while we need to double-team and help defend Kobe, we absolutely can't leave these guys unguarded, at least not too far!"
"Next up is the guy we can let go of in this series, Lin, and he's an old acquaintance of yours, Ron Hubble!"
"This guy used to have a very impressive resume, but he's no longer the 20-point scorer he once was. Although he's still the Lakers' fourth-leading scorer, his three-point shooting ability is negligible, and his offense mainly consists of driving to the basket for layups!"
"Lin, you know what I mean by that, right?"
"Understood! I'll be ready to help defend Kobe at the right time!"
Bird nodded in satisfaction and said, "This Lakers team's playing style revolves around Shaq and Kobe. They use their individual abilities as the core, constantly creating one-on-one opportunities for them, while the other players are scattered and ready to receive the ball and shoot at any time!"
"This is actually the core of the so-called triangle offense: one-on-one!"
"This tactic requires a core player with exceptional skill, role players with strong mental fortitude, and a superb court vision to pass the ball when the core player is double-teamed! The Lakers excelled in all of these areas! They perfected them! This is the biggest reason why they achieved 67 wins!"
"Therefore, we must be careful when dealing with them. They are completely different from all our previous opponents. We must forget all our past achievements, give it our all, and fight them to the death!"
"Relax? Think you can easily win? Then we'll run into trouble! We'll be beaten by the Lakers! Even this time, even if we're up 3-0, even if we're up by 15 points in the final quarter, we can't relax! Because the people of Los Angeles never give up!"
"If we don't completely crush them, they'll just come back again and again, understand?"
"clear!"
The Pacers players once again chanted in unison, shouting their determination to win.
"Well then!" Bird let out a long sigh and said, "We're no longer going to play a half-court game like we did in the last round, or deliberately suppress our rhythm! The Lakers don't have the Heat's defense, and while their point guard Harper is experienced, he's not even in the same league as Payton!"
"Furthermore, while O'Neal is incredibly talented, his stamina, willpower, and defensive commitment will inevitably decline rapidly over time once he starts running! So, in this series, let's keep running! Chris and Ben, grab the rebounds and find opportunities to make quick passes! Lin, Vince, and Doug, be ready to run at any moment!"
"Also, when defending their perimeter players, bring up the physicality! Increase the intensity of the defense! High post press, double-teaming after setting traps, full-court press—these tactics are yours, Lin. You call them out as needed, and get your teammates moving!"
"Alright, do you have any further questions about our overall tactical strategy for this finals?"
After waiting a few dozen seconds and seeing that the players had stopped asking questions, Bird continued, "So next, let's analyze the Lakers' common offensive strategies! Let's take a good look at how they play! Rick, you're in charge of analyzing the video for everyone!"
At this point, Bird handed the remote control to Carlisle.
Clearly, this is him giving Carlisle a chance and paving the way for Carlisle to succeed him as head coach.
Carlisle didn't stand on ceremony; he coughed and stepped forward to analyze the Lakers' tactics for the players.
At the hotel where the Lakers were staying, Jackson also gathered all the Lakers players in the training facility provided by the hotel. However, at this time, there were no basketballs, no fitness equipment, and the players were not even wearing basketball shoes.
Everyone removed their protective gear, sneakers, and tight vests, and put on their most comfortable and relaxed clothes. They all formed a circle and sat down next to Jackson.
Next to Jackson was a tape recorder playing soothing music, and he himself was sitting there with his eyes closed, doing some yoga poses.
"Come on, relax! Everyone, completely relax, feel your body, feel nature, feel all the living things around you and those inanimate objects, imagine yourself becoming one with them! Inhale, exhale."
"Okay, now lie down on the ground and completely relax, but don't fall asleep. Think back to everything we've suffered this whole season! The exhausting training, the maddening failures, the painful weight loss journey, and the injuries."
"Think back to those wonderful moments when you won the championship, or imagine what it will be like to win it in two weeks. How exciting and proud that will be! Okay, once again, inhale and exhale."
The day before the game, Jackson once again used his signature Mind Journey training method. He had the players do yoga to completely relax and put themselves in a relaxed and comfortable state so that they wouldn't be nervous on the night of the finals!
After all, although the team has experienced players like A.C. Green, Robert Horry, and Ron Harper who have won multiple championships, none of them are the team's main scorers. Among the team's most important players, only O'Neal has played in the Finals once, and he was swept.
As for the others? They're basically all virgins in the finals!
Jackson's usual tactic is to help players relax and maintain a good balance between their physical and mental well-being.
Previously, he liked to take the team to watch movies or read books, but perhaps he discovered that the semi-literate people in the NBA preferred watching porn and Playboy stuff, so Jackson changed his strategy this year and had the players do yoga.
This brand-new tactic has both positive and negative effects.
The bad news is, O'Neal was snoring; he was sleeping like a log.
The good news is that at least O'Neal did completely relax and was able to fall asleep here.
Regardless, both coaches pulled out all the stops and used their last tricks on their players, all in an effort to ensure their teams were in top form when the first game of the finals started tomorrow!
In the finals, neither side will have the mindset of "if we lose on the road, we lose, but we can win it back at home".
By the time the finals came around, both sides had completely changed their mindset: they couldn't afford to lose a single home game, they had to defend them all! And they had to fight tooth and nail every away game, even if they couldn't win, they had to make sure the opponent was badly hurt!
Every game, every quarter, every minute of the Finals is incredibly important! It will determine the success or failure of the teams and players this season, and whether their efforts throughout the year will be rewarded in the best way!
"Hello everyone! I'm your old friend Charles!"
"I'm Kenny!"
"Welcome everyone to TNT's live broadcast of Game 1 of the NBA Finals!"
"Kenny, what are your thoughts on this game?"
After a year of getting to know each other and playing together, Barkley and Kenny are now working together more and more skillfully.
They quickly steered the conversation into the competition.
"I'm rooting for the Pacers! They definitely won't lose their first home game, and they're well-rested now. Having swept their opponents, they've had almost a week more rest than the Lakers, who narrowly escaped a Game 7 victory. They have a physical advantage!"
"But in this series, I favor the Lakers; they have Shaq! While the Pacers have an advantage on the perimeter, their interior defense simply can't match up against Shaq! Ben Wallace? He's great! But he's only a little over 2 meters tall, and that includes the height of his hair!"
"Others? Davis? He needs to gain another 20 kilograms! Webber? He can't even guard Mourning. Perkins? He needs to be at least 15 years younger to have a chance against O'Neal; right now, he'd have his bones broken by O'Neal in two minutes!"
"The Pacers' interior depth is nowhere near that of the Trail Blazers! And another statistic I think illustrates the point even better! During the Eastern Conference Finals, although the Pacers swept the Heat, they completely failed to contain the Heat's twin towers! Mourning averaged 22 points and 17 rebounds in 4 games, and Malone averaged 20 points and 14 rebounds! These two guys combined for almost 40+30!"
"If the Pacers had scored just two fewer baskets in the Eastern Conference Finals, the outcome of this series would have been very different!"
"And O'Neal! He absolutely deserves the title of 'monster' in this season's playoffs! He's the most terrifying behemoth in the entire league and the undisputed number one center! The Pacers' interior defense is in for a lot of trouble!"
"I disagree with your opinion," Barkley immediately chimed in. "It's true that the Pacers can't stop O'Neal, but what about the Lakers? Can they stop Lin? It's also true that O'Neal is the most dominant and monstrous player in this year's playoffs."
"But Lin is the strongest player in this year's playoffs, and you can't argue with that! In the Eastern Conference Finals, facing the Heat's twin towers and the relentless defense and double-teams from Payton, Mashburn, Patterson, and others, what kind of performance did Lin deliver? Three 40+ point games! The only game where he didn't score 40 points was because the Heat gave up, and Lin only played 25 minutes!"
"Going back to the Eastern Conference semifinals? All four games were 40+ points! In the first round of the Eastern Conference? Lin was even more relaxed, racking up almost terrifying average stats in incredibly short playing time!"
"Lin is unstoppable! He's not someone the Lakers can defend! He'll destroy the Lakers' perimeter game, he'll continue his terrifying playoff performance this year, until he leads the team to the championship!"
"Let's see if Shaq continues his unstoppable destructive power, or if Lin continues his incredible scoring streak of nearly 40 points per game in the Eastern Conference!" Kenny shrugged and said casually, "By the way, it's worth mentioning that the Pacers are moving their home games back to City Square tonight!"
"This is their home court for the past 25 years, and they've created countless wonderful memories for their fans here! Today, the Pacers are back here to show their determination! They want to tell everyone that they haven't forgotten who they are!"
Barkley laughed and said, "And according to a friend of mine on the Pacers, this year's Pacers motto isn't just about winning the championship, or even just about those so-called '15 games'! Their motto this year is: The championship is just the beginning!"
"Their goal is to create a dynasty!"
On the court, Lin Tian and the others wouldn't be distracted by Barkley and Kenny's banter, and they couldn't hear it at all!
Right now, both the Lakers and Pacers players are seriously shooting and warming up in their respective halves of the court! Neither team wants to lose this game! They both want to win and gain an advantage in the series; they want to set the tone for this round with a victory!
"Ref, shouldn't you call a technical foul on the Pacers?" O'Neal walked arrogantly to the free-throw line, smirking at the referee. "Why didn't they send someone to jump ball with me? Are they giving up?"
"Oh, sorry, I didn't see it. Did they send a hairy mushroom to jump ball with me?"
"Shut up, Shaq! If your free throws were as good as your trash talk, you'd have won MVP this season and last season!" Lin Tian retorted, chiming in for Ben Wallace. "Or are you just jealous? Because you haven't grown a single hair on your head for a full 15 years!"
"Ben, how about lending Shaq half of your hair? Otherwise, he'll dream about your thick hair every night!"
"I could make him a pillow out of my hair so he can cuddle with it every night," Ben Wallace said, looking at Shaquille O'Neal. "He just loves that! A softie like him can't win over even one girl; he's better suited to be won over by a real man!"
"That's a vicious remark, Ben! Apologize to Shaq!" Lin Tianyi said righteously, "Although one of Shaq's girlfriends said that Shaq's thing is as big as a primary school student's, how can you guarantee that what his girlfriend said is true?"
Lin Tian and Ben were working together, making O'Neal's face turn red and white, but he really had nothing to say back, since those two bastards were telling the truth.
They all hit his sore spot!
At this moment, O'Neal couldn't help but turn around to look at his teammates who started alongside him, wanting to see if they had any ideas.
Yeah, I watched it for nothing!
AC Green is a 39-year-old virgin and a Puritan. He talks trash? He doesn't even know how to spell "fux" properly! Rice? Ever since he was beaten to a pulp by Jordan and Lin Tian in the playoffs that year, Rice has been much more well-behaved.
While he doesn't completely refrain from trash talk, his aggressiveness has long since dropped to almost zero.
Hubble? If Hubble had the mindset and drive to trash talk, he wouldn't have completely transformed into a support player once he joined the Bulls, and at 28 years old with no injuries or illnesses, his stats plummeted, turning him from a near-All-Star into a role player.
Kobe? Kobe is tough enough, but his mouth is terrible.
Kobe Bryant, you'd need a teleprompter to get him to criticize someone!
He should at least memorize the lyrics three days in advance, and then recite them all in front of you like he's singing!
At least on the Lakers' team bus, when everyone was playing freestyle together, Kobe's performance was very inconsistent. He didn't participate in the game most of the time, and when he did, he would dominate and leave the whole team helpless!
At first, O'Neal and the others thought Kobe was a real rap god who just didn't bother hanging out with them.
Until one day, Fisher accidentally opened Kobe's locker and saw a small note fall out. Only then did the whole team realize: this guy wrote down the lyrics first and then memorized them, pure cheating!
The reason why he sometimes speaks well and sometimes doesn't speak is simply because the words he memorizes sometimes completely conflict with the topics his teammates are discussing, so they are not applicable.
If I don't need it, then I won't participate!
This kid is arrogant, competitive, and stubborn!
So, if Shaq told Kobe today that he had to trash talk Lin and the others, Kobe might spend half the night writing down his lines after the game, then memorize them carefully the next day, and finally find an opportunity to unleash a long string of trash talk on the court.
We've gone off on a tangent again.
In short, O'Neal looked around at his teammates and realized that if it came to verbal sparring with the other side, no one else had any fighting power except him!
A bunch of good-for-nothings!
Thinking of this, O'Neal raised his head, arrogantly pointing his nose at Lin Tian and Ben Wallace, and said, "Play basketball cleanly, live life simply! That's my motto! Playing basketball is playing basketball, I'm not going to waste my breath on you guys! Winning is the only thing that matters!"
"Shameless fatso!" Lin Tian and Ben Affleck simultaneously gave O'Neal the middle finger, then ignored him.
The referee glanced at his watch again and then gave a warning look to several people.
You guys were just bashing each other before the match even started, but now that the match is about to begin, you all better watch out!
Otherwise, you'll be in for a world of hurt!
The referee wasn't sure if the group had received the message he was trying to convey with his gaze, but since these bastards had all quieted down, it proved to be effective!
So, after glancing at his watch again to confirm that it was time for the game to start, the referee finally took the basketball, went to the center circle, and tossed it into the air.
"Snapped!"
O'Neal easily and decisively defeated Ben Wallace!
His current dominance is not solely due to his weight of nearly 300 pounds.
He also relies on his jumping ability, agility, touch, and running speed, which are among the best in the history of the league!
Well, his running speed mainly refers to his time with the Magic when he weighed only 130 kilograms. Now, his running speed is just so-so!
Despite his increased weight, he still gave Ben Wallace no chance when he jumped for the ball, easily passing it to Hubble!
Lin Tian immediately rushed forward, blocking Hubble from the front and adding physical contact and strength to Hubble from the backcourt!
"Ron, how long has it been since we last met?" Lin Tian lowered his center of gravity and seized the opportunity to reach for the basketball.
Hubble and Lin Tian were teammates for two years, and he knew Lin Tian's abilities better than anyone else. He had personally witnessed Lin Tian grow from a role player to the team's core player, an All-Star, and even an MVP!
The moment Lin Tian closed in, he turned around, using his back to block Lin Tian, and cautiously advanced, dribbling with extreme care.
He knew all too well that if he was not careful even for a moment, he could make a mistake!
Seeing that Hubble kept his mouth shut and ignored him, Lin Tian knew that a few words of trash talk wouldn't make this veteran who had been playing professional games for more than 10 years lose his temper, so he simply shut his mouth as well and focused on defending Hubble.
Harper knew his own limitations and was also someone who knew when to back down. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been content to play second fiddle to Pippen on the Bulls during his prime, nor would he have gone from a top scorer averaging 20+ points per game to a mere role player in just one summer, without a single complaint.
Knowing when to back down makes his playing style very steady, with few mistakes, almost no moments of impulsiveness, and rarely any mindless mis-attacks.
But his problem is that he has almost no highlights, especially after accepting his role as a player. This guy has almost become a "basketball civil servant", clocking in and out on time, never working overtime, and never pushing himself to the limit.
With a salary of only a few million per season, why risk your life?
This sentence is definitely Hubble's motto!
After dribbling past half-court, Hubble quickly passed the ball to Kobe, then moved away from Kobe and Shaq, and shrugged, indicating that this play was no longer relevant to him!
Kobe didn't rush to attack after getting the ball. In the 00 season, Kobe was far from reaching the peak of his career. His skills, physique, and abilities were all still developing. In addition, at this stage, Shaq was not the lazy, overweight, and fat guy who would take time off for ridiculous reasons.
The current Shaquille O'Neal is a perfect leader and a crazy, ambitious "Super Shaq" who is determined to win his first championship!
So, after dribbling the ball a few times to attract Christie's attention, Kobe quickly bounced the ball to O'Neal.
This is also one of Kobe's skills that is easily overlooked.
While Kobe may not be on par with true point guards like Kidd, Payton, and Lin Tian in terms of pure playmaking, passing, and court vision, he is undoubtedly one of the best in the NBA when it comes to getting the ball to the center!
There isn't even one of them!
The way he fed O'Neal the ball was incredibly satisfying!
After receiving the basketball, O'Neal subtly shrugged his shoulders to gauge Ben Wallace's defensive position. Then, he quickly faked a move with his head and shoulders towards the baseline, causing Ben Wallace to shift his weight half a step towards the baseline. But O'Neal immediately followed up with an incredibly fast spin, cutting straight into the three-second zone from the baseline!
Even though Ben Wallace tried his best to catch up with Shaquille O'Neal, O'Neal still managed to push him to the side with a turn, and then O'Neal followed up with a big elbow, completely pushing Wallace away.
"boom!"
Then came a loud bang as O'Neal slammed his signature two-handed dunk over the rim, causing it to shake violently and eliciting screams of pain! The visual explosiveness and earth-shattering power of his dunks are absolutely unparalleled in league history!
"Where are you, Mushroom Head?" After scoring, O'Neal pretended to look around with one hand, as if searching for Ben Wallace.
"Where's the basketball, you fatso?" Ben Wallace said with a gloomy face as he sprinted towards the frontcourt. Only after his reminder did O'Neal notice that Webber had somehow already picked up the baseline ball and thrown it towards the frontcourt. Meanwhile, Lin Tian, Carter, and Christie were already sprinting towards the frontcourt!
The Pacers' three-pronged fast break has reappeared on the court!
Lin Tian has the ball in the center, with Carter and Christie on either side!
The Lakers' retreat defense was clearly the result of extensive practice, and they retreated very quickly. Apart from O'Neal at the back, the rest of the team, including 37-year-old Green and the three perimeter players, Harper and Rice, all quickly retreated to their defensive positions.
Hubble faced off against Lin Tian, Kobe and Rice faced off against Carter and Christie, while Green quickly returned to the basket to guard the rim without looking back!
The Lakers' defensive formation was also finalized in the blink of an eye.
Lin Tian glanced around, then suddenly crouched down and lowered his center of gravity, then incredibly accelerated again, flashing past Hubble in the blink of an eye and charging towards Green under the basket!
Green under the basket was ready, lowering his center of gravity, and was prepared to teach Lin Tian a lesson!
After Lin Tian drove to the basket, he didn't immediately go for a layup. Instead, he changed his rhythm, circled around in the three-second zone, and tricked Green into losing his balance, making it impossible for Green to find the right time for Lin Tian to jump and shoot.
As for Lin Tian, after circling halfway around, he suddenly made a one-handed behind-the-back pass, sending the basketball towards the middle!
Ben Wallace!
Just after being dunked on by O'Neal, Ben Wallace charged at full speed to the frontcourt. After getting the ball, he took only one step before rising up, intending to slam it down with both hands to avenge the dunk he had just suffered!
But just as Ben Wallace jumped up, before he could even put his hands together to smash the basket, he suddenly felt an immense force coming from behind him!
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, the force far exceeded Ben Wallace's expectations. He could no longer control the basketball in his hands, and it flew out of his grasp, smashing towards the backboard.
Shaquille O'Neal!
This nearly 300-pound behemoth chased after Ben Wallace after his dunk, and actually caught up with the fast-running Ben Wallace, completing a chase-down block!
Then, O'Neal's terrifying weight seemed to defy gravity completely. After landing, he didn't even need to bend his knees to catch his breath. He jumped up and down repeatedly, grabbed the backboard, glanced at the court, and threw the ball towards the frontcourt with one hand!
"Fast break? Passing the ball immediately after receiving it? That's bullshit!" After passing the ball, O'Neal couldn't resist smugly mocking Ben Wallace and Lin beside him.
Where is Lin Tian?
Once he realized what was happening, O'Neal quickly looked for Lin Tian, only to find that the guy had also been sprinting wildly toward his own half of the court. Just as Kobe got the basketball and was about to jump for a dunk, O'Neal rushed in front of Kobe, and the two jumped at almost the same time!
Both men had their arms outstretched, one trying to prove himself with a dunk, the other desperately trying to block the other's attempt!
"Snapped!"
Then came another crisp sound. Lin Tian, face to face, slapped Kobe's seemingly inevitable dunk away. Kobe fell to the ground in a disheveled state, while Lin Tian became the second monster on the court to completely defy gravity. After landing, he didn't need any cushioning. He grabbed the basketball and launched another counterattack towards the frontcourt!
This time, Lin Tian drove all the way to the three-point line, paused slightly to recover his leg strength, and also deceived Hubble's center of gravity while he was defending before accelerating again!
After his signature series of stops and starts to break through, Lin Tian was fearless and charged straight towards the basket guarded by O'Neal!
"Lin! Come on! Let's see how Shaq handles you!" O'Neal, under the basket, had just started the game with a dunk and a block, and was now in his most excited state! Right now, he wasn't afraid of anyone!
O'Neal wasn't afraid, and neither was Lin Tian! He took off straight at O'Neal!
"Bang!"
After another muffled thud, Lin Tian collided heavily with O'Neal in mid-air. Then Lin Tian felt a terrifying resistance. Known as a "little cannon" and a "tank" on the backcourt, Lin Tian felt that he had not crashed into a person, but a grown mammoth!
He even felt like he was going to be bounced back by O'Neal!
This fat guy, whether in terms of strength or size, is indeed ahead of everyone else in the league!
What's even more terrifying is that, in addition to his strength and weight, he also has an incredible jumping ability.
A true ancient behemoth!
Lin Tian was certain that if he tried to dunk on O'Neal, he would get a bloody block!
In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian pulled the basketball back from above his head to his waist, and at the same time made a behind-the-back pass in mid-air, passing the basketball to the left-behind Ben Wallace before he landed.
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Ben Wallace slammed the ball down with both hands! It was a small revenge for being blocked and dunked on by Shaquille O'Neal earlier.
2: 2!
The fans at the scene erupted in a frenzy of shouts and cheers!
The first two rounds were truly crazy, exciting, and thrilling!
Although the score was only 2-2, the passion the players brought to the fans was more than when many teams were tied at 20-20!
"That was fantastic! Those few possessions were absolutely amazing!" Barkley exclaimed. "Exquisite offense and defense! Both sides were playing an all-out offensive and defensive game, with the intensity and pace of both offense and defense reaching their peak. Every player on both sides was giving it their all! Two dunks, two blocks!"
"This is the Finals! This is the intensity the Finals should have!"
Kenny added, "Currently, it seems the Pacers have a hard time dealing with O'Neal, but the Lakers seem to have a slight solution for Lin Tian! At least, when O'Neal is under the basket, Lin's drives to the basket lack his usual ferocity and composure; he chooses to pass! So although it's currently 2-2, I think the Lakers have the upper hand for now!"
Barkley quickly added, "Lin's drives are indeed unparalleled in the league, absolutely at the top of the pyramid, but don't forget Lin's shooting; his mid-range and long-range shots are equally lethal! Tonight's game will depend on Lin's shooting touch!"
After the adrenaline-pumping opening minute, the pace of the game finally slowed down a bit, and the fighting became less intense!
The tactics and strategies of both sides gradually came to light as the first quarter progressed.
They double-teamed Kobe relentlessly, but didn't double-team Shaq, letting Ben Wallace go one-on-one with him.
The Pacers' defensive strategy resulted in Kobe, who is still developing, struggling. In the entire first quarter, he only took 3 shots, making only 1 for 2 points, while also committing 2 turnovers and only 2 assists!
As for O'Neal, he has long proven that he is invincible under the basket and is in a class of his own in the entire league.
Single defense?
No matter if the player guarding him is Mourning, Mutombo, Duncan, or David Robinson, none of them can stop him!
As for Ben Wallace, who had just begun to emerge and had not yet reached his peak, it was naturally impossible for him to defend against Shaquille O'Neal.
7投5中，罚球5罚3中，单节拿下13分5篮板2盖帽！
In other words, Kobe and Harper, the two Lakers' best passers, were contained by Christie and Lin Tian respectively, making it difficult for them to make good passes. This prevented O'Neal from having many opportunities to shoot or receive the ball. Otherwise, given his efficiency, he could have easily scored 20 points in the first quarter!
Besides O'Neal, Rice scored 5 points for the Lakers, Green scored 2 points, and Fox and Fisher, who came off the bench, each scored 2 points, giving the Lakers a total of 26 points in the first quarter.
As Barkley said, with O'Neal camping out in the paint to defend, Lin Tian's offensive power was no match for his ability to maintain his scoring ability and success rate. Therefore, Lin Tian started to use more mid-range and long-range shots to finish his shots!
今晚他的手感，也确实是不错，第一节10投5中，其中3分球2投2中，罚球2罚2中，拿下14分4助攻2篮板1抢断1盖帽的全面数据。
Lin Tian was able to find his rhythm with his shooting, but Carter, another Pacers player who mainly relies on driving to the basket, didn't have the same touch.
Carter went 0-for-4 in this quarter, scoring no points, and also got blocked by O'Neal when he drove to the basket to challenge him.
Among the rest of the team, Webber was the best performer, putting up a well-rounded stat line of 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. Christie added 2 points, Ben Wallace had 4, but substitutes like Miller failed to score a single point.
The Pacers scored a total of 25 points in this quarter! They are currently trailing the Lakers by 1 point!
"O'Neal will definitely rest for at least 3 minutes in the second quarter! Otherwise, he certainly won't have the stamina to last the whole game!" Bird said enthusiastically during the break. "Without O'Neal, we must seize this opportunity!"
"Launch a counter-attack! Improve your shooting percentage! Charge! Everyone, charge! Vince, take advantage of Shaq's absence and drive into the paint! Crush their defense! Lin, push the fast break! Chris, pass the ball, increase the speed of your passes!"
"Everyone, be decisive! Be decisive! Seize every second and every possession when O'Neal is off the court! We must widen the gap as quickly as possible!"
On the Lakers' side, Jackson calmly crossed his arms and squinted, saying, "Shaq, rest in the second quarter. You need to conserve your energy for the second half."
"The Pacers will definitely launch a furious offensive onslaught! They'll use every means possible to quickly break through defenses and widen the gap; they'll give it their all while Shaq is out!"
At this point, Jackson looked at Kobe, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Do you know what this means?"
"This means they think that apart from Shaq, none of us pose any threat whatsoever, we're no match for them at all. They can easily take us down without Shaq, they can completely dominate our rotation!"
"What I mean is, they don't take you guys seriously at all! I mean, everyone except Shaq is beneath them! Everyone here, except Shaq, is trash!"
Everyone on the Lakers knew that Jackson's words were "Kobe's personal message," meaning he was saying them to Kobe.
Who else would care about this kind of high school-level provocation!
(End of this chapter)