Lu Yao hit four consecutive three-pointers, which immediately ignited the entire energy center. The audience stood up excitedly, raised their hands high, and cheered loudly for their hero.
On the Lakers bench, after seeing Lu Yao hit his fourth three-pointer, Lakers head coach Scott, who was already worried, couldn't hold it anymore and called a timeout directly towards the referee.
If Lu Yao is allowed to continue, the distance between the Lakers and Thunder will become farther and farther until the Lakers can no longer catch up.
Scott called this timeout to give Kobe, who was carrying the team alone, a chance to breathe.
Looking up at the scoreboard, the Thunder have a 12-point lead. They can achieve such an advantage in just half a quarter. The Thunder must thank Lu Yao.
In this game, Lu Yao was on full fire, scoring 12 points in just half a quarter, maintaining a 100% shooting rate with 4-for-4, plus 2 blocks and 1 steal.
Fans who are familiar with Lu Yao know that most of Lu Yao's opening state is to directly hit 40+ points, because as long as Lu Yao shows off his power, the Thunder will only need 3 quarters to end the game.
This is the confidence Thunder fans have in their home team, because they have some of the best players in the world.
Kobe, who was sitting on the Lakers bench, held a mineral water bottle in his hand. He opened the bottle cap and took a sip with some irritation. He felt very dissatisfied with the current situation of the Lakers.
From the beginning of the game to now, as long as Kobe hands the ball over, the Lakers have always been in a passive state, let alone proactively launching an offense.
It can be said that this team's offense is entirely driven by Kobe, but when Kobe is restricted, the Lakers' offensive ability is almost non-existent. This is also the drawback of most rebuilding teams.
Although Kobe felt angry, he could only swallow it in his stomach, because he knew that the Lakers are no longer the Lakers of the past, and he is not the same person as he was back then. This era no longer belongs to Kobe Bryant.
After the rupture of his Achilles tendon, the unsolvable Kobe had already said goodbye to his current self. The current Kobe is nothing more than a candle in the wind.
However, even if it is a candle in the wind, it can still burn itself. Kobe will never let the Lakers lose so simply.
Soon, the timeout ended, and neither side made any substitution adjustments. The players returned to the court one after another, preparing to restart the game.
After Lu Yao scored, the ball should be handed over to the Lakers. Randall served from the baseline and handed the ball to Clarkson who was standing in front of him to receive the ball.
After receiving the serve from Randall, Clarkson followed the tactics and advanced the ball forward in an orderly manner, with steady movements.
During the timeout, Scott made a big speech, saying that the Lakers could no longer be so passive and the Thunder had seized many opportunities.
Therefore, the Lakers should become proactive and reduce mistakes, but become more aggressive.
Just like now, Randall and Clarkson, who had just arrived at the three-point line, met their eyes. After the two started to run in, they naturally understood each other's thoughts.
Immediately, Randall stepped forward and set a pick-and-roll for Clarkson, fending off the defending Robertson. Clarkson used the screen to rush inside. Facing the inside defense of Ibaka, he swayed away with a cool European step. Got Ibaka.
Ibaka was caught off guard and could only watch as Clarkson scored a layup.
There is no doubt that this is a perfect offense. When Scott saw this scene, he clapped happily and did not forget to shout on the sidelines.
"Yes, that's it, fight like this!"
In the following games, the Lakers seemed to have changed into a different team, and their offense became more fierce. Clarkson and Randle, who were originally in poor condition, also broke out and continued to help the team score one goal after another. ball.
The increase in the shooting percentage of his teammates naturally gives Kobe the opportunity to move without the ball, which also creates a more comfortable environment for Kobe's shooting.
Kobe continued to shake off the defenders behind him through his smart off-ball movements, and then he caught the ball and made a mid-range shot. The ball seemed to be destined to fall steadily into the basket.
Even though Kobe is now 36 years old, he can still stand up when the team needs him after experiencing a ruptured Achilles tendon.
As for the Thunder, Westbrook, who has played three consecutive games, is starting to feel cold this time. From the beginning to now, he has only hit 2 out of 6 shots, which shows how cold his hand is.
After Lu Yao hit four consecutive three-pointers, he also started passing the ball to his teammates. But as he passed the ball, Lu Yao suddenly realized that something was wrong.
Looking up, the Lakers caught up and directly chased the 12-point difference to a 5-point difference, and this was less than 4 minutes before the game restarted.
Lu Yao felt helpless. He who originally just wanted to fish was once again forced to stand up at this moment.
If no one from the Thunder can step up, the Lakers are likely to recover their 12-point deficit before the end of the first quarter.
After Randall hit the inside hard, Lu Yao grabbed the defensive rebound and protected it in his arms. After waving to his opponent, Lu Yao dribbled the ball toward the frontcourt alone.
Energy Center fans are naturally very familiar with Lu Yao. When Lu Yao dribbled the ball alone through halftime, it proved that Lu Yao put everything on Lu Yao's shoulders.
Lu Yao dribbled the ball to the top of the arc, facing the Lakers' Randall. Westbrook wanted to step forward to cover, but Lu Yao waved his hand towards him, indicating that he wanted to play singles.
At times like this, the only way to save the situation is to fight alone.
Lu Yao kept testing Randall. Although Randall was shaken, he quickly realized that even if Lu Yao forced himself to attack, he would not be able to take advantage.
But for Lu Yao, who has Iverson's ball-handling skills, this is not a problem.
Suddenly, Lu Yao quickly started to break through to Randall's right side, stepped forward with his right foot, and Randall quickly turned around, preparing to intercept Lu Yao's breakthrough.
After seeing that Randall's center of gravity had been successfully mobilized, Lu Yao smiled slightly, and then pulled back his crotch, sending Randall flying.
Randall, whose center of gravity was out of balance, took a few steps back and then sat down on the ground with a confused look on his face.
He didn't even know what Lu Yao had done, but he was knocked down unknowingly.
After Lu Yao glanced at Randall, he immediately shook his shoulders and confidently shot a three-pointer.
The ball drew a beautiful arc in the air and then hit the basket hollowly.
As the goal was scored, deafening cheers erupted from the scene!
