The game between the two sides continued. At the end of the first half, the Clippers led the Lakers by 6 points, 61:55.
Kobe and Paul's personal abilities are indeed strong. They don't need much tactical coordination. In the system composed of the triangle offense, they can lead the team to chase points steadily by giving full play to their abilities.
The Clippers obviously had more than enough explosive power but lacked stability. Their players lacked experience and were scored by Paul and Kobe in various ways, causing trouble. Coupled with the cooperation of the referees, the lead was quickly lost.
But even so, the Clippers still led the Lakers by 6 points at halftime, firmly occupying the advantage. The potential displayed by this team is very scary.
Min Congda was too lazy to care about this. When he heard Rosser say that the New Yorkers were going to join the competition for the Great Western Forum Arena, he was already excited.
The Great Western Forum is now owned not by a certain owner, but by a local church organization in Los Angeles - the Faithful Central Bible Church.
The church bought the arena for $22.5 million in 2000 and uses it mainly for gatherings of more than 12,000 church members.
A religious organization with 12,000 members can spend more than 20 million US dollars to directly buy a stadium for gatherings. This shows the power of American religious power.
Because the church made it clear that it would not rent out the stadium for sports games, and the Great Western Forum was indeed outdated, the Lakers moved to the Staples Center.
After that, the Great Western Forum was mainly used for congregational gatherings, as well as some ordinary concerts, activities, etc.
However, because the arena is owned by a religious organization, it is resistant to many activities and is unwilling to rent out the venue.
After all, rock concerts, boxing matches, death rock concerts, etc. have led to the gradual decline of the Great Western Forum with its excellent location.
Coupled with the economic crisis in recent years, the arena's disrepair and many other reasons, the church began to consider selling the arena.
The Clippers are naturally the top contender, and their bid of 30 million is already higher than the original purchase price, and at the same time higher than the church's psychological price.
Their psychological price is 25 million, and an extra 5 million is naturally excellent. Min Congda is also happy to spend this money, since it is a loan from the Clippers.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Yaojin showed up halfway. Tonight, Rosser originally invited Bishop Paul Foster from the church to come to the Staples Center to watch the game between the Clippers and the Lakers, and to discuss the purchase of the arena.
In the middle of the conversation, Bishop Foster went out to take a phone call and came back to say that he could not discuss the acquisition with the Clippers for the time being because New York sent someone to make an offer and the church needed to weigh who to sell to.
In such an unexpected situation, Rosser would of course have to come down and report to Min Congda.
Min Congda took advantage of the intermission and went to the VIP room above with Rosser. He wanted to talk to Bishop Foster in person.
Unlike people’s impression of a white bishop wearing a robe, white hair, and glasses, Paul Foster is a black man.
He wore a high-end blue-gray plaid suit, a low-key Omega watch on his left hand, and a heraldic ring on his middle finger.
He is not very old, probably in his late 30s or early 40s. He has an upright appearance and a straight nose. He is obviously a mixed race. However, in the United States, according to the one-drop principle, those with black ancestry are black.
Seeing Min Congda come to the private room in person, Foster stood up and shook hands with Min Congda and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Smart, but I'd like to trouble you to come in person. I originally planned to send an email to your team tomorrow to explain the purpose of this acquisition. Related situation, but Mr. Rosser said that if there is bad news, I must inform you as soon as possible, and you happen to be at Staples Center again today."
He speaks modestly and politely, without any of the street rapper vibes of other African-Americans. If he can enter the church and hold important positions, he must have received higher education.
After shaking hands with him, Min Congda gestured to sit down and said, "Why go back on your word? God is faithful and honest. As those who follow the Lord today, we should take integrity as our basic requirement for God and our behavior towards people."
Min Congda's conversational style is not to beat around the bush, but to get straight to the point, and he is never polite or impolite. This is actually very different from the Chinese style.
Chinese people like to do Tai Chi when talking about things, and they like to be friendly on the surface. They do one thing on the table and another on the table. Things are done behind the table, and words cannot be said on the table.
But Min Congda is in the United States. Secondly, his English level is not very high. If you ask him to go around the bush, he must have that ability. Thirdly, he never considers whether it will be successful or not when talking about things. Anyway, his purpose is to make money, no matter how successful he is. It doesn’t work.
As a result, his style of talking was very popular among Americans. Rosser all admired Min Congda for his ability to get to the point of every conversation.
This time, God defeated Paul Foster's army, which made Foster a little embarrassed.
He smiled and said: "God has indeed guided us to be honest, but we have not reached any agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers, whether it is oral or written, we are still in the process of negotiation. If we had reached a purchase and sale agreement earlier, even if it was The verbal agreement will definitely be implemented. But now the situation has changed, and the church needs to reconsider."
Min Congda sneered and said it nicely. When the price of 30 million was proposed, you guys came to the door on your own initiative.
I don’t know what kind of more favorable conditions New York offered that made the church change its mind. It was probably not a matter of money. 33
Min Congda asked: "Mr. Foster, I don't believe that New York will offer more than 30 million. I think this is already the highest offer."
Foster smiled and said: "Our loyal Central Bible Church is not a non-profit organization, we are not in business, and price is not the only factor we consider selling."
As soon as he said this, Min Congda probably knew that New York would definitely not pay more than 30 million. It must be other reasons that caused the church to be unwilling to sell the Great Western Forum to the Clippers.
After knowing this news, there is no point in continuing to talk. After all, the decision-making power is not in Paul Foster's hands. He is just a representative who spreads the word.
The two briefly exchanged greetings, and when Foster was about to leave, Min Congda suddenly asked: "When will the representative from New York come to talk to you?"
"Uh... it should be three days later..." After saying that, Foster was stunned for a moment and realized that he had let something slip.
Information like this about negotiation time cannot be leaked casually. What if someone comes to make trouble?
And Min Congda took advantage of Foster's slight mental relaxation when he was about to leave, and suddenly attacked and asked questions.
Foster subconsciously gave the correct answer and informed Min Congda of the time when the Knicks delegation came to negotiate.
Min Congda said calmly, "Okay, I hope we still have a chance."
Foster nodded and said: "Of course there is a chance, everything is negotiable."
After seeing Foster off, Min Congda sat in the VIP box and thought, if it was a money issue, it would be easier to handle.
The Clippers just need to add more money. Min Congda wishes he could add more money and add more liabilities to the Clippers.
But if it wasn't about money, it would be more troublesome. What conditions did the New York Knicks offer?
Min Congda was sitting in the VIP room, and the third quarter of the game had already begun.
The Clippers led the Lakers by 6 points in the first half. After the start of the second half, both sides still started from the first quarter.
During the halftime break, Tyronn Lue tried to make some tactical arrangements. He learned from the experience of the offensive climax in the second quarter and chose to let the team continue to shrink the defense to target the Lakers' poor three-point ability from the outside.
However, the Lakers' three-point ability is only poor, not absent.
Moreover, tonight the Lakers obviously focus on the two outside giants Kobe and Paul.
In the second quarter, the two men's condition became obvious. In the third quarter, the Clippers should target these two talents more.
In particular, we need to coordinate with the third position to switch defenses and double-team Kobe and Paul in order to contain them.
Blindly shrinking, doesn't it allow Paul and Kobe to show off the mid-range?
Sure enough, at the beginning of the third quarter, Chris Paul made a one-on-one mid-range jumper, beating Curry and succeeding!
Then, the Clippers still provided support from the high post, with continuous movements, changes, and coordination of passes and cuts. Curry caught the ball around the screen and shot a three-pointer, but missed.
During the counterattack, Kobe received a pass from Paul and made a mid-range jumper.
Tyronn Lue obviously underestimated the power of these two mid-range shooting monsters.
The score difference was suddenly narrowed to only 2 points.
Tyronn Lue is very nervous. It seems that Mr. Smart’s three-axe doesn’t work?
Nonsense, the three-point ax is aimed at Cole's passing and cutting lineup. Will it work if you use it randomly?
And in the third game of his coaching career, Tyronn Lue still hasn't changed his mind.
When encountering a problem, the first thought is to adjust the defense instead of working on the offense.
Anyway, on the offensive end, his idea is to give the ball to the players and let the players sort it out and figure out their own solutions.
Anyway, that's what Phil Jackson did when he coached the Lakers, asking the players to solve problems on their own.
Players can indeed figure out their own solutions, but usually in the playoffs, this talent will be amplified.
Because the playoffs are highly targeted and the court changes a lot, it is very important to adapt on the spot.
In the regular season and encounters, everyone follows habits and coaches’ guidance to run tactics. This is the most mindless and relaxing way.
That’s why some teams are very strong in the regular season and have a high winning rate, but not in the playoffs.
For example, with the Spurs last year, Popovich's team was well controlled, everyone had a high tacit understanding, and the tactics were proficient, and they reaped rewards all the way through the regular season.
When it comes to targeting in the playoffs, players' personal abilities have deteriorated and their ability to solve problems is insufficient, so they are pushed to the ground by the Clippers, who have strong personal abilities.
Now, the problem of the Clippers is that the coach has too few instructions. The result of everyone using their brains is that the situation on the court is a bit scattered and sluggish.
Originally, the third quarter was always a quarter where the Clippers exerted their strength. At that time, Lao Deng could not do anything else, and his offensive sorting and guidance were still in place.
As a result, in the midfield, Tyronn Lue directed the game without giving Cole much opportunity to perform, so everyone hesitated.
After hesitation, Harden caught the ball and passed it to Randolph to beat Martin, but the shot he turned around missed.
Martin's defense against Randolph was quite successful today.
But Ricky Davis rushed to grab the offensive rebound and successfully tipped the ball in to reopen the score gap.
Ricky Davis's current enthusiasm for the game is incredible.
Paul dribbled the ball past half court, and the Lakers opened up the half court again, allowing Paul to eat Curry alone.
Curry has an advantage over Paul's height, but it's not a big advantage, and Paul has long been used to playing small.
Forget about you Curry, I can also dunk on Dwight Howard.
Paul's small body contains a lot of energy.
Continuously dribbling away, suddenly accelerating to the left and rushing into the basket.
Gasol was afraid of Paul's pass and did not make up for it in time.
Paul made a left-hand layup and scored two points.
Curry was singled out, which is a great shame for the players.
Curry immediately asked for the ball and pulled away to beat Paul one-on-one.
Paul made a provocative gesture towards Curry in the middle, and he knew that if you have the guts, just come.
Curry dribbled the ball, and Paul immediately rushed to confront him, making various small moves on his hands.
Although the NBA has canceled the handcheck rule before, in actual games, pinch defense has not been completely eliminated.
When the referee's whistle is not particularly tight, many outside defenders will sneak up on their opponent's waist to interfere with dribbling.
Paul is a master of small moves. If he is short in stature and does not have anything in his hands, the defense will be at a disadvantage.
Therefore, when Curry accelerated, Paul sneaked his hand on Curry's waist to perform handcheck defense.
Of course Curry was made uncomfortable, but he dribbled the ball very steadily, and even Paul, a master of steals, could not get the ball out of his hands.
Gasol took the initiative to cover, but Paul chose to bypass it this time. It seemed that he wanted to let Curry shoot.
Because he judged that Gasol's screen position for this ball was raised very high, several steps away from the three-point line.
Don't worry too much about Curry's shooting when bypassing the defense. Even if he shoots, the hit rate will not be too high from such a long distance.
Who knew that Curry was two steps away from the three-point line behind the screen. When he saw Paul go around, he immediately picked it up and threw it!
The ball flew in a high arc, passed over the players' heads very quickly, and then fell into the net with a "swish"!
A super long three-point hit!
The entire Staples Center went "whoop!"
In this era, a long three-pointer is often a helpless move.
Only Curry, this kid likes to shoot long three-pointers since last season.
This season, there is a tendency to shoot farther and farther, because although it is easy to be inaccurate from a distance, the corresponding defensive interference is also small.
Between long distance and strong defensive interference, Curry feels that he can choose the former because it is more stable.
The defender's defense is ever-changing, including small moves, blindfolds, elbows, and even those long-armed monsters that block shots directly.
As a shooter, it is not easy to remain motionless in the face of various defensive methods from these defenders.
In contrast, the distance barrier is fixed, it's there, and the distance you're training at is exactly the same distance you're competing at.
Unlike some people who are too far away and can't make a shot at all, Curry's shooting method that he has practiced since he was a child allows him to ensure his hit rate from long distances.
After hitting the three-pointer, Curry shook his shoulders and showed off his super long range to Paul.
This is why Curry attracts young people. He is unique, flamboyant enough on the court, and elegant in his playing style.
This naturally made many old fans unhappy. They like to shoot, make breakthroughs, and do some exaggerated celebrations.
Old fans still prefer Jordan-Kobe, an all-around assassin who is in the same line.
"This kid Curry is getting more and more arrogant. He scored a three-pointer and started to yell again. Hey, I think Kobe is going to teach you a lesson soon..."
Min Congda had just finished thinking, and sure enough, Kobe received a pass from Paul, strode to the basket from the middle, and dunked easily with both hands!
The Lakers have completely become a showcase for Paul and Kobe. The two are really a perfect match, even sharper than the Gasol-Kobe pairing.
But the Clippers' 09 stars in the backcourt were no less impressive. James Harden, who had been silent for the entire first half, held the ball and cut into the basket after a pick-and-roll screen.
A European step passed Bynum, and he succeeded with a left-hand pick!
Bynum pulled someone from behind and was called for a foul, sending Harden to the free throw line.
Bynum failed to defend the ball and angrily hammered the ball.
Kobe reminded him to control his emotions, and Bynum drooped his head and said nothing.
"Focus on the game, kid, don't let your emotions sway you!"
Kobe reminded Bynum that this guy has been acting more and more abnormal recently.
Harden made a free throw and the Clippers continued to lead.
At halftime, the Clippers players had long forgotten what Tyronn Lue had arranged.
Anyway, it’s nothing special. Give the ball to Curry and give the ball to Harden, that’s the best!
Of course Steve Kerr will give guidance, but he is an assistant coach after all.
It is impossible for an assistant coach to completely replace the head coach in directing.
The head coach's will is still implemented in the team's actions.
In the third quarter, the two sides entered into a fight, and the intensity of both sides became stronger and stronger.
At this time, the Clippers' extensive rotation not only failed to effect a change in style, but instead highlighted an old problem: How can one perform well in a short playing time?
Before Min Congda engaged in large-scale rotation, this was a big problem. Players need time to get into shape.
In the first half, everyone was still in the testing period. In the third quarter, after warming up and testing and gradually entering into strong confrontation, the main players will be in better and better condition.
Although Tyronn Lue no longer engages in large-scale rotations and often hides the main players in the refrigerator, he still adheres to the strategy of 12-man rotation.
Check in at the end of the third quarter, let Harden and Randolph come down to rest, and join George and others.
But the second half is different from the first half.
For the Lakers, Paul and Kobe are obviously in good shape.
Phil Jackson no longer lets the two of them go off the court at the same time. Instead, they play together in large numbers, or at least one person leads the team to ensure the continuity of the team's offense.
Paul faced Curry one-on-one and hit a mid-range pull-up.
Kobe caught the ball in the high post, beat Ricky Davis alone, and hit a mid-range jumper.
Paul broke through the basket and assisted Kenyon Martin for a dunk!
The Lakers' offense is getting smoother and smoother, and the Clippers' passing and cutting offense is also very efficient.
However, Paul and Kobe were in such good shape tonight that they went crazy in the third quarter.
In a single quarter, the Lakers beat the Clippers 35:28, leading by 7 points in a single quarter, leading by 1 point.
89:90, the Clippers were overtaken by the Lakers at the end of the third quarter.
The players lost their rhythm and the game was completely under the control of the two veteran players.
Min Congda drank some wine and ate chicken drumsticks. He looked at Paul and Kobe and felt terrible in his heart.
This combination is indeed too sharp, and it is foreseeable that they will only be stronger in the playoffs.
In this game with Paul in charge, Kobe didn't exert any force at all, scoring 22 points in three quarters.
The fourth quarter hasn't started yet, but after the fourth quarter, the two of them will probably score 60 points and 20 assists together.
Two people managed 100 points. What a terrifying combination this is?
And this combination was orchestrated by Min Congda and created a roadblock for the Clippers in the Western Conference.
Min Congda was naturally very proud.
Although the Clippers showed extremely amazing potential in the first half.
Especially when the team switched between two different styles in the second quarter, Min Congda was a little confused.
But in the second half, the instability caused by this style switch became apparent.
It's like you have two sets of peerless martial arts in your body. If someone knows one set, it's already very powerful. But if you know two sets, it's theoretically even more powerful.
However, the two sets conflict with each other. If you practice too much, you may become obsessed with it. In the end, you won't have to fight with your opponent, and you will go crazy due to schizophrenia.
The Clippers feel a bit like this now. If Min Congda is allowed to coach and coach seriously, he will train this lineup well.
He can be fast or slow, he can attack or defend, and with his basketball talent, he might be able to create a super strong team.
Is Tyronn Lue the head coach now? This guy, let's figure out the rotation first. In the third quarter, the Clippers' rotation was too rigid.
"This Tyronn Lue is really rigid in what he does. In the first quarter, you just make substitutions at the last minute. In the third quarter, when the energy is really high, you still make the substitutions at the last minute... It means I'm not wrong about you. You are indeed a Talent!”
Min Congda was so proud of his two masterpieces that he was so carried away watching the game in the VIP box that he had forgotten his girlfriend Daddario who was watching the game with him in the front row seat below.
The fourth quarter of the game was, as Min Congda expected, a showcase for two super guards, Paul and Kobe.
After a short period of running-in and repetition, Paul played a masterpiece of his Lakers career.
He didn't rest in the fourth quarter and went into battle early, partnering with Billups in the backcourt.
He had the tempo of the game firmly in his hands.
When attacking, grasp the team's offense to catch the ball, break through, mid-range, and distribute the ball.
In defense, although Jackson did not give special instructions, he knew that the core point of the Clippers' offense was not Gasol or Randolph, but Curry.
After Curry hit the three-pointer and shook his shoulder at Paul, Paul obviously focused on Curry and began to use all his defensive skills to bite Curry and cause trouble for Curry.
Unfortunately, the referee's whistle was relatively loose tonight. Curry was very uncomfortable being defended in the fourth quarter. His experience is still much lower than Paul's.
Especially in how to use some small details to create conflicts and affect morale, Paul is superior.
Curry finally made a pass error and went out of bounds under Paul's interference. Paul incited the audience to cheer.
The atmosphere at the scene was heightened to a climax. At this time, the Lakers were 97:94, leading the Clippers by 3 points.
It just so happened that Kobe was back in action at this time, and the morale of the entire Lakers reached a peak.
Then Kobe and Paul cooperated again, catching the ball in the middle and going straight to the basket. Facing Gasol, he switched hands and made a layup!
99:94, the sound of Staples Center almost lifted the roof.
Because Kobe rarely scored goals like this due to injuries after 2009.
In his early 20s, Kobe would contribute such wonderful hand-change layups in almost every game.
At this time, Lu Yuan, sitting in a normal position in the middle of the arena, was so shocked when he saw Kobe's goal that his jaw dropped.
He has also watched some NBA game videos before and has a rough understanding of the stars.
But tonight, when Ida brought him to the Staples Center, he felt the hustle and bustle of the NBA scene for the first time, which still shocked him.
Is this a basketball game? Why are there so many young ladies in cool clothes dancing in the middle of the court? It dances so beautifully.
As for the live game, it is really different from watching the video. There are 10 giants on the field, fighting against each other at high speed.
Before Lu Yuan came to the United States, Fan Chen told him that if he tried out in the United States, he might be able to play basketball in the NBA in the future.
Lu Yuan has only been exposed to the sport of basketball for more than a month. He originally accompanied his students to some training camps.
As a result, someone was injured in one group of competitions and there were not enough people, so Lu Yuan was brought in to make up the number.
His teammates told him that if he puts the ball into the basket, he scores, and the one with the higher score wins.
Lu Yuan thought to himself, isn't this simple? Then he used his amazing running and jumping abilities to easily control the audience...
Originally, no one paid much attention to their half-time confrontation, but as they continued to fight, more and more spectators gathered around them.
Everyone said that there was a child who could fly on a field, and then he was noticed by Fan Chen.
He stayed to take the physical test and participated in some simple trials. On the one hand, Fan Chen regretted that this child did not have a basic foundation at the age of 15. On the other hand, he felt that he was such a good youngster and his learning ability was so strong.
In just two weeks, he has beaten all the kids in the entire training camp, including some athletes who have been playing since elementary school.
This kid can do it one-on-one, catch the ball in one step, and go to the basket for an easy layup or dunk. No one can stop him.
Because the speed is simply two or even three levels higher than others, others are as if they are frozen, so how can they fight.
In three weeks, Lu Yuan could already shoot, and his shooting posture was quite standard.
This guy was recruited into the training camp and practiced very hard because the training camp was responsible for the food.
Seeing Lu Yuan's positive attitude every time he ate, Fan Chen thought that maybe Mr. Min would like him very much.
The Asian Basketball Fund has been operating for a long time, and there must be some results.
So Fan Chen sent Lu Yuan to the United States as the result.
Lu Yuan participated in the Clippers' training camp, and the results were predictable. His physical fitness was very good, but his foundation was too weak.
He stands out among Chinese children, but he is really not ranked among American high school students.
However, after the trial, Cole said that if he plays well in an American high school for a few years, he might have a chance to play professionally.
This is already a very high evaluation for a basketball beginner, because Cole is interested in Lu Yuan's learning ability.
Lu Yuan was originally not that interested in basketball, especially since his mother had always been strongly opposed to it, so he was cautious this time.
But after watching Kobe Bryant's game tonight, Lu Yuan felt as if something was ignited in his heart.
"It turns out that he is so handsome when he plays basketball." He still fantasizes about playing in the NBA.
Two days later, when Lu Yuan learned that the annual salary of NBA water cooler players was one million dollars, he resolutely decided to make entering the NBA to guard the water cooler his number one goal in life!
In the fourth quarter, the Lakers took full control of the game. In the end, they won the derby at Staples Center with a 6-point advantage of 116:110.
Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant jointly contributed 58 points and 21 assists, playing their first masterpiece since joining forces.
For the Clippers, Curry scored 26 points, Randolph had 17 points, Gasol had 19 points, and Harden only scored 12 points.
It was still a very average score, but at the critical moment, it was overshadowed by the brilliance of the two superstars.
However, the Clippers' potential is enough to scare many people.
Now, Tyronn Lue seems to have become the team's biggest shortcoming.
After the game, Tyronn Lue kept scratching his head, wondering what route and direction this team should take?
Min Congda looked at the text message on his mobile phone that the 2,000 US dollars in losing wages had been received, and there was no wave in his heart.
But he suddenly thought of Daddario who had been sitting downstairs. Min Congda quickly called, but Daddario's phone was turned off.
When I ran to the parking lot, there was no sign of her. She didn't know where she had gone.
Some people died, but not completely...
