Paul is a typical small man with big ambitions.
Of course in the NBA, being ambitious is never a bad thing.
If you have no ambition and no desire to compete, if you can earn hundreds or tens of millions a year, why are you playing with your life?
Isn't it just for reputation, status, and to realize the basketball dream in my heart, that's why I work so hard?
Paul really worked hard in this game. He has too much to prove.
Especially in the summer, he "indirectly" forced Kobe away, causing Paul to be attacked and slandered by many Lakers fans.
After all, many Lakers fans grew up watching Kobe play and fell in love with the Lakers because of Kobe.
When Kobe forced O'Neal away, he also received a lot of criticism. Kobe proved himself with his crazy personal performance in 2005 and 2006.
Then with the championships in 2009 and 2010, everyone finally shut up.
Now that Paul is facing the same situation, he also needs to rely on his personal performance to impress Lakers fans.
This opening game was very important. At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers took the lead and turned the situation around.
In the fourth quarter, the Clippers launched a desperate counterattack, but to Min Congda's surprise, he thought Tyronn Lue would use a super lineup of one large and four small, allowing Anthony Davis to play five and play Curry. , Harden, Leonard and George, this lineup proved in the finals that their offense is unmatched and is like cutting butter with a hot knife.
However, Tyronn Lue has never been in this lineup. Instead, he insisted on a normal rotation. At the critical moment of the fourth quarter, he used a regular lineup of Curry, Harden, George, Randolph and Gasol.
Although this lineup is stable, after all, it has been used for several years, and opponents have become accustomed to it.
The Clippers once got the score close, and the two sides entered a fighting stage.
At this time, the Lakers used a bolder lineup at the last moment: three guards.
Paul, Henry, and Meeks used three-pointers to compete with the Clippers, and even hit consecutive three-pointers at the critical moment!
Among them, Henry made 3 of 4 three-pointers tonight, and Meeks made 3 of 6 three-pointers. The Clippers' three-pointers were numb.
Obviously, the Clippers did not expect the Lakers' three-pointers to be so ferocious during their pre-game preparations.
In the entire game, the Lakers made 15 of 30 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage of an extremely terrifying 50%!
This is no longer a normal three-point shooting rate. For example, Meeks and Henry took several shots and threw them in front of the defense.
The Clippers' high-quality defense changes are undoubtedly obvious in the face of this superior three-point touch. So what if you are airtight?
I don't stand out at all. I hit a three-pointer directly in front of you. The three-pointer hit rate is higher than the two-pointer. How do you deal with it?
This is how the Clippers beat other teams last season. Curry hit a three-pointer with a single block, causing the opponent's defense to collapse and your rotations and defense switches to become meaningless.
Now in the new season, every team has begun to realize the advanced nature and power of this style of play. As a team in the same city, the Lakers were eliminated by the Clippers for two consecutive years, so they are naturally the vanguard of reform.
However, even in the face of the Lakers' accurate and outrageous three-pointers, the Clippers still did not allow the Lakers to completely widen the point difference in the final stage of the fourth quarter, and chased all the way to a tie.
Harden and Curry continuously defeated their opponents. Randolph grabbed the offensive rebound under the basket and forced a layup. With 21 seconds left before the end of the game, the score of the two sides was evened at 110:110.
The Lakers called a timeout and attacked at the critical moment. After a pick-and-roll, Chris Paul held the ball and hit the basket.
The Clippers' defense was wary of Joe Johnson's buzzer-beater and Iguodala's three-pointer, so it opened up in the middle and Paul drove to the basket. His layup caused a foul on Gasol.
This shot was a typical example of Gasol pressing his arm down while defending, violating the league's new vertical takeoff rules and sending Paul to the free throw line.
Min Congda clenched his fists, and Ada on the side quickly grabbed Min Congda's hand and said, "Mr. Smart, you need to calm down."
Min Congda calmed down. Watching this game made his blood pressure rise. Damn it, he could have won the opening game against the Lakers before, but he still won in a comeback.
What's going on today? Why don't you want to win when I want to watch?
Paul made two free throws and the Lakers led 112:110. The Clippers called a timeout and they still had a chance to win.
Min Congda wanted to write a small note to Director Lu? After thinking about it, I’d better trust Tyronn Lue first.
After all, he is always growing.
As a result, after Tyronn Lue set up a double screen, Curry used a tactic of catching the ball and shooting a three-pointer.
There is no problem with this tactic, but when Paul took the final shot, Paul made an obvious elbow move when defending Curry!
With Paul's height, it is impossible to block shots. He is simply out of reach.
But he can touch other people's elbows. He can sneak up on someone's right elbow, which can influence the opponent's shot and is not easily discovered by the referee. It is very hidden!
This undoubtedly affected Curry's winning shot. As a result, the ball drew a beautiful arc, but the ball eventually spun on the basket and missed.
During the scramble for rebounds, Randolph did get an offensive rebound, but Iguodala cut it off. The ball was also suspected of being a foul, but the referee still didn't call it.
The Lakers controlled the ball, and the buzzer sounded at the end of the game. The Lakers had a 2-point advantage in the opening game at 112:110, narrowly beating the Clippers and getting a good start!
Now Adala couldn't hold it back anymore, Min Congda stood up and sprayed wildly at the referee!
"After a summer, your shortsightedness has deepened! You can't see the two fouls!"
"It's a thug! It's a thug! Our Clippers players' hands don't count as hands!"
"Have you used the referee training fees for prostitution? I want to complain!"
The referee tonight is Dan Crawford, not the bald Crawford that people are familiar with, that name is Joey.
Dan Crawford is also a very senior referee in the league. He started officiating NBA games in the 1988-1989 season and has been officiating in the league for 25 seasons.
The most classic and controversial game that this referee has officiated was in Game 4 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. Reggie Miller pushed away Michael Jordan at the last minute and then caught the ball and hit a three-pointer.
Many people thought that Miller obviously fouled the ball in the end, but the referee did not call it.
The referee on duty, Dan Crawford, believed that the game should be decided by the players at critical moments.
Unless it is a very obvious foul, the referee should not call it.
But the problem is, you blew Paul's last offensive breakthrough.
The reason may be that in order to strengthen the impression of the "vertical takeoff" rule on the players, the referee will focus on calling such fouls.
As for the hidden minor fouls of thugs, it's fine if it's not too obvious.
Dan Crawford is a super veteran in the league and is already prepared to accept Min Chongda's anger.
A special chapter on "How to Deal with Smart Min" is now included in the league's preseason training for referees.
The general idea is "as long as he doesn't hit anyone, just ignore him."
Min Congda didn't have any handy weapons in his hand, and Dan Crawford left this land of right and wrong with a helpless look.
Min Congda was left with nowhere to vent his anger, and what made him even more angry was that Tyronn Lue came over to comfort him: "Mr. Smart, the result is not important, we have to enjoy the process and see if there is anything gained. "
This boomerang stuck into Min Congda's head, causing it to bleed.
(End of chapter)
