"Although over-reliance on Zhao Chen is not a good phenomenon for the Lakers, with Zhao Chen's lineup there is really no need to consider other options." Barkley said.
"Zhao Chen's 5 points in practice easily helped Juran stabilize the situation. Let's see how the Clippers respond." Kenny Smith said.
Paul is a master of rhythm. After Zhao Chenlian's 5 points, he signaled the team to be steady.
Dribbling to the frontcourt, Paul played a bull horn tactic.
Griffin and DeAndre Jordan put up the ball at the same time, Zhao Chen was caught, and then Griffin and DeAndre Jordan put up the pass at the same time. Zhao Chen had to follow Griffin closely to prevent Paul from directly sending an alley-oop.
Preventing scoring can be done individually, but guarding against passes requires the entire team to work together.
Paul hit Randall out of position.
After continuous dribbling, Paul Trandell went to the right.
Randall's movements were not in the same rhythm as Paul's.
Paul completed the rhythm adjustment between the right free throw line and the three-second zone, and made a sudden stop for a mid-range jumper.
Hitting the big man out of position is Paul's classic killer move!
"Uh-huh!"
This move is very stable.
11 to 5.
"The Clippers were in great shape today. Even Paul opened up. Paul is very smart. He has studied every defensive loophole of the Lakers." Zhang Weiping said.
"Let's see if Coach Scott will adjust their defensive methods next. The Clippers did not use the inside to launch offense as expected. Their frequent outside attacks have achieved unexpected results." Xu Jicheng said.
"The Clippers used the inside to instigate offense in the regular season. No surprise, they all lost, and they must have learned from experience. Chris Paul is indeed one of the top point guards in the league, and he is very smart on the court. "Zhang Weiping said.
Ever since Zhao Chen won the regular season MVP, Zhang Weiping didn't brag about Zhao Chen without thinking. He felt that it would be better to be more clever, such as highlighting the strength of the opponent, and then Zhao Chen defeating them lightly.
The Lakers' offense comes again.
Zhao Chen also asked for a horns tactic.
Jokic and Randall were mentioned at the same time.
The difference between Zhao Chen and Paul's horns is that Zhao Chen has a stronger ability to attract a flanking attack.
Randall found an opportunity with a smooth pass, and Zhao Chen sent the ball into the air.
Randall took off into the air, grabbed Zhao Chen's pass with both hands in the air and smashed it directly into the basket! !
Randall's running and jumping ability is better than Jokic's, and his dunks are also better looking.
"frame!!"
Randall abuses the frame with both hands!
11 to 7
Randall pulled the frame with both hands and shook it vigorously, then landed and waved to Zhao Chen. The Lakers fans at the scene also burst into cheers.
Zhao Chen also nodded at Randall. Randall's progress was getting faster and faster, and he also knew how to adjust the rhythm after the pick-and-roll.
Jokic put a lot of pressure on Randle in the Lakers.
Jokic is second only to Wiggins in the Rookie of the Year rankings, while Randle ranks seventh.
Randle happens to be the seventh overall pick, while Jokic is only a second-round pick...
Under this kind of internal competition, if Randall doesn't work hard, he will be overtaken by Jokic.
The applause at the scene continued, but Zhao Chen was very clear in his mind.
The situation is not good for the Lakers. The Lakers' offense has never been a big problem. If the Lakers want to beat the Clippers, they still have to defend well first.
But unfortunately, judging from the first half, the Lakers obviously did not defend well.
The Lakers' defense was targeted by the Clippers, and Randall and Jokic were constantly pulled out of singles by Paul.
The inside often becomes a sieve for Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to dunk on.
On the offensive end, Zhao Chen's personal offense is indeed not a big problem, but others have some problems.
The other players' touch was not good, and Kobe and Covington frequently found themselves in open spaces.
The Clippers are very strong inside, and the Lakers don't have many opportunities to grab offensive rebounds.
During the second team period, the Clippers second team led by Crawford showed super offensive power.
Jamal Crawford is averaging 15.8 points per game this season, and his firepower on the bench is among the best in the league.
The Lakers' second lineup was also blown apart.
After two quarters, the score became 65-50.
The Lakers trailed by 15 points at home.
This point difference made the Lakers fans at the scene quite embarrassed.
"Hey, I wish I had known to support the Clippers."
"The Lakers' lineup is really unreasonable. The Clippers are the prototype of the championship."
"The Lakers suppressed the Clippers pretty hard in the regular season, but they were really beaten in the playoffs."
"The Lakers are finished."
"The Clippers are going to win tonight."
The Lakers fell behind in the first half, causing many Lakers fans at Staples Arena to defect.
...........
TNT's Barkley also said: "Scott's expression was very serious. He was very dissatisfied with the team's performance in the first half. The Lakers' challenge will not really come until the second round."
Barkley doesn't like the Spurs. His implication is that the Spurs are not even qualified to pose a challenge to the Lakers.
Smith said: "Zhao Chen played steadily in the first half, scoring 24 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. His performance was normal. If he hadn't remained so stable, I think the Lakers would be behind by more than 15 points. So much, but Zhao Chen also needs to perform more explosively, otherwise the Lakers will be in danger tonight."
The atmosphere in the locker room was not good for the Lakers, and their overall performance today was somewhat poor.
Scott roared at the crowd.
"Wouldn't it be embarrassing to lose here?"
"You passed the first round easily, do you think it will be the same in the second round?"
"A season's hard work is going to end here?"
“I couldn’t see you guys working hard on defense in the first half.”
"I have to move my steps, move my body, fight, and play with passion."
Scott had rarely been so angry.
One is because he has always had a good temper, and the other is that the Lakers' record has been improving rapidly.
Only now has everyone seen another side of this head coach.
"You still have to take decisive shots when you are open. You can't be afraid to shoot just because you can't make a shot."
"In addition, we will adjust the lineup, take down the big men, and try to play small lineups."
"If the two big men on the other side want to hit the basket, hold them down and let them shoot free throws."
The small lineup was a strategy discussed by Zhao Chen and Scott before the game.
Paul's small-to-big hit ability is very scary. When he is accurate, he is crazy. He dares to hit five or six times in a row.
When he is unable to defend himself, Scott will have to use more small men to follow his footsteps in time.
After Scott finished speaking, Zhao Chen also came out.
"There are still two quarters in the game. Don't give up easily. Chasing points is not difficult, but it requires everyone to work together..."
"reverse!"
"reverse!"
A group of rookies screamed under the leadership of Zhao Chen.
The Lakers regained their morale.
