The starting lineups for both sides in this game are as follows:
The Trail Blazers still have an unshakable starting five.
For the Lakers, point guard Steve Blake, shooting guard Kobe Bryant, small forward Wesley Johnson, power forward Jordan Hill, and center Pau Gasol.
After both sides played, Wang Zelin took another look at the ability evaluations of Kobe and Pau Gasol. Kobe's overall rating has dropped from 97 last season to 94, transforming from a superstar into an "ordinary" superstar...
Uh, okay, the so-called "ordinary" means that compared to Kobe, Aldridge, the strongest player on the Trail Blazers side, has not changed at all since his strength exceeded 90 last season.
The upper limit between people is ultimately different.
In addition to the overall strength rating, such as talent and skills, Kobe's penalty area dominance and physical fitness expert have degraded from gold level to silver level. The former purple diamond level terminator has also dropped one level and become gold level.
The talent and skill configuration has changed from three yellow and three purple last season to four yellow and two purple... but it is still very abnormal! This old poisonous snake, born on August 23, 1978, is already 35 years old!
However, Pau Gasol surprised him a little. His comprehensive strength rating increased instead of decreasing. It improved by 1 point from 84 to 86, returning to a stable All-Star level.
Thinking about it, last season was probably due to the fact that the Lakers' inside ball rights were largely controlled by Dwight Howard. Coupled with constant minor injuries and occasional major injuries, Pau Gasol had the worst season of his career, with a career-high scoring record. A new low of only 13.7 points.
After returning the ball, he naturally felt much more comfortable playing, and his body gradually got rid of the troubles of injuries. So in his first season after being traded to the Bulls, he played like an old tree blooming, averaging 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.7 rebounds per game. Assists and 1.9 blocks.
Looking at the two old guys from the Lakers, Wang Zelin couldn't help but sigh: "Jiang really gets hotter as he gets older!"
When Wang Zelin was feeling emotional, Lakers No. 24 on the opposite side was also feeling emotional.
Seeing that the 20-year-old Wang Zelin is already the favorite for MVP, and judging from the current trend, the guy on the opposite side is very likely to book a first-team defense this season!
Kobe couldn't help but think of when he was 20 years old, which was the third year of his career, and he was still called Peter Pan by the outside world. Even his now highly regarded scoring ability was only averaging 19.9 points per game at that time. It hasn’t even broken through the 20 mark yet.
I am also 20 years old. The only thing I can offer at the age of 20 is an All-NBA third team and a second-year Western Conference All-Star starter.
Wang Zelin now is even worse than he was back then!
The opponent's pre-game interview reached Kobe's ears. Kobe felt angry and offended, but also felt a little bit excited.
I don’t know if it’s because the generation of 2003 entered the league that the atmosphere of the entire league began to change.
It seems that today's young players no longer have the arrogance of old-school players, and even if they do, they are only a few exceptions.
Today's young players are more likely to have a good time and start calling each other brothers. There is no tit-for-tat confrontation between players in the last century when they competed on the same stage.
Existence is reasonable.
Kobe certainly knows this truth, but this does not mean he looks down on today's young players.
You must know that when Kobe entered the league, he bluntly stated that he wanted to defeat Michael Jordan, fully demonstrating his character of a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers.
Yes, today's young players will rush to say hello when they see Kobe. Everyone admits that they grew up watching Kobe play and are his loyal fans.
But the problem is, what Kobe wants most is not a group of loyal fans like obedient children, but a group of young challengers who scream when they see him and want to kill him at all times.
Now, finally, a young man who suits his temperament has appeared, making the blood in Black Mamba's body begin to boil.
…
…
…
"King, please be gentle for a moment!"
Wang Zelin came to the center circle and was about to jump the ball. Suddenly, a helpless voice came from his ears. When he looked up, the speaker was none other than his opponent in the jump ball - Pau Gasol.
"Well, what you said is easy to misunderstand if others hear it!"
He looked at the other person's arms and legs again and nodded, making the latter mistakenly think he agreed and smiled.
Beep~
The referee blows the whistle and throws the ball into the air...
The other four Lakers players quickly turned around and returned to defense. This series of actions was a tacit understanding.
It has been almost two months since the game. Who doesn’t know that the Trail Blazers’ No. 36 starter has an astonishing 100% jump ball success rate? A large number of the top jumpers in the league have issued challenges, and in the end they all ended up with The defeat ended, not to mention the 33-year-old Pau Gasol.
If it weren't for the league's regulations, refusing to jump the ball would be called a technical foul. I guess Pau Gasol wouldn't want to weigh the value of Wang Zelin's "new jump ball king"... What does this mean by humiliating himself?
The Lakers retreated so quickly that their opponent Lillard had no idea of starting the fast break. Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill were sending out to both sides.
Another Lakers point guard, also named Steve, stood up at the top arc and withstood Lillard's impact.
Speaking of which, this Steve also came out of the 2003 Platinum Generation Draft and was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 38th pick in the second round. After playing for so many years, his impression of people seems to have always been that of a diligent, low-key person who never takes the initiative. A traditional point guard who breaks through and seldom makes mistakes. As a passer, his passing is simple, direct and efficient.
Although he is on the same level as Steve in a suit and leather collar on the sidelines, this Steve has his own advantages after all, that is, his defense is better.
Just kidding, "not prepared" is by no means just talk.
By the way, another advantage is that Steve Blake's style is very suitable for the Black Mamba, who now urgently needs a lot of singles to lead the Lakers to compete for playoff tickets.
Kobe followed Matthews's movement, but his eyes were always focused on the direction of the top arc.
Lillard advanced to the frontcourt and passed the ball to Wang Zelin, leading Steve Blake to open up the space.
Wang Zelinzhe made a breakthrough against Pau Gasol!
Although the latter's state this year may be the best in recent seasons, facing the young and strong Trail Blazers No. 36, he is ultimately unable to do anything.
Facing Pau Gasol, Wang Zelin did not play any fancy tricks, but relied on his physical advantage to break into the penalty area and dunk successfully.
"boom!"
The Trail Blazers took the lead and started 2:0.
The live broadcast seat of the imperial court.
Yu Jia shook his head and sighed: "There is no way to guard against this ball. Let alone the 33-year-old Pau Gasol. Even at the age of 23, it is impossible for him to guard against the king."
Zhang Lili said: "Now it's the Lakers' possession, eh, that's right, just give the ball to Kobe..."
Yu Jia was a little embarrassed, and secretly cursed Zhang Lili, "You are really serious, at least cover it up."
Then he said: "Yes, Pau Gasol can't guard against the king. The Lakers can only rely on Kobe now. The Black Mamba is bound to play the role of a lone hero again tonight. Let's wait and see."
Lakers offense.
Just after halftime, Steve Blake handed the ball directly to Kobe, and then ran to the bottom corner with ease, muttering as he ran: As long as the big guys are here, we will be responsible for this set and shout "666" That’s it.
Kobe Bryant dribbled through Matthews!
Don't forget that Matthews is 8 years younger than Kobe. He is still young and strong, but he still can't keep up with the latter's old legs.
After a series of fake moves and changes of direction, Kobe passed Matthews in one stride. Looking at the momentum, he looked like he wanted to dunk on the Blazers' No. 36.
"bring it on!"
Under the basket, Wang Zelin saw Kobe rushing towards him and was instantly excited. However, instead of covering up, he stood in the three-second zone and planned to jump to block the shot.
"Stop looking down on others!"
Kobe cursed in his mind, but his body was honest. As soon as he stepped into the paint area, he immediately controlled his body to stop, pulled up on the spot, and shot from close range.
"Uh-huh!"
Two points scored, 2:2 tied.
Seeing Kobe spreading his hands and retreating slowly, Wang Zelin felt that he deserved a beating: "Old people, you don't have martial ethics! Come and cheat, come and attack me, a 20-year-old young man..."
Where's the promised buckle?
Show me the result.
At the moment of the goal, Terry Stotts on the sidelines shook his head slightly and turned to look at David Vanderpool: "It seems that our Mr. Black Mamba has a belly full of venom!"
David Vanderpool smiled and suggested: "So, double team?"
Terry Stotts shook his head again: "No, it's too early now, let's see."
However, he didn't want to be double-teamed so quickly, but the double-team from the opposite side came surprisingly quickly.
Trail Blazers offense.
After Wang Zelin came out of the pick-and-roll, he turned around and ran back to cut inside. He caught Lillard's return pass at the free throw line and prepared to dunk again.
At this moment, Jordan Hill, who was in the low post on the left side of the basket, put aside Aldridge and stepped forward to block Wang Zelin. There was also Pau Gasol who was approaching quickly behind him, and a pincer attack was formed instantly.
"Oh!"
The Rose Garden suddenly exclaimed.
The Lakers' double-teaming was so decisive that they were surprised.
If they are ordinary players, they may have been frightened by the Lakers' formation. Those with a better mentality may also panic.
But Wang Zelin is not an ordinary player after all. He pretended to break through to the left and deceived Jordan Hill, but actually pulled back to the right and passed the ball from the latter's waist into the penalty area.
Then...
"boom!"
There was a loud noise from the restricted area.
When everyone saw it, Aldridge was hanging on the basket.
In the electric moment, Wang Zelin's response to handling the ball was beyond everyone's imagination. He could resolve the crisis in the blink of an eye and send a wonderful pass with ease.
"Is this guy... really a seven-foot center?"
Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni couldn't help but raise his forehead, unwilling to accept what he saw.
Why does such a sense of flexibility and speed appear in a center? It's too inconsistent.
The scene just now was also seen by Kobe. The difference was that his eyes were full of fire.
If such a big man could join the Lakers in the future, would he...
Immediately afterwards, he was poured cold water on him, and his heart felt cold: "Not to mention that the Lakers do not have the bargaining chips to trade with the Trail Blazers. Even if they do, the Blazers management is quite stupid to trade a potential player. Unlimited super newcomers?”
Putting aside the complicated emotions in his heart, Kobe turned his attention back to the game. If they lose again tonight, the Lakers will have lost five consecutive games!
Until then, stop thinking about making the playoffs and just dream about it.
On the next possession, Kobe continued to hold the ball.
The defender was replaced by Batum.
Kobe is getting older, but the pressure he has accumulated over the years in the NBA makes every defender feel depressed and suppressed when facing him.
After a simple test in the first round, it seemed that Matthews really couldn't guard Kobe, so he chose to take the initiative to switch defenses with Batum.
Facing the request from his good friend, Batum smiled on the outside but felt MMP in his heart!
It's a pity, who makes him more capable?
There is a saying: the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility.
In the end, Batum could only take over the task of defending Kobe Bryant with tears in his eyes.
Kobe glanced at Batum and sneered: "Hey, why did you change the players? No. 2 just couldn't do it, do you think you can?"
Faced with the Black Mamba's provocation, Batum stared at Kobe and said, "Hey, old guy, is it okay? Don't you try it yourself?"
When Kobe heard this, he thought to himself: The Trail Blazers have a lot of interesting guys.
But his words were still cold: "Watch, I'm going to pass you on the right!"
After saying the cruel words, Kobe leaned down and started to test with fake movements.
After this try, Batum couldn't help but take a step to the left.
After Wang Zhelin saw Batum's center being deflected by Kobe at the basket, he knew that the ball could not be defended, and immediately accelerated to cover the ball.
Of course, Kobe was not stupid enough to really break through to the right to prove to Batum that since he had a great shot, he definitely couldn't let it go to waste.
At the moment when Batum made a misjudgment, Kobe put the ball together with both hands, raised it, and looked at the direction of the basket...
"Farke!"
The next moment, a dark shadow appeared in front of Kobe. The person who came was none other than Trail Blazers No. 36, causing him to inadvertently curse.
The arrow is on the string and must be fired!
Seeing Wang Zelin's shot-blocking hand getting closer and closer to him, Kobe once again showed his incredible waist to hundreds of millions of basketball fans around the world. He leaned backward in the air and apparently narrowly avoided Wang Zelin's block. In the end, Successful shot.
"Fuck!"
This time it was Wang Zelin's turn to use foul language.
It's not over yet.
The moment the ball was released, Kobe got the whistler during physical contact with Wang Zelin!
In other words, regardless of whether the goal was scored or not, Kobe was considered successful in this offensive round.
Want 2+1?
At this time, Zhang Lili looked expectantly at the basketball spinning in the air.
Duang~
Shoot the iron.
well!
Countless Mamba fans expressed regret at the same time.
"this……"
Kobe stared blankly at the direction of the basketball. He obviously had some feeling in his hand, but why...
He suddenly saw the slightly trembling middle finger of Trail Blazer No. 36, and seemed to understand something.
"Hello!"
Kobe suddenly shouted, immediately attracting everyone's attention.
"Um?"
Wang Zelin looked over with confusion.
When he came to the free throw scene, Kobe looked at Wang Zelin provocatively: "I'll give you a piece of advice. Next time you choose to foul, you must be ruthless. It's best to leave no room for it, otherwise it's better not to commit it!"
After saying that, he didn't forget to lick his dry lips.
At this moment, Wang Zelin finally felt Mamba's bloodthirsty!
No room left?
I see.
