When the OK group first got together, it was considered a setback.
When Kobe participated in the draft, he was eyeing the No. 1 pick of the 76ers, the No. 6 pick of the Celtics, and the No. 7 pick of the Clippers. For this reason, he directly stated his position to the Nets management. If he leaves, he will go to Europe and will never join the Nets.
As a result, he fell to the 13th pick.
When O'Neal joined the Lakers, he was also at a low point in his career. The Orlando media conducted a poll on "Is O'Neal worth 100 million?" His self-esteem was severely damaged.
The start of the OK combination was not smooth. They encountered both evils in the playoffs for two consecutive years and Duncan again in the shortened season. They suffered continuous setbacks... The two evils grew stronger with age, while Duncan matured at a young age. Faced with such difficulties, the two Neither of them gave up and worked together to overcome the ups and downs.
Now, they can't give up!
Kobe looked at the last former tenant who came out from the opposite side... ending the Clippers' 20-game winning streak was the first step for their OK combination to regain glory!
After the entrance ceremony, the stars of the two teams did not tense up, but praised each other before the game.
O'Neal said to Jordan: "The winning streak will eventually end. If you end our winning streak, it would be our honor."
Jordan responded: "Haha, let you continue to bear the pressure of winning streak. I am tired of this kind of winning streak."
On Li Ao and Kobe's side, Kobe expressed his expectations for tonight's game and then fled, without giving Li Ao a chance to reply.
Li Ao chases, Kobe runs away, Li Ao quickens his pace, Kobe moves away...
The rest of the two teams looked at the smiling greetings between their two superstars and the two opposite superstars. They were surprised at first, but after hearing the conversation between God and Shark, and seeing the interaction between Man and Snake... it was them.
Li Ao chased half a circle back to his bench and said to his senior brother: "The despicable Black Mamba must be trying to drain my energy before the game! I won't let him succeed!"
Bibby: "..."
I really think people are like you... Bibi doesn't even know how to complain about this junior brother.
However, Bibi is a little envious of such a scene...
At 7:58, the two teams started playing, and Li Ao received the task prompt.
One is the progress of the task of "fighting for breath without steaming steamed buns". If you win this game, you will complete the task. If you lose, you will fail.
He didn't expect that this mission would actually reach this point. The Lakers' poor lineup could actually win 16 consecutive victories... They are worthy of being the best team in the world.
The other one is a new mission just received.
"The identities of the challenger and the challenged have been exchanged. Keep your hard-won throne...Mission: A new chapter in Angel City is triggered."
“A new chapter in the City of Angels:
Goal 1: Win this game and gain the upper hand against the Lakers for the first time in team history. (2 wins, 1 loss)
Goal 2: Score more points than Kobe Bryant in this game.
Goal 3: Blocked more shots than Shaquille O'Neal in this game.
Reward: Complete goal 1, and you will be rewarded with 1 basic attribute point. Every time you complete a goal, you will be rewarded with 5,000 achievement points. If you complete all goals, the reward will be doubled. "
…
The game starts at 8pm.
Lakers starting lineup: Fisher, Kobe, Rick Fox, Samakhi Walker, O'Neal.
Clippers starting lineup: Bibby, Li Ao, Gerald Wallace, Matt Halprin, O'Neal Jr.
O'Neal beat O'Neal Jr. to win the jump ball, and the Lakers attacked first.
Fisher received the ball and advanced to the frontcourt, continuing to execute his style of play this season - giving the ball to Kobe.
Gerald Wallace stands in front of Kobe.
Kobe no longer looked down upon him in the opening game. He could feel the improvement of this second-year player every time they played against each other.
genius!
This is definitely a top defensive talent who is expected to be selected for the best defensive team in the future!
Snake wants the logo man.
If that guy is here, there is no way that a late first-round pick in Los Angeles will be drafted by the Clippers. When the Clippers show the talent of Gerald Wallace... No, it should be this. When a talent emerges with the Trojans, he will immediately enter the logo man's vision.
However, in the world of sports competition, if a team makes a major mistake, a person with enough weight must be introduced to take the blame.
The logo man became the one with enough weight to take the blame.
However, although Gerald Wallace has made great progress this season, he still cannot put too many restrictions on defending Kobe Bryant alone.
Kobe's breakthrough rhythm was super strong, and he pushed away Gerald Wallace and rushed forward. Li Ao's flanks were shrunk to cover up the defense. Kobe did not stop and rushed to close range. O'Neal Jr. moved into position in advance and blocked Kobe. Kobe turned around 360 degrees. Passed O'Neal, went straight to the basket, slid to the baseline, faced the shrinking Matt Halprin to defend, took off, turned in the air, pulled the lever for a layup...hit!
I'm coming! That feeling of blow is coming!
Li Ao took a deep breath and guarded against Kobe. His mental quality was a bit poor. He might have lost his mentality after guarding for a few rounds.
The 24-year-old Kobe's overall strength is still far behind O'Neal in his prime, but in terms of scoring ability, the snake has the upper hand!
In transition between offense and defense, the Clippers attack.
O'Neal stood on the edge of the three-second zone with an angry look on his face.
Li Ao, who was stuck by Kobe, quickly thought about his attack route... airtight!
Bibby and O'Neal Jr. started a pick-and-roll attack. Samakie Walker and Fisher did a good job in preventing the pick-and-roll. Rick Fox decisively gave up his defense on Gerald Wallace and blocked Matt Ha. Pulin's long shot catches the line.
Matt Halprin cut inside, Bibby passed the ball accurately, Matt Halprin received the ball and rushed inside, and then passed the ball to Gerald Wallace.
Gerald Wallace flew to attack the frame... but was interfered by O'Neal!
Matt Halprin's charge was fruitless, O'Neal guarded the defensive rebound himself, and Li Ao from the outside called on his teammates to retreat.
Sharks are fierce!
Unlike Ben Wallace and Garnett, who need helpers to build an interior barrier.
It's enough for Shark to stay under the basket alone!
O'Neal's enthusiasm on the defensive end is something Li Ao has never encountered when playing against the Lakers in the regular season.
The OK combination has formed a new tacit understanding this season - the snake is responsible for attacking, and the shark is responsible for the bottom line.
This can be regarded as Kobe helping O'Neal reduce the burden on the offensive end, allowing O'Neal to devote more energy to the defensive end and prop up the Lakers' shaky defense.
This year O'Neal might be able to steal a first-down spot from Ben Wallace.
The Lakers can win 16 consecutive games, and Kobe is indispensable, but the core is still O'Neal, who weighs 145 kilograms.
Diligent Shark!
After the All-Star Weekend, O'Neal's weight reached a new low since entering the 21st century! 1 kg lighter than the 99-00 season!
…
In the first round, both offense and defense were suppressed.
After returning to the backcourt, Li Ao said loudly to his teammates in front of Kobe: "Brothers, according to our plan, strengthen the confrontation and attack Kobe. Don't worry about O'Neal. The Shark is old. The Black Mamba is here. Kobe is the one." An opponent we need to take seriously.”
The OK group looked at each other and saw the speechlessness in each other's eyes.
I'm still unhappy, to some extent.
If it was last season, and Spider-Man roared like this, the two of them would have taken turns to be alone for several rounds.
But now, facing the Clippers, an opponent who defeated them head-on in the playoffs last season and is currently on a 20-game winning streak.
This dissatisfaction was easily suppressed.
Kobe immediately started attacking after receiving the pass from Fisher.
As Li Ao said, the Clippers immediately stepped up their intensity.
As soon as Fisher and Rick Fox reached the three-point line, they were beaten hand-to-hand by Bibby and Li Ao.
Kobe speeds up the offensive tempo in order to reduce the time consumed by physical combat between the two teammates.
Kobe failed to successfully break into the paint this time. Li Ao said to attack from a double flank, and the Clippers executed the double attack.
However, Kobe's goal has been achieved - to compress the opponent's defense to close range with O'Neal.
Kobe passed the ball to O'Neal, and O'Neal passed it again... Fisher caught the ball in the left corner and hit a three-pointer!
Kobe led his teammates to retreat and get into position, expecting Bibby and Li Ao to respond in the next attack.
But his expectations were dashed.
Li Ao moved honestly, Bibby started the pick-and-roll steadily, Gerald Wallace looked for opportunities to attack the frame... The Clippers' main point of attack turned out to be Matt Halprin!
It is not difficult for O'Neal to single-handedly defend against the impact of Matt Halprin and Gerald Wallace.
But it's never easy.
Samaki Walker and Rick Fox's defense has deteriorated seriously. Kobe's playing style is similar to Joe's. When the opponent's back line does not perform singles, he should go to the wings to help defend and help O'Neal reduce the pressure of protecting the frame.
But no, Kobe could only follow Li Ao, and could only watch the Clippers' front line attack on O'Neal.
The Clippers' style of play is very uncomfortable for the OK combination, even if they gain the lead bit by bit, it will be uncomfortable.
The Zen master on the sidelines was also very uncomfortable. The three outside brothers on the opposite side were so mature in their playing style!
His Black Mamba is in his seventh year of career, and his mentality is not as mature as that of the youngest of the three, Gerald Wallace.
Bibby's shooting is solid after picking and rolling, but he just doesn't shoot against the defense; Gerald Wallace has outstanding talent, but he is willing to be a pure attacker; Li Ao's singles ability is already at the first-class level, specializing in post-ups and pull-up jump shots , using only these two moves is enough to achieve top-level performance, but when encountering Kobe on the first defense, he honestly moves...
This style of play of the Clippers allows them to use their brains and put too much energy on the offensive end, and can focus all their attention on defense.
Zen Master looked at Gentry again - he was really the head coach of Larry Brown!
This guy has learned a lot about defending against disgusting people!
On their side, the OK combination must not only maintain the shaky defense, but also take advantage of the opening confrontation before it takes effect. The two of them dare not relax at all on both ends of the offense and defense.
To guard against the Clippers' offense, the OK combination completed smoothly.
But to establish a clear lead... the OK combination failed to do so at the start!
The Lakers' offensive strategy at the beginning was to use the OK combination to attack the inside and compress the Clippers' defense, creating opportunities for the wings and high-post shooters.
But the defensive quality of the Clippers' lineup exceeded the Lakers' expectations!
The last time the two teams played against each other with all their main players was in December. The two teams played against each other once after the All-Star weekend. However, O'Neal practiced too hard during the All-Star weekend holiday and was injured after the holiday. In that match, he Didn't participate, the Clippers won by a lot of points, and the two teams didn't play defense that night.
Tonight, the Lakers suddenly discovered that the defensive ability of the Clippers' starting lineup has been qualitatively improved compared to three months ago!
Bibby and Matt Halprin are already very mature. In addition to their better coordination, it is difficult to make significant progress on the defensive end.
Li Ao and O'Neal Jr. are extremely talented, and their progress is expected by the Lakers.
Mainly because of Gerald Wallace...
When Bryant started the first attack, he was impressed by this defensive genius from the Trojans. However, as the game progressed, he found that his judgment was wrong and he still underestimated the second-year player.
Gerald Wallace has not only improved greatly in individual defense, but also in team defense!
It's not as good as it sounds, but at least he's not the one holding him back in the opening game. Being able to barely complete the defensive tasks assigned to him by Gentry has already reduced the burden on Li Ao, O'Neal Jr., and Matt Halprin. .
Halfway through the first quarter, at 6 minutes and 22 seconds, the Lakers defended the Clippers and only scored 7 points in the half, but they only scored 11 points themselves!
Entering the official timeout, O'Neal walked back to the bench with Kobe Bryant and said: "Wallace's defensive talent is also very good this time. It reminds me of you and Spider-Man when you first entered the NBA."
Kobe rarely refuted. He nodded and responded: "He has the talent to be a first-defense player just like us. Maybe he is better than Spider-Man and I. He is more pure..."
Speaking of this, Kobe felt inexplicably miserable. The two defensive geniuses on the opposite side were both forward and defensive line players!
This reminded him of the Bulls in the last three consecutive games...
O'Neal knew Kobe so well. When the little brother raised his butt, he knew whether the little brother wanted to poop or pee. He comforted: "Wallace wants to have you and Spider-Man on defense. It's still early. By then, , you are already the strongest, neither of them can guard you."
Kobe was stunned for a moment when he heard this.
He thought about 6 years ago, when he told his teammates that he would win at least 5 championships, more than Jordan, become the scoring champion, and surpass Magic... At that time, all his teammates were laughing at him, except at that time The fat man who was not fat patted him on the shoulder and gave him a few words of encouragement...
Kobe shook his head, did not respond, and focused on the game.
They were not able to take advantage at the beginning as planned, and the current situation is very difficult for them!
…
After the official timeout, the two teams entered into rotation.
Jackson continued the 8-man rotation, and Gentry replaced Gerald Wallace and O'Neal with Big Q and Campbell.
Looking at the five-man team on the opposite side, Lakers coaching staff consultant Kurt Rambis said: "Phil, are they going to continue to play defense and let Jordan harvest the game in the second half? Do you have any way to deal with it?"
Zen Master shook his head: "No...but it doesn't matter who they use to win the game in the second half. These young players are what we should pay attention to."
"Young players?"
"Do you think Michael is better than Spider-Man now?"
Kurt Rambis thought for a while, shook his head and said: "Replace Spider-Man with Jordan. The opponent can't bite the point difference at the beginning. We can take advantage. The strongest five on the opponent are very powerful, but they are not good at this kind of tug-of-war." War...Is Jordan really going to retire?"
The Zen master crossed his fingers, made circles with his thumbs, and responded: "I think yes, Gentry has been preparing for this...No, he has been preparing for this from the beginning, downplaying Michael's role and letting that A few young talents take responsibility.
After getting defensive, it is too easy for Michael to score singles to win the game. At the age of 40, he is still excellent in this aspect, but it is only to win the game in singles at critical moments. Spider-Man and Bibby are no worse than Michael.
Gentry has great ambitions. He wants to continue to compete for the championship after Michael retires, and his goal has almost been achieved. The Clippers have won 20 consecutive games this time. Michael's role is not as big as it was three months ago. This time the Clippers relied on those young talents to win 20 consecutive games...
The media is talking about the future of Spider-Man. I think we have already seen the future, and the other side has already illuminated the future into the present. "
Kurt Rambis didn't expect the Zen Master to make such a comment. After being stunned for a moment, he smiled and said, "Then you will be under great pressure."
The Zen master also smiled: "Yeah, it's a lot of pressure, but I'm looking forward to it."
He really likes the feeling of strategizing and controlling everything and easily winning the championship, but with 8 championships in hand, he is also eager for challenges.
Although his next-door neighbor made him stressed out, it also made him extremely excited!
The Lakers' head coach and coaching staff advisors were chatting relaxedly, but the Lakers players on the court couldn't relax.
They wanted to seize the opportunity to take advantage before Jordan came on the court, but they failed! On the contrary, the score difference was narrowed!
After O'Neal Jr. consumed a wave of O'Neal, Campbell, a big human shield, stepped up again, which greatly restricted O'Neal's offensive rebounding.
Many people have misunderstandings about the use of meat shields. They think that with a meat shield, they just let the meat shield go up and fight O'Neal hand-to-hand and that's it.
If the Clippers really let Campbell start, then this human shield will be immediately useless.
When O'Neal is at his strongest, no human shield can prevent him from slipping around the pile to the baseline, and no human shield can prevent him from catching the ball and directly attacking the frame after he reverses the run.
Being able to hold O'Neal with strength means that he lacks mobility and physical strength.
If Campbell is really allowed to start, Campbell's human shield will be consumed first before O'Neal is tired, and he will not be able to play any defensive role.
In the 2001 Finals, Matt Geiger and Todd Markloch were both more efficient than Mutombo in defending O'Neal, and Larry Brown did not let these two people start.
The only person the Clippers can restrict O'Neal in these aspects is O'Neal Jr., who has both confrontation, mobility, defensive awareness, and enthusiasm.
Gentry has followed Larry Brown for more than ten years and has done a good job in this regard. He should use O'Neal as a blue-collar player when he should.
Now, Campbell is limiting O'Neal's one-on-one physical exertion at the basket, which is greater than usual. Li Ao, Big Q, and Matt Halprin focus on guarding Kobe, which has a greater restriction on Kobe, and the effect of hand-to-hand confrontation on the wings has also increased. , Fisher's long-range shot began to be inaccurate...
The Lakers' overall offensive performance declined in the second half of the quarter.
The Clippers replaced Big Q, and added Langbi on the wing who dared to throw and score after receiving the ball. With Rick Fox and Samaki Walker gone, the Lakers' team defensive cooperation declined... In the second half In the quarter, the Clippers scored 11 to 9!
After the first quarter, the Clippers chased the point difference to two points, and the score came to 18-20!
Entering the intermission, the atmosphere at the scene was very strange, and the Lakers fans who occupied two-thirds of the seats were confused.
In the early and middle stages of the season, Lakers fans were very reluctant. They were unwilling to accept the fact that they were lagging behind the former team. Even if the record gap widened to more than a dozen games, they were unwilling to accept it.
Finally, in March, the Lakers kept winning, and Lakers fans regained their pride.
The Clippers once again won 20 consecutive victories, and the Lakers have now won 16 consecutive victories, and the opponents they encountered during their 16-game winning streak were better than the opponents the Clippers faced during their 20-game winning streak!
Tonight, the expectations of Lakers fans are to end the Clippers' 20-game winning streak and then surpass the Clippers' 20-game winning streak.
After the Lakers' game, their opponents in the next five games will all be teams from the Pacific Division. It is not delusional for Lakers fans to have such a goal. The media and experts are also saying that if the Lakers win tonight, what will they do next? Several opponents were unable to end their winning streak.
But the actual situation is completely different from what Lakers fans expected!
It is true that they still maintain a two-point lead, but it is obvious that they can no longer control the situation on the court!
The OK combination played very well in the first quarter, impeccably, even better than at this stage in the past two years, but they still couldn't suppress the young talents on the opposite side!
(End of chapter)
