call out.
The referee's whistle sounded and the match between the two sides officially started.
Snapped.
After the referee threw the basketball, Dwight Howard took the lead and slapped the ball away. The basketball rolled out and fell into Zach LaVine's hands.
Zach LaVine passed half court with the ball.
The Timberwolves' offense reacted quickly. Zach LaVine had just walked near the midline and found Dwight Howard rushing to the basket. He quickly passed the ball long and threw it out.
The basketball fell into the hands of Dwight Howard. Dwight Howard received the basketball and rushed directly into the penalty area.
He didn't hesitate at all, using his strong body to rush straight to the basket. Two Lakers inside players went to defend, but they were knocked away by Dwight Howard. After they were knocked away, they directly dunked the ball into the basket.
boom.
The ball went in.
The whole audience exclaimed.
After scoring, Dwight Howard looked proud and sneered at Kobe Bryant, who was standing outside the three-point line.
"Get the ball out..."
"We're going to fight back!"
Lakers serve.
The person who got the ball was Jordan Clarkson.
This young man has only been in the league for two years and is still a sophomore with little experience. The Lakers acquired him through a trade and seemed to intend to train this young man to become the backbone of the team in order to prepare for the Lakers' future reconstruction.
Jordan Clarkson brought the ball across half court. Just as he was about to organize an attack, Kobe Bryant came up from the wing to ask for the ball.
"Pass the ball over."
Kobe Bryant's tone sounded unquestionable. Jordan Clarkson did not dare to disobey and immediately sent the ball to Kobe Bryant's hands.
After getting the basketball, Kobe Bryant held the ball and played singles. This time, the target of his singles was Kevin Martin.
Under the arrangement of head coach Norman Thomas, Zhao Feiyang did not serve as the starting guard, but Kevin Martin took over.
Therefore, the person tracking Kobe Bryant naturally became Kevin Martin.
The two met each other. Kobe Bryant first held the ball with one hand to test, and then suddenly changed direction and rushed out from the right side.
Kevin Martin had already set up a marking posture, but still failed to stop Kobe Bryant's pass.
After Kobe Bryant dribbled the ball all the way to the basket, the Timberwolves players in the penalty area had not fully reacted. In addition, a teammate inside took the initiative to help Kobe Bryant with the pick-and-roll. The next second, the fans in the audience were surprised. In his eyes, he saw Kobe Bryant leaping high and making a one-handed dunk just like he did when he was young.
boom.
A dunk came in.
Kobe Bryant falls from the falling rim.
Dwight Howard inside was blocked by Lakers players and could only watch as Kobe Bryant scored the ball.
The fans on the sidelines have begun to cheer, and many people are crazy about Kobe Bryant's dunk.
"Depend on!"
"We must never let this guy get into the basket again. This is my territory..."
Dwight Howard cursed.
Soon, it was the Timberwolves' turn to attack.
After the ball passed halftime, Dwight Howard once again looked for an opportunity to take the initiative to respond. Zach LaVine threw the ball into his hands. Dwight Howard got the ball and was about to play singles. When he saw Zach LaVine sprint towards the basket, he passed the ball back with a second pass.
Zach LaVine jumped high, caught the ball with one hand on the left side of the basket and dunked, catching the Lakers insider off guard.
The Lakers continued to fight back.
Kobe Bryant still firmly controlled the ball. He stood at the top of the arc and played singles, using his usual back-up method to attack with the ball with one hand.
After two hits, Kobe Bryant suddenly turned around and pulled away when faced with Kevin Martin's interference. He pretended to lift the basketball and feinted. Kevin Martin subconsciously jumped up and was knocked away.
Kobe Bryant took advantage of the opportunity, jumped forward with one foot, and threw the ball toward the basket.
Originally, his shot went smoothly, but when he saw that the basketball had been released, at this critical moment, Dwight Howard suddenly rushed out from the inside, jumped high and slapped Kobe Bryant's layup. Just fan it out.
Snapped.
The basketball flew directly out of bounds.
The whole place was in an uproar.
Dwight Howard, who blocked Kobe Bryant, looked very happy, showing off to Kobe Bryant standing aside with a proud smile on his face.
"Kobe, I admit that you used to be very powerful, but now you are old... Man, it is no longer your time, your time has passed..."
Kobe Bryant said nothing, his face full of indifference and unwillingness.
The Lakers serve the ball on the sideline.
Kobe Bryant threw away Kevin Martin and took the initiative to catch the ball again. After getting the ball, he was not anxious to continue to break through, but continued to attack with his back.
Kevin Martin defended more seriously than before, but when the two faced each other, Kobe Bryant still used a fake move to shake him off and directly shot backward.
Uh-huh.
A three-pointer fell firmly into the basket.
Kobe Bryant's singles caused a sensation in the audience, and also excited many old fans who like him.
"Awesome! After all these years, Kobe's actions have not changed. He is still the same strong man..."
"One thing to say, let's put aside Kobe's off-court matters... Just in the sport of basketball, this man's spirit and performance are really fascinating..."
"What a pity! He is still old. It seems that it will be difficult for the Lakers to win the championship again. Kobe is also unable to do what he wants now. Otherwise, when he was young, he would definitely put a dunk on Howard's head before he would give up... ..”
The game continues on the court.
Throughout the first quarter, the highlight of the battle between the two teams was Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant.
Both of them were a little unconvinced and continued to show their strength on both the offensive and defensive ends.
Dwight Howard's ability at the basket made it difficult for the Lakers to resist, and Kobe Bryant's isolation play also made it impossible for the Timberwolves to stop him.
Both of them performed impeccably.
call out.
End of first quarter.
Before the second quarter, Kevin Martin was also replaced by head coach Norman Thomas. This time, Zhao Feiyang finally appeared on the court after taking a rest.
However, the Lakers don't seem to be planning to replace Kobe Bryant.
call out.
When the referee's whistle sounded, the entire stadium became lively. Fans couldn't help but look forward to seeing Zhao Feiyang and Kobe Bryant appear on the stage at the same time.
"Damn! Isn't it going to be a duel?"
"Zhao Feiyang versus Kobe? Or Kobe versus Zhao Feiyang?"
"Although Kobe is in his twilight years, he is by no means that easy to deal with. Can Zhao Feiyang do it? Can he beat Kobe?"
