Chapter Seventy-Two: The Outside Line is King
At halftime, Harris affirmed that the tactical execution in the second half was still centered on Kobe.
"Kobe, just hit it like that! Be aggressive. Harris knows that Kobe's offense is the lifeblood of the Lakers, and if Kobe can maintain this touch, then the third quarter of the game may be closed, and if Kobe is limited, O'Neal will also be difficult to play under the heavy siege of Barkley and Olajuwon.
When he put Ben Wallace on the court, he handed over the victory or defeat of this game to Kobe Bryant.
Kobe nodded, needless to say that he also knew that he was going to continue to attack with impunity, even more ferociously than in the first half.
Houston's perimeter defense was dragged down by Matt Maloney, a three-point shooter who didn't have a great defensive ability. His presence meant that Houston would have to misplace to defend Kobe, either with Eli or with Drexler.
These are two poisons, Eli can't prevent Kobe's projection, Drexler can limit Kobe, but he can't perform on the offensive end because of the physical exertion.
Rudy Tomjanovic had to choose a poison to eat, the last time he chose to trust Drexler, this time he chose Mario Eli.
"Hold on! The Lakers can't continue to maintain this kind of touch, and the projection will always be unstable. "Rudy Tomjanovic has no room to adjust, he has opted to continue with his current tactics.
Olajuwon's eyes narrowed, and with his knowledge of the situation, a crazy outside superstar could have shot Houston.
Drexler gritted his teeth, he had an idea.
"Hakim, in the third quarter, I'm the main offense." Drexler said to Olajuwon.
"Well, no problem."
Barkley left tears of envy on the sidelines, and he was supposed to be the main point of attack in the opening game. But after Ben Wallace came on, he didn't have a good chance to perform.
"For the victory, for the championship, Charles, endure." Barkley talks to himself, trying to hypnotize himself. He always felt that he could not fit into a team that had already won two championships. But he is continuing to try.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Houston possessed the ball.
Drexler came to the top of the arc with the ball, and he finished with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists on 3-of-7 shooting and four free throws in the first half.
"Young man, your defense is good, but you can't stop me." Drexler was flanked by Bruce Bowen. This future top defensive player is currently shivering in front of Drexler.
Bowen stared at Drexler, he seemed to see the appearance of a prehistoric brontosaurus, and the savage aura was spreading, which was similar to the previous Drexler.
Bowen got goosebumps.
Drexler didn't make any sense, and with a single step of acceleration he cleaned up the stunned Bowen. Go straight to the basket before the defense arrives, fly, glide and dunk the ball into the basket with ease.
"Too... Too fast, right? "Bruce Bowen couldn't believe that a veteran had cleaned him up.
"No, it's me who is too slow... Bowen came back to his senses and found that he was actually shocked, Drexler's absolute speed was not fast, but he carried that indomitable, prehistoric and wild aura was too terrifying.
Kobe Bryant looked back and sighed, Drexler flew really far, no wonder he had the nickname of a glider.
Is Drexler going to play at a playoff level? This is a great drain on his body, and at the same time, his ability can also return to the peak for a short time.
And the peak glider is a player with a 27+8+6 superstar performance, which is not something that the current Bowen can restrict.
It seems that this game is far from over. A smile tugged at the corner of Bryant's mouth.
In this way, the game is more interesting, and the fun of basketball is not only about winning or losing, but also about the links in between.
Offense and defense switched, Kobe Bryant held the ball to the three-point line, and Elie lowered his center of gravity. Kobe Bryant, who attacked without the ball in the first half, had already scored 15 points in front of him, and he watched Kobe's movements cautiously, not daring to be careless for a moment.
Now that Drexler has made a move, Bryant intends to respond. A jumper? No, that's not in Kobe's character.
Fist to fist, palm to palm. You deduct one, and I will pay you back.
It's moving!
Cole, like a sharp blade unsheathed, rushed towards Mario Eli.
Don't think about it, Mario Eliza is ready to wait for Kobe's impact.
It's going to crash!
At the moment when the two were about to collide, Bryant pulled the ball behind him with his right hand, blocked Mario Elie's pressing with his left hand, took a big step with his foot to jam his body, and turned around and slipped past Mario Elie like a spinning top.
Olajuwon and O'Neal were tangled and had no time to care, while Barkley dropped Ben Wallace next to him to make up for it.
Kobe Bryant only had the basket in his eyes, and Barkley, who had no scruples about supplementing the defense, stepped into the restricted area and rose up in three steps.
"Get me down!" The villain Barkley also jumps high, and Barkley's bounce and power are definitely historic, and he can repeatedly contribute amazing blocks.
It's going to detain you!
Speed was everything, Barkley's hand swung into the air, Bryant smashed the ball sideways into the basket, and the two collided with each other.
Bryant was knocked by Barkley and lost his center of gravity and was about to fall to the ground. Barkley, who landed steadily next to him, hurriedly reached out and helped Kobe.
“AND ONE! The goal is valid, plus one penalty kick. "The referee blew the whistle and Barkley had just stepped on the line and it was a defensive foul.
Bryant's slam dunk ignited the atmosphere at the Great Western Forum Arena, with fans screaming and countless flashes of light flashing to record the moment.
These images are then disseminated to various newspapers and magazines, printed as posters, and disseminated.
"Charles, so you're a nice guy." Kobe Bryant smiled, he really didn't expect Barkley to help himself, and he really could be injured when he fell to the ground just now. As a background board, there are not many people who are willing to help opponents, especially Barkley, which surprised Kobe.
"Hmph, boy has a piece of advice for you. Don't play like that. I don't want to see the future of the league be lost to an inconsequential dunk! Barkley was cold-faced and warm-hearted, swearing in his mouth, but his behavior was very professional.
"Well done." Olajuwon came over and patted Barkley on the back.
"Charles, this free throw is for you." Bryant threw the free throw straight to the rebound to the cheers of the Great Western Forum Arena, and he thought Barkley's move was enough to offset the foul.
"Stinky boy, you don't need to let me. Next time you dare to enter the restricted area, get ready to lie on the ground! Barkley looked fierce.
Kobe Bryant knows that the current Big Three still regard themselves as juniors and are unwilling to do the same.
If you do make the playoffs, it's a different story.
Maybe it's really possible to be overturned by Barkley, but is Kobe Bryant afraid?