Chapter 188: The Catching Sun Team (1/3)
After Smush made that three-pointer, his teammates on the Lakers' side immediately ran over like crazy! Popovich didn't come to his senses. He stood there for almost two minutes before turning around to leave.
But suddenly I thought of something, and I turned around and ran in the direction of the Zen master. Jackson just saw the Spurs coach suddenly freeze and didn't dare to go...... What did you do when you were going to pass? Gloat?
Seeing Popovich walking this way, the Zen master also pretended to have just seen it, and immediately greeted him.
"We put on a great performance for the audience, didn't we? The Lakers have Kobe Bryant and a forward player who is not low. No matter what season it is, it will be difficult for this team to get out of the ranks of strong teams~"
"This season, if you can force the Lakers like this, you can't find a third team!" Jackson was also immediately humble at this time. And he doesn't feel like he's over-exaggerating Spurs. It's that the other party is really strong!
"Which team is?"
"New Jersey Nets! Let's hope we don't meet in the finals."
"Nets...... Don't worry, they're just better at the back and forward."
"I can't say that, they are not doing well overall"
"Oh? It's not quite like your style~ Is New Jersey so good this season...... And this season we should fight for next week Young. The Lakers have found another ruthless character. Alright, old man~ Let's see you next season."
Popovich was somewhat relieved, and the two shook hands again and left with each other's backs to back.
The Spurs didn't look good when they saw the coach come back.
"I didn't say you! I can't lift my spirits and can't open my legs when I compete!! It's a holiday...... Isn't it fun? It's a holiday~" The old man immediately showed joy on his face. It doesn't look like it's pretending. The hearts of the players that had just hung were also relaxed......
101:100! It's very similar to that lore two years ago! At the last moment, Zhou Yang suddenly turned around and passed the ball to Smash in the process of saving the ball! And he himself fell out directly!
Bryant's three players and one under the basket were a little too far away from Smush. And just like that, in the last less than 3 seconds, Smush threw the ball out!
Just when the San Antonio Spurs thought they were going to win 100-98 over the Lakers in today's game, the opponent completed the stunner again!
The Lakers are in the cross! The Spurs players did not have the media and fans expected, and some players directly collapsed, leaving sad tears on the spot. There wasn't much of a change in mood among all the players.
Duncan wanted to go back to the locker room when he saw the game was over. He was a little embarrassed to see his teammates standing there, and he was going back alone now......
Ginobili was a little more emotionally volatile. He was very sad at this time, but fortunately he did not cry because of this. Refused to be interviewed by reporters, he was the last to leave the field.
No matter how reluctant the Spurs are, their season is over. The old man was also in a bit of a trance at the end of the game. It all felt so unreal. But it did happen.
The East is now about to play the semifinals with the Pistons and Nets. That's all left in the West, the Suns and Lakers! The Suns were generally happy to see the Spurs eliminated!
Because in the impression that the Spurs are better than the Lakers. But when the Western Finals began, things were completely different...... 3:1!
The Suns were nearly swept by the Lakers...... If it weren't for the third game, they won one game, and it is estimated that the fourth game would have given up directly. After the second game with the Suns, Linda left.
The main thing is that he still has some things to go back to. So it's not in Los Angeles.
What the Phoenix Suns didn't expect was that the Lakers' confidence increased after winning against the Spurs! They may only see that in the game. And the Lakers, whether it is training, chatting in the locker room, or the players on the court, can feel the changes that have taken place in the team at this time!
After the Zen master found out about this, he was afraid that the players would become overconfident and become proud, so he never praised them too much.
The ones who feel it the most are Kobe and O'Neal. They feel like they've got that feeling of winning the championship again!
During the game, the two of them became very quiet and terrifying! The Lakers' combat power in the playoffs has also changed qualitatively from the time of the Spurs!
The Suns feel like they really shouldn't be underestimated at home. When they lost the first game, the Suns didn't feel anything. Maybe you have to play seven games, and losing one is nothing. But when they lost to the Lakers in the second game of their home, they panicked.
The other party is not what he thinks he is at all! The Lakers can now not only play the main players, but also the bench players, and all of them can score!!
What was it like not seeing O'Neill at the start of the game?! Originally, Phoenix was still pointing at the shark! But in the first half of the game, they found that there were no sharks to cut!
That's embarrassing. The opponent came to the fifth game in a daze under such circumstances...... The Lakers won the last game again. There's nothing wrong with winning them at Staples Arena......
That means they now have to win three games in a row against the Lakers to advance to the Finals......
......
"You saw the Suns team. Their coordination doesn't seem to be as natural as the Spurs' play. And in attack we have a certain advantage. But don't underestimate the enemy! You can just play this game as if it were the first game against the Suns and try to win this game! ”
Some of the players in the team have started to relax in the past few days. This is a bad sign. After Phil said coldly to the players before the game, the Lakers players on the scene also felt that the big talk and mood that they just felt that they must win the Suns in this game were much less.
The appearance of the Zen master does not look like a pretend. He was really vigilant, arranging tasks and waiting for the start of today's game!
It's nothing new for a team to play well in the regular season and lose to a slightly weaker team in the playoffs. And you're 100% sure that the Suns won't win three games in a row against the Lakers with such an advantage?
Phil, who has been in the playoffs for many years, has a calm attitude at this time, which is infectious to the Lakers players. They don't joke with each other anymore. Instead, wait until the game is over......
The Suns' home DJ is there shouting wildly! The emotions of the fans at the scene were also aroused at this time. Nash looked at these quietly, and didn't say a word.
It didn't take long for players from both sides to get on the field. On the other side of the sun are Marion, Burris, Pat, Nash and Bell. The Lakers' starters are Odom, Mime, Cook, Kobe, and Fisher!
O'Neill still didn't appear early in the game. Jackson did this to prevent the opponent from quickly launching a "shark cutting tactic"!
Marion surprised his teammates a little after getting the basketball, and he dribbled the ball and hit a three-pointer from the outside!
"Pretty!!" When Nash saw it, he immediately ran over and high-fived Marion!
The team is now holding their breath and starting to compete with the Lakers! After Kobe Bryant's three-point goal was missed, Odom got the basketball, but it was immediately cut off by Burrese!
Nash took his pass and faced Cook after passing each other, feigned a pass and then lightning past Fisher, and then did not come back from his teammates in the front court, and went into the net with no defense in front of him!! 6:0!
Jackson had already noticed the current rhythm of the Suns at this point! The opponent probably doesn't want to spend too much time and wants to end this game right away!
If they can make it to the next game, they and the Lakers will enter Game 7 as long as they win! Then everyone will be back on the same page! Although the sun was already out of breath by then.
But isn't this how the Lakers and the Spurs are consumed to the end?! The players on Phoenix's side think they can too!
Bryant motioned for everyone to disperse. He dribbled the ball and missed a jumper from four Suns players...... Marion gets the ball and passes it to Pat. Bell suddenly rushed out to take Pat's pass and dunked to score! 8:0!
The Zen master saw this and asked for a pause. If the opponent plays like this at the beginning of this round, it is really difficult to say who will advance in the end.
"Zhou Yang replaces Cook"
In the first quarter, the Lakers' starters, center line, except for Odom, the other two players were relatively average in terms of speed. The Zen master did not let Zhou Yang play in the No. 4 position.
After passing through the Spurs, Phil now trusts Zhou Yang more. Because he and Wharton are very different. Wharton himself will still play and organize players on the basis of the original tactics on the field.
But Zhou Yang is different...... In the midst of the chaos, the Asian player can also keep the team narrowing or widening the lead!
The two of them may be young because of their youth, and some of them are dissatisfied with the original speed in terms of their original attributes at this time. However, there is a lack of experience. Luke still can't put up good stats in such a tight game.
By the end of the playoffs, the intensity wasn't just a matter of thinking. Some stars play well in the regular season, and he may not always get good statistics in the playoffs.
There are stars who have almost completely lost their ability to score in the playoffs! That's because one of the opponents focused on him, and the other was that he became the focus of the game on target. And then add the teammates who don't give ......
So think about Popovich, Jackson and Riley, these coaches are all focused on unity, the players trust each other in the game, and other factors. Because these things do come to the back and will be very good!
"Zhou Yang organized the team first. Offense, more to the opponent's basket or close-range jumpers...... "As long as the sun is turned on at this time, it is difficult for you to keep up with the opponent's rhythm in the game.
The Lakers also have an x-factor on their side~ instead of chasing your rhythm, it's better to disrupt it......
"You can slow down or make fewer passes, but you have to keep that attack as efficient as possible. By the third quarter, the game was basically over......"
After the players on both sides came on the court, the teammates on the Lakers' side shivered first...... They have seen Zhou Yang's performance in the playoffs! If you don't score, you really won't score!
Kobe Bryant felt so happy when he saw Zhou Yang playing~ This kid can now brush up a lot of scoring data for himself~
Fisher held the ball to the front court, and after lifting the ball, he immediately passed the ball to Zhou Yang's hands, and Odom received the ball and directly staggered Marion and scored a violent score!!
Marion is close to madness tonight! He didn't go to the basket himself when he got the basket, and he ran out and turned around to make a three-pointer! It's really in! De Anthony, who was standing on the sidelines, shook slightly at this time.
He knows that his players really don't want to be eliminated now! These people present are now going to play with the Lakers!
They already know the Lakers' style of play, and they know that if they don't accumulate a certain lead in the second half, they will basically lose.
Because in the third or fourth quarter, O'Neal came up! Who would dare to mess with O'Neal in today's league?
If it weren't for Coach Nelson's "shark-cutting tactics" against O'Neal, it is estimated that the Suns would have been swept by the Lakers.
Kobe Bryant was a little slow to dribble the ball to the frontcourt, and he passed the ball directly to Zhou Yang after attracting three defenders from the opposing team!
And Zhou Yang deliberately slow-motion Suns player with ball...... Bell couldn't stand it, and rushed over to defend him, when he was already standing in the bottom corner, the little fish got the basketball and hit a direct three-point shot!
Kobe Bryant's passing and Zhou Yang's disruption of the rhythm made the Suns crazy.
Nash has now made some changes in the number of passes he makes. He deliberately reduced the number of his passes, and used Burrese's body to make Kobe foul in the contest with Kobe!
If Kobe Bryant had moved faster at that time, he would have been able to cover Nash's three points! Standing next to the free throw line, Nash made 3 of 3 free throws! 14:5!
In Game 3, Suns fans also got a glimpse of Nash's offense!
With his teammates' offensive efficiency down, Nash can only go on his own! And when Nash starts attacking, you might have the idea that "this is a good scorer who was delayed by passing."
Agile movement and accurate shooting! If it weren't for the Suns and the execution of tactics, it is estimated that Nash's regular season scoring statistics would be similar to Kobe Bryant and Iverson!
Bryant immediately got rid of Nash's defense at this time and immediately stepped back to shoot back a three-pointer!
Burreth takes the basketball. Facing Mime, he hit the cover directly!
After Zhou Yang picked up the basketball and made a pass to Kobe, he immediately ran on the other side with the ball!
The sun is also a little angry!
Fisher saw two players go to wrap up Zhou Yang and immediately went over to clear the siege!
The little fish who got the ball quickly passed back to Zhou Yang.
The other party is already going to fight with Zhou Yang! Since you don't pass it, you want to attack yourself, right?
But at this moment, the basketball was in Kobe's hands...... When two or three of the opposing players were about to collapse, Kobe Bryant directly scored three points and put the board into the basket!