Chapter 270: The rookie who forced Kobe to death
When Yiyang stole the Lakers' baseline ball and completed the dunk, Carlisle, the usually mild-mannered college coach, suddenly jumped up, waved his fist hard, and then roared.
Carlisle rarely celebrates a goal on the sidelines with such a high profile, and as a manager, he appears to be very composed more often than not. But this goal gave Carlisle a glimpse of the hope of advancing to the Western Conference Finals.
Is the aging Kobe still good? He can't stop that Mavericks' No. 1! Yiyang's super high desire to score today makes Kobe Bryant can only be a foil. In the brightly lit Staples, Yiyang is the god who dominates the game!
Kobe Bryant now hates his ankles and knees very much, and he lost to Yiyang again, and he lost completely. Being robbed of basketball twice in a row by a rookie will be an indelible stain on Kobe's career.
A leader like Kobe Bryant doesn't have the right to lose, because if he loses, there is a good chance that the whole team will lose.
The Lakers players looked demoralized, and they had nothing to say about Yiyang's two goals and steals. Kobe Bryant, the most resolute star in this team, was stealed twice by Yiyang in a row and scored twice in a row on fast breaks. Is there anything else to say about such a situation? It's just so devastating......
Yiyang naturally knows that Kobe Bryant is not feeling well now, both physically and psychologically. But this is a playoff, not a duel between medieval knights. In order to win, Yiyang has to do whatever it takes, even if he grasps the weakness of Kobe Bryant's injury, he will not hesitate!
"Cheer up, everybody! The game has only reached the second quarter! Remember what we said before the game? Don't give up no matter what the situation is, it's not the worst yet, cheer me up. Kobe Bryant looked at his dejected teammates around him and couldn't help but stand there and yell.
This is Kobe Bryant's personality, even if he fights to the last drop of blood, he will never admit defeat in advance!
After Kobe Bryant's roar, Phil. Jackson called for a halt to the game again. Now that the Mavericks are in the limelight, he needs to cut off the momentum. This is the most stable coach on weekdays, but today he has become the busiest person.
During this timeout, "Zen Master" Jackson did not make any major changes in tactics, but put backup point guard Steve Jackson on the bench. Blake came on and replaced Fischer.
In this year's playoffs, Fischer is looking old and in very bad shape. It can be exaggerated to say that no matter who he defends, anyone can score. That's why Carlisle often lets the Mavericks get a pick-and-roll between the two guards, forcing Fischer to defend Yiyang.
Yiyang wants to break through the "old fish", which is simply relaxed and happy.
Now, Jackson has to try to plug in with Blake on the defensive end. At least this white defender who used to practice boxing has a hard work on the defensive end that Fischer does not have now.
At the end of the timeout, Carlisle smiled cryptically as Blake stepped onto the pitch and took the ball and began to advance. The Lakers' troubles now are not something that a single Blake can solve. It seems that Phil. Jackson, it's been a situation where no one is available! The Lakers' aging is coming faster than people think......
Blake came in possession, and this time, Kidd's defensive pressure was instantly reduced a lot. Blake is a reliable passer and a threat from beyond the three-point line. But breakthrough is indeed his biggest shortcoming on the offensive end.
Kidd only needs to press Blake closely, and the defense won't have any major problems.
Kobe Bryant took the initiative to go up to block and dismantle Blake, Blake broke through by blocking and dismantling, and Yiyang immediately changed his defense, not giving the Lakers any chance to play at all.
After Blake was stopped, he gave up the idea of continuing to break through, because he knew that his speed was simply not enough to complete the overtake in front of Yiyang.
Helplessly, Blake had no choice but to return the ball to Kobe. Kobe Bryant holds the ball outside the three-point line, then raises his hand to signal that he is going to pull away from the single!
Kidd spread his arms as far as he could, lowered his center of gravity, and fixed his eyes on the basketball bouncing between Bryant's hands. Kobe Bryant changed hands twice under his crotch, and then suddenly got up and stabbed to Kidd's left hand!
Although Kidd's legs and feet were not good, his nerves were still very fast. He immediately took a step sideways and actually stopped Kobe!
There was an exclamation from the stands, Kobe Bryant can't even break through Kidd now?
Kidd himself was a bit of a surprise that his slow-moving shortcomings have become increasingly apparent this season. Even if he judged the right direction of the breakthrough for many balls, he didn't have time to block them. But this time, he easily "locked" Kobe!
"Bryant's knee and ankle injuries don't seem to be as rosy as we thought, and he may not be able to start his first move as fast as he used to be!" Mike. Brin frowned, and it was no coincidence that Kobe Bryant had only scored once in three games with a basket.
The persistent Kobe Bryant saw that he couldn't break through, so he hugged the basketball with both hands. After making a fake shot on the spot to find a rhythm, Kobe Bryant forced a shot against the close-fitting Kidd.
Kidd is also a high point guard, and with his arms raised, Bryant doesn't take much advantage. Under Kidd's tight interference, Kobe's shot was ridiculously crooked, grazing the side of the basket and almost becoming a "three-no-stick" shot.
Nowitzki laughed at the rebound, didn't hesitate, and threw the ball directly to Yiyang, allowing the No. 1 guard to launch a counterattack.
The Lakers quickly retreated, and Yiyang didn't seem to be in a hurry, slowly slapping the ball towards the Lakers halfcourt.
I saw Yiyang raise his right hand as he walked, as if he was directing his teammates to run. Blake swallowed, this guy who can't even prevent Kobe Bryant, what will he do next?
Yiyang, who was excited, put down his right arm, and then suddenly slapped the basketball to the ground and switched to his right hand, intending to break through from the right!
Yiyang, who was still walking slowly, suddenly moved, and the speed of his first step was so fast that Blake could only watch Yiyang pass by him!
This monster seems to be able to directly increase the speed to the highest without any acceleration process!
Blake naturally hurriedly chased back, and it was the kind of chase that he tried his best to chase back.
Just when Blake was about to approach Yiyang, Yiyang, who broke into the three-point line, suddenly took a step back diagonally to the back!
Blake, who was sprinting with all his might, hurriedly braked, and then changed his original center of gravity to pounce forward. Unexpectedly, Yiyang just made a feint of worshipping Buddha after retreating, and seeing that Blake changed his center of gravity with him, Yiyang started again!
This time, Blake couldn't bear it. Changing the center of gravity continuously and quickly with others is a very fatal thing for a defender.
Blake wanted to keep up with Yiyang, but under Yiyang's repeated teasing, Blake's feet who retreated seemed to be roped, and under the mess, Blake's feet were unstable, and he fell to the ground!
"Haha, also, he shook Blake, who had just come on the court, to the ground!" Seeing this scene, Mike. Brin stood up straight from his seat. At the same time, after the breakthrough, Yiyang's mid-range stop-and-go jump shot, the basketball entered the frame steadily, and he lived up to the sweat he had paid for it.
Blake got up from the ground in embarrassment, and his ankles still ached. How can that damn Chinese change the center of gravity at will? And that Buddha worship feint, it's too realistic!
Yiyang still didn't celebrate after the goal, and walked past Blake lightly. This feeling of neglect made Blake feel humiliated!
"Next time I'll defend!" Bryant patted Blake on the back and motioned for him to pick up the ball. After that, the eyes of "Black Mamba" fell on the No. 1 defender, today, let's have a good time!
After an attack, Bryant singled Yiyang with his back, attracted the defense and passed the ball out, assisting Blake to shoot a three-pointer.
It was the first three-pointer the Lakers hit today and the first time a Lakers bench player scored. Although the cooperation of Kobe and Blake stopped the bleeding for the Lakers, it was still far from being completely treated.
The Mavericks re-attacked, and Kobe Bryant also crossed back in front of Yiyang. The No. 24 was panting for breath in a high-intensity race, but Yiyang didn't seem to struggle too much.
Kidd stopped outside the three-point line with the ball, Nowitzki was lifted up from the three-second zone, and at the same time, Yiyang leaned in the direction of Nowitzki.
It seems that Nowitzki is planning to make a no-ball block for Yiyang, so that Yiyang can get the gap to receive the ball.
Just when the two were about to coincide, Yiyang suddenly changed the direction of his running, and a very sudden reverse run caught Kobe Bryant off guard!
Kidd sent the basketball steadily, Yiyang dribbled after receiving the ball, found the rhythm and immediately shot!
This time, Kobe Bryant clearly saw that Yiyang touched the basketball with both hands. It's true, Yiyang's shot this time is definitely real!
So, "Black Mamba" did not hesitate, jumped straight up, this time blocking, Kobe Bryant is bound to win!
However, Yiyang, who shot the basketball, did not avoid Kobe's block, but leaned towards Kobe's body!
"Boom!" The bodies of the two collided violently in the air, and Yiyang, who was not strong, was choked enough by Kobe Bryant, but he still gritted his teeth and threw the basketball out!
Although the referee is facing the Lakers today, if he doesn't blow such an obvious foul, he will completely lose control of the game.
In desperation, the referee blew the whistle and signaled that Bryant had committed a foul. Suddenly, Staples booed. But he didn't care about that, he stood on the free throw line on his own, ready to make free throws.
Kobe Bryant is not angry, but he is angry. Yiyang is a reasonable use of the rules, Kobe Bryant has no way but to admit it!
finally chased the difference to only 10 points, and this time, it was pulled away by Yiyang.
Subsequently, Kobe Bryant endured the pain in his knees and ankles, leaned on Yiyang and hit the basket, trying to create a kill or score directly.
It's a pity that Kobe, who dragged the injury, did not pose a threat to Yiyang at all. Yiyang easily covered Kobe's "three slow steps", and the king of Staples was disgraced in front of a rookie today!
"What the is the referee doing!?" Kyle. Thompson slapped the table angrily. The reason why this guy is still stubborn is entirely because the league didn't give a replay of the block just now.
If you see the replay, Lakers fans and Kyle. Thompson would certainly have one less excuse to complain. Because of the Yiyang cover just now, it couldn't be cleaner anymore.
The game continued, and Yiyang was still scoring like crazy. It seems that every game at the Staples Center, Yiyang is particularly excited. And today, it is undoubtedly the most exciting one for him.
Never-ending runs, reckless jumps, frantic entanglements...... Yiyang is like a solar-powered robot, always tirelessly by his former idol Kobe.
Whether it is on the defensive end or the offensive end, Yiyang did not let Kobe Bryant worry. Carlisle gave him the task, and he did.
In the eighth minute of the third quarter, Bynum successfully blocked Nowitzki's shot, grabbed the basketball, and prepared to launch a fast break.
Bryant was the first to charge forward, raising his hand as he ran and motioned for Bynum to make a direct long pass.
"Little Shark" did so and threw the ball forward with great force. This isn't the first time Bynum has played a long ball with Bryant, and he believes he has the right amount of power.
Bynum's pass was just right, but Kobe's running speed was not necessarily just right.
The basketball flew over Kobe's head, and Kobe Bryant tried his best to raise his arms, but he was still a fraction of a second away from the basketball.
In the end, basketball surpassed Kobe Bryant and flew directly out of bounds. Kobe Bryant failed to receive this long pass, not because Bynum passed badly, but because the "Black Mamba" couldn't run.
The pass was wrong, and the Lakers' hard-won fast-break opportunity was wasted. Bryant didn't yell like thunder, but bent down and put his hands on his knees in place, trying to calm his heartbeat.
Large droplets of sweat dripped down Kobe's cheeks onto the wooden floor, Kobe grabbed the collar of his jersey and wiped his sweat......
Acceleration, emergency stop, change direction, break through through the block...... Yiyang used his most exquisite skills and fastest speed to squeeze Kobe's almost overdrawn physical energy.
After easily shaking off Kobe, Yiyang hit the basket. Bynum hurriedly blocked, but Yiyang did not go to die, and the basketball flew from under the basket to the outside of the three-point line. Nowitzki, who answered from outside the three-point line, landed a knife and shot a three-pointer. After this goal, the difference between the two teams was also stretched to 18 points by the Mavericks......
Jackson called for a halt to the game, and by this time, the Staples Center was not as lively as it had been. There was dead silence in the stands, and the death of the Lakers seemed to be imminent.
Bryant walked off the court, and Jackson immediately greeted him and patted Bryant on the shoulder.
"Take a break, Bryant."
Bryant didn't answer, sighed, and sat back on the bench.
He knew he didn't have a few years left in his career. He also knows that this is his best chance to create another Lakers dynasty. But the fact now is that Kobe Bryant has the intention to kill the thief and has no power to return to heaven......
He wants to win another title, more than anyone else. But the pain was so numb that his knees and ankles reminded him. "Wake up, old fellow!"
Seeing Kobe Bryant being substituted, Carlisle brought everyone together and told his players that it was time for it to come to an end!
The team doctor took two ice packs and immediately applied them to Kobe's ankles and knees. "Black Mamba" looked at the court with a blank expression, as if everything the team doctor was doing had nothing to do with him.
A dynasty and a legend, perhaps, will come to an end......