The 1999 season was Danny Angie's third season with the Phoenix Suns.

In the first two seasons, the Suns steadily improved in his hands, mainly because Jason Kidd played a full 82 games in the second season, and with the addition of the super point guard, Danny Angie's tactical system was maximized.

This season, the Suns let go of Antonio McDyes, who they had just traded for a season ago, and instead signed veteran center Tom Gugliotta, but this signing was a loss.

Although the record in the Nuggets is not good, Antonio McDyce's average of 20+10 per game in the Nuggets is real, but the performance of veteran center Tom Gugliotta has declined, compared with the performance of 20+8 plus four assists last season, Tom Gugliotta's scoring ability this season has greatly declined, and he can only barely get an average of about 15 points per game.

Therefore, at the beginning of the season, the Suns' performance was also a little struggling, but fortunately, with Jason Kidd, the lower limit of this team can still be guaranteed, so the Suns are still in a much better situation than the Lakers at the beginning of the season with 8 wins and 5 losses.

For this game, Danny Anji is also a little stressed, although the Lakers' record is not good, but the Lakers' strength is not bad, and Danny Anji does not want to lose, so, before the game, he was a little sad and did not know how to deal with the Lakers who have formed the "Big Three".

"Their tactics have to be triangles, but we don't have that many defenders and we can't kill everybody, so let's focus on the offense......," suggested assistant coach Frank Johnson.

Another assistant coach, Scott Skels, disagreed: "No, I think we should try a defensive system, if we don't defend in this game, we will lose badly. ”

Danny Anji thought about it for a while and shook his head: "It's too hasty to play joint defense, let's strengthen the offense, let Jason control the rhythm, and we play fast offense." ”

Danny Angie didn't listen to Scott Skells' advice, Skels was very disappointed, he was a defense-oriented coach, but in the Suns, there is only one way to defend, which is man-to-man defense, whether it is joint defense or other rotation defense, Danny Angie never thinks about it, it seems that in the Suns' basketball philosophy, there is only offense.

……

"In this game, let's strengthen the defense, Derek, your task is to prevent Jason Kidd, Kobe, pay attention to assist Derek, our purpose is not to prevent Jason Kidd's score, but to prevent his passing, so, in this game we are going to play a 1-2-2 joint defense, cut off the Phoenix people's pass from the waist, and don't let them pass the ball inside......"

Qiao Hai continued to write and draw on the tactical board, arranging a set of joint defense tactics, preparing to cut off Jason Kidd's organizational attack.

Joe Hay didn't have the luxury of completely cutting off Jason Kidd's organization, so he set up a 1-2-2 combo defense strategy to cut off Jason Kidd's inward pass, because Joe Hay glanced at the Suns' roster, the Suns' scorers were concentrated on the inside, Tom Gugliotta, Clifford Robinson, Danny Manning and Luke Longley, all of whom were interior players.

So, cutting off Jason Kidd's inside pass would cut half of the Suns' offensive firepower.

Finally, Qiao Hai emphasized the offense that the team wants to play - the triangle offense, the axis of the triangle offense has been changed, replaced by the more skilled and stronger Scott Pippen, and the other positions have not changed.

"Alright, guys, let's go, take our three wins in a row!"

……

Half an hour later, the game had begun.

Joe saw the Suns' starting lineup, point guard Jason Kidd, scoring guard Rex Chapman, small forward George McLeod, power forward Crawford Robinson, and center Tom Gogliotta.

Danny Manning, Luke Longley, and Patgariti sat on the bench, and the match was about to go.

Shaquille O'Neal won the jump ball, Derrick Fisher took the ball across the half court, this time the basketball was handed to Scott Pippen, Scott Pippen didn't stay long, directly passed the ball, stuffed to the right 45 ° waist, Kobe Bryant received the basketball in that position.

"Kobe Bryant started playing singles, and it was Rex Chapman who was defending him." The narrator is McBlin.

His partner Mav Albert also smiled when he saw this set of offensive and defensive duels: "Rex Chapman can't stop Kobe Bryant, Phoenix needs to implement the bag." ”

Kobe Bryant singled, and Jason Kidd quickly moved sideways and rushed to the middle ground, ready to support the defense.

Kobe Bryant took a big stride, shook off Rex Chapman, and then turned and threw a step-back jumper.

Bang, the iron struck.

Kobe Bryant's choice is not good, Qiao Hai doesn't care, since you want to cultivate Kobe, you must give Kobe a chance to play alone, Qiao Hai from later generations knows very well that single iron is Kobe's style, it is useless for him to say it, let Kobe stick to his own style, but he can get a future superstar.

The Suns' offense, Jason Kidd has picked up noticeably.

Everyone in the Suns' starters has the ability to score double-doubles, and Jason Kidd rushed to the front court with the ball and started to break through directly.

The Lakers' joint defense made Jason Kidd very uncomfortable, after breaking into the inside, Kobe Bryant and Scott Pippen directly choked the wing, Shaquille O'Neal locked the restricted area, Jason Kidd couldn't find a pass object, and in the face of the big sharks, he didn't dare to rush in again.

You can only throw a shot one step forward from the free throw line, and with a bang, it's in!

The Suns scored first, and Qiao Hai was not in a hurry and continued to sit firmly in the coach's seat.

The Lakers attacked, Scott Pippen and Robert Horry came to block and pick, and after rushing into the three-point line with his left hand, Bryant came around the bottom corner and received the ball at the top of the arc.

Popping the ball twice, Kobe Bryant once again attracted the Suns' defensive center of gravity, this time he didn't dare to mess around, a breakthrough to attract the bag, directly pass the inside O'Neal, O'Neal turned around, bang! A slap in the face!

2:2！

"Shaquille O'Neal's slam dunk, beautiful!" McBrin shouted. "The Lakers' first scoring of the game ended up being done by Shaq, but Kobe Bryant, who missed a shot in the opening game, also got an assist."

The Suns offense is still Jason Kidd's organization, Rex Chapman cuts in from the outside, and Jason Kidd finds an opportunity and passes the ball directly.

Kobe Bryant in the ribs suddenly burst out and reached out for a steal.

"Beautiful! Bryant! He's done it again! McBrin shouted again. Kobe Bryant completed the steal, and the Lakers began to fight back! ”

In the counterattack, Kobe Bryant added another assist, and Scott Pippen received the ball and scored a layup, 4:2!

Jason Kidd continued to organize with the ball, but after two rounds of offense, he already clearly felt that although he didn't face much defense, the Lakers did lock up his pass, and it was successful, and the team's top scorer Tom Gugliotta failed to receive even one pass in two rounds, which was a success.

Rex Chapman ran like crazy, Tom Gugliotta couldn't get the ball, and he hurriedly pulled it out of the line.

The Lakers' marking was precise, Kidd passed a corner, George McLeod barely shot from the outside, bang, missed.

Shaquille O'Neal won the rebound, there was no suspense, and the Lakers were singled by Shaquille O'Neal again, 6:2.

The Suns attacked, and Kidd himself singled a ball, causing a foul on Derrick Fisher and going to the free throw line to make one of two free throws.

On the Lakers' side, Kobe Bryant hit a mid-range shot and finally scored.

The Suns' offense continued to stagnate, and the Lakers' triangle offense flourished, and at the end of the first quarter, the Lakers led the Suns by 7 points at 28:21.

In the coach's seat of the Suns, Scott Skells was a little helpless, he saw the joint defense system used by the Lakers, and he could only sigh at this, even the Lakers used a little joint defense to help them prevent Jason Kidd's organizational offense, but the Suns did nothing under the pressure of the Lakers' Big Three.

Jason Kidd is strong, but he is also a very biased superstar, with little individual offensive ability and good at playmaking.

In other words, Kidd relied on his teammates, but in this game, his teammates didn't play.

Tom Gugliotta, the team's leading scorer, deserved three points in the first quarter, and such an offensive performance was not satisfactory at all.

In the first quarter, the Lakers were leading, and the opponent was suppressed on the court, Byron Scott's expression changed, and he looked at Qiao Hai with a strange face, no way, he has always been not optimistic about Qiao Hai, but Qiao Hai's performance surprised him.

Needless to say, the previous two consecutive wins, this game Byron Scott thought that the Lakers would at least have to play hard, but the Lakers played very easily and comprehensively suppressed the opponent.

Byron Scott was surprised, if the Lakers win again, then there is no need to doubt that the Lakers will be in Qiao Hai's hands and really get back on track.

"Perhaps, I really underestimated Joe."