LaVine turned the tide in the final minute and helped the Lakers win Game 4 and tie the score. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

This reassured the Lakers players, and everyone's mindset completely shifted, and there was no longer any pressure.

The two sides returned to the same running line, and next, the Lakers played at home, and the advantage was undoubtedly on the Lakers' side.

You know, in the fourth game, the Lakers are facing an unimaginable desperate situation.

And just because of a win in one game, everything changes dramatically, which also highlights the unique charm of the playoffs, which is one step of heaven, one step of hell, and the situation is likely to change in an instant.

Actually, in the fourth game, everyone was very good. And in the end, LaVine was able to stand out, completely because he suddenly woke up at the last moment, exploded on the scoring end, and helped the Lakers win the game. This is an act of making amends, after all, his previous performance was really terrible.

However, under the aura of the winner, this kind of bad was completely ignored, and no one mentioned LaVine's previous performance like a ****, only remembering that he scored consecutive points at critical moments and was the key player for the Lakers to win in the end.

Under the praise of the world, LaVine finally understood a truth. That is, don't be afraid to throw a ball, because it's often the next goal that is likely to be hit, and it's likely to be the goal that makes or breaks the game. It turns out that this is what Kobe Bryant wants to teach him......

After returning to Los Angeles, the Lakers did not relax at all, and under the leadership of Chu Xuan, the team made very full preparations, and made up for the shortcomings exposed in the previous games through continuous practice.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the fifth battle has arrived.

On the evening of May 12, the Staples Center, inside the arena, was full of fans.

"Audience friends, welcome to watch the battle of Tianwang Mountain in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA playoffs in the 14~15 season. The two sides have played 2-2 in the previous four games, and now this battle is very crucial, and the eventual winner will take the series match point and seize the initiative to advance. ”

According to the latest news, Kobe Bryant has still not been put into the activation list, according to Coach Chu Xuan, they need to observe Kobe's recovery, and for the sake of insurance, Kobe Bryant cannot be easily returned to play. In other words, in today's game, Kobe Bryant can still only watch from the wall. In this case, it is still quite disadvantageous for the Lakers. Although they won the last game, the Lakers' shortcomings at the No. 1 position are too serious. It's not hard to imagine that in today's game, the Spurs will still start from this point. ”

"Behind me, the players from both sides have already started to warm up before the game. In about ten minutes, the game will begin. The atmosphere at the Staples Center was really enthusiastic, and I was so impressed that I couldn't wait to see the battle between the two sides. ”

……

The commentators on the sidelines began to give presentations to the world about the game, and during that time, they also mentioned Bryant's situation. This is what fans all over the world are most concerned about. In the last game, it was rumored that Kobe Bryant was going to appear in the fifth game, but when the fifth game really came, Kobe Bryant still had to continue to recuperate from his injury, which made everyone who followed the game still worried about the Lakers' playoff situation.

In the eyes of many people, the Lakers without Kobe Bryant are really difficult to be the opponent of the Spurs.

In the last game, the Lakers played all the way and relied on LaVine's three consecutive three-pointers in the final minute to make the Lakers beat the Spurs. So in this game, the Spurs must have made more adequate preparations, and what kind of play should the Lakers have to be able to give the Spurs two consecutive defeats?

Chu Xuan's tactical thinking is very clear, judging from the past few games, Duncan's play at this point has a great impact on the game, and at the same time, Oden also creates a great threat under the basket. Therefore, if the Lakers want to ensure the initiative, then they must undoubtedly start from the inside. Because, only by ensuring the inside line and protecting the rebounding ball can we ensure the advantage and let the game develop in the direction that the Lakers want.

As for the Spurs' outside threat, it's none other than Parker and Kawhi Leonard. Parker's offense is very sharp, and Leonard's current catch-and-shoot and ball-handling offense are very good, and at the same time, he has a lot of offensive means now. It can be said that the threat from the Spurs outside is nothing more than Parker and Leonard. However, if the Lakers shrink their defense and focus on Oden and Duncan, then Leonard and Parker will certainly be given some chances. According to Chu Xuan's plan, these opportunities are unavoidable, and it can only be said that the threat of Leonard and Parker is minimized as much as possible.

Then on the offensive end, Chu Xuan still insisted on using the quick transition offense that the Lakers used this season, but he made one improvement, which was to let LaVine and the Twin Towers threaten at the same time in the high and low positions. As for Payton and Antetokounmpo, they went to the Spurs' restricted area to kill in order to create offensive opportunities for LaVine and the Twin Towers.

……

With a burst of wild shouts that shook the mountains.

The battle of the Western Conference semifinals has finally begun.

The starters of both sides have not changed at all, which subverts everyone's perception.

You must know that at the press conference after the last game, Chu Xuan had already claimed that he would consider changing his style of play and lineup. However, when the game really started, everyone suddenly found out that they had been deceived, and Chu Xuan had no intention of changing the original lineup at all...... Payton Jr. still started the game, while the previously much-touted starters Maddy, Jeremy Lin and Pau Gasol were all put on the bench.

For this reason, many people have expressed doubts, and it is said that there are ridiculous remarks on the Internet about whether Peyton Jr. is Gary Payton's illegitimate child.

As if this can also reflect that the recognition of Payton Jr. as a starter is really not high. After all, two of his three starters were almost blown out by Parker.

However, no matter how loud the outside world's doubts were, they couldn't change Chu Xuan's plans.

Because in the playoffs, bench depth is absolutely very important. And, as it turns out, Jeremy Lin isn't a good fit to start, and his performances as a substitute are often phenomenal.

As for Maddie, Chu Xuan likes this once popular scoring champion all over the world, and now the degraded and aging Maddie can occasionally play very good performances, but his physical condition and competitive condition are not enough for him to face the Spurs, who have always been known for their defense, in the fierce playoffs. If it was out of selfishness, then Chu Xuan definitely wanted Maddie to start. However, for the sake of the overall situation of the playoffs and the prospects of the Lakers, Chu Xuan will not do this. Because if Maddie is put on the bench, he can contribute well.

Finally, Gasol, if Gasol is allowed to start, then the Lakers will undoubtedly return to the three-inside + LaVine + Antetokounmpo style of play. This style of play has been tried many times during the regular season, and it has worked quite well. However, you know, during the three-inside period at that time, Kobe Bryant was mostly on the court, because he could control the tempo on the court very well. Now, with Kobe Bryant not there, Antetokounmpo is not experienced enough to face the old Spurs. Besides, the Spurs must have been studying the Lakers' three-interior play for a long time, so it is definitely unwise to use the three-interior strategy...... Maybe it's going to hit the Spurs.

On the sidelines, Popovich couldn't help muttering: "I didn't expect him to make any adjustments, all the preparations in the past few days have been in vain, damn it." ”

Popovich felt that he had been fooled by Chu Xuan, and asked him to take a group of Spurs players to prepare for the adjustments that the Lakers might make in the past two days, but in the end it was of no use. Emotional Chu Xuan's words made the Spurs completely go in the wrong direction.

"However, it's better that nothing changes, then let you pay for your obsession."

……

Things were a little bad at the start of the game, and Payton was okay with that, and Parker wasn't in a hurry to play on the offensive end. However, Leonard showed a strong desire to attack, and he constantly attacked the basket, and in the process, he managed to create personal fouls on Noll and Whiteside, respectively. Leonard scored and made free throws to score seven points in a row and lead the Spurs to a 9-2.

The Lakers' offense was completely frozen, and the situation was pretty bad.

Chu Xuan immediately called a timeout, and then made a little tactical adjustment.

"Just over 2 minutes into the game, the Spurs forced the Lakers to call a timeout, and it seems that the Spurs are prepared for this game...... Things don't seem so rosy for the Lakers. ”

In fact, falling into such a big passivity at the beginning of the game means that all the previous preparations of the Lakers may be overturned, and if that happens, it can only be said that the Lakers will face unimaginable trouble this game.

However, with a head coach like Chu Xuan, who has been elected the best coach for two consecutive years, how can the Lakers collapse easily. Even if the player is willing, Chu Xuan will not be willing.

The reason why the Spurs started the game with a wave of climaxes was entirely because Antetokounmpo at No. 3 was completely suppressed by Leonard. Just a little bit of an unfavorable situation is not a big deal.

"Giannis, he's blocking your shots, it's going to distort your movements, it's hard to get the ball in. Next, you'll want to pay attention to reducing your outside shots and pushing more inside. Although Kawaii Leonard's single defense ability is very strong, in terms of height and reach, you have a big advantage after all. ”

In addition to arranging Antetokounmpo, Chu Xuan also reminded the Lakers players to pay attention to maintaining pressure on the Spurs in the restricted area, and must not let the Spurs find the initiative to attack in the restricted area.

When the game restarted, Noll and Whiteside were clearly aware of the Spurs' inside-running breakaways and were careful to control their movements and not give them a chance to foul.

Knoll and Whiteside are both some of the best interior players in the league right now, and the defensive pressure they create in the box is absolutely terrible. And when they focused entirely on defense, the Spurs' breakaway efficiency immediately dropped to outrageous proportions. Parker and Leonard, who were trying to break through to score, both ate hot pot. For several minutes in a row, the Spurs didn't score any open goals except for a three-point shot. And with this opportunity, the Lakers quickly equalized the score.

After stabilizing, LaVine and the Twin Towers began to play on the offensive end. On the Spurs' side, Parker once again suppressed Payton and scored as a shooting executor in the Spurs' tactics. The game between the two sides was scorching, and the first quarter ended at 28:26 amid the eager shouts of fans, and the away Spurs temporarily led by two points.

By the second quarter, the defensive intensity of both sides had increased significantly, and it was starting to be difficult to score goals in open play. Both sides tried to bolster their interior attacks, but in the end it was Knoll and Whiteside who took the initiative and kept Duncan and Oden at bay...... However, the Spurs maintained their lead thanks to two successful three-point tactics.

Throughout the second quarter of the game, the Lakers were completely dumb from the outside, and it was naturally difficult to score too many points by relying on the twin towers alone. The halftime ended quickly, with the Lakers trailing by six points at 41:47.

"Chu, this ball is undoubtedly a defensive battle. Your outside offense seems to be in a lot of trouble, who do you think is that? ”

Looking at the first half, Payton and Antetokounmpo have not scored a single open goal so far, while LaVine has only scored eight points. If it weren't for the contribution of the interior and Maddy, the Lakers would have fallen behind by more than 6 points.

"Of course it's my fault, the team's offense is terrible, and I'm going to find a way to get the lads to put the ball in." Chu Xuan responded to the reporter's interview lightly, and then hurriedly returned to the locker room to arrange tactics.

By watching the first half of the game, Chu Xuan found a certain inspiration, the Spurs' outside defense seems to be very strong, but in fact, it is indeed a great weakness.

In an effort to free up Parker and allow the French sports car to focus on offense, Popovich put rookie Harris in the role of the Spurs' playmaker, which has been Parker's job in the past.

Harris is well-rounded, but he's a rookie after all, and you can't expect him to do everything in every aspect. So, his defense at this point seems to be very good, but in fact, it is just a façade. If the Lakers ramp up their offense on this point, then it is likely to break down in one fell swoop, and it is very likely that the Spurs' chemistry and connection on both the defensive and organizational sides will be completely destroyed.

In addition, it is the No. 1 position, Parker's defense is not particularly good, and if the offensive intensity of the No. 1 position is increased, then there may be unexpected effects, after all, Parker has to focus on offense.

"Next, everyone, all to assist Zach in the attack. Also, on the defensive end, you go to switch with Zach, you go to defend Gary Harris, and you have to pay attention to cut off his receiving and passing routes. ”

Since LaVine was arranged, it was natural to put an all-out attack on Harris's defense, so it was natural to lighten the defensive burden for LaVine. After careful consideration, Chu Xuan chose Jeremy Lin to play and asked him to switch positions to defend Harris. (To be continued.) )