Harris has always been known for his rigorous training, and for four days, except for a day off the day before the game, the Lakers team was in dire straits. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

However, Harris's training effect on the players was also very significant, and after a few days, the Lakers' players were significantly more focused in the game.

Against the Seattle SuperSonics, a Western powerhouse, Bryant scored 30 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, and he helped the Lakers defeat the SuperSonics led by Payton and Camp by two points.

Then, in back-to-back games back at home the next day, Eddie Jones scored 27 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists, and the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 110-85.

In the final month of the regular season in April, all the NBA teams began their final sprint, and the Lakers had won four straight games in the final two games of March, but they didn't have time to be excited for long before they lost the next game at home against the Spurs on April 4.

Harris didn't care too much about the loss, the Lakers have completely exceeded his expectations this year, and in the next nine games, he surprisingly didn't criticize the performance of his players once, and he completely handed over the game to these boys.

And the Lakers lived up to his expectations, winning six of their nine games and lifting their team's record to 49-32.

The NBA1996-1997 regular season came to its final day, and the Lakers also welcomed their last opponent of the season, the Portland Trail Blazers.

April 20, Portland's Rose Garden Arena.

Looking at the Lakers players warming up on the court, Harris couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion.

At the beginning of the season, he thought that it was a miracle that the Lakers could make the playoffs, and as for the achievement of 50 wins, he couldn't even think of it.

And now, the Lakers really have a chance to achieve that goal, as long as they win this one.

All the players of the Lakers also know the significance of this game, and the vigorous fighting spirit can already be seen from their warm-up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the last game of the regular season for the Trail Blazers against the Lakers from Los Angeles. Coincidentally, both sides now have the same record of 49 wins and 32 losses, and the significance of this game is needless to say, whoever wins will have home court advantage in the playoffs. The Trail Blazers' home commentator said excitedly.

It's going to be a do-or-die match.

"Here's the line-up for both sides." After the commentary introduced the significance of the game, the lineups of the two sides began to be announced, "Trail Blazers starters: point guard Kenny Anderson, Isaiah Ryder, small front Clifford Robinson, big front Rasheed Wallace, center Avidas Sabonis. Lakers starters: point guard Derrick Fisher, split Kobe Bryant, small forward Eddie Jones, big forward Eldon Campbell, center Tony Marles. ”

"The Trail Blazers put Robinson at small forward today, and Rasheed Wallace, who is tough defensively, was put in the starting line by Coach Callesimo, which is a typical three-high lineup, and it seems that the Trail Blazers are going to play the interior today. However, the Lakers' coach Harris also responded by putting the more tough Eldon Campbell as a starter to make up for Robert Holley's lack of strength on the inside. So let's look at the game between the two sides. ”

In the jump ball stage, Toni won very easily, Sabonis is a floor-flowing center, and his bounce is not very strong.

The Lakers' ball possession, Fisher rushed across the court, he seized the weakness of the Trail Blazers' slow return to defense, and directly smashed into the Trail Blazers' basket.

Kenny Anderson was no slower than Fisher, and he was the first of the Trail Blazers to come back to defense.

However, Fisher was much stronger than him, almost against Anderson's body, Fisher staggered to the basket, and he also caused Anderson's foul.

Two plus one!

Fisher gave the Trail Blazers a kick-off at the beginning, and everyone in the Lakers came up and high-fived him in celebration.

After taking the ball safely and making a free throw, Fisher triumphantly retreated into the half.

The Trail Blazers' three-high lineup is very scary once it falls into a positional battle, even if they can't shoot, they can still dominate the rebounds and create a second offensive opportunity.

Toney's outstanding physical talent is not at all advantageous in front of the tall Lithuanian center Sabonis, who can only rely on his flexible characteristics to occasionally rush for a few rebounds, and Campbell and Wallace are also comparable, so that the Lakers completely fell into the bottom of the interior for a while.

Halfway through the first quarter, the Lakers trailed by five points at 10:15, and Harris hurriedly called a timeout.

He found out where his problem was, he took it for granted, the Trail Blazers sent a three-high lineup to hit the Lakers' interior line, he thought that using Campbell would be enough to make up for this disadvantage, but he found that the height of the Trail Blazers is still higher than that of the Lakers, and the Trail Blazers are undoubtedly attacking each other's strengths with their own shortcomings, and the Lakers have also sacrificed their own advantages, outside ability and speed for this.

Harris was very decisive in bringing Hawley back on the pitch and Campbell was replaced.

"Everybody run for me, play to our speed advantage, Tony, try to protect the defensive rebounds, give up the offensive rebounds, strengthen our defense, and fight back with them!" Harris exclaimed, "They're too slow, and as long as we defend successfully, they won't be able to keep up with us at all!" ”

The timeout ended, and the two sides returned to the game.

Harris was fortunate to make up for his mistake in time, and the Lakers played to their advantage, and after they used a few fouls to test the referee's penalty scale today, the Lakers' defensive action gradually increased on the premise that they would not foul.

Sure enough, as the Lakers' defensive intensity increased, the Trail Blazers' shooting percentage gradually decreased, and under Tony's almost desperate rebounding competition, the Lakers' defensive counterattacks gradually increased.

The speed of the Trail Blazers was indeed very slow, they could not keep up with the offensive rhythm of the Lakers, which made the defensive advantage that had occupied a high height suddenly come to naught, and for a while, the Lakers tied the score, and at the end of the first quarter, they also managed to lead by 2 points at 25:23.

Bryant had a perfect first quarter, hitting three of his four shots, all of which were on the fast break.