Chapter 52: One Man Fights One Team
On November 28, U.S. time, the game between the Mavericks and the Lakers started at the American Airlines Center.
The Lakers currently have the best record in the West, with a 12-1 record since the start of the season. With the exception of a game against the Pistons on Nov. 14, it's a five-game winning streak so far.
The Mavericks are also on a five-game winning streak, and this game is also in the spotlight, with the game between the two teams being broadcast live across the United States today.
In this game, the starting lineup of the Mavericks, in addition to playing well in these games, Antoine White was re-promoted to the starting position by head coach Carlisle. Nothing else has changed.
The Lakers' lineup, like the lineup that the two teams played last time, has not changed.
The game begins.
In the first quarter, the two teams were evenly matched, and the stars of both teams, Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant, both played efficiently, Nowitzki had 8 points and 5 rebounds, and Kobe Bryant had 10 points and 2 assists.
The score was 30-27 at the end of the first quarter, with the Mavericks trailing by three points.
And this quarter of the game also exposed a serious problem for the Mavericks, with main center Eric Dampier only getting one rebound and two fouls in the first quarter. The Mavericks are under serious threat on the inside.
In the second quarter, the two sides switched to the bench, and Terry led the bench not only to stabilize the score, but also to overtake the score under his outburst, and the score of the two sides was 57-51 at the end of the second quarter, and the Mavericks led by six points.
In the third quarter, the two sides switched to the main force. The Mavericks had to call a timeout in the first two minutes, and Dampier, who was back on the court, was framed by Bynum and Pau Gasol on the inside, so that Nowitzki had to focus more on defense, and the offensive efficiency was significantly reduced.
Mavericks head coach Carlisle has been very disappointed with Dampier and can only replace Wang Dachun, who has not played in this game.
The game continues, and the Lakers attack.
Fisher came to the front court with the ball, Kobe Bryant cut inside through Pau Gasol's cover, Bynum stuck Wang Dachun, and Kobe dunked and hit two points.
The score is 57:53.
Kidd passes the ball to Nowitzki! He was stealed by Gasol, but fortunately Kidd caught up in time to pick up the basketball. Reorganize the offense and re-pass the ball to Nowitzki through Wang Dachun's high screen. Nowitzki hit a two-point shot with a back-hook hand.
The score is 59:53.
Kobe Bryant came to the high post with the ball, Bynum asked Kobe for the ball, Kobe saw that there was no better offensive opportunity, so he hoisted the ball to Bynum on the inside. Bynum thought that he had stuck Wang Dachun behind him, and reached out to catch the ball, but he still ignored Wang Dachun's arm span, and before his hand touched the basketball, Wang Dachun's big hand suddenly reached over and stealed, which caused Kobe's mistake.
Wang Dachun passes the ball to Kidd. Kidd quickly passed the ball to White, who had already run to the baseline, and White hit a three-pointer.
The score is 62:53.
Lakers offense. Fisher holds the ball and Kidd steps forward to make a steal. Fisher passes the basketball to Bryant, who is three points away.
Kobe Bryant saw that Wang Dachun was blocked and dismantled by Gasol, Bynum had already entered the inside line, quickly passed the ball to Bynum who was about to get under the basket, Bynum was ready to get up and dunk, and Wang Dachun, who was chased again, directly slapped the basketball down, a very clean block.
The basketball was picked up by Nowitzki and quickly passed to White, who was running wildly, and White jumped from outside the 45-degree three-point line to shoot, but was interfered with by Fisher, who rushed to stop him.
The rebound was picked up by Radmanovic, who handed the basketball back to Fisher, who came to the frontcourt and broke through to the inside with a fake pass, and the basketball was passed to Kobe Bryant, who was following behind, and Kobe scored a two-point goal.
The score is 62:55.
Bryant's goal also opened his own singles mode, and he doesn't have much hope for the inside now.
Since Wang Dachun came on the court, after a few rounds between the two teams, he can see that Wang Dachun has made significant progress during this time, and defending Bynum is much easier than before.
After Wang Dachun came on the court, Bynum didn't score a point on the inside, and he also made a mistake.
White actually felt aggrieved at this point, and in the first few games he finally rediscovered the feeling that a professional NBA player can score on the court.
He returned to the starting position today, but he didn't expect him to return to the starting position and face Kobe Bryant, his first starting position was against McGrady, and after being beaten by Maddie, he entered his own cold period.
When he returned to the starting lineup, he met Kobe, who had already been beaten in the first quarter. I thought that the coach should make adjustments when he saw that he was so weak, but he didn't expect to come back in the third quarter and still have to defend Kobe.
He had a feeling that he should be taken off again after starting this game, and he already had a deep suspicion that he was making a mistake with the starting position, and every time he started he met the best point guard in the league.
If it weren't for Wang Dachun on the inside line to help him make up for the defense and interfere with some of Kobe's goals under the basket, maybe Kobe would have broken through White's funnel into a horn.
Bryant's outburst in the second half of the third quarter, combined with White's weak defense, tied the score at 73-73 at the end of the third quarter. Bryant scored 13 points in a single quarter.
In the fourth quarter of the game, the Mavericks started with a substitute, and the center position was still Wang Dachun.
Head coach Carlisle can obviously feel that the current Wang Dachun is getting better and better than before, Wang Dachun's protection of the interior line has obviously surpassed Dampier after he came on the court, and he only got two rebounds in the entire third quarter of Bynum's defense on the inside, basically completing the scoring of Bynum in a single quarter "0 seals".
Naturally, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson has also found this constrained on the inside. In terms of size, Bynum's figure seems to be much stronger than Wang Dachun.
But he saw that in the competition on the court, Bynum only had a stronger upper body, which could limit Wang Dachun's empty score, but the strength of his lower limbs obviously couldn't squeeze Wang Dachun, who looked thinner than him.
So he made an adjustment, replacing Bynum two minutes after the opening two minutes of the fourth quarter, putting Gasol in the center position, and Odom coming on to defend while returning to Nowitzki on the court.
Let Pau Gasol pull Wang Dachun out of the interior and limit his interior rim protection ability.
There were no adjustments to Kobe's singles, and Ariza was sent on to replace Radmanovic and let the two forwards rush to the frame to grab the rebound.
From Phil Jackson's point of view, Kobe Bryant feels good today, he just wants to play the superstar, fire unlimited fire to Kobe, and let Kobe Bryant play a team alone!
Phil Jackson's tactics were very successful, and Kobe Bryant was worthy of Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers led the Mavericks by five points in the eighth minute of the fourth quarter.
After Paul Gasol and Wang Dachun were opposed, they also limited Wang Dachun's ability very well, if Wang Dachun dared to help defend Kobe Bryant, who hit the inside line, Kobe Bryant would give the ball to Pau Gasol, you must know that Pau Gasol has a very accurate shot, so that Wang Dachun does not dare to help defend casually.
This forced Mavericks head coach Carlisle. Wang Dachun had to be replaced, so that Nowitzki was put in the center position, and Bass was replaced to defend Odom. At least Bass doesn't suffer in terms of strength, and he still has a certain ability to score points on his own.
But in the end, the Mavericks still couldn't catch up with the score and lost to the Lakers 107-114.
Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 35 points, and Wang Dachun played 18 minutes and scored 2 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.