The Nets won both of their regular season games against the Lakers!

After their first encounter, Wei Guo even gave Kobe advice, saying that if you want to win, someone on the team has to make sacrifices.

Especially with the Lakers' roster, there's bound to be some mutual dissatisfaction among the players.

I wonder if Kobe listened...

Anyway, Wei Guo believed this was the truth: basketball is a team sport, and you can't win a game by relying on one person. From the 76ers to the Rockets and then to the Nets, whether they were star players or role players, his teammates would make sacrifices for victory. Of course, this definitely did not include Wei Guo.

Why did Wei Guo have to sacrifice himself?

As spectators gradually entered the stadium, many star athletes and celebrities also came to the event, including Britney Spears, Wei Guo's girlfriend.

Starting lineup for this match:

Brooklyn Nets: Stockton, Hill, Wei Guo, Kenyon, Mourning

Lakers: Payton, Kobe, George, Malone, O'Neal

O'Neal had never won a jump ball against Wei Guo, so he was very relaxed during the jump ball and let Wei Guo pass the racket to Hill.

Stockton receives a pass from Hill!

The Lakers quickly got into position, with Kobe guarding Hill. Hill stepped back to the left and took a mid-range shot.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball swished through the net!

2-0!!!

After two weeks of rest, Hill is in good condition.

......

The Lakers were on offense, while the Nets were primarily defending O'Neal and Kobe. Malone and Payton's performances had declined drastically!

Payton dribbled the ball upfield.

Kobe, with his back to Hill, said to Payton, "Give me the ball!"

Received a pass from Payton...

Hill also positioned himself on Kobe, with his arms outstretched at a 70-degree angle and his left foot slightly forward. This was intended to prevent Kobe from breaking through and to interfere with Kobe's shots.

Both O'Neal and Malone were in the paint.

This was a great shooting opportunity. Even if he missed, he was guaranteed a rebound. Kobe didn't hesitate. He faked a shot with his shoulder, then turned and jumped back for a jump shot!

"Whoosh!!!"

That was a strong shot, and the ball went in.

2:2!!!

Kobe's individual ability is stronger than Hill's, which is undeniable... One is a star gradually reaching the peak of his career, while the other is a star who has declined after experiencing two major injuries. Although Hill entered the league only two years earlier than Kobe, they are no longer players of the same level.

According to Kobe's idea.

He should be guarded by Wei Guo, not Hill, in this game.

certainly...

Kobe was just thinking about it. After all, it was the Finals, and if there was an easier way to score, who would want to go through the trouble of attacking?

Hill's defense is nowhere near the level of Wei Guo's defense!

At the start of the match, both teams played very reasonably, without any unnecessary mistakes, and the score was very close. This situation was not broken until the seventh minute when Ma Long broke the deadlock!

Stockton has the ball at the top of the penalty arc!

Wei Guo moved toward Stockton, and Stockton immediately gave Wei Guo a tactical hand signal, indicating that Wei Guo should come over for a screen!

This tactical hand gesture... is also the tactical hand gesture that Stockton and Malone used when they were playing together.

Like a conditioned reflex, Malone took two steps forward to position himself. This position was perfect. As long as Stockton moved to the right, Payton would be blocked by Malone, and then Stockton would have several options: pass the ball to Malone or cut to the basket for a layup!

Wei Guo was dumbfounded!

Malone's move left Stockton bewildered and even somewhat at a loss. Malone blocked Payton for Stockton, who wanted to pass the ball, but his teammates didn't have as many opportunities as he did.

Malone's move left the Lakers players stunned. Everyone saw it: Malone went to set a screen for Stockton.

"What do you mean? Six against four?!"

This reflects the true psychological state of the Lakers players.

fine...

Stockton smoothed things over for Malone.

Stockton dribbled the ball out of the three-point line again and said loudly, "Old man, I joked with you yesterday and asked you to set a screen for me. You kept your promise, so I can't take advantage of you."

These words were meant for the opponent's ears.

Although O'Neal was somewhat annoyed, he didn't blame Malone after hearing Stockton's explanation.

These two were veterans who had worked together for nearly twenty years. This was the first time they were teammates in the Finals. Malone set another screen for Stockton, but Stockton failed to score, which became a well-known story.

Gentry turned to Scott and asked, "Did they have an agreement?"

"Probably not..."

Wei Dong chimed in, "Ma Long's frustrated expression after the pick-and-roll was impossible to hide; this was definitely not a pre-planned plot."

"I'll have to criticize Stockton later; he missed such a good scoring opportunity."

Gentry smiled knowingly, unsure whether he was really going to criticize Stockton.

......

With limited time remaining on the shot clock, Stockton dribbled the ball out of the three-point line and then passed it to Hill.

Hill drives to the basket for a layup!

Hill had physical contact with O'Neal in the air, and his layup form was already distorted, so he could only try to adjust the arc of his shot.

"bang~~~"

The basketball bounced off the backboard and then off the rim!

Malone grabbed the defensive rebound under the basket, which could be seen as atonement for his strange behavior just now.

Lakers on offense!

O'Neal received a pass from Kobe under the basket, backed down Mourning, and then spun a hook shot!

Mourning's defense is very tough...

In physical confrontations with O'Neal, he didn't have the upper hand, but he didn't suffer much either.

"bang~~~"

The basketball bounced off the rim, and Kenyon grabbed the defensive rebound!

This time...

Wei Guo's offense was resolute. When Kenyon grabbed the defensive rebound, he ran up the court and called for the ball. Kenyon passed the ball to Stockton, who then made a long pass, and the ball ended up in Wei Guo's hands!

Kobe has already run to the basket!

Wei Guo received the pass, dribbled once, and as he took a three-step layup, he used a behind-the-back slit to get past Kobe, and then spun 180 degrees in the air!

"Bang!!!"

Wei Guo dunked the ball into the basket with his back to the basket!

16:13!!

The Nets lead by 3 points.

"Defend the country!"

"Defend the country!"

"Defend the country!"

The audience erupted in cheers!

The first eight minutes were a warm-up, but Wei Guo's first spectacular dunk of the game officially signaled the start of the intense phase of the match.

......

Kobe didn't back down either, and drove hard past Kenyon into the paint!

Facing the defense of Kenyon and Mourning, Kobe made a slight drift in the air and only threw the ball towards the basket as his body began to fall.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball swished through the net!

This shot was played with equal intensity, as if telling the world who the leader of this team is.