Throughout his more than ten-year career, Kobe rarely had such an easy second quarter.

Generally speaking...

Only when the game enters garbage time early will the starters remain on the sidelines; it's rare for the starters to be left out in the second quarter.

Kobe sat on the bench for the entire second quarter!

But...

The Lakers continued to extend their lead.

Kobe also began to admire Gentry. Tactical arrangements were one aspect, but no one did a better job than Gentry in managing people's hearts. He could always keep the players full of fighting spirit, and even the substitutes could perform beyond their level. No wonder the Knicks were still able to win the championship in the 2005-06 season despite their terrible roster.

It wasn't just Wei Guo who made the contribution; Gentry also deserves a great deal of credit.

The first half has ended.

60:51!!

The Lakers lead by 9 points.

The substitutes scored 37 points in the second quarter, 14 more than in the first quarter, against the same opponents. The players on the court in the first quarter were Paul, Kobe, Gasol, Odom, and Weiguo.

"This season..."

Kobe stretched and walked towards the player tunnel, saying, "It's easier than I expected."

The away game locker room was very basic.

Gentry took some pastries out of the insulated box and shared them with everyone to replenish their energy.

A 15-minute break...

Gentry kept chatting with the substitutes, telling them one fable after another. After he finished, he discussed with the substitutes the lessons the fables taught them. Bynum and Turiaf were the most enthusiastic to speak, raising their hands eagerly.

......

In the third quarter, it was time for the key players to seal the victory.

This is healthy competition...

If the substitutes are playing so well, the starters certainly can't let them down.

Wei Guo hit a long-range three-pointer as soon as he entered the game. Okur tried to respond with a three-pointer, but Odom interfered and missed. Gasol grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Wei Guo. Kobe was already running up the court. Wei Guo casually tossed the ball up the court, and the speed of the basketball was almost the same as Kobe's running speed.

When Kobe crossed the free throw line, the basketball also crossed the free throw line.

All it takes is a light jump to catch the basketball in mid-air, followed by a 180-degree turn.

"Bang!!!"

Kobe easily completed a two-handed back dunk!

"Nice dunk!"

"Good pass!"

Kobe and Wei Guo pointed at each other, and a knowing smile appeared on their faces at the same time.

Paul was incredibly envious...

It's not that I envy Kobe's relationship with Wei Guo, but rather the pass he just made. It seemed like a casual throw, yet it was incredibly precise. The basketball was chasing after Kobe, and during the fast break alley-oop dunk, not a single move by Kobe was superfluous. Paul has a very clear understanding of his own level and knows that he could never make such a good pass.

This is why the official statistics for the top ten plays, top ten dunks, and top ten assists each year always single out Wei Guo, preventing him from participating.

Once Weiguo gets involved...

Top 10 plays, top 10 dunks, top 10 assists, top 10 blocks... you can't see any other players in these categories.

It's unfair to include a player who can easily dunk from the free-throw line in a game in the top ten dunks. Wei Guo's dunks in one game are more spectacular than the top ten dunks of an average player's career.

The Lakers' offensive momentum was too strong, and the Jazz couldn't keep up at all!

“beat la…”

“beat la…”

“beat la…”

The sound still echoed in the stadium, but the momentum had weakened considerably. The home crowd grumbled and cursed, but they were helpless; they simply couldn't win!

......

With seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Lakers extended their lead to 20 points.

With more than a quarter left and a 20-point lead, it wasn't garbage time yet, but Gentry substituted Kobe, Gasol, and Weiguo, leaving only Paul and Odom on the court among the starters, while Bynum, Ariza, and Vujacic took to the court... This was a message to the Jazz that the game was over and it was time to start giving their players playing time.

Sloan won't let the key players rest too early...

However, the Lakers' roster is not weak either, and it is almost impossible for them to catch up by 20 points in one and a half quarters.

The absence of Wei Guo and Kobe did not affect Paul's performance at all. He not only assisted his teammates, but also turned on his offensive mode.

The match ended quickly.

119:91!!

The Lakers defeated the Jazz by 28 points on the road.

In the first half month of the regular season, the Lakers played eight games, and this was their most convincing victory. They only scored 119 points in the game, but eight of them scored in double figures: Wei Guo (21 points), Kobe (13 points), Gasol (11 points), Paul (19 points), Odom (10 points), Bynum (15 points), Ariza (13 points), and Turiaf (10 points).

in...

Wei Guo made all 8 of his shots, achieving a 100% shooting percentage.

This was an extremely efficient victory that downplayed the role of star players and emphasized team basketball. Many head coaches are using this game as a case study, hoping to learn something from it.

......

The Lakers don't have any integration issues; they played very smoothly at the beginning of the season.

So far, they have won 17 straight games. Only three teams have kept the Lakers fighting until the very end: the Spurs, the Raptors, and the Wizards. The game against the Wizards even went into overtime, and the Lakers only managed to win thanks to Wei Guo's performance in overtime.

This worried Gentry greatly.

The Lakers faced the Raptors and Wizards in consecutive away games and did not win easily, which indicates that the players were experiencing mental fatigue.

No one knows mental fatigue better than Gentry. During his time with the Rockets, Nets, and Suns, he experienced winning streaks. Once a winning streak exceeds 15 games, players become numb to victory. This numbness leads to mental fatigue, which makes players listless on the court. This is different from physical fatigue.

This kind of fatigue is easy to eliminate...

After losing a game, the players will naturally regain their form.

Even with a strong roster, the Bulls only had 72 wins back then, and the Lakers only had a 33-game winning streak. This kind of mental fatigue is inextricably linked to it.

The Lakers' desire to create an undefeated myth has put a lot of mental pressure on the players. When pressure is too great, problems are more likely to arise. Injuries have already begun to plague the Lakers. Bynum is injured, Turiaf is injured. Fortunately, the key players are in good condition. However, this is just the beginning. Gentry knows very well that those who can play the entire regular season are iron men. Even for key players, missing a dozen or so games in a regular season is normal.

The real challenges lie ahead...

For now, all Gentry can do is bring the Suns' medical team to the Lakers to protect the players' bodies as much as possible and avoid unnecessary injuries.