You think that's the end of it?

No...

This is just the beginning!

Having been teammates for six years, Cummings and Wei Guo have only played together a handful of times in official games. However, Cummings has participated in team training. Over the past six years, no matter which team he played for, Cummings has always been the most hardworking player. His chemistry with Wei Guo is even better than that of Nash and Iverson.

Cummings's movements were like a ghost, leaving the Bulls completely unable to figure him out.

But...

Wherever Cummings ran, the basketball would magically appear in his hands.

In just three minutes... Cummings scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, accounting for all of the Lakers' points.

43:35!!

The Lakers gradually widened the gap.

......

"Bulls request a timeout!"

......

Pete called a timeout; Cummings couldn't keep shooting like that.

Cummings came into the public eye during his two consecutive championships, but after his three-peat, the public gradually forgot about Cummings. They only knew that Wei Guo would take Cummings with him wherever he went, and Cummings rarely played, leading people to think that he was just close to Wei Guo and that taking him around was just to provide him with a job.

"I ignored him..."

Pete said, "We have to guard Cummings. Gordon, you stick close to him from now on and don't give him a chance to receive the ball. And Gooden... be ready to help defend Cummings at any time."

After saying this, Pete took out a tactical board, analyzed Cummings' movement, and designed two defensive tactics against Cummings.

The timeout ended, and Cummings did not return to the court.

The Bulls players were stunned...

Pete felt like he punched cotton; he used a long timeout to explain his tactics for 90 seconds, but it was all for nothing.

I don't understand Gentry!

The Lakers only have a few players available for rotation, and with Cummings in such good form, Gentry isn't letting him continue playing... Does that mean Cummings only gets three minutes? Is he on cooldown after three minutes?

That's not quite right...

Gentry understood why Cummings only played for three minutes. In Cummings' own words, "I only make a few hundred thousand a month, why should I risk my life?"

Pete's tactical setup was flawed and interfered with the players' defensive judgment on the field.

The Lakers are different...

Gentry anticipated that Pete would target Cummings defensively, preventing him from playing and reorganizing the offensive strategy, which gave him the upper hand.

There are 8 minutes left in the second quarter!

The Lakers stunned the Bulls, and Pete called two more timeouts to get the Bulls back on track defensively. By then, there was no time left in the first half.

......

The first half has ended.

63:45!!

The Lakers lead by 18 points.

Of the three games in which Kobe and three others rested, this one was probably the most difficult, yet... they led by more in the first half, all thanks to Cummings.

The home team locker room.

Turiaf poured Cummings a glass of Bluebird beer with great enthusiasm, saying, "Brother, you're awesome."

"Small-scale...small-scale..."

Cummings waved his hand modestly, took a sip of beer and smacked his lips, saying, "Bluebird beer is still the best. Corona... is nowhere near as good as Bluebird beer."

Only Wei Guo and Cummings have the privilege of having a beer during halftime.

They don't stop others from drinking if they want to...

But you have to play well in the second half, and you have to perform exceptionally well. Even if you just play normally, you'll still get eye rolls from your teammates.

Away team locker room!

Pete was furious and blamed the players for the deficit.

The players were angry but dared not speak out.

Only Ben Wallace retorted, "Your defense was a complete mess in the second quarter, don't you bear any responsibility at all?"

Pistons players have always been known for their fiery tempers, and the team has gone through several coaches in recent years, including Carlisle, Brown, and Sanders. However, these coaches all held absolute authority within the team, and players would immediately hurl insults at any player who disobeyed instructions, but few players would dare to confront the coach. Ben Wallace's words were a sign that he had finally reached his breaking point.

Moreover...

The Bulls are primarily composed of young players.

There are only a few veterans. Larry Hughes only plays for seven or eight minutes a game, and only Ben Wallace can still hold his starting position.

In short, Pete was so angry he was panting heavily!

Pete was appointed in a time of crisis. The Bulls had a decent roster, but they suffered a losing streak at the beginning of the season. Even after changing the head coach, there was still no improvement, and the losing streak could not be stopped. Pete was under a lot of pressure.

This match...

With four key Lakers players resting, this is the Bulls' best opportunity!

Pete is too eager to win a game against the Lakers. When the season ends, people will only see that the Bulls beat the Lakers by one game and won't care what the Lakers' roster was at the time. Besides... it was the Lakers who chose to rest players, so losing still proves how strong the Bulls are.

The atmosphere was somber, so Hughes stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "I've been down by 20-something points at halftime before coming back to take the lead. This is only down by 18 points. Let's cheer up, everyone."

"yes..."

Gordon chimed in, "Keep it up, there are still two quarters left."

Hughes and Gordon spoke up, and the other players also began to persuade them. Pete and Ben Wallace shook hands and made peace, and the Bulls players' fighting spirit was ignited.

This effect is quite unexpected...

Gentry simply couldn't imitate it; a simple fable could have sufficed, so why bother acting?

......

The second half began with the Bulls launching a strong offensive.

Gordon missed his mid-range shot!

Ben Wallace leaped into the air, caught the basketball in mid-air, and slammed it down over Bynum!

"Bang!!!"

The basketball hoop even shook; Ben Wallace's strength is truly formidable.

"This thing..."

Wei Guo looked up. "Did you take drugs during halftime?"

When did Ben Wallace become so fierce?

Even at his peak...

Such scenes of grabbing the rebound and then dunking over the opponent are not common in the game itself.

Then...

Ariza received a pass from Wei Guo, but his three-pointer from the corner missed.

Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound again!

That's all!

Ben Wallace, who grabbed the rebound, dribbled the ball all the way up the court before passing it to Hinrich. Even Ben Wallace can dribble now... Ariza was annoyed. He should have pressed harder; maybe he could have taken the ball back from Ben Wallace.

Hinrich dribbled into the three-second zone, but couldn't find a shooting opportunity, so he dribbled the ball out again.

Gordon gets rid of Turiaf...

Hinrich immediately passed the ball to Gordon, who then launched a three-pointer.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball went into the net.

63:50!!

The Bulls are down by 13 points.

One minute...

The Bulls scored 5 straight points, and Pete excitedly shouted, "Great shot! Great shot! Great shot!"

If the gap had been this large from the start, they might be in the lead now... It just goes to show that these players have a lot of potential, but they haven't met a head coach who can bring out their potential.