Walton and Bynum at least started, while Turiaf and Farmar were always substitutes.
The rhythm of the starting players and the substitutes is different.
Popovich's decision to bench Ginobili had a magical effect. There are also instances where starters are injured and substitutes are suddenly called upon to enter the starting lineup and have a breakout performance. Turiaf and Farmar are not these types of players, and they didn't start because the starters were injured; the reason they started was because the starters were resting.
The mindset is different...
As long as you can control the pace of the game and don't hold Weiguo back, that's fine.
......
In the second quarter, Vujacic replaced Turiaf.
Excluding Cummings, Vujacic is the only Lakers player who can make it into the rotation.
Cummings is the trump card...
You can't just reveal your hand casually.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Lakers will likely use a six-man rotation for these three games, which should be sufficient as long as Wei Guo is available.
Supersonics on the attack!
Substitute center Petro faced Bynum one-on-one in the paint. Petro, who was at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength, missed his hook shot, and Wei Guo grabbed the defensive rebound.
Dribble to the frontcourt...
He continued to isolate Durant, and after the contact, he turned and shot!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
Durant had a strange feeling until this shot... He finally realized that Wei Guo was using his own tactics against him. Durant's specialty is the mid-range fadeaway shot, and his height and wingspan make it difficult to interfere with his mid-range shot!
This is so unfair...
There are many ways to kill someone by destroying their spirit, and Wei State chose to teach them a lesson.
SuperSonics head coach Carlesimo watched Wei Guo's shot and thought to himself, "This is the ultimate version of Durant."
Wei Guo didn't want to leave any suspense in this match!
He constantly emphasized defense, and his on-court command also repeatedly anticipated the SuperSonics' offensive tactics. On offense, Wei Guo single-handedly took on all the responsibility, and Durant couldn't stop his unstoppable mid-range shot no matter how hard he tried.
......
The first half has ended.
55:39!!
The Lakers lead by 16 points.
The SuperSonics only scored 18 points in the second quarter, and even with their bench players, their defense was by no means weak.
Bynum dominated the penalty area!
The defense held off Durant!
That's enough...
In the home locker room, the players happily ate the steamed buns prepared by Gentry, which were much tastier than bread.
Ariza was puzzled, "I feel like Durant is just so-so, why do you rate him so highly?"
"hehe..."
Wei Guo chuckled, "You'll understand when you're on Durant's defense in the second half."
A rookie averaging 20+ points per game, once he matures, he will surely become a flag bearer for the league. After Wei Guo retires, the league will belong to players like Durant and James.
By the way...
And then there's this year's number one draft pick, Oden!
This guy had knee surgery before entering the league, and experts say he will miss his entire rookie season and even his career will be greatly affected... He is hailed as a once-in-twenty genius, and among the number one draft picks in the last twenty years, only James and O'Neal can rival Oden in terms of talent.
I don't know if he will be able to return this season.
Unfortunately, Oden and Wei Guo were not far behind. If Wei Guo were familiar with Oden, he wouldn't mind using his resources to treat Oden's knee injury.
......
In the second half, Ariza volunteered to guard Durant.
Supersonic attack!
Ariza closely guarded Durant, who immediately moved to the right side of the free-throw line to receive the ball!
Facing Ariza...
Durant dribbled between his legs to find space, broke through Ariza's defense, and got to the basket in one step.
"Bang!!!"
A one-handed dunk scores the point.
Cummings laughed, "That was too easy a goal."
Less than a minute...
Durant then hit another three-pointer over Ariza.
Ariza was unwilling to let Durant score twice in a row, so he still insisted on guarding Durant one-on-one. When Durant had the ball again, Ariza guarded him fiercely. Durant dribbled for a while but couldn't shake off Ariza, so he simply turned around and jumped to shoot!
Ariza blocked the shot and hit Durant's wrist!
Losing his balance, Durant fell to the ground...
"Beep!!!"
The referee blew his whistle, calling a foul on Ariza.
The foul was too obvious, and Ariza didn't argue with the referee. Wei Guo stepped forward and put his arm around Ariza's shoulder, saying, "You defended very well, but you were a little too hasty."
"sorry..."
Ariza said guiltily, "I failed to limit his scoring."
Wei Guo said, "You blocked that three-pointer right in his face. He only made it because he's good at dribbling. If he does it again, I don't believe he can make it again."
"Durant is quite capable."
Ariza said with a wry smile, "Wei-ge, you should handle the defense. We can't lose this match... We need to create an undefeated legend."
After making both free throws, the SuperSonics pulled back 3 points.
Trailing by only 15 points...
When it was the SuperSonics' turn to attack, Watson tried to pass the ball to Durant, but Wei Guo intercepted it!
"Brother Wei is about to dominate the game."
Gentry was no longer standing; he was sitting comfortably on the bench, looking very relaxed.
Durant's breakout was just a flash in the pan. When Wei Guo started guarding him, Durant suffered from his lack of experience. Even many years later, when Durant almost dominated the league, he was still apprehensive about facing Wei Guo this season. He often tells younger players that they will never understand how terrifying Wei Guo is until they have played against him.
Wei Guo's strength is only partially reflected in his honors.
......
The Lakers extended their lead to 20 points in the third quarter, and the fourth quarter was essentially over in garbage time after only a few minutes. However, because the Lakers didn't have many players available for rotation, Wei Guo stayed on the court until the end of the game, which allowed him to rack up a lot of rebounds and assists.
"Beep!!!"
The whistle blew, and the game ended.
127:83!!
The Lakers defeated the SuperSonics by 44 points at home.
......
Match statistics:
Wei Guo: 56 points, 15 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals, and 5 blocks
Durant: 16 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
......
There is a significant gap between Durant's and Wei Guo's stats. Wei Guo easily scored a 50+ triple-double, and his 56 points and 13 assists also show that every point scored by the Lakers is directly or indirectly related to Wei Guo. Wei Guo plays several roles on the court. Durant alone cannot defend him. When the SuperSonics double-team Wei Guo, he can easily help his teammates score.
but...
For a rookie, scoring 16 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing out 5 assists against Wei Guo is already quite impressive.
......
The SuperSonics are easy to deal with, but the next opponent, the Bulls, is a tough nut to crack!
The Bulls' record isn't great, with 6 wins and 12 losses, ranking third from the bottom in the Eastern Conference. But sometimes you can't just look at the record; you also have to look at the team's roster.
Before Wei Guo joined the Lakers...
Kobe once threw a tantrum and demanded that the team trade him to the Bulls, even though Kobe acknowledged the Bulls' strength.
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