The Celtics led the offense in the first two quarters, while the Lakers led the offense in the fourth quarter.
Kobe dribbled the ball up the court...
He was capable of one-on-one against Pierce, but when Wei Guo stepped up to set a screen for him, Kobe still gave him a grateful look. It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy. If someone else had set a screen for Kobe, he wouldn't have been happy.
The pick-and-roll works very well!
Kobe easily shook off Pierce, dribbled the basketball twice, rushed to the basket, jumped, spun 180 degrees in the air to avoid PJ Brown's block, and hooked the ball with his back to the basket.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
63:73!!
The Lakers are down by 10 points.
From that basket onward, the Lakers launched a full-scale counterattack.
Gentry wasn't sitting on the bench; he stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, watching the game intently. This season, Kobe was arguably the second-best offensively in the league, but this was the first time Gentry had stopped Wei Guo from carrying the offense when they were behind, and he was a little nervous.
Celtics on offense!
Rondo dribbled into the paint, and facing Gasol's defense, he made a passing fake behind his back. Gasol lunged forward, giving Rondo the opportunity to make a layup.
Garnett saw Rondo about to go for a layup and shouted a warning, "Watch out behind you!"
Wei Guo had abandoned zone defense and moved into the paint to help defend. If Rondo had been a second slower, he might have avoided the block. However, Rondo's shot was too quick. He fooled Gasol and then made a low layup, which is one of Rondo's best offensive moves.
Unfortunately... Wei Guo has already caught up.
*Smack!!!*
A remarkably sturdy nail-studded hat.
Kobe and Wei Guo had already developed a tacit understanding. When Wei Guo helped defend Rondo, he quickly launched a fast break. So when Wei Guo got the ball, he didn't give the opponent any time to react and threw the ball hard towards the frontcourt.
utter silence!
The audience knew that a powerful dunk was about to happen. Kobe had already run to the frontcourt. His passing speed was so fast that even Usain Bolt couldn't catch up, let alone a basketball. Kobe received the ball near the free-throw line, dribbled once, and made a layup, gently putting the ball into the basket.
65:73!!
The Lakers are down by 8 points.
"Oh no!"
Rivers started to panic again.
With such a good opportunity to perform, Kobe chose to go for a layup, just like Nash, giving up a chance to showcase himself. He was conserving his energy. This play was too reasonable, making it even more difficult for the Celtics to win this game. However, Rivers did not call a timeout. He only had two timeouts left and needed to use them sparingly.
The reason they missed the last offensive play was because Wei Guo's talent was too extraordinary. He was three meters away from Rondo, yet he managed to block the shot the instant Rondo released it. Wei Guo is the only player in the entire league who can do that.
......
Ray Allen missed a three-pointer, and Gasol grabbed the defensive rebound!
Wei Guo dribbled the ball, passed it to Kobe after crossing half-court, and Kobe backed down Pierce, using a series of half-turn fakes before jumping and shooting after contact!
Pierce pounced...
The shot was very difficult; the audience could see that Kobe had used too much force. The basketball was about to fly out of bounds when Wei Guo suddenly appeared and gently flicked the ball in mid-air.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
"Fuck!"
Garnett punched the air in frustration, "That was a pass!"
Before Kobe shot, he and Wei Guo didn't even exchange glances, but Wei Guo guessed Kobe's passing route. This might be a kind of telepathy. Even if Wei Guo had put the ball in, most people would have thought it was a missed shot by Kobe, and that Wei Guo just happened to be in that position and cleverly put the ball in.
after all...
Kobe was known for not passing the ball.
67:73!!
The Lakers are only down by 6 points.
Two minutes into the fourth quarter, the Celtics missed two consecutive shots, allowing the Lakers to close the gap to 6 points. At this rate, they were very likely to be overtaken, and once they were overtaken, the situation would become very unfavorable.
because...
Wei Guo has not yet made a move.
Many people have turned their attention to Rivers, reminding him to call a timeout, but Rivers held back. Every timeout in the fourth quarter is crucial, and if he wastes the opportunity early on, he will be in a difficult position when he has no timeout at the critical moment.
Celtics on offense!
Garnett had the ball, and Rivers yelled, "Go set a screen for Kevin! Are you guys still thinking of letting Kevin go one-on-one against Weiguo?"
This alliance...
No one can score against Wei Guo in a 1-on-1 situation. Seven-time Defensive Player of the Year is no joke!
Pierce and his teammates squeezed through to screen for Garnett, a screen that was a bit of a foul, but the referee ignored it. Garnett squeezed to the basket, jumped over Gasol, and even put one hand on Gasol's arm before viciously slamming the ball into the hoop.
"Your defense is terrible!"
After scoring, Garnett yelled at Gasol almost face to face, his saliva even touching Gasol's face.
Why are you yelling so loudly?
Cummings said with dissatisfaction, "It's just two points, why are you so excited?"
Garnett's dunk was crucial, extending the lead to 8 points and keeping the game suspenseful, prompting the crowd to roar in response.
"mVp!"
"mVp!"
"mVp!"
This cheer was probably directed at Garnett. Although he has never won an MVP award, the home crowd wouldn't cheer for Garnett after he scored.
Many league rules have changed because of Wei Guo. For example, when Wei Guo plays, away fans rarely chant 'MVP'. Even if they do chant 'MVP', it's for Wei Guo. He was selected as the best player for seven consecutive seasons. Only Wei Guo can do that, and only he deserves the title of 'MVP'.
......
The defense was very strong, and the physical confrontation was intense. Within just a few minutes, two minor conflicts broke out.
The Celtics are so eager to win...
The team didn't score many points, but undeniably, they delivered their best performance of the season. If they couldn't win this game, they would inevitably be swept 0-4 and eliminated from the playoffs. The Lakers narrowed the gap to just two points several times, only to have the Celtics pull away again. With 2 minutes and 19 seconds left in the game, the Lakers were still down by 5 points.
The truly heated match was about to begin, and Gentry finally called a timeout!
......
The players returned to the sidelines, and Garnett and the others were helped off the field. Everyone sat and listened to the head coach explain the tactics, as they wanted to make the most of every minute to recover their strength.
Lakers bench.
Cummings complained, "Old Jin, you really shouldn't have called that timeout!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com