Five minutes have passed in the first quarter.
16:9!!
The Lakers lead by 7 points.
Wei Guo scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, accounting for 70% of the Lakers' total points.
These are not the key points...
The key point is that Kobe didn't receive a single pass from his teammates in five minutes; he was completely invisible on offense.
Wei Guo arrived, and naturally, he's the team's leader. However, Kobe Bryant spent over a decade with the team and brought a championship trophy to the city. Even if he wasn't the leader, you could say the Lakers were Kobe's team, and he was the owner of that team. In five minutes, he didn't touch the basketball once.
Kobe also had a few scoring opportunities.
but...
His teammate passed the ball to Wei Guo.
When the offense faltered and Kobe needed to take a one-on-one shot, his teammates' first choice was always Wei Guo. This situation was terrible. Even when Kobe was on the same team as Shaq, his presence wasn't this weak.
The reason is... Kobe and Weiguo played the same position.
Wei Guo is a swingman who can play all six positions. He can play from point guard to head coach. The Lakers have a lot of talent, so Wei Guo chose his favorite position, small forward. The small forward position is a team's main scoring point. This position just happens to overlap with Kobe's position. When teammates pass the ball, Wei Guo is the first person they think of.
This is also the fault of Rockets head coach Adelman.
Adelman's defensive tactics are flawed. He's still targeting Kobe like before, with Battier guarding Kobe. Battier is arguably the Rockets' best defender, and he's incredibly tight. Even when Kobe has a scoring opportunity, it's a struggle, unlike Wei Guo, who can score effortlessly just by receiving the ball.
......
Gentry pulled at his hair hard, opened his palm and saw a few strands, feeling heartbroken.
NBA head coaches are predominantly bald...
Gentry used to have a receding hairline, but later he simply shaved his head completely. However, while on vacation in China, he used Bawang shampoo, and his hair miraculously grew back. So he cherishes his current beautiful hair.
Gentry wouldn't dare to pull out his hair unless he was facing something particularly troublesome.
......
The players returned to the sidelines.
Cummings didn't say anything, but Odom asked, "Old King, what do you mean by this timeout?"
"Give the Rockets a breather."
Gentry joked, "What's the point if the game is blown out in the first half?"
Everyone could tell it was a joke, but Gentry's timeout definitely had a deeper meaning!
When the players are playing, their focus is on the court. They are thinking about how to attack and how to defend. As long as they score, that's all that matters. If they fall behind, they will look for reasons. If they are ahead, they will at most end the game. They will not look for reasons for being ahead during the game. So no one noticed that Kobe had not touched the basketball from the beginning.
certainly...
Kobe's role on the court should not be overlooked.
His role on the defensive end was greater, and on the offensive end he also constrained the Rockets' defense, which is why Wei Guo had so many shot opportunities.
Gentry called a timeout but didn't give any instructions. He just chatted with the players for a bit. Near the end of the timeout, Gentry casually said, "Kobe, you can't slack off. You need to get more involved in the offense."
How can Kobe participate in the offense if he doesn't receive the ball? Or should he, like before, draw the Rockets' defense and let Wei Guo score?
This sentence is directed at other people...
When Kobe has an opportunity, you should pass the ball to him; you can't only have eyes for Weiguo.
......
Timeout over, game resumes!
Adelman also used this timeout to rearrange the defensive tactics. When Wei Guo received the ball on the left side of the free throw line, Hayes stepped up and double-teamed Wei Guo with McGrady!
This created an opportunity for Kobe...
Gasol set a screen for Kobe on the right side, and Kobe got past Battier and drove to the basket.
Passing the ball without looking!
Wei Guo tossed the ball behind his back, Kobe caught it, and took a step-back shot!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
18:9!!
The Lakers lead by 9 points.
This has never happened before in the league, with the first and second place on the scoring leaderboard teaming up!
actually...
Since Shaquille O'Neal left the Lakers, Kobe has consistently ranked among the top three scorers every year, but he has never been able to challenge O'Neal for the top spot.
Kobe started scoring too... Odom and Gasol also had good scoring abilities, and with Paul orchestrating the offense, the Lakers' offense became more fluid!
The Rockets are no pushovers either!
Yao Ming scored frequently under the basket, McGrady gradually regained his touch, and Battier almost closed the gap with three consecutive corner three-pointers.
There are 3 minutes and 17 seconds left in the second quarter.
57:51!!
The Lakers lead by 6 points.
Hayes drew a foul from Odom with a strong drive to the basket, and it was Hayes' turn to shoot free throws.
First penalty...
Nine players stood behind Hayes, who was alone facing the basket. He dribbled the ball a few times, then suddenly bent his knees as if trying to exert force. This action caused Hayes to stumble, seemingly losing his balance... But he stubbornly leaned forward, sticking his butt out, and threw the ball over the basket.
"bang~~~"
The basketball bounced away.
Ugh...
Hayes punched the air in frustration, lamenting that he had missed the free throw.
"Holy crap..."
This series of actions completely baffled Wei Guo. "You can do that... hahaha."
Wei Guo is a very serious person. He has also received professional training and rarely laughs unless he can't help it. But now he couldn't help it. Hayes's set of free throw breakdowns was really funny to him.
McGrady turned his face away...
He was afraid his teammates would see the smile on his face.
Only Yao Ming walked up behind Hayes, patted his butt, and reassured him, "It's okay, you still have one more free throw opportunity."
Second penalty...
Wei Guo and his teammates stood on either side of the free throw line. If the free throw missed, they would need to grab the rebound.
The same action!
The difference is... Hayes leaned forward, his shooting hand was at its highest point but suddenly stopped, hesitating for two seconds before releasing the shot!
Wei Guo has one foot in the penalty area!
Hayes then took the shot...
"bang~~~"
He missed another shot!
The referee blew his whistle, because before Hayes could even shoot, Wei Guo had stepped into the goal with one foot, so it was a violation. This penalty would count if it went in, but not if it didn't, giving Hayes another chance to take a penalty.
Gentry asked in surprise, "Although Hayes' free throw form is strange, how could someone as calm as Wei Ge make such a mistake?"
"perhaps..."
Cummings chuckled, "Wei just wants to see Hayes take another free throw."
......
Another free throw opportunity, this time given to him by Wei Guo.
Hayes cherishes...
Hayes was an undrafted player, and it's hard to imagine that he was only 1.98 meters tall, yet he played power forward/center. In 2006, the Rockets gave Hayes a 10-day contract, which officially launched his NBA journey.
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