Paul's intention to target PJ Brown is not out of disrespect for the veteran; it's simply a tactical move.
The Celtics only have two centers. Perkins was punished by Wei Guo and picked up three fouls in the first quarter, so he is unlikely to have another chance to play in the second quarter. If PJ Brown's mentality is also broken, the Celtics will only have Garnett guarding the basket, and the Lakers' advantage will be further expanded.
The reason why veterans are called veterans is not only because of their age, but also because of their rich experience and stable mentality. It is very difficult to break the mentality of a veteran with just a few trash talk.
What Paul didn't expect was...
PJ Brown desperately wanted a championship. He entered the league in 1993 and played for the Nets, Heat, and Hornets. He joined the Celtics in the last year of his career, aiming for a championship ring. Paul's words resonated with him, which made PJ Brown lose his focus.
Celtics on offense...
PJ Brown was open under the basket, and Garnett attempted a high lob pass to him.
PJ Brown instinctively reached out, but his hand slipped, and the basketball flew out of bounds. Garnett glared at him and scolded, "Don't get distracted while playing!"
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."
PJ Brown hurriedly apologized, but forgot to get back on defense until Cassell nudged him, reminding him to run back to the backcourt.
......
The Lakers had already scored on a fast break layup, forcing Rivers to call a timeout.
33:23!!
The Lakers are leading by 10 points.
I knew the Celtics' bench strength was lacking, but I didn't expect the gap to be so huge... Cassell dribbled past half-court and went to find Garnett and Pierce, PJ Brown seemed to be sleepwalking, and Posey had no presence on the court at all.
The players returned to the sidelines.
Rivers was annoyed by Kevin's dejected appearance and encouraged him, "Kevin, you used to be the team leader, Ray, you used to be the team leader, Paul, you used to be the team leader... We have three team leaders, the Lakers only have two, so we are no worse than the Lakers. As long as we fight, we can win the game."
After saying that, he looked at the role players and said, "Rondo, I believe you will become the best point guard in the league. You are the tactical mastermind on the court... Perkins, forget about Weiguo, guard the paint... and you guys, you are all the best!"
Speaking of which...
Rivers is also a master of inspirational quotes, a weaker version of Gentry.
Gentry's strengths lie in his ability to tell tales and his persuasive language. He also boasts an extremely high winning percentage and speaks with great conviction. During this timeout, Gentry is encouraging his players to win the game as soon as possible. The Celtics are in worse form than the Lakers because they have played eight more playoff games, so they need to strike while the iron is hot.
Next game...
Once the Celtics adjusted, that was a truly fierce and decisive game.
Before the Finals began, the Lakers did a professional analysis and found that Games 2 and 3 would be the most difficult. They could easily win Game 1 against the Celtics, and if they were up 3-0, they could easily win Game 4 as well, thus achieving a sweep and creating an undefeated season.
......
The timeout has ended, and the game has resumed.
The Celtics substituted Cassell and Posey, while Rondo and Ray Allen returned to the court. The Lakers, on the other hand, brought on Wei Guo, hoping to extend their lead as much as possible.
Celtics on offense!
Rondo directed PJ Brown to run and position himself in front of Wei Guo, then passed the ball to Garnett.
Garnett was less than a meter away from Wei Guo, with PJ Brown sandwiched in between. It was an excellent shooting opportunity. Just as Garnett jumped, Wei Guo, like a ghost, bypassed PJ Brown and raised his hand to block Garnett's shot!
"How could it be so fast?!"
Rivers froze, then turned to the substitutes and asked, "Did any of you see the ball guard's move?"
"No..."
Everyone shook their heads.
PJ Brown was clearly standing in front of Wei Guo, so how did Wei Guo manage to get around him and block Garnett's shot? This is not the reaction and movement speed of a human being.
Tony, a young man, brightened up and explained, "I've read Chinese martial arts novels. This move seems to be called Lingbo Weibu, which is a very powerful light-body skill."
"Ling Ren Niang's legs (Chinese translation)..."
Rivers really wanted to kick Tony, but this is basketball. Wei Guo's reaction and speed are just too fast, how did he bring kung fu into this?
but...
Wei Guo's block was a blow to the morale of the Celtics.
Wei Guo's outstanding individual ability broke through such a successful tactic, leaving the Celtics at a loss for how to attack. On the other hand, the Lakers' bench, including Kobe, came over in surprise, high-fiving each other in celebration, as if they had already won the game.
......
The first half has ended.
59:41!!
The Lakers lead by 18 points.
The Celtics are averaging 101 points per game this season, while their opponents average 90 points, which shows that the Celtics' defense is very good. They are just a little short of limiting their opponents to less than 90 points. However, tonight they only scored 41 points in the first half, and that was with Kobe playing only 13 minutes.
Imagine...
If Kobe played 21 minutes in the first half like Wei Guo, Pierce would have scored at least 5 fewer points, and the Celtics might have only scored 35 points in the first half.
......
The second half has begun.
Kobe only played for 3 minutes before leaving the court for another rest.
If Kobe hadn't been sitting on the bench chatting and laughing with his teammates, many people would have suspected that he was injured... For most of the third quarter, it was Paul, Wei Guo, Odom, Gasol, and Vujacic on the court.
Perkins was fouled twice by Wei Guo just three minutes after entering the game.
After being called for his fifth foul, Perkins angrily shoved Wei Guo. Before Odom could come up and punch him, the referee immediately ejected Perkins from the game... This was a way of giving Perkins a way out. Even if he wasn't ejected, as long as he stayed on the court, he would soon be called for his sixth foul by Wei Guo and then foul out.
My little brother is being bullied...
Garnett was furious, and his offense and defense became extremely aggressive!
Unfortunately, the fatigue from the first three rounds couldn't be overcome by willpower alone... Rivers also realized that there was no hope in this game, and after the Celtics fell behind by 25 points, he substituted all the starters.
immediately...
The Lakers also acquired key players.
Although only the reserves were left on the court, the Celtics' reserves were trying to catch up. They still remembered that Game 7 battle from the last century, where the Lakers relied on their reserves to catch up in the final quarter. If the Lakers had brought in Chamberlain at the end, perhaps the Lakers would have been the final winner.
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