Once Wei Guo finds his offensive rhythm, if the Lakers can't stop him from scoring with their current interior defense, it will be difficult for them to do so.
The Lakers' head coach understood this, and he could only comfort his players, "It's okay...play your own offensive rhythm and don't let the Suns catch up!"
The Lakers and the Suns have one thing in common: they lack bench depth!
It's so frustrating...
After the breakup of the OK duo, the Lakers seemed to have given up on this season and brought in a group of young players to plan for the future.
Ultimately, this is a business league, and good team managers have a long-term vision. They don't just look at one or two seasons; they can even make five-year plans.
after all...
For most teams, winning one championship trophy within five years is enough to bring glory to their family.
Lakers on offense!
Kobe continued to isolate Wei Guo, his dribbling rhythm was excellent... After Kobe drove into the paint, Wei Guo's defense remained in place!
"I have to admit one thing: he is the best player in this league, bar none."
Kobe was dejected. He was a man who never gave up, but Wei Guo was just too strong... However! The stronger Wei Guo was, the more it fueled Kobe's desire to challenge him.
Backed into a corner...
Odom ran up behind Kobe and shouted, "Kobe, pass me the ball!"
Kobe didn't pass the ball!
He jumped up under the basket, forcefully twisting his body in mid-air to avoid Wei Guo's block, then switched the ball from his right hand to his left and tossed it towards the basket.
"Bang!!!"
Kobe fell to the floor again and slid backward for a while.
The basketball flew straight into the air, already above the top edge of the backboard, and then began to fall, landing directly above the rim. Kobe's eyes lit up with surprise.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
93:95!!
If this had happened at the Lakers' home court, the game would have been a resounding success.
Even when playing away...
It's also one of today's top five goals.
Nash remarked, "That shot was so difficult, tsk tsk tsk... luck played a big part in making it."
May your life be cut short!
Only star players have this right. If a role player dares to play like that, the coach will scold him to death, except for unpredictable players.
"If the Lakers play like this... they're going to lose."
"Yes!"
D'Antoni nodded and said, "This is a desperate tactic."
Gentry and D'Antoni can make sarcastic remarks only because the Suns have Wei Guo. If Wei Guo weren't there, their rhetoric would change to: if the Suns can't contain Kobe, then they're in danger.
......
The next few minutes were almost entirely Kobe and Weiguo's one-on-one moments.
Kobe didn't always force shots; he would also use his teammates' screens or pass the ball first and then run to receive it before shooting. Kobe's shooting percentage was very high!
perhaps...
The defense of the country forced out the strongest Kobe.
This only lasted a few minutes. Then the Suns brought in their starters, and Kobe started to get tired from the constant one-on-one plays. His shooting percentage began to drop, and after missing a shot in the fourth quarter, his misses gradually increased.
"duang~~~"
"duang~~~"
"duang~~~"
On the Suns' side, with Nash's help, their fast-paced offense was executed smoothly and methodically.
The Lakers are falling behind!
Kobe started to get anxious... but it was no use. Wei Guo allowed shots but not drives. You could shoot from the outside but they would never let you drive into the paint. Wei Guo's defensive range was too large. Even if you were given a chance to shoot, it was extremely difficult to get the shot off.
116:107!!
With 1 minute and 17 seconds remaining in the game, the Lakers were down by 9 points.
The Lakers' head coach called a final timeout, their last chance. After this timeout, the Lakers had to make a three-pointer to cut the deficit to six points.
Suns bench!
"Brother Wei, what do you think?" Gentry asked.
"The Lakers will rush to shoot three-pointers."
Wei Guo said, "Barbosa will replace Nash and keep an eye on Atkins. I'll guard Kobe. The rest of you should focus on protecting the rebounds."
This is a very simple defensive tactic. It's perfectly normal to substitute Nash in this situation because Nash's defensive ability is indeed not very good. Many times, the gap in physical talent cannot be made up for by basketball IQ.
......
The timeout is over, the game continues!
Atkins first passed the ball to Odom in the paint, and then crossed paths with Kobe.
Odom's low-post playmaking...
Wei Guo and Kobe were practically entangled, pushing and shoving each other, their physical confrontation was so intense that Kobe had no chance to receive the ball.
Marion blocked Odom, not giving Odom any chance to attack!
"here..."
Atkins ran into an open space and immediately waved to Odom.
Without hesitation, Odom passed the ball to Atkins, but Barbosa appeared like lightning beside him, stealing the ball with a swift move. The young player then quickly dribbled to the frontcourt and scored a layup.
118:107!!
With an 11-point deficit, there was less than a minute left in the game.
The Lakers could substitute their starters; winning this game was almost impossible. But Kobe still didn't give up. He received the inbound pass from the baseline, dribbled to the frontcourt, and hit a three-pointer!
"bang~~~"
The shot missed, and this time there was absolutely no chance to catch up.
The Suns stopped playing, and Barbosa, who had made a crucial contribution, was replaced by Gentry. Nash dribbled the ball slowly, running down the clock. Just as the 24-second shot clock was about to expire, Nash finally passed the ball to Wei Guo.
"Shifting the blame?!"
Wei Guo glared at Nash.
There's an unwritten rule in the league that in the final moments of a game... if one team has a significant lead and the outcome is already decided, they won't attempt to score any more baskets.
However, there are still more than 30 seconds left in the game!
Fortunately...
Kobe simply moved aside, offering no defense.
Wei Guo then passed the ball to the referee, and the Suns completely gave up on their offense, as the last twenty-odd seconds quickly ran out.
"Beep!!!"
The whistle blew, and the game ended.
118:107!!
The Suns narrowly defeated the Lakers by 11 points at home, extending their winning streak to three games.
at the same time...
The Lakers suffered another defeat, marking their third consecutive loss.
Match statistics:
Wei Guo: 37 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks
Nash: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 13 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks
Stoudemire: 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Kobe: 41 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
This was a classic battle, with Kobe dishing out 15 assists and recording a triple-double. If the Lakers had won this game, it would have been perfect, but unfortunately, Kobe didn't understand the game's charm.
but...
The United States is a country that worships heroes. Kobe was like a lone hero who led his team to the very end. Although they lost, he deserved the respect of all fans.
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