19 to 25.
At the end of the first quarter, the Bulls trailed the Lakers by 6 points.
Although the Bulls had a very good start, the Lakers' performance returned to normal when Kobe took over the offense.
He scored 10 points in the first quarter with 4 of 7 shots and also had 3 assists.
The Bulls used Xu Yong and Deng to defend Kobe, but neither was able to limit the opponent.
This is the mature Kobe who has won the MVP and is the well-deserved No. 1 player in the league.
At this time, most of the main players of both teams were resting off the court, but Xu Yong of the Bulls still stayed on the court.
Although Denagro's tactical level is relatively limited, he can still be on par with Sandek in terms of rotation and deployment.
Because the only truly reliable substitute in the back line is Hinrich, so he will use the combination of Hinrich + Xu Yong or Rose to make the transition in the transition period.
Rose attacked more in the first quarter, so naturally Xu Yong became Hinrich's partner tonight.
Kobe was on the sidelines at this time, and his teammates gave him some simple ice compresses.
Although his personal ability has reached the peak of his career, at the age of 31, his body has begun to decline uncontrollably.
High-intensity confrontation and the league's culture of fighting with injuries mean that 30 years old is a watershed in the league of this era.
Especially this season, Gasol was injured before the start of the season, and Bynum was unable to take on the responsibility. He could only play more, and playing more puts a greater strain on his body.
After seeing Xu Yong on the court, his attention immediately shifted to the other party.
He didn't use his full strength when fighting with Xu Yong last night.
Firstly, it is unnecessary. If he has to put all his effort into fighting a rookie, he might as well just retire.
Secondly, because they have to compete today, he and Xu Yong are still rivals no matter how much they talk. Only a fool would leave no room for his opponent.
On the court, Xu Yong took advantage of the screen to receive the pass from Hinrich and shot it in.
Kobe nodded subconsciously.
Although Xu Yong is just a rookie and his offensive skills need to be improved, his offensive stability is very good, which can be felt in last night's bullfight.
This shows that Xu Yong, like him, has worked hard in training.
And this pull-up shot by McGrady, as a good friend of McGrady, he found that he had fallen in love with this newcomer.
At this moment, the Lakers' attack failed, and Xu Yong ran without the ball to receive the ball, but Ariza was not shaken off this time.
Phil Jackson had no choice but to let Ariza stay on the court at this time, because although Xu Yong played as a shooting guard, he was oversized like McGrady.
This type of shooting guard has a characteristic, which is that if you arrange a defender to defend him, it will be a natural mismatch.
The only players on the Lakers who can compete with Xu Yong are Kobe and Ariza.
Xu Yong took a look at his teammates and saw that they had no chance and the attack time was half over, so he stretched out his hand to signal to move away and play one-on-one.
Kobe was also very focused at this time.
He knows Ariza's defense. Although it is not the best, it is definitely at the elite level.
It is not easy for Xu Yong to break through his defense one-on-one.
Moreover, this is on the court, and the intensity is different from the bullfighting off the court.
The fact was just as he expected. Xu Yong's first step was very explosive, but he did not completely get rid of Ariza.
Moreover, Ariza is 2.03 meters tall and has a wingspan of 2.18 meters, which is at the same level as McGrady.
This kind of speed and wingspan monster can easily be disturbed if you cannot shoot without completely getting rid of him.
Xu Yong broke through to the free throw line but still didn't get a good chance to shoot.
"Bang!"
But the next second, Kobe suddenly stood up from the bench.
This sudden action startled the team doctor who was putting an ice pack on him.
But at this time Kobe had no time to care about him, because his eyes were fixed on Xu Yong on the court.
After a heavy dribble, Xu Yong immediately fell to the ground, then turned and stepped back to the free throw line for a jump shot.
Xu Yong, is it Kakashi?
Ah, no, when did Xu Yong learn this new move? !
“Swish!”
Xu Yong broke free from the defense and made a steady shot.
Watching the ball go into the basket, Xu Yong let out a long sigh after retracting his scissor kick and landing on the ground.
You know what, this move is really useful!
Fortunately, he had practiced this move in advance, otherwise he would have suffered a great loss tonight.
It was at this moment that he noticed Kobe's gaze on the sidelines.
It's not that he has good eyesight, but everyone else is sitting, and it's obvious that Kobe is so big and standing there.
Seeing Kobe's surprised and puzzled look, Xu Yong suddenly felt relieved.
Let’s not blame each other anymore, it’s the same for everyone.
Kobe's face changed.
Although in essence, he and Xu Yong both had reservations about each other, Xu Yong was just a newcomer and their status were not equal.
At this moment, all his good impression and love for Xu Yong was gone.
Xu Yong did not pay attention to the changes in Kobe's expression, nor did he care.
Communication off the court is communication, but on the court, there are only opponents.
"when!"
Odom's three-point attempt from the outside still missed the basket.
The Lakers had not scored since the start of the second quarter.
It is obvious that their struggles this season are not just due to the absence of Gasol.
Xu Yong jumped high to grab the defensive rebound and went straight for a fast break with the ball.
After dribbling out of the three-point line and seeing that Johnson was about to go down, he aimed at the right angle and threw a long pass across half court to .gif.
After Johnson received the ball, he scored a 1-on-0 dunk with both hands.
25 square meters!
The Bulls came back in the second quarter and scored 6-0, directly eliminating the score difference!
"beep!"
Just then a short whistle sounded from the sidelines.
Phil Jackson did not call a timeout. The Zen Master's favorite thing to do is to leave the problem to the players.
This short whistle means a substitution, Kobe is back.
Leave the problem to the players, but also leave it to reliable people.
The Lakers were attacking, Kobe had the ball, and Odom wanted to come over for a screen, but Kobe signaled him to go back.
It was obvious that he wanted to give Xu Yong a warning.
Xu Yong also took a defensive stance.
Although he may not be able to defend Kobe now, he will not call on his teammates like others when he cannot defend.
This time, Kobe chose to play one-on-one with his back to the basket. After a series of back turns and foot fakes, he made a signature fadeaway jump shot.
Xu Yong rushed forward with all his strength to interfere.
“Swish!”
But Kobe still made the shot.
And after Kobe made the shot, he gave Xu Yong a death stare.
This action also instantly excited the fans at the Staples Center.
This is the first time this season that they have seen Kobe's desire to play so strong.
In the transition from offense to defense, Xu Yong also reached out for the ball directly this time.
Kobe was given a death stare, there was no way he wouldn't respond.
Although he is not as capable as Kobe now, ability and being able to play are two different things.
What he can't match is Kobe's offensive skills and game experience, but he still has a chance to break Kobe's defense because he has trained the "weapons" in his "arsenal" very skillfully.
In the one-on-one match between the two, Kobe went straight to the point of intensity, constantly confronting Xu Yong while also constantly trying to cut the ball, creating maximum pressure.
This is not at the same level as the intensity of the bullfight between the two yesterday.
Kobe has been selected to the All-NBA First Team seven times in his career. He is the only player after Jordan to receive this honor.
His defense, like his offense, is top-notch.
Xu Yong half-turned his body to protect the ball. He was of course aware of Kobe's defensive ability, so he had to find a chance to shoot in the shortest number of dribbles.
The more you transport, the greater the possibility of being destroyed.
He leaned against Kobe for a moment, then took a falling step and started.
Kobe made a very obvious shrinking movement at this time. He is smaller than Xu Yong, and if Xu Yong speeds up, his defense will be passive.
Seeing this, Xu Yong took the ball and jumped up to shoot.
Normally in this situation, Xu Yong would have been able to shoot calmly, but Kobe's reaction was too quick, or Kobe's defensive skills were too strong. He used his puppy steps to rush forward instantly, and then jumped almost at the same time as Xu Yong.
That’s what it really feels like to have seven All-Defensive First Team defenders.
Xu Yong was forced to do a scissors kick and lean back in the air, and it was at this time that his size advantage began to show.
He is one size bigger than Kobe, which allows him to complete the shot at the highest point facing Kobe's defense.
The basketball passed over Kobe's fingertips, flew over Kobe's head, and drew a parabola in the air.
“Swish!”
Empty pocket!
There was an uproar at the scene.
Xu Yong actually completed the answerball under Kobe's high-pressure defense!
And, it’s a facial!
The Bulls' bench was boiling with excitement.
Even Ross couldn't help but stand up.
This ball is so fucking hard!
You have to know that’s Kobe, the best player in the league, and the best in both offense and defense!
After seeing the ball go in, Xu Yong spread his hands towards Kobe.
Even if you are Kobe, we still have to deal with you!
Of course, the most excited person at this moment was Yang Yi in the commentary booth. He almost knelt down and called him dad.
However, the number one Lakers fan, Kakomi, opened his mouth, not knowing what to say for a moment.
After a long while, he finally exclaimed: "This ball is not reasonable!"