Raheem and Kwame Brown were quite surprised after they stood firm. O'Neal actually thought of them when he ran.

However, the team's youngest boss had already gone to express his thanks, and the two of them returned to the bench to stretch their bodies. Half of their bodies were numb from the collision just now due to O'Neal.

After the basket frame was re-strengthened, the referee confirmed that there was no danger and the game restarted.

The two teams did not rotate and were still testing at the beginning. Liu Mang received the serve and advanced to the frontcourt.

After Payton found his defensive feel in the last game of the Western Conference Finals, although the offensive end was still not very good, the defensive end found the feeling of last season. Although there is a certain gap between him and the best defensive team, he is still at a first-class level.

When I saw Raheem fighting Kobe in hand-to-hand combat, the little blacksmith was really both attackable and defensive... No, he was both offensive and defensive. He was able to defend against Rahim, who was seven or eight centimeters longer than him. He actually managed to keep up with him in the hand-to-hand fight. He couldn't count on it.

Rahim took advantage of the fact that the opponent did not have a genuine small forward and rushed inside to add some defensive pressure to O'Neal.

Liu Mang waved Kwame Brown to come out for a pick-and-roll. Malone immediately switched defenses with O'Neal. Malone followed Kwame Brown to pursue the defense, and O'Neal moved to the right baseline.

Malone is great in pick-and-rolls and defense against pick-and-rolls. Liu Mang used Kwame Brown to block Payton and took a step to the right. Seeing Payton immediately trying to bypass Kwame Brown, Malone also rushed forward.

Liu Mang stepped out and landed on the ground with his right foot. He changed direction and returned to the left side of Kwame Brown. He went straight to the basket from the center and came to the free throw line. When he saw O'Neal rushing over, Liu Mang did not hesitate.

, pull up the jumper directly!

O'Neal was still a step too late when he returned to the three-second zone from the right baseline. When he pounced, Liu Mang's mid-range shot had already been shot, and he scored two points!

On the other side, Kwame Brown helped Liu Mang block Payton twice, and immediately cut to the basket after blocking, helping Liu Mang take away the defense.

The mid-range shot felt good today! Liu Mang was glad that he had not slackened on his mid-range shooting training in the past three years while returning to defense. Even though the shooting efficiency was the lowest in the regular season, the characteristics of the mid-range shot were such that the efficiency was average.

, with a shooting percentage of over 40% at most, which means that a three-pointer with a 33% three-point shooting percentage, under normal circumstances, can score more efficiently than a top-notch midfielder.

However, in the playoffs, for players holding the ball, three-pointers are mainly used as a diversionary weapon to attract the opponent's defense. Especially in this era, the efficiency of three-pointers dribbling and shooting is horribly low, and the lethality is not enough.

Even the future Stephen Curry, under the rule that the defense cannot touch the opponent's body with hands above the free throw line, can't make many three-pointers, and he usually only averages three to four free throws per game in the finals.

, this is disastrous for the team's leading scorer. Once a forced three-point shot fails, there is no way to counter it.

The mid-range shooting is different. The characteristic of mid-range shooting masters is that their efficiency will not change significantly in the regular season and playoffs. In the regular season, they seem inefficient. In the playoffs, the pressure on three-point and basket defense is high, especially in general.

In the finals, the mid-range hit rate was still over 40%, which was amazing.

It was the Lakers' turn to attack. Payton came up and gave the Lakers flexibility on the defensive end. Although he could not prevent Liu Mang's mid-range shot, because the mid-range shot has always been an unsolvable problem. As long as it is accurate, it is strong, so it was not possible to prevent it.

Liu Mang's mid-range shot does not mean that Payton's role is gone. He defended Liu Mang's three-pointer very well.

But on the offensive end, Zen Master wanted to use Payton to organize the offense and liberate Kobe's offensive problem of being suppressed when facing Prince with the ball. However, Zen Master's idea was directly killed. In Zen Master's opinion, Payton is a point guard after all.

No matter how mediocre the long shot is, the opponent has to defend it. Who knows that the opponent would rather let Payton shoot it.

There was no other way, O'Neal could only swing his arms and do it by himself. Payton lobbed the ball into O'Neal's hands. O'Neal struggled to get rid of Kwame Brown and smashed the ball into the basket.

It looks easy, but it's not easy for O'Neal either. Kwame Brown's explosive power is beyond O'Neal's expectations. He secretly sighs that he is worthy of being the No. 1 talent in high school. His physical fitness is nothing to say, except that he is too light, but he is only 22 years old.

Ah, he has been playing for three years... O'Neal despises the small owner of a new team from the bottom of his heart.

Liu Mang saw Kwame Brown's pitiful appearance and felt sorry for him for a second, then received Kwame Brown's serve and advanced forward.

When Payton saw Liu Mang pushing forward, his heart felt cold. He secretly regretted that he was not in his prime, otherwise how could he be afraid of this little devil.

After Liu Mang came over, he continued to look for Kwame Brown to pick and roll, increasing the area that O'Neal had to defend. With Kwame Brown's pick and roll, Liu Mang broke through from the left again.

Payton and Malone really had no choice but to block Liu Mang's three-pointer. After blocking the three-pointer, they were unable to prevent Liu Mang's continuous pick-and-roll breakthrough from the same position. They could only pin their hopes on O'Neal.

.

After Liu Mang broke through to the inside, he saw O'Neal rushing over with his arms waving, blocking the passing space between him and Rasheed Wallace. Malone also rushed to the bottom line to block Rasheed Wallace's space.

Cutting routes is really difficult! Mainly O'Neal, this time he was obviously faster than before in covering up defense! Liu Mang felt that his free throw line jumper was likely to be blocked.

So, when Liu Mang stepped on the free throw line, he grabbed the ball, leaned forward, and threw the ball to the right!

Kwame Brown! He cut in from the right side after the pick-and-roll. Malone went to block Rasheed Wallace. Payton couldn't stop Kwame Brown and was squeezed away!

O'Neal is indeed the most talented player at the center position in NBA history. With such a huge body, he suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, turned around to guard Kwame Brown who happened to rush towards the basket from behind him, and knocked Kwame

-Brown is stuck!

But when O'Neal saw that Kwame Brown didn't have the ball in his hands, he knew something was wrong!

"Beep..."

The referee's whistle blew, and O'Neal turned around to see Liu Mang sitting on the floor and sliding out of the baseline. The ball fell lightly from the right side of the basket into the basket. Kobe on the left side of the three-second zone raised his hands helplessly.

The fans were cheering, but most of the players didn't see what happened and could only look up at the big screen replay.

On the big screen, after Liu Mang passed Payton in the pick-and-roll, he entered the three-point line from the left. When he got to the free throw line, because O'Neal's defense was too fierce, he chose to pass the ball to Kwame Brown, who was cutting in the air at the same time on the right.

, However, when O'Neal turned to guard Kwame Brown, Liu Mang's thrown ball was caught tightly by his big hand, and he took it back. At the same time, he leaned forward and turned into a three-step layup.

This is not over yet, because Liu Mang broke through from the left. Rahim was near the baseline and immediately ran to the line at a 45-degree angle, trying to open up space for Liu Mang, but Kobe just chased Rahim to the free throw line.

On the extended line, I saw Liu Mang deceiving O'Neal with a fake pass, so he quickly came back to defend, and he really put pressure on Liu Mang, bumped into Liu Mang, and destroyed Liu Mang's right-hand layup.

But! When his right hand was blocked for a layup, and his body was knocked out of balance by Kobe and he landed on the ground, Liu Mang changed the ball to his left hand and threw it towards the basket with all his strength. His body was completely out of balance due to the twist.

Sitting on the ground, the butt slid out of the bottom line.

Not only did Kobe foul, the ball also went in! Liu Mang faced the OK combination's front and back defense and scored 2 1!

Liu Mang got up from the ground. Fortunately, the ball was scored. This little blacksmith was murdered!

Liu Mang cursed, rubbed his sore buttocks, and walked to the free throw line.

At this time, the Lakers made a substitution, and the one they replaced was Payton.

In this year's playoffs, Payton completely exposed his old age, that is, the gap between him and those era-level superstars. Although he was not injured or sick, his condition was completely broken. Throughout the playoffs, he averaged 7 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists per game.

It's not the key, the data looks good, but the field goal percentage is over 30%, the three-point shooting percentage is over 20%, and there are ten free throws in the playoffs so far, and the state of last season.

It's like an avalanche in comparison.

Originally, the Zen Master was looking forward to relieving Kobe Bryant's pressure on the defensive end, but he was unable to do so. He did not have the enthusiasm of Kobe Bryant to bite people like a mad dog.

After Payton was replaced, he walked to the bench without saying a word. The battle between him and Fisher for the main point guard had already intensified during the regular season. It's just that Mr. Chairman is cunning and has a good relationship with everyone.

Even if he wants to get the other person's things, he will still not make the other party hostile before he takes it. Even if he takes it, he will let the other party send him blessings. Therefore, this is considered a healthy competition between the two. Who can

Whoever plays well will have more time to play.

Liu Mang saw dissatisfaction clearly written on Payton's face but did not say anything. Thinking of all the gossip news coming from the wealthy team, he could only lament that the noble team is the noble team. The grievances and hatreds of this wealthy team are difficult to understand... But Liu Mang

Mang saw that the guy he replaced was Luke Walton, the second-generation star? Apart from Kobe, O'Neal, Malone, Wang Zhizhi, Fisher and a few middle-class guys with bad contracts, the Lakers really have no one available.

ah!

Devin Brown made 0 of 5 three-pointers in the last game, and was suddenly robbed of playing time by a rookie.

After receiving the ball thrown by the referee, Liu Mang concentrated his thoughts and steadily hit the extra free throw.

7 to 4, 3 points ahead!

It's the Lakers' offense again, and this time...it's Kobe who's advancing! And after Kobe reaches the frontcourt, he hands the ball to Luke Walton!

Liu Mang followed Fisher to the bottom corner on the right side of the basket. Fisher stopped moving and was waiting there.

Liu Mang returned to observe the opponent's offense, Malone went to the mid-range on the left, O'Neal was outside the three-second zone on the left side of the basket, Kobe came to the mid-range on the right and leaned against Prince... In this position, the triangle offense is back?

After Payton and Malone joined the Lakers, the Lakers didn't play the triangle offense for almost the entire season. With the Big Four, how could they still play the triangle offense? The main reason is that although Malone's shooting range is good, he doesn't have three-pointers, and his mobility is average. Even if he has

You can't run the triangle offense even if you're willing to sacrifice.

Moreover, the most important thing is that there is no player at the small forward position who can pass and shoot. The future movie superstars are completely old and can no longer play. Horry can play small forward, shoot and pass. In the 2001-02 season,

When Rick Fox was seriously aging, he averaged a career playoff high of 3.1 assists per game in the playoffs and shot 38% from three-point range, supporting the small forward as a support point for the Lakers.

Only the triangle offense can be played, but Horry has been sent away as the scapegoat for the Lakers' elimination in the second round last season. The Lakers have not played the triangle offense for a long time.

After Walton waited for his teammates to get into position, he hit the ground and passed the ball to Kobe, who was leaning against Prince. Kobe leaned against Prince in the high post, turned around suddenly, pushed Prince aside, and shot!

Rahim immediately made up the defense. Kobe jumped up and passed the ball back to the top arc. Luke Walton from the top arc made a three-pointer!

Although Luke Walton did not inherit his father's physical fitness, he inherited it perfectly in terms of golf intelligence, and he can do everything, shoot, break through, and organize offense. Except for his poor physical fitness, he is also very accurate in open three-pointers, even as a rookie.

I had stage fright, I stepped on the stage of the finals for the first time, and I hit a three-pointer!

This guy came out of nowhere!

Rahim didn't expect this guy to score a three-pointer when he came up!

7 to 7 tie.

Liu Mang felt something was wrong. The person who was coordinating the top arc could score a three-pointer. The Lakers' triangle offense was going to explode! Moreover, Liu Mang just saw that the person directing the movement was not Kobe, not O'Neal, not Malone, or even Malone.

Not Fisher, but that rookie Walton! Walton, whom the little blacksmith called the best coach on the court, has such a high IQ! The first thing he did when he came up was not to play the triangle offense, but to let O'Neal

Being in the waiting position in the triangle offense allows O'Neal to get a chance to rest while still maintaining an offensive threat.

This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! However, Luke Walton played small forward... Sure enough, after Liu Mang advanced to the frontcourt, he saw that it was Kobe who was defending... Then the problem came.

, what exactly is the triangle offense?

For example, the teammates who are now standing in designated positions under Liu Mang's command have fought many times, but they have never understood this problem.

Liu Mang directed his teammates to position themselves at the top of the arc. Kwame Brown took a big step outside the three-second zone on the right side of the basket and was ready to hit the basket. O'Neal could only follow him. If the opponent rushed him, he was really afraid of Kwame.

-Brown's physical fitness.

Rasheed Wallace went to the left corner, Prince went to a 45-degree angle on the right, and Raheem took a step outside the three-second zone on the left side of the basket, leaning on Luke Walton to ask for the ball!

"This is?" Kobe looked at Liu Mang in surprise.

Liu Mang raised his eyebrows at Kobe and lobbed the ball to Rahim.

Open up the space and stand in a position suitable for cutting and shooting three-pointers. There is a space directly connected to the singles point, so that the singles point has a perfect singles opportunity. At the same time, the singles point and the basket can connect with the players and connect with the top players.

The arc support point forms a triangle position, which is the simplest triangle attack!

After receiving the ball, Rahim hit Luke Walton directly. Luke Walton couldn't take a step. Rahim took advantage of Luke Walton being knocked back and unstable.

, turned around and bullied him, pressed Luke Walton beside him with one move, and faced the basket!
To be continued...