Chapter 305: The Brave Who Meets in a Narrow Way Wins
It was as if Kobe had changed as a person, and similarly, under his urging, the Lakers seemed to have changed as a team. The entire team's energy and spirit were lifted, showing a truly terrifying offense and defense.
This is the role of a leader.
Kobe has ten thousand shortcomings. You can say that he is narrow-minded, jealous, selfish, paranoid, and crazy, but no one can deny that he is a good leader.
Kobe was singled out on the wing, and he quickly overcame the defense of his old rival Carter. His ten years of self-discipline made him physically stronger than the demigod he once was.
Kobe entered the paint area. At his request, Howard arrived at the tactical position quickly and accurately. Kobe made a feint shot and stuffed the basketball into it. Howard turned his body sideways and knocked the basketball in easily and accurately.
Back to halftime.
The Lakers' defensive strength reached an extremely strong level under the encouragement of Kobe Bryant, and the Clippers' tactics became difficult.
Fan Xi was very excited.
He likes high-intensity confrontation.
He started to break through from the top of the arc, and Kwame Brown came up to cover him. Through Brown's wide body, Fanshie instantly burst out with strong torque, broke through Pau Gasol's defense, and went straight to the free throw line. Kobe Bryant really came up to help defend.
Fanshie now has an opportunity to pass the ball to Carter.
He can do it easily, he already has Stockton's passing ability.
But he didn't do that, he paused, and he took the initiative to fall into Kobe's defensive sniper... as if he was really not good at passing the ball during the pick-and-roll.
Kobe was very close to him, and Fanci made a move to get into the trap. When Kobe and Gasol came up at the same time, he turned his back and shot an elegant fadeaway jumper... The difficulty was quite high.
Whoosh!
The basketball hit.
It’s not difficult, Fan Xi hasn’t voted yet.
"Jake's forced shot looks more and more like Kobe Bryant." Charles Barkley lamented on TV.
I don’t know if it’s this kind of irony or that kind of irony.
One sentence offends two people.
Kenny Smith frowned and said: "There is nothing we can do about it. Jack is not good at playing pick-and-roll. He is an offense-driven and assist-type point guard."
Their words are what D'Antoni, Magic Johnson, and Jeanie Buss are thinking.
Magic frowned: What? Didn't Jack learn to assist in pick-and-rolls?
D'Antoni also turned to look at Magic. He felt that Magic might have mythologized Fanci too seriously.
As the game continued to move forward, Kobe and Gasol played exquisite cooperation. Their tacit understanding over the years made the Clippers' defense very challenging.
After the change of sides, Fan Xi was still playing the pick-and-roll, but after being flanked in the pick-and-roll, he chose to pass the ball. He passed the ball into the paint area, and Jordan put the basketball into the basket.
It was very dangerous, like dancing on the tip of a knife.
The more the Lakers play, the more organized they become, and the more they play, the more they look like a king. Kobe Bryant lives up to his reputation.
The Clippers have never replaced Nowitzki, although they have made quick changes, with Grant Hill, Butler, Leonard and Hamilton taking turns.
The Clippers were visibly unable to move forward. Fanci was in a desperate situation with almost every ball. He relied on his personal ability to barely shoot. His touch tonight was okay. Or, he just passed the basketball out from the gap and let his teammates play in isolation.
The gap is narrowing.
But very slowly.
The third quarter passed quickly.
The Clippers managed to survive without their leading scorer.
The Lakers brought the score back to only 1 point.
This is the moment when the Lakers have been trailing by the fewest points since the start of the game.
The fans in the arena were already a little uneasy.
The TV audience on the other side of the ocean was even more nervous. This was the first game of the new year. If the Clippers lost, Fan Xi's miracle would be ended.
Everyone is worried.
The commentator and host of CCTV pretended to be strong. "The problem is not big. Nowitzki did not play. Fan Xi can lead the team to this level, which already shows how powerful they are. All the main players of the Lakers played three quarters.
They will definitely have to rest next, and once they rest, the Clippers will take advantage."
"This is the Clippers' strategy, be patient and don't be impatient."
"Fan Xi looks confident at first glance. And if we lose, it's just a regular season game. Didn't we win a game on Christmas?"
The narrator is vaguely taking vaccinations.
Everyone has bad assumptions.
Jenny Buss stood up from behind the bench. She was so excited that she high-fived every team member and shouted loudly: Well done, I'm proud of you.
She deliberately wanted everyone to see her, and this was the effect she was pursuing.
She wants everyone to know that the Lakers are invincible.
Let Time Warner TV know that the Lakers are your only choice. In the City of Angels, no team can ever replace the Lakers, not now, not in the next twenty, thirty, or forty years.
In terms of momentum, the Lakers seem to have taken the initiative.
But in fact, the Clippers are still 1 point ahead.
Fan Xi returned to the bench, still smiling. He told everyone: "You all performed very well, but I didn't work hard enough and didn't show my full strength."
"No!"
Butler stood up immediately and said loudly: "Jack, you have tried everything, but we did not work hard enough. Believe me, next I will destroy their penalty area like carrying a bag of explosives."
"That's right, boss. I will never let Kobe catch the ball so easily again, let alone ask for anything so easily!" Leonard also stood up, and this dull guy said categorically: "I won't let him.
You lose on such an important day."
Fan Xi raised his eyebrows. He felt a little strange. Why were these guys so 'sensational'?
Why don't you relax a little? I still have some tricks I haven't figured out yet.
Fan Xi didn't know that the more relaxed he said it, the more his teammates felt that he was bearing the humiliation and shouldering all the responsibilities on his shoulders.
They were even more eager to share Fan Xi's worries.
Even Nowitzki is like this.
He patted Fan Xi on the shoulder: "Jack, next I should show the Los Angeles fans the meaning of my coming here."
Um?
What does Nowitzki mean?
Mike Brown announced the lineup for the fourth quarter: Fansheed, Leonard, Butler, Nowitzki, Kwame Brown.
This is the Clippers' lineup with the best chemical reaction and the most stable offensive and defensive rhythm in positional offensive battles.
Mike Brown asked everyone: "Start with defense and compete with the Lakers. Let them know that we also have an iron-blooded spirit."
Mike Brown applauded.
Like Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, he is good at driving players with passion.
…
Ron Artest's mental state also improved with the boost of the Lakers in the third quarter, and he was even a little excited. He digested the incident of being shaken to his knees, and now he is thinking that he should seek revenge from Fan Xi.
.
Therefore, he took the initiative to ask Mike D'Antoni: "Coach, I think I can do it. The team needs me, and I can inject strong muscle power into the team. They will not break free from my steel cage."
Artest swears by it.
Mike D'Antoni nodded.
He put Artest on the roster, accepted Kobe's suggestion, and replaced Gasol with Murphy. It was still a fierce positional offensive battle.
Kobe Bryant has always believed that when encounters are narrow, the brave will prevail.
What's even more coincidental is that Fan Xi also believes in this.