Reborn in the 96 golden generation

Chapter 452 O'Neal Wins Regular Season MVP
In the remaining seven regular season games in April, the Lakers still performed well, achieving 6 wins and 1 loss. Although the regular season record of 71 wins and 11 losses failed to tie the Bulls' record of 72 wins and 10 losses The best record, but also the second best result in history.

More importantly, after the regular season, the Lakers' record ranks first in the league, which also means that in the playoffs and finals, the Lakers have home court advantage against any team.

Next, everyone is most concerned about the ownership of the regular season MVP this season. There is no doubt that the regular season MVP will be born from the Lakers with the best record.

Zhou Yu's average data per game is: 13.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 12.1 assists. Although the "triple double" data is amazing, his scoring disadvantage makes him not dominant in the MVP competition.

相比之下，奥尼尔和科比的数据明显更为耀眼，奥尼尔场均数据为：28.9分、13.5个篮板、3.8次盖帽；科比场均数据为：28.6分、6.8个篮板、7.1次助攻。

It should be said that O'Neal and Kobe's average data per game are comparable, but it is a pity that the relationship between the cheerful and funny O'Neal and the media is obviously better than that of the dull Kobe. Therefore, the 1997-98 regular season MVP trophy In the end, it fell into the hands of O'Neill.

In this regard, Zhou Yu regrets deeply in his heart. A large part of the reason why he "sacrificed" his statistics in the regular season was that he hoped that Kobe could get a solid personal honor early so that the "idol" would become more prominent in the historical player rankings. forward.

But it is a pity that the media still played a certain "spoiler" role, which has to be said to be a huge blow to the young Kobe.

Fortunately, FMVP is also a very important personal honor. If Kobe performs well, he may still have a chance, but the premise is that the Lakers must successfully defend the title this season, otherwise everything will be out of the question, including the second best regular season record in history It will also be overshadowed.

With the end of the regular season, the teams shortlisted for the playoffs will soon be freshly released:

Western Division:

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Portland Trail Blazers

4. Utah Jazz

5. Seattle SuperSonics

6. Houston Rockets
7. Phoenix Suns

8. Minnesota Timberwolves
Eastern Division:

1. Philadelphia 76ers

2. Charlotte Hornets
3. Miami Heat
4. Indiana Pacers

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

6. New York Knicks
7. Atlanta Hawks
8. New Jersey Net

The Lakers played against the Timberwolves led by Garnett and Marbury in the first round. Due to the large gap in strength between the two sides, the Lakers swept the Timberwolves 3-0 without bloodshed and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals.

The Spurs also easily defeated the Suns with a big score of 3:1 and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals.

The star-studded Trail Blazers defeated the aging Rockets 3:1 to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

The Utah Jazz and the Seattle Supersonics had a fierce first-round contest. The two sides did not decide the winner until the fifth game. The Utah Jazz narrowly defeated the Seattle Supersonics with a big score of 3:2 and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals.

In contrast, the competition in the Eastern Division is more intense:
费城76人队首轮以3:1淘汰新泽西网队，夏洛特黄蜂队以3:1淘汰亚特兰大老鹰队，纽约尼克斯队以3:2险胜迈阿密热火队，印第安纳步行者队3:1战胜克里夫兰骑士队。

The Western Conference semifinals is a severe test for the Lakers, because they are about to face the star-studded Portland Trail Blazers. The strength of both sides is equal, and it will not be easy to win.

The Lakers played two home games first, and finally relied on Zhou Yu and O'Neal's inside double-tower advantages to win two games in a row and get a good start with a big score of 2:0, and the promotion situation is very good.

But the Trail Blazers who returned to the home court were like a godsend, relying on "multi-point blooming" to pull two games in a row, and the two sides fought to a "2:2" tie.

The fifth battle of "Tianwang Mountain" is particularly critical. If anyone can win, there is a high probability that they will advance to the next round.

Fortunately, the Lakers have the home court advantage, and the fifth game is favored by the outside world because of the timing, location, and harmony.

The starting lineups for both sides are as follows:
Los Angeles Lakers:

Point guard: Van Exel, Shooting guard: Kobe, Small forward: Sprewell, Power forward: Wang Zhizhi, Center: O'Neal.

The difference from the regular season is that O'Neal was mentioned in the starting position, because the Blazers' striker group is too strong, and the Lakers can only compete with it with the help of the inside advantage.

Portland Trail Blazers:

Point guard: Harper, shooting guard: Pippen, small forward: Kukoc, power forward: Wallace, center: Sabonis.

With the scrimmage in the middle circle, the first quarter of the "Tianwangshan" battle between the two sides officially kicked off.

The Lakers took the lead to get the ball, Kobe held the ball for half court, Zhou Yu and O'Neal fell to the low post, Van Exel and "Madman" lined up on the outside wings, this should be the most secure offensive formation for the Lakers, it seems that the inside and outside are connected Compact, able to echo each other.

Faced with Pippen's tight defense, Kobe did not die, and after a few dribbles, he quickly passed the ball to O'Neal inside.

O'Neal held the ball and hit Sabonis with his back. The strength advantage allowed O'Neal to break into the penalty area without much effort.

Seeing that the situation was not going well, Wallace immediately came to help defend. Zhou Yu took the opportunity to pull the bottom line to the middle distance. After receiving the ball from O'Neal, he made a mid-range shot. The basketball crossed a beautiful arc and hit the net with a crisp sound!
"2:0", Zhou Yu used his stable peripheral shooting ability to win a "good start" for the Lakers.

The Trail Blazers immediately launched an offensive. Pippen held the ball for half court, and other teammates pulled away one after another. Compared with the Lakers, the Trail Blazers have a wider distribution of offensive points. Every player has a certain shooting ability, which is hard to guard against. .

Pippen turned around with a cool behind-the-back dribble, flashed past Kobe, and rushed straight to the Lakers penalty area.

Taking advantage of the Lakers' defensive line retracting, Pippen promptly distributed the ball to Wallace in the corner on one side. Wallace non-stop transferred the ball in a wide range and threw the ball to Sabonis who was at the top of the arc.

Sabonis raised his hand and made a three-pointer. His height was untouchable. The basketball crossed a high parabola and fell straight into the basket!

"3:2", the Blazers led the Lakers by one point, and Sabonis' excellent long-range shooting felt creepy.

Since the game had just started, Zhou Yu did not take the risk of competing with Sabonis for a three-pointer, but continued to settle down to the low position, looking for a suitable shot.

This time, Kobe finally passed the ball to Zhou Yu. Facing Wallace's staring defense, Zhou Yu attacked face-to-face. Defend against the top, use your body to fight, and try not to let Zhou Yu get close to the basket.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yu suddenly made a big turn and slipped to the bottom line, which made Wallace a little unprepared. Zhou Yu took the opportunity to step forward and make a layup, avoiding Wallace's block, and lightly picked the ball into the basket !

"4:3", the Lakers overtook the Trail Blazers by one point. Zhou Yu used his delicate inside footwork and good touch to bring the Lakers back to the lead.

(End of this chapter)