Legend of Tomorrow

As Guo Xu expected, the Suns gradually gained the upper hand in the third quarter. The Lakers' weaknesses emerged. Veteran Malone was running out of energy and there was no qualified substitute at position 4.

The Suns adopted a small-ball strategy, allowing Marion to serve as a guest at the 4th position. For a while, Haslem even played center. Once the Lakers miss a shot, they will immediately be counterattacked. Malone then turns back and runs, which consumes his energy very quickly.

Of course, Haslem couldn't guard O'Neal. D'Antoni arranged a shark-cutting tactic. O'Neal fouled when he caught the ball and hit him hard, sending him to a free throw. The inside players took turns fouling, disrupting the Lakers' offensive rhythm.

If the Lakers players don't pass the ball to O'Neal, it will be more beneficial to the Suns. Anyway, they are single defense, focusing on other positions, forcing Payton, Kobe, and Malone into singles.

O'Neal was playing particularly depressed. Guo Xu told the Suns' defensive tactics before the game, but he still couldn't figure it out. He has been practicing free throws for many years but what should he do if he can't do it right? Occasionally he can be accurate a few times, and most of the time his hit rate is around 50%.

The Suns are highly mobile, and the small inside man who can make a mid-range shot is out of position against O'Neal, and he also struggles on the defensive end.

Guo Xu scored 9 points and 5 assists in a single quarter. His touch was not as violent as in the previous game, but no matter who he faced, he was small and powerful, and he had a speed advantage. Payton is not quick enough to pursue the pick-and-roll. If Fisher and Guo Xu can directly play in isolation, the Lakers' offensive organization will also deteriorate.

Stoudemire, who has mastered the mid-range shot, will no longer be easily guarded by O'Neal. He scored 8 points in a single quarter, 6 of which were high jumpers.

O'Neal made 2 of 3 shots and 5 of 12 free throws. He scored a team-high 9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. However, he was blocked. His free throw shooting rate was lower than his shooting rate in sports games, and the team's overall offense became fragmented. .

Payton had 7 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, but his performance was not as good as Guo Xu.

Kobe made 1 of 3 shots, 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 4 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist. After three quarters, he had yet to score in double figures.

The Suns' three swingmen battled, and they bothered Kobe at all costs. Even rookie Howard did a good job. His physical fitness was not much worse than Kobe's, and his wingspan was still dominant. He was born as a calf and is not afraid of tigers.

Kobe can get one-on-one opportunities in the mid-to-long range. Once he gets the ball in the low post, the Suns' formation begins to shrink, forming a double-team. He has no teammates who are good at shooting three-pointers, and he cannot guarantee his hit rate with his strong shots.

The Suns shot 31 to 23 in a single quarter, leading by 10 points entering the final quarter.

During the break, Zhang Lili said: Some netizens left a message asking who is better, Guo Xu or Kobe. I think there is no suspense about this. It must be Guo Xu. Last season he won assists and the regular season MVP.

Kobe was only selected for the best second team. Kobe never took advantage of the competition between the two teams. Last season, he only averaged more points per game than Guo Xu, with a much lower shooting percentage and longer playing time.

Xu Jicheng said: The difference between the two sides is not big, but it is difficult for the Lakers to catch up. Malone is obviously out of energy.

Zen Master Jackson also saw the fatigue of the veterans, but in the final quarter he still paired Malone and Grant on the inside, and George, Fisher, and Kobe on the outside.

It's not surprising that Malone played 40 minutes when the Lakers were playing tough games.

It's hard to find a person more unlucky than Malone in NBA history. He worked silently for the Jazz for many years without winning a championship. In the last years of his career, he thought about the Lakers holding on to his legs, so he had to do more defensive work. The worst thing about his previous life was that he worked hard to the end with a veteran's minimum salary and still failed to win the championship. It would be better to play for the Jazz for the rest of his life and retire, at least leaving the reputation of two veterans and one city.

There is indeed no one to replace the Lakers at the 4th position. Medvedenko, who has poor defense, and rookie Brian Cook are on the court. Facing the Suns' pick-and-roll, it is almost like surrendering in nature. Last season, the Lakers also had Mark Madsen, who was good at defense, and now he has joined the Timberwolves.

Whether Madsen or the future Beverley, there are some mad dogs that people will only know how to cherish if they lose them.

The Suns deployed twin towers inside. On the defensive end, they could guard the two veterans. On the offensive end, Stoudemire and Nene were pulled out to cover their teammates. Malone could only guard one side. Veteran Grant could no longer keep up with the rhythm of pick-and-roll defense, regardless of the defender. He struggled to defend against breakthroughs or inside cuts.

O'Neal sat on the sidelines and watched the game with dull eyes, feeling as if his five-flavor bottle had been knocked over. Now he could fully understand why Guo Xu became so prosperous as soon as he entered the league.

Because Guo Xu has a unique vision and is good at analyzing the team's lineup and tactical system. Before the game starts, he knows what the team's chances of winning are and how to best use its strength. How could such a person choose the wrong team? His team can't be weak either.

After playing 7 minutes, Joe Johnson made 3 of 6 shots, 2 of 2 three-pointers, and scored 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals; Guo Xu made 3 of 4 shots, 2 of 2 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 10 points. With 2 assists, the two of them locked up the victory.

It didn't help that O'Neal returned to the court after a three-and-a-half-minute break. The Lakers couldn't guard against outside shots.

In fact, if they want to strengthen their defense on the pick-and-roll, the Lakers have a way, and that is to let George play as a power forward. Guo Xu used this tactic with the Lakers when he was there. George is very fast and can be a weakened version of Kenyon Martin at the 4th position.

The shortcomings are also obvious. George's size provides cover for his teammates, making it easy for opponents to get around him. The defender is not fast enough to quickly pass the opponent's inside line or attract the inside line to follow the defense, so the pick-and-roll cooperation is of little significance. Whether George is guarding Stoudemire or Nene, his height is at a disadvantage.

Because Fox is seriously injured and absent, Zen Master Jackson still needs George to play small forward, otherwise he will have to use Rush or second-round pick Luke Walton. At critical moments, Jackson cannot trust those two people.

In the final quarter, George made 0 of 2 shots and Grant made 0 of 1 shots. Kobe was eager to chase points and shot despite being double-teamed. He made 1 of 4 shots and 4 of 6 free throws. He scored 6 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

The difference between the two sides widened to more than 20 points. D'Antoni replaced Guo Xu in advance and began to train the new players.

Under the constant suggestions of assistant coach Larry Drew, D'Antoni will give the newcomers a chance to perform in every game, especially Howard and Blake. These two rookies are immediate combatants and the team will also need them to perform in the playoffs. James Jones wants to show off and wait. He can't even make the 12-man roster. If he wants to play games and train, he can only go to the Development League.

O'Neal and Kobe played for a while, and Fisher hit a three-pointer from the outside. Unfortunately, the Lakers were too far behind to catch up. They were also replaced 3 minutes before the end.

The final score was 113 to 99, and the Suns won their third consecutive home game.

Guo Xu played 38 minutes, making 11 of 24 shots, 5 of 11 three-pointers, and 5 of 5 free throws. He scored 32 points, 2 rebounds, 16 assists, and 1 steal.

Five players from the Suns scored in double figures, Joe Johnson had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, Marion had 15 points and 11 rebounds, Stoudemire had 18 points and 6 rebounds, and Bell also scored 10 points.

Six members of the Lakers team scored in double figures. O'Neal had 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. Payton had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 9 assists. Malone had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists.

Kobe was abnormal, making 4 of 15 shots, 0 of 2 three-pointers, 7 of 10 free throws, and scored 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. O'Neal can't attract double teams, and it will be much more difficult for Kobe to perform on the outside.

At this time, Jazz veteran forward Brian Russell, who had not scored a point for 10 minutes, felt something was wrong. He hugged his thigh as if he had chosen the wrong team. The Lakers played so hard in this game, and the two teams in the playoffs If they meet, can the Lakers win?