Legend of Tomorrow

Woodson lamented: Jason Guo showed no mercy at critical moments. He didn't behave like a rookie.

Horvath said: He will face a huge test on the defensive end. Stockton and Malone are playing pick-and-roll again.

Guo Xu tried his best to chase Stockton and handed Malone to his teammates. Stockton scored, Malone singled out Fox, turned and hit a mid-range shot, 93 to 91.

The two Jazz veterans performed very well in this game, not inferior to the Lakers' stars in their prime, and they kept the score tight.

Zen Master Jackson requested a timeout and emphasized tactics but no substitutions. In fact, it may be better to let Madsen, who has not played for a minute, come on to defend Malone, but Jackson does not trust the two new insiders and is afraid that they will make mistakes. Madsen and Medvedenko's main tasks are to guard the water fountains and work part-time as cheerleaders.

The offensive tactics arranged by Jackson were very simple. Give the ball to Kobe for a one-on-one challenge. It's risky to challenge O'Neal to a one-on-one at the last moment. If he misses two free throws if he gets fouled, it will be too demoralizing.

The Jazz made a substitution, and the powerful Lewis came on to replace Manning.

This is a smart adjustment. On the defensive end, they are prepared to wait for O'Neal to foul as soon as he catches the ball and send him free throws. On the offensive end, they use small ball tactics and pull out to avoid O'Neal's shooting.

When the Lakers attacked, Kobe took a step inside the three-point line on the right side to challenge Starks, then took a step forward and faced him for a pull-up jumper.

The rebound was grabbed by Lewis and passed to Stockton. Guo Xu pressed forward to block his breakthrough route and prevent the fast break. Stockton split to Starks on the left.

Starks is a combo guard with good dribbling skills. Under Kobe's pressure, he moved to the frontcourt and passed to Lewis who was following up on the right. Since the Jazz did not play center, the position of the Lakers players on the court was a bit chaotic. Lewis was empty. Only O'Neal, who was retreating to the basket, was closer to him.

This was a misplacement. Lewis saw that O'Neal was a little far away from the side. After receiving the ball, he took three steps and rushed up. He jumped up with all his strength and wanted to dunk. He felt that as long as the ball was scored, he would be popular.

In Guo Xu's previous life, even O'Neal, who was approaching retirement, could not tolerate his opponent's dunk like this. This is how Pistons guard Stucky died. O'Neal didn't get stuck. He rushed over from the side and slapped Lewis to the ground.

The referee's whistle sounded. O'Neal was heading for the ball but the thug was ahead. He also graduated with six fouls.

Horvath said: The Lakers are in a bad situation. They did a poor job in controlling fouls today. O'Neal shouldn't be impulsive. Once he gets inside, the Lakers will be completely at a disadvantage.

Woodson said with a smile: If O'Neal is asked to choose again, I think he will still do it. He will not allow the newcomers to be arrogant in front of him.

Lewis fell to the ground and was fine. He went to the free throw line and made two free throws. The two sides tied at 93, and Jackson requested a timeout again.

Both the fans watching the live TV broadcast and the fans at the scene were sweating for the Lakers. The two top starters inside were sent off. It was difficult for the Lakers to defend their opponents. Now they can only attack.

Jackson didn't use a tactical board and directly talked about tactics. Next, the players pulled away. Jason held the ball and singled out Stockton. If he attracted a double team, he passed the ball. On the defensive end, he focused on guarding against outside shots. If Malone caught the ball near the penalty area, he fouled him hard and sent him away. penalty.

Kobe's face looked a little ugly. Knowing that the coach was dissatisfied with his performance, he gave the ball to Guo Xu at the critical moment.

In the second half, Kobe was in poor condition. He was more likely to score than to score. He was 4 of 10 in the previous quarter and 1 of 5 in this quarter. Jackson knew he couldn't let him continue shooting like this. He scored 31 points, including 12 of 13 free throws.

Jackson knew that Stockton was out of energy, and he also knew that Guo Xu would definitely dare to shoot the key ball.

Guo Xu was indeed beaming with joy after hearing this. There was a clear curvature at the corner of his mouth and his eyebrows were also curved, but he did not laugh out loud, which attracted the side glances of his teammates.

Guo Xu firmly believes that it will be easier for him to challenge Stockton than Kobe to challenge the forward defensive experts.

It is easier to help the team win, but his excited expression surprised his teammates.

Grant and Harper were players who entered the NBA in the 1980s, and they had never seen such a nervous rookie.

Kobe sighed to himself: This kid is too courageous. At this point in the game, isn't he afraid of missing the ball and taking responsibility for the defeat? Doesn't he know what nervousness is?

Kobe played for the Lakers for 4 years and made 9 key shots, 5 of which were free throws or forced overtime. He missed far more key shots in sports games than he made, including twice. Three no-sticks. Every time he plays at a critical moment, Kobe will be nervous. Guo Xu only looked excited, as if he had already scored the ball.

Because Guo Xu saw things very clearly and was not afraid of being criticized for missing the shot. He just felt that this was a good opportunity to make a name for himself. He is only the last pick, and it is only his rookie season. It is natural that he cannot make key shots. What is there to be afraid of?

The gimmick of a late pick can relieve him of pressure. It's normal if he doesn't play well, but if he plays well he's a dark horse. Pressure? nonexistent. It doesn't matter if the Lakers lose today. It's just a regular season game anyway, and it doesn't affect the outcome. The winner is the one who laughs at the end.

If you have no desire, you will be strong; if you have ambition, you will be strong.

When he first entered the league, Guo Xu put his personal position in the right place. He came to the Lakers to become famous. He is best if he can produce good statistics, and the statistics are generally acceptable. He never thought about becoming the boss when he first entered the league, because that was simply impossible. Even a rebuilt bad team will not let a 180CM Chinese rookie be the core player in his rookie season, unless the boss and head coach are crazy.

As long as the Lakers defend their title, he will be a hero and a champion puzzle piece. No one will be too full to say that he is dragging down the team. He knows that the Lakers have the ability to win the championship, so there is even less pressure.

Guo Xu is the only one in the league who has this mentality, and he is the boldest one.

On the Jazz side, Sloan could not have guessed that Jackson would give the rookie the ball at the last moment. He arranged to guard Kobe. O'Neal was sent off. The Lakers will definitely give the ball to Kobe to attack, keep an eye on him, and force him to take shots away from the basket. The wings will help defend at any time, giving him enough pressure and interference!

Players from both sides appeared, the five Lakers: Guo Xu, Brian Shaw, Kobe, Leder, and Fox.

Jazz five: Stockton, Starks, Russell, Lewis, Malone.

There were 28 seconds left before the end of the final quarter. Guo Xu protected the ball from the three-point line and waited for his teammates to pull away. All five of them could shoot, but there was no inside line.

Stockton's heart skipped a beat, and he had an ominous premonition. The opponent had taken a break and still had plenty of energy, but he was already tired.

At 20 seconds, Guo Xu dribbled the ball to the right and entered the three-point line. He used his speed to open up a position, stopped suddenly and took the ball in one fell swoop.

Stockton jumped up from the side, not seeking to block shots but only to interfere. He predicted that his opponent would shoot because Guo Xu had always been very determined in his shots. Unexpectedly, Guo Xu made a feint at the critical moment and was more patient than before. Then he jumped forward and bumped into Stockton to push the ball out.

The ball didn't go in, and the referee's whistle sounded. This was not a home whistle to give preferential treatment, but an obvious foul attempt!

Guo Xu knows how to play more efficiently. He has specially practiced the technique of drawing fouls, hoping to get more free throws in the game.

He made two steady free throws, 95-93, his 15th point.

The Lakers took the lead again, and the whole audience was excited.