NBA: This Center Is So Stable

The two sides have been fighting for a long time.

Chapter 311 Hand-to-hand combat

Of course it was a cover.

Wang Song never expected to rely on Kurt to defend O’Neal alone.

This matter sounds a bit unrealistic, and it is indeed the case.

For two players who are not of the same tonnage at all, let alone Kurt Thomas, who has been roaming around at the No. 4 position for many years, even Wang Song is not necessarily at an advantage against O’Neal in this round of the finals.

The Knicks coaching staff, including D’Antoni, actually have only one requirement for Kurt.

Try to wear down the Big Shark’s physical strength as much as possible, so that he will not be able to enter the decisive moment of the game so completely.

Of course, originally in D’Antoni and Wang Song’s plan, Kurt could rely on the “Hack the Shark” tactic to reduce O’Neal’s offensive efficiency.

But the current situation is that Kurt has four fouls and is about to be sent off with only two fouls left.

The game has not yet entered the final quarter, which is a result that the Knicks do not want to see.

Therefore, Wang Song’s reminder to dirty Kurt was also a temporary idea.

After negotiating with Kurt Thomas, Wang Song found Prince again.

The new king of the Knicks asked the little prince to pay attention to the inside defense in the next time, and foul O’Neal when necessary.

How bad the free throws of the big shark in this game are obvious to all!

In this era without corresponding rules, hacking the shark can be said to be a wise choice for most teams.

And the act of asking Prince to do this is also because Prince no longer needs to focus all his attention on Kobe.

So on this basis, using fouls to confront O’Neal and reduce the Lakers’ offensive efficiency is a good strategy.

It was a very harmonious arrangement. It can be said that Wang Song had already made a comprehensive calculation of the Lakers in his mind.

He had anticipated this scene early on and made a corresponding response plan.

There were indeed some disagreements between OK and OK, but they could also put such disagreements behind them in front of the championship.

The gap between the two was just the seasoning for the Knicks to win!

If they really want to win the trophy, they have to rely on the hard power of the Knicks team.

In the second half of the third quarter, this G6 battle was carried out in such an absurd atmosphere.

O’Neal was constantly sent to the free throw line, or pushed hard to the basket to score two points, entering the rhythm that belonged to him in this game.

It’s just that the inefficient offense made the Lakers’ game rhythm jerky!

The participation of other Lakers players in this game inevitably became lower, because on the offensive end they only needed to give the ball to O’Neal.

They wanted this old-time Shark to lead their veteran All-Star team to fly again, but it was under such circumstances that the old Shark’s performance at the free throw line became increasingly unsatisfactory.

As the third quarter was about to come to an end, O’Neal had already taken to the free throw line for the fifth time in a single quarter.

The Knicks requested a substitution.

Kurt Thomas, who had 5 fouls, was replaced by substitute center Nazr Mohammed.

Although the game was dirty, Kurt had been constantly controlling his movements, but his professional habits were there and could not be changed in a short time.

Especially when he saw O’Neal constantly sitting in the inside line in the same bulldozer way, Kurt had a nameless anger in his heart, always holding his breath to fight this legendary center head-on.

Of course, Kurt did not get any benefits from O’Neal, after all, the size and playing style of the two were different.

But similarly, O’Neal did not easily complete the chopping of melons and vegetables from Kurt.

The entire Lakers’ offensive focus in this quarter was on him, except for barely maintaining the team’s offense.

O’Neal no longer had the extra energy to make other contributions to the Lakers.

Kobe originally wanted to share some pressure with the old Lakers legendary center, and he tried to carry the banner on the offensive end.

But within three rounds, he found out… he was locked!

Whether with the ball or without the ball, Kobe, who had been watching the show on the sidelines, was under no less pressure than O’Neal.

Because the Asian kid who followed him closely had a flexibility that did not match his height.

Kobe dared to guarantee that this might be one of the best defenders he had encountered in his career to defend him alone.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Asian kid would be the best center in history to defend him.

The opponent did not feel any pressure at all because of the two people on the court.

Instead, it gave Kobe a feeling that it was because of their familiarity that Wang Song would put 120% of his pressure on him.

Under this pressure, Kobe contributed 3 iron shots and once stood on the free throw line and made 1 of 2 free throws. He gave up the idea of ​​sharing the pressure with O’Neal.

This also led to the Knicks’ stable output in such an intense game, which was remarkable.

Until the end of the third quarter, the Knicks entered the final battle with a 5-point lead.

In the stands.

Lakers fans frowned.

The Los Angeles people who had cheered for Kobe’s offensive climax at the beginning of the second half shut their mouths.

And the small group of Knicks fans started their own carnival on the road.

For Lakers fans, the good news is that there is still one quarter left in the game.

The bad news is the same as the good news.

This final game will determine the final result of the Lakers this year, whether they will lose in the playoffs after a fierce battle of 20+ points, or they will win the seventh game and create the Lakers dynasty with four championships in five years.

Regardless of the outcome, the Lakers will undergo a huge change in the next season.

But for Los Angeles fans, they still prefer to see the home team end with a good ending.

At least this can be regarded as an explanation for their OK Dynasty youth.

The front row of the Lakers audience.

The expressions of the three Lakers legends are not much better than those of the fans.

However, in comparison, the LOGO man who broke up with the Lakers two years ago and is now the basketball director of the Grizzlies has a slightly relieved expression: “Kareem, do you think the Lakers can withstand the pressure of this game?”

“Or do you believe these two little guys on the court now~”

Jerry West looked at Skyhook with curiosity, because compared with James Worthy and himself, Skyhook, the legendary center of the Lakers, may have a different understanding of modern basketball. After all, he is a six-time champion.

“Well, to put it bluntly, this game is a confrontation between centers. Kobe Bryant, this little guy, is at most icing on the cake for the Lakers.”

“The real winner of the game, or even the winner, is the duel between the Asian boy and Shaq.”

James Worthy nodded frequently:

“I agree with Mr. Kareem’s comments. This game has entered the stage of hand-to-hand combat and is destined to become the main battlefield for inside players.”

(End of this chapter)