Chapter 71 Basketball Contradiction (Ten Thousand Words Chapter)

Ever since Kobe Bryant was shown off by Li You in the Rookie Challenge, he has been practicing harder when he returned to the team. He is still a little worried about not winning the MVP of the Rookie Challenge.

Although he won the slam dunk title, Silver Fox Harris still didn't buy it. After the All-Star weekend, he didn't give Kobe much playing time.

In contrast, after O'Neal was injured, Li You's good friend Travis Knight got some opportunities.

The game against the Knicks entered the second half of the second quarter, and Van Exel calmed down and regained the rhythm of the game.

There is no need for a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc. Holding the ball in his left hand, he suddenly lowers his center of gravity and swings to the left. Van Exel takes advantage of the situation and completes the change of direction in front of his body.

Noticing Li You's sliding step, he switched to his right hand and immediately pulled the ball backwards, pretended to turn around, and then suddenly twisted forward. Van Exel lowered his center of gravity again, stopped and started suddenly, accelerated with all his strength, and instantly broke through Li You's defense.

.

Charles Oakley and Patrick Ewing both began to retreat, and with Li You sliding into the paint, it instantly became a three-man encirclement.

Taking advantage of the trend, Van Exel observed the position of his teammates in the air, and finally passed the ball through the gap.

Center Sean Lukes, who came on the bench, caught the ball at the lower left side of the basket. Just as he was about to lay the ball down, he was pulled down by Oakley, who turned back to defend.

"squeak!"

The hitter fouled and the referee pointed to the free throw line. Oakley didn't care. This was his second foul.

"Shhh!!"

Van Exel's beautiful pass finally turned into a free throw. Lakers fans who like to watch performances were very dissatisfied. The Great Western Forum Arena was booed for a while.

"Nick's passing is great, but the boys have a hard time finishing at the basket!"

"This is not our game rhythm, I miss the big guy a little bit!"

In the Lakers commentary booth, Chick Hearn's voice revealed a depressed mood. The Knicks' inside defense was too fierce, and the new twin towers were frequently defeated.

With 1 minute and 23 seconds left in the second quarter, 46:37, the Lakers' offense was still stretched.

Li You, who was standing outside the three-point line, gave Oakley a thumbs up. It was difficult for him to limit Van Exel's breakthrough.

Although the opponent scored 1 of 5 in the first quarter, he still had to guard against outside shots when defending.

Sean Lukes made two free throws. Before the end of the first half, the Lakers scored 39 points.

Seeing that the first half of the game was about to end, Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines signaled to be steady, and Li You made a tactical gesture, indicating to attack in the low post first.

Travis Knight was responsible for guarding Ewing. Facing the newbie, Gorilla didn't bother to do a cross screen and directly blocked the position in the low post on the left side.

Knight worked hard to defend, but was still stuck behind him. Li You, who came to the left wing outside the three-point line, did not make any unnecessary moves and quickly threw the ball to Ewing.

After catching the ball, he released the ball with his right hand. He hit it and immediately turned toward the baseline. Ewing stuck Knight behind him. Just as he was about to complete the layup, he found that Sean Luke had also shrunk his defense.

In the moment of hesitation, Ewing failed to release the ball in time and was almost double-teamed by the opponent. Finally, he turned and passed the ball back to Oakley, who came to the free throw line to respond.

This is not the first time this situation has occurred. Everyone in the Knicks team has been prepared for it. Li You from the left wing quickly cuts in at a 45-degree angle without the ball.

Taking advantage of Li You to attract the defensive attention, he ran towards the right corner. Alan Houston at the top of the arc quickly stepped forward and pretended to hand over the ball.

Eddie Jones hurriedly defended and did not give him a chance to catch the ball. Oakley raised the ball and finally swung the ball to the right wing beyond the three-point line.

When Larry Johnson received the ball, Ewing also came to the low post on the right side. "Aunt" did not choose to lob the ball, but returned the ball to Li You in the right corner.

After completing the pass, he immediately moved and "Auntie" went over to cover Li You.

The Knicks ball spun in a circle and was still on the outside. The fans at the scene followed suit and booed. After receiving the ball, Li You first feinted with the ball, then released the ball with his left hand, using the cover of "Auntie" to quickly move to the left flank.

move.

Leaving the baseline position, Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly quickly in and out on the left wing, swaying right and left, suddenly accelerating, and went straight inside.

Van Exel on his side did not lose his defensive position, but the Lakers' defense began to shrink again.

After Li You rushed up against the defense in three strides, he was also surrounded by three people in the paint area.

Observing the position of his teammates in the air, Li You grabbed the ball with his left hand, faked a real pass, and passed the ball to Ewing in the lower right corner of the basket. The latter caught the ball and directly made a one-arm dunk!

"Boom!!" Dunk from the basket!

"Shhh!!"

It was almost the same offensive choice, but the difference was that Li You's pass was converted into a dunk.

"It's this kind of offense again, our boys are always cheated! Li gave a beautiful assist."

Seeing the point difference widening again, Chick Hearn lost all emotion in the commentary box. This score of nearly 24 seconds completely destroyed the Lakers' rhythm.

At 48:39, the score difference returned to 9 points.

It was not Ewing's intention to take advantage of the situation easily. After all, he was facing a new player tonight.

In Li You's view, the opponent's inside line will always over-defend, and there is no need to stick to the low post. As long as he can break through to the paint area, it is the simplest and most efficient way to take advantage of the inside line.

However, both of them were aiming to score. The gorilla who completed the dunk roared angrily and then high-fived Li You in celebration.

In the last two rounds, Van Exel drove to the basket and stepped to the free throw line again.

Looking back, Li You hit the ground pass and found "Auntie" who ran back along the baseline and cut in. Knight also sent Larry Johnson to the free throw line.

Both men made one of two free throws, making the score in the first half fixed at 49:40.

Only scoring 40 points at halftime, the Lakers gave the Los Angeles fans a lot of fun.

When buying tickets to watch the game, most of them like to watch the flashy offense. Van Exel and Li You have relatively flashy playing styles. The fans did not expect that the two played against each other and eventually turned into mutual hostility.

One relied on his speed and went straight, while the other used the threat of projection and swayed around at a slow pace.

"Shhh!!"

As the Knicks walked towards the tunnel, the Los Angeles fans, who felt stuttered, booed loudly again.

Everyone on the Lakers team was not in a good mood as they walked to the locker room. Kobe Bryant just wanted to know why he couldn't play.

Van Exel made 3 of 8 in the half, 1 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, 1 of 2 free throws, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 turnover.

This data is not pretty, and the perception on the court does not have much advantage, giving people the illusion that "I can do it even if I play."

Li You is different from Kobe. He is already an "All-Star" player. When he returned to the locker room, he showed a serious look and put forward his own opinions:

"We have to play more relaxedly, as we have back-to-back away games later."

"Think about the schedule in March, then return to home after a day's rest, and then two more games."

"We have to keep our lead. Two wins is really not much."

The Heat also lost a game. According to this trend, the competition between the two sides will continue until April.

The Bulls will definitely not be able to catch up. These old guys are very stable, but if they lose the division championship again, it will not look good on anyone.

Everyone agrees with what Li You said. The atmosphere team naturally wants more playing time. Jeff Van Gundy's recent insistence on the main team has shrunk the data of everyone on the bench.

"Unless it's a big open spot, don't consider letting me attack. I haven't recovered from the Sonics game yet."

"George Karl devised a strategy that looks like shit!"

Charles Oakley was the first to speak out. He doesn't care about winning. In his opinion, as long as Ewing still enjoys the privilege of being the boss and his data does not shrink, it is fine.

Ewing made 4 of 9 in the half, 3 of 4 free throws, and scored 11 points. The gorilla held a water bottle in his seat and drank a lot, and finally compromised:

"You can try the middle distance first, I've almost found the feel!"

As a traditional center with comprehensive skills, Ewing can do everything from pick-and-roll to support. In many cases, it is just a matter of willingness.

The atmosphere team also came up with ideas. In these two games, the defense on the line was difficult, and it was difficult for Gary Payton and Van Exel to be restricted:

"How about letting him shoot three-pointers? When he gets to the inside, knock him down, throw him down a few times, and make sure he has no touch at all!"

"When he goes for a layup, give him two hits, foul him early, and don't let him pass the ball!"

"."

Although these are bad ideas, Li You is in a good mood. If he can compromise once, he will definitely have a second time!

Jeff Van Gundy always leaves some time for the players to communicate. After entering the locker room, he did not talk about how to adjust, but repeatedly emphasized:

"Protect our backcourt rebounds. There are two 2.10-meter big men on the opposite side. Don't give the opponent a second chance to attack."

"."

At the beginning of the second half of the game, the Lakers took the lead in attacking. Perhaps they were fed up at halftime, and the cheers from the scene were gone.

In the first round, Van Exel gave the ball to center Campbell at the free throw line after halftime.

When the hand was not feeling good, coach Harris would not let the small guard shoot randomly and chose to start from the inside.

Knight first pretended to be in the low post with his back up, then suddenly turned around and cut into the basket without the ball. Campbell at the free throw line immediately sent a pass.

An excellent dunk opportunity, but the quality of the pass was not high. Knight was forced to adjust after receiving the ball. When he tried to get up to the basket, he was directly pressed down by Ewing!

"oh!!"

After a block with great visual impact, the fans exclaimed and took control of the ball. Ewing immediately gave the ball to Li You.

Van Exel no longer chose to lead the defense, but quickly retreated with his teammates.

Unlike Van Gundy who often requires defenders to lead the defense, most teams will not choose such a defensive strategy.
To be continued...