"The Uncrowned King? Stage 2:

Goal 1: Zhang Hao's team will get the advantage of winning or losing when they meet the Jazz in the regular season.

Reward: If the victory or defeat in the match is 3 wins and 1 loss, the host will receive a 60-day lifespan; Advanced reward: If the victory or defeat in the match is 4 wins and 0 losses, the host will receive a special card: an opportunity to master the basic skills of CITIC.

Opportunity for mastering basic skills in CNB (*): For signing players with top-level (90-94) and have reached the talent ceiling, the player can have the opportunity to break through to the top-level (95).

After completing Target 1, you can open Target 2. The second stage of the complete reward is the designated medal: Karl-Marlong's Elbow Golden Level Up Card, and the final mission of the Uncrowned King is activated."

Looking at the newly triggered task, Zhang Hao moved his arm involuntarily...

Finally came this mission!

This is the task he wants to trigger the Jazz’s most!

Now, the explosive power of his arm and the elbow lifting can break through his own limits and reach the top-level and highest-level 94 power evaluation effect, but this effect is not the strongest. His own strength has also reached 92, which is also very strong. He has basically reached the limit without gaining weight. Perhaps he will not gain weight. As he gets older, he will also make some progress. But to really improve his strength clearly, he still has to rely on weight gain. This is the middle and late stages of his career. Now he is in his early 20s.

The strongest bonus of "Marlong's Elbow" is that it can reach 127 kg at the peak of Karl Marlong's weight!

At present, the power of his 94-arm strength evaluation + 127 kg weight is still far from the power of Malone's 100-arm strength + 123 kg weight.

However, looking at this task, you will know that it is not that easy to complete in the regular season, you can get a 60-day lifespan with 3-1. From the task, you can see that this game is not easy!

Of course, it is not easy to see without a task.

Stockton's physical strength has only slightly decreased, and his playing time has been reduced mainly when playing against weak teams.

Malone is even a little better than last season. Hornersek is basically no different from last season. Howard Eisley, Brian Russell, Shanton Anderson, Ostertag, Greg Foster and other young players can all be seen...

Last season, the Lakers played 1-3 against the Jazz, and 4-2 in the playoffs, basically 55.

The Lakers' start of the season is better than last season, but at most it is similar to the All-Stars after the weekend, which means they enter the state early. How is the comparison with last year's playoff stage?

It’s hard to say, they still had Buckley last year!

but……

Zhang Hao really wanted to win that "an opportunity to master basic skills in China Investment Corporation"!

He has maintained his mid-range shot level of 92 for a long time and has been practicing. Although he is more skilled in mid-range shots, his shooting speed has also improved a little in hard practice. It is easier for more skilled mid-range shots to integrate into technical movements... But the accuracy of mid-range shots itself has basically not improved any further.

It is this part that reaches the ceiling of talent!

The talent ceiling of 92's China Investment Corporation is very high, but he still wants to improve.

"If you care about him, you must first win this game, and then talk about what happened later..."

...

The Lakers sent a combination of Kenny Anderson, Doug Christie, Rick Fox, Zhang Hao and O'Neal.

The Jazz sent Stockton, Hornersek, Brian Russell, Malone and Ostertag.

Malone directly guarded the free throw line, completely ignoring how sad Ostatag was.

Malone was surprised at the Lakers' start, but it was not afraid, which was very good. But his judgment was the same as Zhang Hao. The Lakers only found their state at the start faster than other teams + their own lineup was strong, and they only started to win 9 consecutive games. To be stronger than last year's playoffs... At least it is unlikely that the Lakers are at this stage. If Barkley doesn't retire, it is certain, but isn't Barkley retired? At present, the Lakers are just a team with a strong 8-man rotation stage.

Malone has the right to think so because the Jazz found their form as quickly as they started, except for losing to the Pacers once, they won all the other games at the beginning.

At 7 o'clock in the evening, the referee blew the whistle at the beginning of the game and threw the ball into the air. Ostag did not disappoint Malone and jumped backwards. He was ready to retreat from the beginning. O'Neal easily won the jump ball, and the Lakers attacked first.

O'Neal, David Robinson, and the two of them jumped, centers like Ostertag were desperate.

The Lakers started the fast break. Kenny Anderson passed the ball and ran to the frontcourt. He took a step in the top arc and received a return pass from Rick Fox from close range at the baseline, making a two-pointer shot...

Patience, looking for better opportunities, passing the ball stably... Jazz players clearly felt the improvement of the Lakers' lineup.

When the Jazz attacked, the Jazz pushed the offensive rhythm very slowly.

After Stockton advanced to the frontcourt, he picked and rolled with Malone, forcing Zhang Hao and Doug Christie to replace defense. Malone pressed Doug Christie to the left side of the three-second zone, received a pass from Stockton and turned around in the middle...

Hit!

In this move, O'Neal could only try his best to reach out and interfere with it. If he chose to jump, Malone could turn around.

Malone's shooting is a bit different from others. Others turn to the middle and basically shoot or turn over the defender's layup. Those who are good at using retreat steps like Anthony Hardaway and Jordan will also use retreat steps; turning to the bottom line is mainly done by hooking or backhand layups that slip off the bottom line. Malone can do this, but most of the time he operates completely the opposite, and with solid back-legged footwork and good physical fitness, he can switch seamlessly.

Malone was the main attacker at the basket from the beginning, proving the Jazz's importance to the strength of the Lakers' lineup in this game, and trying to stabilize every goal.

Offensive and defensive conversion, Lakers attack.

Kenny Anderson pushed the ball to O'Neal after pushing into the frontcourt.

O'Neal was also very troubled to play O'Neal, but he showed his progress this summer, knocking one step, closing the force, turning around, and resisting O'Neal's hook in one step in the left side line of the three-second zone...

Hit!

Very beautiful low-position back turns around and hooks, the flexibility and strength are combined just right... It's a bit laborious.

When the Jazz attacked, Stockton continued to play pick-and-roll with Malone.

Malone cut to the basket again, O'Neal expanded ahead of time, and posted it when Malone received the ball.

Malone is experienced and has no trouble. She threw the ball behind O'Neal, averaging 4.1 assists per game and only had 2.4 turnovers. Her solid passing skills are fully demonstrated.

Ostertag directly tiptoed to buckle when he received the ball... Zhang Hao, who was rushed in, suffocated him!

O'Neal grabbed the ball!

Ostertag also reacted quickly and immediately hugged O'Neal, made a tactical foul, and stopped the Lakers from counterattacking.

I have a little regret, but I have to defend myself!

This ball was ordered by O'Neal to defend Zhang Hao like this when he was retreating. Zhang Hao did not hesitate. He listened to O'Neal and immediately collected it when Stockton passed the ball to Malone who cut in. Doug Christie also followed O'Neal's instructions to move to the pass-and-receive line between Stockton and Malone, completing a very beautiful 3-defense and 3-defense.

O'Neal's strong frame protection is not only because of his good physical fitness, but also because of his good brain. The Lakers' average net win score of nearly 20 points in the first nine games of the first game was O'Neal's defensive leadership.

But most of the time he was too lazy to do so much. Last year, Jeromy Colsey and Byron Scott were once again as veteran leaders on the inside and outside lines. It was not necessary, but this year it was necessary, and he was very serious, so he did it.

The Lakers fell into the positional battle, but Ostag was defending O'Neal alone.

218 cm tall, 229 cm wingspan, 127 kg weight, and excellent frame protection awareness. In the era when there is no defense for three seconds, it is to limit O'Neal's best player!

When using Ostertag to defend other centers, not to mention David Robinson, Olajuwon, Divac, Mooning, Sabonis... Even if it is a center like Bryant Levitra who has a good shooting at close range, Ostertag is just an ordinary meat shield, and it can only play a role with Malone's first-defense defensive ability.

But defense of O'Neal is easy to use, and single defense can limit it.

There are not many center forwards in the league like Ostertag, and the Jazz, the Lakers' biggest opponent in the West, is.

In this situation, O'Neal chose to deal with it toughly, and O'Neal continued to catch the ball and play Osttarger alone.

Ostertag this time stuck O'Neal's angle of turning the baseline. Other centers can open up space in the middle and shoot at close range. O'Neal doesn't have that attack range. He turned around and was at the edge of the reasonable collision zone and did not leave Ostertag's defense range. However, O'Neal forced a jump under the defense, lifted the ball, and slammed it from top to bottom to the basket... Hit!

On the edge of the reasonable collision zone, if you change the center and get stuck by Ostag, it will be difficult to take off, that is, O'Neal.

6-2! The Lakers took a 4-point lead!

When the Jazz attacked, Malone had no choice but to choose to do it himself. After pick-and-roll, he did not cut into the inside, but pulled to the middle distance on the left. When he received Stockton's pass, Rick Fox from the left bottom line defended Brian Russell had already been attacked.

Malone is not afraid of fierce confrontation. He doesn't even need to use explosive power. He can withstand it by pure static confrontation, but defenders like Rick Fox, who are defensive and skillful, will be very disturbed by him.

Fortunately, Malone took the ball and turned around and jumped backwards on the basket, and fell into the frame.

4-6, the Jazz kept the score and created a 5-point lead without giving the Lakers the opportunity to start the game.

Malone made a lucky goal in this goal. The Lakers didn't care about Brian Russell's impact on the basket. O'Neal and Osttarger could both make half of the three-second zone. Brian Russell was excellent in three-pointers. Last season, he averaged 1.2 three-pointers per game with a 40.3% three-pointer shooting percentage last season, and he also had a 39.1% three-pointer shooting percentage, averaging 0.9 three-pointers per game. However, when Rick Fox hit the ball, he defended the defense of the bottom corner pass and the receiving line. Brian Russell did not make a mid-range shot, and the open three-pointer at a fixed distance from the sidelines was OK.

Brian Russell has no way to go to the other side's baseline to find opportunities to catch and shoot and hit the basket, so that O'Neal can directly expand to defend Malone, Zhang Hao can retract to the basket, Doug Christie can retract to defend Stockton, O'Neal can follow closely, Zhang Hao's frame protection and O'Neal are quite strong...

When retreating to defend, the Jazz had already made adjustments to the offense in the next round, and were also prepared to respond to the defensive end.

When the Lakers attacked, O'Neal continued to lean on Ostertag inside, Kenny Anderson hung the ball to O'Neal, and led Stockton to pull it away to the right sideline, Rick Fox moved to the top arc with Brian Russell.

O'Neal will be very tired when playing like this. If you play five or six times at the beginning, it will have a huge impact on the back. You will fall into the situation of playing against the Bulls. The more you go to the back, the less powerful the singles. The Jazz have the same configuration as the Bulls' defense. Ostag is tired when he is tired, and Ma Long can withstand the second wave.

Of course, O'Neal's threat is still there, but if the threat of his singles behind him is smaller, the Jazz's defense will be more beneficial.

The Jazz didn't expect the Lakers to play like this, but O'Neal played like this because he has the confidence!

When O'Neal played like this, the Jazz also knew what O'Neal's confidence was Zhang Hao!

Malone hit the ball as soon as O'Neal received the ball. O'Neal passed the ball to Zhang Hao on the right side of the three-second zone. Brian Russell closed from the top arc to block Zhang Hao who had received the ball, and Zhang Hao passed back to the top arc.

Rick Fox received the ball and passed it again. Kenny Anderson, who was close to the right angle of the right side of the top arc, received the ball and made a three-pointer...

Hit!

Kenny Anderson's move was very good, and he took the initiative to move towards the top arc, giving Stockton the opportunity to make up for the defense and shoot Rick Fox, who was shooting at the ball, and to create a chance for himself.

Rick Fox's three-pointer was good, but Kenny Anderson was the one with the most accurate three-pointer on the outside of the Lakers.

The Lakers scored this ball, and the Jazz had no choice. They could not watch O'Neal finish the chisel of Zhang Hao, nor could they watch Zhang Hao take the ball and shoot the touch. They could only choose to let the Lakers' relatively less powerful outside players take action and try their best to make up for it.

However, the Lakers' lineup's tacit understanding, selflessness, running execution, and control of details... is even better than what the Jazz expected!

But the Jazz didn't get confused because of this. Although they were stronger than they expected, compared with the Lakers' performance in the Western Conference Finals last season, the Lakers' defensive oppressiveness during the Western Conference Finals last season, with better defense and better offense.

The Jazz continued to play steadily. The reason why they adjusted their defensive end and chose to let the Lakers' relatively minor players shoot because they were also ready to play like this.

At the beginning of the game, the Jazz chose to let Malone attack mainly because they wanted to ensure stability. The Lakers lost George Lynch, and their defensive impact became weaker and they could not fight as soon as they came up. The rhythm of pinch and repair defense became better, but correspondingly, the confrontation and shooting consumption became smaller.

So after Ma Long's main attack for 3 rounds, the two evil spirits activated the team's offensive style.

The Lakers' offense, O'Neal received the ball, Zhang Hao transferred, Rick Fox supported him, and also launched a team attack.
To be continued...