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In the matchup with the Lakers, Wang Chong had already established a basic policy from the start, which was to use offense to determine the outcome. The Bulls would not have any defensive problems against the Lakers, who excelled in positional warfare.Offense and defense transitioned, and it was the Bulls' turn to attack.
Curry quickly advanced across half-court with the ball. The players on both sides were still getting settled. Wang Chong had already taken the lead and moved toward Curry.
As Kidd was separated, Curry directly opted to take a quick shot from beyond the three-point line.
Artest, who was defending Wang Chong on the other side, had no time to react. Curry's shot was almost completely open, except that his position was a bit far, nearly about a meter beyond the three-point line. However, this position in itself was not an issue for Curry.
"Ah!"
Curry, who was wide open, made the three-pointer effortlessly.
3:2.
The Bulls played the game at a very fast pace from the start. The offense never dragged on and basically finished within 15 seconds. Whenever there was an open shot, whether it was from Wang Chong, Curry, or Billups, the shot was taken decisively.
This style of play prevented the Lakers from fully utilizing their interior advantage. Gasol and Bynum were constantly running back and forth.
Gasol was a bit better. He was also a skilled power forward with agile feet and had good mobility in the paint.
But Bynum was having a tough time.
As a traditional heavy center, Bynum's weight was not small. After all, the Lakers had trained him based on the O'Neal model.
Bynum, who stood 2.13 meters tall and weighed nearly 130 kilograms, was even heavier than Gasol when he was at his heaviest, by more than 10 kilograms. The weight difference between Gasol and Bynum at this stage was approximately 15 kilograms.
After running back and forth for several plays, Bynum was already sweating, and his steps slowed down. In contrast, Gasol took advantage of the opportunity, cutting inside twice to receive a pass from his teammate and score successfully at the basket.
The Bulls' intense offense at the start made it difficult for the Lakers to keep up.
Realizing that the situation was not looking good, Lakers' head coach Phil Jackson immediately called a timeout. After the timeout, the Lakers substituted Bynum and brought in Odom. At the same time, Gasol shifted from the power forward position to center to play alongside his younger brother.
Although replacing Bynum reduced the Lakers' interior height, it improved the team's mobility. At least they wouldn't be as passive in facing the Bulls' fast-paced offensive and defensive transitions.
In fact, during the Lakers' two consecutive championships, Bynum's individual performance was always mediocre. His most important role was to serve as a wall to increase the Lakers' interior height, i.e., to reinforce the team's rim protection tool.
When the Lakers won their first championship in the 2008-09 season, Bynum averaged just 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 23 playoff games. During the Finals, it was Gasol who truly limited Howard's performance. In other words, it was the three high-level interior players of the Lakers working together.
In the 2009-10 season, Bynum's performance improved slightly but was still limited. In the playoffs, he averaged 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. In the Finals, facing the workhorse Perkins, he averaged 7.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. This shows the level of this "small shark" with great expectations for the Lakers.
The Lakers would really have to wait until Bynum showed a dominant performance in the paint, which would only come in the 2011-12 season, a year from now, when Bynum would average a double-double of 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game during the regular season and be selected as a starter for the Western Conference All-Stars.
Unfortunately, this was just a flash in the pan. After being traded to the 76ers the following season, Bynum plummeted in performance, and his peak period was rather short.
Wang Chong never considered Bynum a threat from the beginning, but when the three big men of the Lakers were on the court at the same time, the height pressure in the paint was indeed considerable.
Now that Bynum had been substituted, although the Lakers' speed had increased—which did not favor the Bulls' fast-paced small-ball style—it would certainly reduce the pressure on their team's paint defense.
Marc Gasol might not have much of an advantage against his brother Pau Gasol, and might even be suppressed by the opponent.
But when Wang Chong faced Odom, it was a complete explosion.
Of course, the confrontation between Wang Chong and Odom was limited to when the Lakers were attacking, with Wang Chong tasked with protecting against Odom.
When it was the Bulls' turn to attack, the Lakers would let Artest, who had the strongest defensive capability on the team, defend Wang Chong. Although Artest couldn't truly stop Wang Chong, at least he could reduce his efficiency and wear him down physically.
After the change in formation, the Lakers' situation began to stabilize. The Lakers continued to rely on Kobe Bryant, who had a good touch, as the core of the offense, while the Bulls continued focusing on pick-and-roll cooperation between Wang Chong and Curry.
Soon after the first quarter, the Bulls and Lakers battled it out with a score of 29:26 in the first quarter.
The Bulls relied on their intense early offense to gain a 3-point advantage.
Kobe hit 4 of 7 shots in this quarter, 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 10 points and 2 assists. His performance was undoubtedly efficient.
For the Bulls, Wang Chong and Curry hit 3 of 6 shots and both made three-pointers. Wang Chong scored 9 points, Curry scored 7 points, and they were full of firepower from the outside.
The first quarter of the game was hard to distinguish, and the fans in the arena couldn't help but sweat.
Obviously, this was a tough game. Both teams had their advantages and disadvantages. Who could win the final game depended on their performance on the court and adaptability during the game.
In other words, both sides had a chance to win this game.
While Lakers fans were excited about the result, they were also secretly surprised.
The strength of the Bulls was too terrifying. Even without a superstar like Kevin Garnett, who could suppress the Lakers' second man, Pau Gasol, they could still have a 50-50 battle with the Lakers.
I can't imagine what it would be like if Garnett were not injured right now and the Bulls had a full lineup. What team in this league could truly compete with the Bulls? ——The game continues.
As the game entered the second quarter, the Lakers' advantage in positional play began to show.
Although the Bulls' offense was sharp, it relied too much on outside shooting to score. It was fine when the shots were falling, but once the touch was off and the shots couldn't be made accurately, the team's offense would immediately come to a halt.
The Lakers didn't have this problem. Even if they didn't manage to make outside shots, they could still rely on their interior offense to keep scoring.
In the second quarter, the Lakers leaned on this. With Gasol's performance of 3 of 4 field goals and 4 of 4 free throws, scoring 10 points with exaggerated efficiency, not only did they overcome the 3-point deficit from the first quarter, but they also pulled ahead by 5 points. By the end of the first half, they had a 5-point lead.
This was the first time during these playoffs that the Bulls were trailing at halftime at home.
Fortunately, the point difference wasn't too large for the Bulls, who were highly explosive in scoring. Even if they were trailing by 5 points, or even if the point difference surpassed double digits, as long as their offense clicked, they could catch up in minutes.
The Bulls didn't leave their local fans worried for long.
After the break, the 5-point difference was erased in just 2 minutes of the third quarter, and the two teams were back to square one.
As a result, the two teams were tied in the third quarter and entered the final quarter with the same score of 89:89.
At that moment, the situation on the court seemed evenly split, but Lakers head coach Phil Jackson had already furrowed his brow because he was well aware of one issue: Wang Chong's offensive firepower in the first three quarters of the game hadn't been strong.
Aside from 9 points in the first quarter, Wang Chong didn't have a very serious performance in the following two quarters, scoring only 4 and 5 points respectively.
After three quarters, he had scored 18 points and shot 52% from the field.
These stats looked really good. A few more shots in the final quarter could easily push him over 20 points.
The problem was, this was Wang Chong! He had dominated the scoring title for five consecutive years and was recognized throughout the league as the strongest active scorer. When he didn't score 30 points in a game, it was considered news.
Not to mention anything else, for the Lakers, Kobe had already scored 28 points in the first three quarters, 10 points more than Wang Chong.
What Phil Jackson hadn't expected even more was that, during the second and third quarters of the Bulls' game, the main attacking point was actually the rookie Stephen Curry, who had scored 15 points in two quarters!
But there's really no way. The primary starter at the point guard position for the Lakers is Jason Kidd, and the replacement is veteran Fisher. Both are standard veterans with a wealth of playing experience, but they are too quick as a point guard.
When Curry was young, even though his speed was not as fast as the speed of the gunsmiths like Westbrook and Rose, who ran at lightning speed, his speed could definitely be considered as T1 level among the gunsmiths after playing against each other and testing him. After the situation with Fisher, he discovered Kidd's speed and the frequency of ball strides began to increase.
What the Lakers fear most now is a team with a small, flexible point guard.
In the future, whether it was the 10-11 season when the Lakers faced the Mavericks and were beaten by Terry, or the 11-12 season when the Lakers faced the Nuggets in the first round and were shredded by the The little-known Ty Lawson in the second round. Facing the Thunder and getting beat by Westbrook is the best test.
The Lakers' defense in the 2009-10 season may not be as bad as the next two years, and Curry may not be as good as Westbrook.
But it's still possible to lead the team to keep score.
What Phil Jackson fears most now is the last quarter. Wang Chong, who had been swimming in the first two quarters and still had plenty of energy, began to attack.
The third quarter had just ended and players from both teams had taken a break. Jackson had already eagerly picked up the tactical board and urgently assigned tasks to the players.
"The key to winning this game is to be able to limit Wang Chong's scoring! In the last quarter, no matter what method is used, Wang Chong must not be allowed to score consecutively. If necessary, double-team him. He did it. I don't even have a chance to touch the ball!
Wang Chong could hear Phil Jackson's arrangements, he would definitely sigh. He is worthy of leading the Bulls and Lakers to create dynasties and win 11 championships in his coaching career. Legendary coach who really deserves his reputation.
Wang Chong really planned to release all the pent-up energy in the last quarter and use a wave of explosive attacks to defeat the Lakers' defense.
Even if the Lakers knew beforehand, it would be impossible to restrict him.
Durant's poor ability to break double teams is due to his major physical problems.
Wang Chong's physical strength is already full and he has accumulated a lot of physical energy by rowing in the first three quarters. He is fully capable of fighting against his opponents. Even if there is a double team, he can break through it with strength. movement or other methods.
No matter what, he was determined to win this game!
The break passed quickly and players from both sides reappeared.
As soon as Wang Chong arrived at the front court and took his position, his eyebrows arched involuntarily.
In front of him was Artest, who never gave up and kept teasing him like candy.
Not far away, Kobe Bryant was like a black mamba, ogling him, ready to pounce at any moment.
Wang Chong has no doubt that once he comes into contact with the basketball, Kobe will immediately pounce on him and form him with Artest.
"But so what, you want to protect yourself from me, prove it!"
Wang Chong waited until Curry dribbled the ball beyond half court and reached the top arc three-point line, then made a tactical gesture, then moved toward the penalty area, stood in the right corner and lifted Artest with his back. the ball.
Curry moved to the front of Wang Chong and passed the ball to Wang Chong.
Before Curry could pass the ball, Kobe, on the other side, decisively abandoned Billups, who he was responsible for defending, and slipped behind.
When Curry passed the ball to Wang Chong, he jumped directly behind Wang Chong, trying to intercept the pass in advance.
But Wang Chong has always been paying attention to Kobe's position, how could he give him the opportunity to steal?
With one step of his body, Wang Chong blocked Kobe Bryant, caught the pass and lifted the basketball above his head with both hands.
Wang Chong received the pass without pause. He turned and fired a jump shot, giving Kobe and Artest no chance to form a double attack against him.
Kobe, who was on Wang Chong's left side, was slowing down because Wang Chong was blocking his path forward and could not take off. Artest, who was on his right side, immediately jumped up to try to block the shot.
But how can Artest, who is only 2.03 meters tall, block Wang Chong, who is 2.11 meters tall and also uses a jump shot?
"Aha!"
The ball was hollowed out of the net and the first-round double team between Kobe and Artest failed.
In the following rounds, Wang Chong completed the Bulls' offense. His offensive methods were also varied, including running with or without the ball and relying on pick-and-roll screens from his teammates to catch jump shots and hold. He balled from outside the three-point line to get through double teams scored layups by running to the basket, and also scored free throws by taking off hard from the basket and drawing fouls.
Wang Chong not only can attack and score, but his offensive efficiency is also ridiculously high.
At 4 minutes and 27 seconds into the final quarter, when Wang Chong forced a three-pointer against Artest's defense about three feet from the three-point line, the Lakers called a timeout.
But at that point the Bulls had established a double-digit lead.
In four and a half minutes, Wang Chong scored 12 points alone to lead the Bulls on a 12: 2 offensive spree!
End of this chapter
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