Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 612 A Surprise Attack! O'Neal and Kobe Line Up to Set Screens

49: 50!

With four minutes remaining in the second quarter, the score difference between the two sides was only one point!

By this point in the game, Don Nelson's messy defensive lineup had long been replaced. The old man knew all too well what a surprise weapon was and what a conventional weapon was.

A surprise attack only needs a couple of hits! If you keep trying to gain too much credit, your surprise attack will be defeated.

So, in the last minute or so of the first quarter, Don Nelson substituted Mourning, who was clearly exhausted. Although Mourning only played a few minutes in the first quarter and didn't score a single point, he grabbed two rebounds and two blocks, making him a pillar of strength on the defensive end!

He completed his mission perfectly and was one of the biggest contributors to the team's comeback! Old Nelson delivered on his promise and made Mourning valuable in the game.

Mourning kept his promise; he was indeed ready at any time, just waiting for the coach to call his name!

Along with Mourning, three other players besides Lin Tian were also taken off the court. In other words, Don Nelson took down four more players at the end of the first quarter. The three main players and Barnes, who had boundless energy, were the ones he took down again.

In fact, if it weren't for the concern that the team might collapse if Lin Tian went down, Old Nelson would definitely have taken Lin Tian off the court as well, so that he could also rest for a while.

Unfortunately, this is the Finals, and Don Nelson doesn't want his team to fall into a 10-point deficit again.

We need to be more cautious!

Don Nelson's prudent approach naturally resulted in a stable transition for the team. Even in the second quarter, when Lin Tian went to rest and Stoudemire and Anthony led the team, the Knicks did not experience any collapse or collapse.

As the coaches on both sides kept rotating, and the players went in and out, the formations were constantly being adjusted.

However, the Knicks had already used 10 players before halftime, with all but Ariza and Sweetney having played.

Old Nelson is going to test things out tonight! He wants to see which players are ready and can be used more in the upcoming games, and which players don't perform well after one try, so there's no point in having any more illusions about them.

While the Lakers also kept changing players, they only had 8 players on the court at any one time.

Besides the five starters, only three players—Sasha Vujacic, a shooter selected late in the first round of the 04 draft, Luke Walton, the son of a legend and a small forward, and Ronnie Turiaf, a backup center—have had the opportunity to play.

Just by looking at the names of these players, you can understand why many people believe that the Lakers' strength has actually declined compared to previous years.

Compared to established players like Horry, Fox, and Shaw, the Lakers' current bench is definitely a mix of old and young players, with very few truly trustworthy individuals.

It was only because O'Neal was really fierce in this year's playoffs and Kobe was really ruthless in the regular season that the Lakers were able to maintain their record and make it all the way to the Finals.

But at this point in the season, Jackson can only hope that Kobe and Shaq will deliver top-level performances and that these two can lead the team forward!

There's no need to hold back; we must give it our all!

At this point in the game, Kobe has only rested for 2 minutes and Shaq for only 3 minutes! Both of them will be playing at least 40 minutes tonight.

Kobe has now dribbled the ball back to the frontcourt. He is now playing point guard. There's nothing he can do about it, since the team only has the even more unreliable Smush Parker at point guard, besides the unreliable Fisher.

Jackson would rather change his clothes and go on the court himself than let Parker come on at this time.

Letting him play is worse than Jackson changing his own clothes and going on stage himself!

Now, only Kobe can organize it!

The other four players on the team are Vujacic, Prince, Turiaf, and O'Neal.

Kobe received the ball at the top of the arc and faced off against Lin Tian. These two friends, who had trained together in Los Angeles, were facing off again in the Finals!

However, this time Kobe didn't force the shot. Instead, he glanced at the ball and passed it to the right corner!

The player receiving the ball there is none other than the team's top scorer from last year, Vujacic!

After Vujacic received the ball, Turiaf quickly moved in to block Houston, who rushed over to defend him, giving Vujacic a very good scoring opportunity!

"Whoosh!"

After a crisp sound, Vujacic didn't disappoint Kobe, sinking a three-pointer with ease!

The Lakers have taken the lead again.

Houston missed a mid-range shot on the ensuing possession, and O'Neal secured the rebound. After a series of plays and passes, the Lakers brought the ball back to Vujacic in the frontcourt.

This time, Vujacic was positioned at a 45-degree angle on the wing. After receiving the ball, he didn't hesitate and took a three-pointer!

"Whoosh!"

After a crisp sound, Vujacic hit another three-pointer! It's a winning streak!

And those two 3 points were just the beginning.

Seeing Vujacic hit three consecutive three-pointers, Nelson immediately substituted Wallace to target this shooter who was unremarkable except for his shooting and hair volume. Vujacic was indeed immediately put to rest again and did not get any more opportunities to shoot for a long time.

But the Lakers managed to hold onto their five-point lead gained by those two three-pointers! After another fierce battle, only 30 seconds remained in the second quarter!

Then, a scene that shocked the entire stadium and even those watching on television unfolded.

O'Neal ran out of the three-second zone and set a screen for Vujacic on the wing. Vujacic then shook off Wallace, and Kobe's pass arrived on time. Beyond the three-point line, Vujacic received the ball and took another shot!

"Whoosh!"

This is the third one!

"My God! What am I seeing? Shaq set a screen? And not for Kobe, but for some rookie?" Barkley exclaimed in disbelief. "Is the world crazy, or am I crazy?"

"Maybe Jackson's gone mad!" Kenny exclaimed quickly. "But his madness has clearly paid off! The Lakers' lead is back to eight points! Can they hold on or even extend their lead before halftime?"

Before Kenny and Barkley could even finish their conversation, the Knicks had already inbounded the ball again. Lin Tian received the ball and made another long-distance run, instantly reaching the Lakers' basket. He dodged Kirilenko with a layup and successfully scored.

Lin Tian's quick run narrowed the gap to 6 points again.

But he also gave the Lakers a full 24 seconds to attack!

The Lakers weren't in a hurry this time. Kobe calmly dribbled the ball across the frontcourt, unhurriedly directing his teammates' movements. Then he glanced at Jackson, and after they exchanged a knowing look, Kobe quickly made a hand gesture.

Then O'Neal suddenly ran out of the paint, and the two executed a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc. Kobe then quickly passed the ball to O'Neal, who held the basketball high at the top of the arc to facilitate the play.

This is probably the first time O'Neal has ever done something like this in his life! This is completely unlike anything he's done before.

At the same time, Kobe sprinted towards the wing, and then he and Vujacic executed an off-ball play, with Kobe helping Vujacic block the pursuing Wallace.

But Lin Tian, ​​who was chasing Kobe, reacted incredibly quickly, shouting, "Trade!"

Then Wallace followed Kobe, and Lin Tian caught up with Vujacic.

Then, Lin Tian suddenly felt his vision go dark.

Shaquille O'Neal!

This guy actually took a step forward, sidestepping to block Lin Tian while simultaneously handing him over to Wu Jiaxiqi.

Vujacic created space with a single step, then picked it up and threw it again without hesitation!

"Whoosh!"

"Buzz!"

The whistle to end the second quarter and the sound of Vujacic's three-pointer going in almost simultaneously rang out!

This crazy section is finally over!

69: 60!

Vujacic delivered the best performance and feel of his entire career!

Vujacic hit four three-pointers in a single quarter, scoring a whopping 12 points!

His outburst gave the Lakers a 9-point lead at halftime.

Whether Vujacic can continue his second-quarter performance in the second half, or even whether he can shoot like that again throughout his entire career, is actually not important.

The important thing is that for just two minutes, he was the focus of the entire basketball world, he was the savior of Los Angeles!

But what's truly surprising isn't Vujacic's sudden outburst, but rather the way he erupted and the way he scored those last two goals.

First, O'Neal set off screens for him off the ball, then Kobe set decoys for him to make feints, and O'Neal gave him handoffs and screens. This kind of treatment is rare, not to mention the Lakers, even the US team probably doesn't have many players who can enjoy it.

As for the person who devised this tactic...

First of all, it can be confirmed that it was definitely not Kobe or Shaq.

"A madman!" Kenny exclaimed sincerely, "That's the highest praise I can give Phil Jackson! An absolute madman!"

"One is the league's undisputed best center and a monster under the basket, and the other is this year's league scoring champion and a top-five scorer in the MVP rankings."

"So here's the question: who can make them take turns playing support, setting screens and picks for each other? A. Michael Jackson, B. Godzilla, C. Sasha Vujacic."

"Everyone who watched that part of the game can only say one word: crazy! Crazy Phil, but he reaped crazy results! The Lakers are leading by 9 points going into the second half, and everything they did was worth it!"

Barkley added, "Tonight, Phil really did seem like the 'mad scientist'! Now I'm looking forward to the second half. Will Tang be able to respond? Will anyone on the Knicks' bench step up?"

"Actually, someone has already stepped up. Alonzo, who made a brief appearance in the first quarter, held up the team's entire defense for a very limited time, showing us what he was like at the peak of his career."

"His 2 points and 2 blocks were the biggest reason why the Knicks didn't fall behind by 10 points or more in the first quarter."

"But clearly, the Knicks need more players to step up! They need someone who can match up against a game-changer like Vujacic!"

"Those three-pointers, it's none of your fault." Old Nelson sat in the middle of the locker room, looking at the somewhat sullen players, and said casually, "Who would have thought that Kobe and Shaq would repeatedly provide screens for a pretty boy whose name I don't even know how to spell?"

"It was something I didn't anticipate. I didn't provide enough contingency plans and countermeasures. I wasn't good enough, and my reaction was too slow. Here, I apologize to all of you. I am the first culprit in the first half."

"At the same time, I also have to pay tribute to Phil. That old guy really has something. At least in the first half of today, he was more like a so-called 'mad scientist' than I was."

At this point, old Nelson suddenly laughed and said, "Alright, our self-reflection time is over. We don't need any more self-examination or introspection. Now it's time for us to counterattack and regain our form!"

"Don't forget, this is our home court. We haven't lost a game here in this year's playoffs!"

"We haven't lost anywhere!" Anthony raised his hand confidently. "Only nine points, Coach. Let's get the tactics going! We'll definitely bring the game back in the second half!"

"That's why I like you, Messi, you're always so confident," Old Nelson said with a smile. "For the second half, let's not change our strategy."

"Just as Messi and Ronaldo said, it's only 9 points. As long as we maintain our normal level in the second half, surpassing them won't be difficult at all!"

"Our only problem now is that we not only need to win, but we need to win beautifully!"

"In the second half, you guys just focus on winning. You're responsible for winning the part, and I'll be responsible for figuring out how to win convincingly!"

"Everyone, do you understand what I mean?"

After speaking, Old Nelson looked at everyone again.

"The pressure is all on you, Tang!" Lin Tian said with a smile. "We're sure to win the game, but if we don't win gracefully, it'll all be your fault! You need to think carefully about how to win gracefully! Is that what you mean?"

"Excellent!" Old Nelson laughed heartily. "The pressure is all on me. As for you guys, just easily win the game. Couldn't it be simpler?"

At this point, old Nelson glanced at his watch and smiled, saying, "Well then, it's about time!"

"Sasha was the hero in the first half. He saved us. If it weren't for his three-pointer, we would probably be behind now." As usual, Jackson sat on the highest table in the locker room. He looked at everyone with a very serious expression.

"I was dissatisfied with everyone's performance in the first half except for Sasha! I was extremely dissatisfied! Well, maybe except for Shaq and Kobe in the last minute! The screens they set for Sasha were the best screens I've ever seen in my life!"

"The name of those two cover fighters was 'Team'! In the last minute, they showed me what teamwork truly is, and what the great Los Angeles tradition is!"

"But the rest of the time, Kobe and Shaq, your performance was just so-so, barely enough to not drag the team down."

"Yes, I know your stats are great, Kobe has 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, but so what? Lin already has 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists! He's better than you in every stat line, his shooting percentage is higher, and he even has one less turnover!"

"You're really not as good as Lin?" Jackson looked at Kobe and said with a smile, "You really think you're not as good as Lin?"

Just as Kobe was about to stand up and retort, Jackson stopped him with a gesture, telling him to be quiet. Then he turned to Shaq and said, "Shaq, I don't care about your stats because they don't matter at all. I just want to know what happened in those two possessions."

"Do you know which two rounds I'm talking about? Can you explain? Or are you also missing a kidney? Alonzo's kidney, you didn't donate it, did you?"

"A 37-year-old guy, missing a kidney, and a full 10 centimeters shorter than you, is actually able to dominate you on the defensive end, Shaq, can you give me an explanation?"

Similarly, before O'Neal could open his mouth to explain, Jackson stopped him again. Jackson glanced at his watch, smiled, and said to his players, "That's all I have to say. I won't be making any adjustments for the second half."

"But it's hard to say what will happen in the games after that! Sasha might start in the next game, and I might bench some unexpected people, but I hope that no matter what decision I make, everyone will agree with Kobe and Shaq."

"Support me! Trust me, just like those two screens they set for Sasha in the first half!"

"This team has no privileged players, no absolute leader! We are a team, an equal team! What I want is for everyone to be united, willing to sacrifice, and then, together, to win that damn championship!"

"Alright, let's get to the game! Let's take down the Knicks and win Game 1 of the series!"

This halftime break was absolutely magical.

The coach of the trailing team kept telling jokes, trying to get his players to relax, calm down, and then slowly catch up.

The head coach of the leading team, however, was so serious during halftime that he didn't even smile. He started by giving a warning to the two key players, reminding everyone to stay focused and not to let their guard down!

Two completely different approaches and methods for preparing for the second half—it's unclear which approach will be more effective, and which team will gain the upper hand in the second half!

The second half of the match continued!

Neither side made any changes to their starting lineups; the same ten players continued to play.

As soon as the match started, the two sides were once again locked in a fierce battle, exchanging blows back and forth, with the score increasing at a moderate pace.

The two sides traded blows back and forth, maintaining a 5-10 point gap, neither daring to let their guard down for even a moment! (End of Chapter)