r18novel Chapter 69 All-Star MVP! A new journey begins, with the goal: the Bulls record!
Chapter 69 All-Star MVP! A new journey begins, with the goal: the Bulls record!
Chapter 69 All-Star MVP! A new journey begins, with the goal: the Bulls record!
Upon receiving the T, Lin Ze immediately sprawled dramatically on the floor, limbs outstretched, and remained motionless.
Their aggrieved expressions made it seem as if they had been subjected to a last-minute, decisive defeat.
Carter's dunk, Lin Ze's performance, and the East team's deliberate decision to send Dale Davis, whose free throw percentage was the worst on the team (only 59%), to take the technical free throw and miss it, brought a perfect end to this All-Star Game, which, while not particularly intense, was incredibly entertaining.
"I loved tonight's All-Star Game!" Wilmarcus exclaimed with a laugh. "It was so much fun! This kind of game is so entertaining!"
Smith agreed, saying, "It's rare to see such pure NBA gameplay! Pure joy! I even felt like I was watching a comedy movie; it was so much fun."
Wilmarcus continued, "So now it's the nine journalists with voting rights who are in a dilemma: who should they vote for?"
"If tonight's situation doesn't end with three players sharing the MVP award, the fans will be furious!"
""
Smith said, "Maybe they should have talked it over beforehand, decided who they would vote for, and ended up with a 3-3-3 tie."
"This is the All-Star MVP voting," Wilmarcus said. "That's so unserious!"
"Is the All-Star MVP voting such a serious matter?" Smith asked rhetorically.
The All-Star MVP voting is indeed quite unserious.
The only principle that can be followed seems to be to award the MVP to the player who scores the most points on the winning team. As for who contributes more to the victory, whose score is more crucial, or who is the more important player on the winning team, these things have never been important.
In most cases, that's indeed the case.
However, as the league's president, Stern has veto power when presenting awards.
For example, in the 93 All-Star Game, 7 out of 9 journalists who participated in the voting voted for Malone, while David Robinson and Stockton each received one vote.
But whether it was a sudden inspiration or something he had planned, after he announced that "Tonight's MVP belongs to Karl Malone," he paused for a few seconds, then added with a smile, "and John Stockton."
For example, in 09, Kobe and Shaq shared the MVP award. Kobe received 10 votes, Paul received 2 votes, and Shaq received 0 votes.
But when Stern made the announcement, he smiled and first read out O'Neal's name, then looked at Kobe and called out KOBE amidst the world's anticipation, creating yet another classic moment.
The 0K duo, separated for 5 years, reconciled with a smile.
So, what about this time?
How do you vote at a press conference?
Will Stern announce the All-Star MVP based on their votes?
Soon, as the temporary podium was set up and the stars from both sides gathered together in laughter, the ever-smiling Stern also came to the center of the court and began his speech.
However, as soon as Stern took the microphone, the fans in the stadium couldn't wait to boo him.
This was practically the exclusive treatment Stern received from all the teams in the league, and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy the boos.
Then Stern launched into a series of nonsensical speeches that no one would listen to, but which would certainly be criticized if he didn't say them, offering nothing new.
After everyone had grown a little impatient, Stern finally steered the conversation to the main topic.
"So, the envelope in my hand contains the MVP result for tonight! Now, let's see who tonight's MVP, tonight's star of the night, is!"
"let me----"
Stern clearly knew that the MVP award tonight was highly uncertain, and everyone was eagerly awaiting the result. He knew everyone was incredibly anxious.
As a result, the action of opening an envelope and checking the name, which used to be completed in an instant, was lengthened and slowed down by 10 times by Stern.
The crowd was once again engulfed in boos, which was exactly what Stern wanted.
The old man even smiled again.
Then he slowly took out the paper from the envelope, glanced at it, looked up, looked down again, looked up again, picked up the microphone, and coughed once.
"So, tonight's MVP, tonight's star of the night, the person who will win the 2000 NBA All-Star Weekend All-Star Challenge MVP is—"
Let's congratulate them!
"FUXX, I really want to punch him!" O'Neal said, indicating that he was about to lose his temper.
"Shaq O'Neal!" At the last moment, Stern finally stopped being coy and quickly said O'Neal's name.
"I love him! This old man is the best Jew in the world!" O'Neill cheered and walked out first, standing next to Stern.
"And Tim Duncan!" Stern called out Duncan's name again.
Then, he put down the envelope in his hand and stopped with a smile.
I still haven't received it.
Lin Ze scratched his head, not too disappointed. After all, in terms of status, league standing, and relationship with the media, he was indeed far inferior to O'Neal and Duncan.
Then Lin Ze started thinking about how to give Ma Long a good whack after the party ended.
"And Lin!"
Suddenly, Stern's voice, which had been paused, rang out again.
Lin Ze paused for a moment, then smiled.
Then he quickly found Malone, opened his mouth, mouthed a greeting to his lovely mother and Swallow, and then walked over to Stern.
"Thank you for your contribution!" Stern extended his hand and shook hands with Lin Ze, who then glanced sideways and happened to see the envelope that hadn't been put away yet.
There is only one name on it.
As for who that name belongs to? It doesn't matter at all!
Importantly, Lin Ze then took the All-Star trophy to Malone and handed it to him in front of countless cameras, reporters, the big screen, and 18000 fans.
If Lin Ze, with a beaming smile, hadn't whispered in Ma Long's ear during their hug, "You'll remember this All-Star game for the rest of your life, you bitch," then the two would have genuinely shown some mutual respect.
His idol is actually Malone! Lin presented the MVP trophy to Malone after the game!
For the first time in history, three players share the MVP award!
22*3! The Western Conference frontcourt trio lifts the MVP trophy together!
For the first time in history, a foreign player has won the All-Star Game MVP!
"Asia's Shining Star! Lin Ze Becomes All-Star MVP!"
After this weekend, sports media around the world naturally reported on everything about this All-Star Game. This All-Star Game is also considered by many to be the one that best fits the All-Star atmosphere and original intention.
What a joy!
-
This joy even lasted on the plane carrying Lin Ze and the other three back to Los Angeles.
"Hahaha, that's hilarious! Hahaha! That's so funny!" O'Neal laughed heartily, gesturing wildly. "When Lin presented his trophy to Malone in front of dozens of reporters after the awards ceremony, Malone's deadpan face was absolutely hilarious!"
"Ma Long looked like he'd eaten 10 pounds of poop, and because the media was there, he had to smile and say it was delicious!"
"I will remember this scene forever! I will never forget it in my life."
"Karl Malone, an idiot who eats shit and then smiles and says it's delicious!"
"Shaq, our first game after the All-Star break is against the Heat," Kobe suddenly interjected. "I think we should—"
"Fuck you! Kobe!" O'Neal grumbled. "You just ruined the most wonderful moment of my life! Do we have to talk about this damn basketball now?"
"Alright Shaq, Kobe's right," Jackson said. "The Heat are strong. If we want to break the Bulls' record, we don't have much room for loss. We absolutely cannot lose a game like this against the Heat."
"Don't worry!" O'Neal was in high spirits. "Alonzo will never be a match for me. I'll crush him in the dirt!"
"Back in Los Angeles! Once we're back in Los Angeles, we'll immediately get into form and into game mode!"
"Of course," Jackson said. "Shaq, you have a real chance to win a Grand Slam this year!"
"All-Star MVP, MVP, scoring champion—if you can lead your team to break the 72-win record and win the championship, do you know how people will evaluate your year?"
"The strongest year in history!"
At this point, Jackson patted O'Neal heavily on the shoulder and said nothing more.
O'Neal's expression turned serious, and he nodded emphatically.
Noticing O'Neal's expression, Jackson was very satisfied.
These words were the perfect catalyst for Shaquille O'Neal, who was not yet 28 years old and had never won an MVP or championship.
After returning to Los Angeles, O'Neal only rested for one day before throwing himself into training. He even arrived at the training facility an hour early for the first time ever to do extra training. During training, he gave his all, set an example, and encouraged his teammates to be more engaged.
"This year, we have only one goal!"
"We want to become the greatest team in history! At the very least, we want to be a strong contender!"
Fueled by O'Neal's passion, the entire Lakers team sprang to life like a perfectly functioning machine.
Train with all your might, participate attentively in training sessions, and carefully listen to all the coach's suggestions and instructions.
After the All-Star break, the Lakers were in top form, going all out and pursuing everything they desired. In their first game after the All-Star break, the Lakers faced a formidable Heat team led by Alonzo Mourning and gave them no chance. Shaquille O'Neal exploded for 33 points and 15 rebounds, completely destroying Alonzo Mourning, the second overall pick in the NBA draft who entered the league in the same year as him.
This season's Mourning has been the number one DYOP favorite since the start of the season, with an average of 3.7 blocks per game, leading the league.
Moreover, his 3.7 blocks are not the kind of inflated stats like Ratliff's. Mourning is a true pillar of the Heat's interior defense. Under his leadership, the Heat have only allowed 91 points per game this season, ranking fourth in the league.
Shaquille O'Neal dominated a top-tier defensive team led by one of the league's best defenders!
After this resounding victory, O'Neal has essentially secured his MVP award for this season, once again declaring that he is the best center in the league, and even the best player!
After this game, the Lakers started another winning streak. They remained undefeated throughout the rest of February, and with a seven-game winning streak, they continued to solidify their position as the league's number one team and their status as the dominant force.
In addition, this year's trading deadline was unusually quiet, with almost no noteworthy transactions.
Only one transaction could be considered noteworthy, but it certainly didn't reach the level of a major event or a seismic event.
The Philadelphia 76ers traded Billy Owens and a first-round draft pick to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Toni Kukoc.
This can be seen as another attempt by the 76ers to find a helper for Iverson and try to reduce the burden on Iverson on the offensive end.
However, regardless of whether Kukoc can integrate into the 76ers' offense and become a good helper for Iverson, this is just a trade for an average starting player and is not enough to change the landscape of the league.
By March, the Lakers had a terrifying record of 51 wins and 7 losses!
They lead the Portland Trail Blazers, currently second in the league, by a full seven games. It's fair to say that the race for the top spot in the league this season has ended more than a month early.
The Lakers have already secured the top seed in the league this year!
The remaining question is whether the Lakers can break the Bulls' record of 72 wins.
In March, the Lakers continued their winning streak, remaining undefeated in the first half of the month for eight consecutive wins, improving their record to 59 wins and 7 losses.
At this point, the Lakers surpassing the Bulls is getting closer and closer, and the probability is increasing.
Then, although the Lakers lost a game, it was just one game.
They quickly regained their form and started a new winning streak.
Throughout March, the Lakers went 15-1, finishing with a record of 66-8.
They are seven wins away from the record.
With only half a month left in the season, each team has only 8-10 games left, and the players' statistics are basically set. Unless there are some extremely poor or crazy performances, everyone's statistics will not change much.
Lin Ze is definitely one of the players who pays the most attention to statistics.
However, the reason others are paying attention is because they are most likely just bots.
Lin Ze paid attention because he had a system task to complete.
In the previous month or so of competition, Lin Ze's stats had been steadily improving, and everything was going as he had expected.
In this month, Lin Ze's rebounding improved, and his scoring and blocks also stabilized, all three of which successfully surpassed Pippen's records from three years ago.
So far, Lin Ze has averaged 20.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
Just so happens that three of their statistics barely surpass Pippen's.
If Lin Ze maintains his form and keeps up with the data, he should be able to get a good evaluation and reward for this main mission.
But Lin Ze also knew that this time, there was a high chance he wouldn't get the "perfect" rating.
However, this will not affect Lin Ze's state and attitude.
He has always been optimistic.
If we can't get it, then we can't get it!
In April, the Lakers remained undefeated and went on a six-game winning streak!
72 wins and 8 losses!
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Lakers have already tied the Bulls' record. Even if the Lakers don't win either of the next two games, they will still be tied with the Bulls for the best record in NBA regular season history!
What they need to do is win at least one more game out of the remaining two!
"We'll win the next game." Jackson said casually in the pre-game tactical meeting before the penultimate game of the season, "It's the last game, and I hope everyone can get a good rest."
"Therefore, in this game, we will give it our all, win it, and then rest well to prepare for the playoffs!"
"Is there a problem?"
"No problem!"
The entire Lakers team roared in unison, and then O'Neal stood up and said, "Don't even mention the Sacramento Queens! Even if the Bulls at their peak came, we would definitely defeat them and completely crush them!"
"We're going to break the record in the next game, the very next game! No team should think they can stop us from breaking the record."
"Smash it!"
"break in!"
At this point, O'Neal clapped his hands loudly and said, "So, guys, it's the next game! Now what we need to do is prepare well, listen carefully to the tactics Phil gives us, and then play exactly according to the tactics!"
"clear!"
Jackson was extremely satisfied with the team's high morale.
"Our next opponent, the Sacramento Kings, could very well be our first-round playoff opponent as well."
"Completely crushing the Kings will not only allow us to break the record one game early, but also give them a wake-up call, making our playoff journey much smoother!"
"Chris Webber, the Kings' star player, can initiate offense from anywhere inside the three-point line and find open teammates when posting up."
"However, his weaknesses are also obvious: he is bad at physical contact, relies on shooting, doesn't like to engage in physical battles, and his defense is also negligible."
"Lin, this is exactly the type of person you're good at dealing with. Limit him as much as possible!"
"Aside from Webber, there's no one else on this Kings team that we need to pay special attention to. Their individual abilities are far inferior to ours; the rest are just weaknesses."
"Kobe, I want you to put on a full-court, tenacious press on their point guard, that flashy streetball player, from the very first moment of the game. Make it harder for him to dribble and increase the physicality."
"Then, this guy will show his true colors, his number of mistakes will skyrocket, and we will have a ton of fast break opportunities. If we can capitalize on these fast breaks, we've already won half the battle."
"Shaq, you can attack Divac to your heart's content. This old guy has no advantage over you except for a little bit of cleverness. Smash him! Completely crush him! Also, when Shaq is one-on-one, the rest of you should pay attention to cutting to the basket and be ready to attack the paint at any time."
"Divac is too slow; he can't defend against our cuts to the basket."
"Alright, that's about it. Does anyone have any questions or anything they'd like to say?"
After speaking, Jackson glanced at his players and then shouted, "So, it's this game!"
"Let's break the record!"
With their morale soaring and full of confidence and fighting spirit, the Lakers once again appeared at Staples Center.
This is their last home game of the regular season, and also a golden opportunity for them to break records.
That night, Staples Center was once again filled with excited fans, and celebrities completely occupied the front row of the arena.
The biggest difference between tonight's game and previous games is that every fan who attended received a purple T-shirt.
Once fans put on this shirt, they will immediately notice the letters printed on the chest.
"To Be No. 1!"
It's incredibly timely and perfectly suited to the Lakers' current situation.
So, during the short warm-up period before the game started, this slogan resounded throughout Staples Center.
"To Be No.1!"
17
"To Be Number One!"
This slogan came about a couple of days ago when Jerry West was watching the team practice. He casually asked everyone what kind of playoff slogan they wanted.
Then he received a bunch of random, nonsensical suggestions.
Then, Lin Ze came up with this slogan.
West's eyes lit up immediately!
Simple, direct, and concise!
More importantly, this slogan is both offensive and defensive.
You could interpret this slogan as the Lakers wanting to achieve the best record in history.
If the Lakers lose both games and fail to break the record, it means the Lakers want to win the championship.
Even if they don't win the championship, they can still shamelessly say that the slogan is to celebrate the Lakers winning the regular season.
West immediately made the decision, saying that this was the one!
Tonight, in the team's last home game of the regular season, West and the Lakers' management, after asking Jackson for his opinion on the game, decided not to wait any longer.
Tonight!
We'll bring out this slogan tonight!
The current Sacramento Kings team can be described as having players from three generations: veteran, middle-aged, and young.
As for veterans, they have experienced players like Winnington, a member of the Bulls dynasty and Linze's old partner, and Vlade Divac, who was traded one-for-one for Kobe.
In terms of the middle generation, they have Webber, the power forward hailed as the most flamboyant and talented in the entire league, and Nick Anderson, a Rockets legend who never joined the team.
Speaking of young people, they have Jason Williams, the Jay Chou of North America, and someone who was selected in 96 but is only 2 years old this year.
Peja, a Serbian in his 30s.
Although the Kings have a good mix of veterans, middle-aged players, and young talents, and are about to make the playoffs for the second consecutive time in franchise history, no one considers them a championship contender right now, and no one thinks they can beat the Lakers or Trail Blazers in the playoffs.
No one knows that this Kings team is far from reaching its peak. The Kings team that can truly be called the most brilliant and representative of the league's most dazzling style of play has not yet been fully formed. They still need to wait for the Knights and Dukes to join one after another before they can truly take shape.
Before the game started, Lin Ze chatted briefly with his old friend Wennington and learned that the Canadian was ready to retire and would return to Montreal to enjoy life after the season ended.
O'Neal also thanked Divac quite harshly.
"Thank you, Verratti. Without you clearing salary cap space, I wouldn't have been able to come to the Lakers, and neither would Kobe."
"Come on, Shaq, you've been saying the same trash for five years now." Divac shrugged, completely ignoring O'Neal's words.
Webber also chatted with Lin Ze and others for a while, reminiscing about the wonderful memories of fighting side by side in the All-Star Game.
Overall, the atmosphere between the two sides was good and quite harmonious before the game started tonight.
But as soon as the referee blew the whistle to start the game, all the harmony and laughter vanished.
O'Neal snatched the ball first time tonight, and when he was one-on-one with Divac under the basket, he elbowed the old man directly in the chest. The old man almost couldn't catch his breath. After elbowing the old man, O'Neal pulled up and dunked!
Divac was hardly a mild-mannered coward. As O'Neal landed from the rim, Divac's knee precisely struck O'Neal's thigh, causing the big guy to fall so hard he couldn't even strike his signature domineering pose.
Webber, who had just been all smiles, stopped smiling after receiving the ball at the high post. He observed his teammates, slowly raised the basketball, and then suddenly dunked it towards the basket. The team's small forward, Chris Williams, who had cut to the basket, received the ball and drove to the basket for a layup, scoring 2 points for the team!
This single round perfectly illustrates the difference in tactics between the two sides.
The triangle offense creates one-on-one opportunities and space for key players, allowing the team's leader to take on opponents one-on-one and let star players handle their rivals.
Princeton, on the other hand, has its key players initiate the offense, while the others use off-ball screens, back cuts, figure-eight moves, and cuts to find opportunities to open up the opponent's backdoor and then receive the ball for a layup.
One team is led by star players who rely on individual ability to break through defenses, while the other team believes in the team and uses the drawing power of its core players to create opportunities for role players to cut or have open shots.
It's worth mentioning that when Divac was covering for Williams, he didn't forget to stick out his leg a tiny bit to trip Rice, which made Rice so angry that he spread his hands as if to protest.
"I'll avenge you!" O'Neal blocked Rice and charged fiercely at Divac again on the offensive end.
This time, O'Neal bent down and lunged at Divac.
Divac seemed to be made of paper, collapsing instantly.
Unfortunately, his reputation for flopping was too great; everyone knew he was a master flopper. Also, this was Staples Center, so the referee ignored his performance and awarded O'Neal 2 points!
"Stand up straight, you softie!" Shaquille O'Neal exclaimed smugly after his thunderous dunk. "You won't get the whistles you want by cheating! Tonight's a man's duel!"
"That's great!" Divac snorted, and then, while attacking, he turned his back to block O'Neal and suddenly reached out to touch O'Neal's Dick.
To everyone's surprise, she grabbed nothing!
O'Neal swiftly pulled out his weapon and successfully stole the ball from Divac, then grinned at Divac and said smugly, "I have the gear!"
Judging from O'Neal's smug look, if there weren't more than 18000 fans and countless cameras in the stadium, he might actually have taken off his shorts and shown off his genital protector.
In the first few minutes, although both sides made some big moves, they were generally in a probing phase, so the success rate was not low and both sides played some exciting rounds.
One of the most exciting plays came from the teamwork of the Kings' trio!
Williams, holding the ball high up, made several changes of direction to create some space, but instead of dribbling past his opponent, he used that small space to make a behind-the-back pass.
After the basketball flew to Webber's hands on the left side of the three-second zone, he didn't stop or think at all, but instead made another behind-the-back pass to Divac.
When Divac received the ball, O'Neal was somewhat disoriented by the two consecutive behind-the-back passes and failed to get into a defensive position in time. He could only watch as Divac jumped and banked the ball into the basket.
This play perfectly embodies the Kings' current style!
gorgeous!
Five minutes into the first quarter, the two sides were still evenly matched, trading baskets.
10: 10!
At this point, the Kings started their rotation, bringing in Peja Stojakovic, whom the team had high hopes for and was grooming as their future core player.
The Eastern European striker immediately showed his effectiveness after coming on the field.
First, he executed a pick-and-roll with Williams, then Williams did a crossover dribble with one hand and passed the ball to Peja on the left, who then drained a three-pointer!
Then, about 10 seconds later, after Kobe's mid-range jump shot missed, Williams grabbed the rebound, glanced at the frontcourt, and then made an exaggerated one-handed bounce pass, sending the basketball directly to the frontcourt.
Peja, who was fast breaking down, received the ball, ignored Rice who was guarding him, and pulled up for a three-pointer from beyond the arc!
"Whoosh!"
Peja hit two three-pointers right off the left and right!
This is not finished!
The Lakers' next offensive possession ended in another turnover. Williams made a risky steal, cutting off Rice's pass, and then dribbled to initiate a fast break. After getting to the frontcourt, he made a flashy but pointless no-look nutmeg pass.
He wore his own crotch, and Peja, who was behind him, received the ball.
Peja, a newcomer, wasn't quite prepared for this play. He almost made a mistake after receiving the ball, but his good fundamentals allowed him to keep the ball, although what was supposed to be a dunk turned into a barely passable layup.
Jackson called a timeout.
In the blink of an eye, Peja scored 8 points in a row after entering the game, putting the Lakers in a difficult situation.
As soon as Lin Ze walked to the bench, Jackson subtly smacked him again.
Lin Ze was at a loss.
Is this all the old man can do?
Isn't he a psychology master and the greatest coach in history?
How come you only know one move?!
Helpless, Lin Ze deliberately sat next to Kobe this time: "Kobe—"
"No need to switch!" Kobe said impatiently, "I'll stick with him to the death!"
Look!
Lin Ze shrugged, indicating that he had nothing more to say.
This trick is so advanced that even Kobe Bryant could learn to answer questions quickly. Why are you still using it? Why don't you change it!
Jackson gave Lin Ze a nod with his eyes, the meaning of which was quite clear.
"So what if he answers first? He'll still fall for it, won't he?"
Soon, the timeout ended. During this timeout, Jackson didn't give any tactical instructions. He mainly encouraged everyone to keep working hard and catch up.
Jackson had immense confidence in the team's strength, and he also knew that the Kings couldn't sustain this level of scoring surge indefinitely.
After the timeout, the Lakers' focus improved significantly.
Lin Ze, who was standing outside the three-point line, saw O'Neal start to attack one-on-one and Peja double-team him. He first took a small step in place, then feinted to the left with his upper body. He then immediately accelerated in the opposite direction and cut to the right!
As Lin Ze accelerated, he also noticed something.
My little jump and upper body feint just now were a complete waste; it was just a show for the air.
He overestimated Webber's defense.
This guy is completely out of it!
He just stood there in a defensive stance, but he didn't actually put any attention into defense.
When Lin Ze accelerated his cut, Webber only did one thing.
He turned around and shouted, "We missed! Assist!"
As for himself?
Although he turned and headed towards the basket, he was there to see if he could grab a rebound, not to chase after Lin Ze.
Lin Ze easily got the chance to receive the ball, and O'Neal passed the ball out from the double team. After receiving the ball, Lin Ze easily started and made a layup, scoring 2 points!
As for Webber, he didn't seem to care about his poor defensive decision at all. His teammates didn't criticize or remind him either, and Adelman on the sidelines acted as if he hadn't seen anything, sitting there with his arms crossed watching the game.
Immediately afterwards, when Divac passed the ball to Williams, Williams completely ignored his teammates and, having delivered a series of assists, was now completely overconfident.
He forgot what Adelman had told him during the timeout: "Pay attention to Jason, they'll definitely tighten their defense on you next."
Williams dribbled and accelerated, but was cornered by Kobe just past the center circle. With nowhere to go, Williams didn't think about calling a timeout to calm things down, nor did he forcefully jump up and pass the ball first.
He was thinking that he had to be the most handsome one!
Williams then gathered the ball and slammed it towards Kobe's legs.
He wanted to break through Kobe's tight defense with a crossover pass.
But how could Kobe, who was already fully focused on defense, be penetrated by such an obvious crossover?
Almost instinctively, he flicked his wrist and immediately knocked the basketball that had just passed behind him away!
Rice successfully caught the basketball and immediately passed it to Hubble, who then passed it to Lin Ze.
Lin Ze received the ball at the left 45-degree angle outside the three-point line, and no one was guarding him!
The Kings' entire defensive system hadn't even started functioning; everyone was still thinking about offense!
Then, Lin Ze, this year's All-Star three-point leader and the league's top shooter with the most three-pointers this season, got a great three-point opportunity.
"Whoosh!"
Lin Ze would never miss such an opportunity!
The three-pointer swished through the net, and the Lakers quickly responded with a 5-0 run against the Kings!
Meanwhile, the Kings team remained completely silent, without any complaints whatsoever. Everyone seemed used to it and didn't see anything wrong with it.
Their priority was to launch an attack as soon as possible.
No matter how talented a team is, it is destined to be unable to reach an outstanding level.
Their discipline is terrible!
They can only complete their transformation after Bibi arrives.
This team needs a truly ruthless and tough person to lead it!
Without this one player, the Kings are no match for the Lakers!
In the following games, Kobe completely figured out Williams' rhythm and began to play a more effective and aggressive defense against him.
Thus, Williams' true colors were completely revealed.
Mistakes, wasteful shots, steals —
That night, aside from a few brilliant assists in the early stages that could have made it into the daily top ten goals, Williams was practically useless. But for fans who didn't watch the whole game and only watched the highlights afterward, they would think: Williams is really amazing!
In addition, Peja, who came off the bench and initially played well, scoring 8 points in a row, was still quite inexperienced. He was not yet the Eastern European killer who would later average 25 points per game and rank fourth in the MVP list. After Rice focused more attention on him, Peja basically disappeared from the court.
As for Divac?
He was facing a peak Shaquille O'Neal who was eager to achieve the greatest individual season in history. What could he do?
It's a miracle he wasn't beaten to a pulp; O'Neal was showing him mercy.
At this point, Webber, as the team's leader, should step up!
But this guy disappointed everyone tonight.
Because the person he was facing was Lin Ze!
Lin Ze's defense has improved rapidly as the season has progressed. He has already digested all the defensive knowledge and skills he gained during the two training sessions.
Although Lin Ze's defensive stats haven't changed much since the beginning of the season, those in the know can definitely see how much he has improved defensively this season.
At the beginning of the season, Lin Ze was able to put up some impressive defensive plays thanks to his help defense, rotations, and awareness, but he often struggled in one-on-one situations.
While Lin Ze may not be the league's top super defender, he is definitely a first-class all-around defender!
Whether it's a one-on-one situation or helping out in defense, he has no problem!
In addition, Lin Ze also consulted and humbly learned from AC Green during team training.
This guy is definitely a good person. He's devout, doesn't have any ulterior motives, and he's still a virgin.
But he is also a seasoned veteran and a seasoned scoundrel who has been playing for almost 20 years.
He may not like using many of the moves, but that doesn't mean he can't.
Lin Ze learned a lot of dirty stuff from the last century from him.
This kind of dirty and vicious defense, including elbows and blocks, caused Webber great pain and severely affected his shooting touch, causing him to miss several shots.
"Is that all you've got? No wonder they all call you Queen!" Having gained the upper hand in the matchup and successfully defended against Webber's attacks multiple times, Lin Ze was not about to let him off so easily. While trash-talking him, he also stuck close to Webber again and pressed him hard on defense.
Webber does dislike physical contact and relies on jump shots, but he has never been a softie with a good temper; he's a well-known troublemaker.
Weber responded quite strongly to Lin Ze's blatant bullying.