The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 978 Can it really be accurate for the whole game?

When the Van Exel deal was first completed, the Glory coaching staff was worried that his inconsistent performance would disrupt the team's good order and chemistry.

It turned out that this worry was unnecessary.

Although Eddie House is a promising young man, he is far from being comparable to the mature Van Exel in terms of individual ability.

After gradually adapting to the Glory team's tactical system, Van Exel has performed admirably in the sixth man position.

Tomjanovich gave him enough freedom to play at his own pace and according to his own ideas after coming on as a substitute, without having to follow some tactical rules.

Old Tom is indeed a coach who is very good at inspiring players' potential.

Off the court, Van Exel was restrained by Gan Guoyang, but on the court, Lao Tang gave him autonomy, and Van Exel felt better and better as he played.

In some matches, he can be the key to victory or defeat. His powerful firepower makes the glorious offense less volatile and more consistent.

Although he occasionally goes crazy, misses many shots, and has poor defense, making him easy to beat.

The question is, can a defender who excels in all aspects really come to your brilliance?
You should be grateful to have a ball-handler who can explode in a game.

A three-pointer tied the score, but the Lakers continued to rely on O'Neal's strong attacks in the low post.

Willis withstood O'Neal's post-up move and pushed O'Neal toward the free-throw line.

O'Neal forced a shot but missed, but his massive frame held the position and he grabbed the rebound.

The ball was passed to Scottie Pippen on the right wing. Pippen's three-point attempt missed, but the ball went to the long rebound, and O'Neal grabbed another rebound.

Shaq is a bit lazy when it comes to defensive rebounding, but he's incredibly strong on offensive rebounding. His size advantage makes him a huge threat in the paint.

However, Willis was experienced and would let you grab the ball, but he wouldn't let you get close to the basket. O'Neal passed it to Pippen, who then took another three-pointer, but missed again!

Pippen's performance has declined significantly this season. He's 37 years old, and his three-point shooting percentage has dropped to 28%. Last season, he could shoot 33% from three-point range, but this season he's fallen to Barkley's level.

Despite missing several shots, Robert Horry still managed to grab the rebound and pass it to Derek Fisher on the perimeter, securing the win.

After Gan Guoyang left the court, Guanghui's ability to protect the rebounds dropped sharply, which is a problem that the players on the court must face.

However, the consecutive rebounds lost did not disrupt the Glory's defensive formation; they maintained a zone defense and continued to hold their ground.

The Lakers couldn't find a good way to break the zone defense. After the ball went around a few times, it was passed to Horry on the right side, who then made another three-pointer.

Three consecutive three-pointers missed; the Lakers' three-point shooting was terrible at the start of the game, which is a problem.

This time, Glorious finally got the rebound and passed it to Van Exel. Van Exel had just made one shot, so he would definitely try another one.

A pick-and-roll between Willis and the top of the key shook off Fisher's defense, and he unleashed a long-range shot!
Three point hit!

The Glorious team has taken the lead and now leads by 3 points.

Instead of calling a timeout, Phil Jackson tried to energize the players by whistling.

The Lakers players clearly lacked excitement on the court. While tactics can be rigidly followed, the players' performance cannot be.

The playoffs are different from the regular season. In the regular season, everyone clocks in and out; if you have the strength, you can win and gradually accumulate victories throughout the season. But in the playoffs, you have to translate those victories into something much more.

More passion, more creativity, more focus—some players will perform exceptionally well.

It seems that, apart from O'Neal, the Lakers players are only performing normally, or even in a slump, such as Pippen.

Of course, the playoffs have just begun, and the Lakers are always a slow-starting team. Jackson hopes they can get into the game with passion.

During the fast break, McGrady made a crossover dribble to the basket, getting past Miller and Willis, and slammed home a one-handed dunk!
This dunk finally brought passion to the Lakers' stagnant offense. McGrady roared after scoring, adding fuel to the fire at Staples Center.

But Van Exel responded immediately, showing that at 30 years old, he still had a pair of very flexible legs.

He dribbled the ball and made a series of leaps, using changes of direction and spins to get past Fisher and drive to the basket again.

With shooters lurking on the perimeter, the Lakers' collapse was not timely enough.

With a foul already in hand, O'Neal didn't dare get too close. Van Exel made a floater and scored two points, regaining a three-point lead.

With Van Exel's outstanding performance, Glory played a solid game in both offense and defense.

Offense is Van Exel's job, defense is zone defense, I don't care how the Lakers play.

Go ahead and shoot those three-pointers. If you've got the guts, shoot me to death. If you do, I'm the one who'll suffer.

Unfortunately, the Lakers' three-point shooting was off tonight; after missing several shots in a row, they became hesitant to attempt any more.

There are only two options against a zone defense: either let O'Neal score, or let McGrady push the fast break.

O'Neal's performance was as consistent as ever; when he passed the ball, there was a more than 50% chance he would score two points.

The two teams battled to a 27-25 tie, with the Glory leading the Lakers by 2 points. With 2 minutes left in the first quarter, both teams began their substitutions.

Gan Guoyang returned to the court, replacing Brad Miller. He high-fived Van Exel, who played very well, helping the Glory weather the difficult time and even take a 2-point lead.

With the playoffs approaching, the rotation will definitely be shorter. The Glory's main substitutes are Van Exel, Porter, and Willis, while Riddell and Cole can occasionally come on to fill in for a while.

McGrady made a run, received the ball at the left corner, and hit a mid-range jump shot to tie the score at 27-27.

Gan Guoyang attempted a mid-range shot but missed. However, he then successfully double-teamed and stole the ball from O'Neal on defense.

O'Neal was really going all out. After the ball was stolen, he chased after it desperately, even kneeling down, but Gan Guoyang still managed to steal the ball.

To prevent the Glory team from launching a counterattack, Pippen fouled to stop Gan Guoyang.

In the regular season, we would definitely let this ball go, but in the playoffs, every ball is crucial, and we won't give them a fast break opportunity.

Gan Guoyang shoved Pippen, who came forward. Gan Guoyang glared at him and said, "What, you want to hit me? Hit me then? You hit me, I hit you, what can you do about it?"

Pippen chewed gum, raised his hands to indicate his surrender, and said, "I don't dare to hit you. Let's play basketball properly."

The two are old rivals. Pippen was also traumatized by Gan Guoyang, and he has not fully recovered to this day.

The two are now facing each other more and more often on the court because Gan Guoyang's playing style is becoming more and more outside, and he is playing more and more like a small forward.

Gan Guoyang received the ball facing the basket after inbounding the ball from the sideline. He then drove to the basket after a triple threat, pulled up for a jump shot, and scored two points, putting the team back in the lead at 29-27.

McGrady tried to respond with a pull-up jumper, but missed; his arc was too flat.

Gan Guoyang reminded Gerald Wallace that the main defense against McGrady should focus on his drives and pull-up jumpers, and that giving him some space might not be a bad thing.

McGrady's shooting has never been consistent. Although his pull-up jumpers are very beautiful, the arc is flat and the power comes too heavily from his fingers and wrists, resulting in average stability.

You can tell from his free throw percentage. Among shooting guards of the same generation, such as Kobe, Carter, and Iverson, McGrady had the lowest free throw percentage, not to mention compared to someone like Ray Allen.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound, and the Glory team launched a counterattack. Van Exel drove into the basket and passed the ball to Willis, who immediately passed it to Gan Guoyang at the top of the arc.

Gan Guoyang faked out Holly, took a mid-range shot from the free-throw line, and made it! 31:27.

The Glory team had already taken a 4-point lead in the first quarter, with Gan Guoyang and Van Exel using their high shooting percentage to suppress the Lakers.

The situation turned bad for the Lakers, and to make matters worse, O'Neal was drawn on an offensive foul by the cunning Willis on the next possession.

A fatal offensive foul; O'Neal committed his second foul in the first quarter and had to leave the game. On this possession, O'Neal got impatient and, after turning, used his elbow to push Willis aside.

Willis half-acted, then fell backward, the referee blew the whistle, and O'Neal committed his second foul.

The fans in the arena booed, but there was nothing they could do; a foul was a foul, and O'Neal had to leave the game to rest.

The situation was very unfavorable for the Lakers, and Jackson used a short timeout to give the players a breather.

"We played without any passion, couldn't make shots, and I didn't see a single drive from you in half-court sets? Does that mean we can only shoot when the opponent plays a zone defense?"

"Forget about the regular season standings, and don't even think about who you're facing! Cheer up, guys! It's the first game on our home turf, let's show some fighting spirit!"

Jackson tried to encourage the players, knowing that this first game would be very dangerous.

Forrest Gump is a player who really likes to win the first game of a series, especially on the road.

Gan Guoyang has never believed in the idea of ​​striking after the enemy has struck; striking first has always been his core strategy.

Regardless of the size of our forces, we must never be overconfident. We must first concentrate our strength for a fierce attack to gain a tactical advantage in a localized area.

Then press on the victory, expand the winning edge, and turn the advantage into a winning position in one fell swoop.

When playing against Forrest Gump, you must be prepared to go all out from the very first game of the series, even the first quarter.

Otherwise, by the time you get into the zone and think you can unleash your full potential, your opponent will already have match point in the series.

Back when Forrest Gump's team was the strongest in the league, they were always a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs, leaving no one in their wake.

During the decline, Gan Guoyang never adopted a defensive strategy, but instead opted for quick victories to gain an advantage as early as possible.

If the opponent can afford to drag the series out and wear down Gan Guoyang, exhausting his strength and stamina, then they can win the series.

In the end, it will inevitably be a Pyrrhic victory, a so-called "skin peeled" defeat, and by the time the later matches come, it will most likely not be any better.

That's why no one wants to face Glory and Forrest Gump in the first round; the outcome would be disastrous for both.

Of course, winning is always better; nobody wants to lose.

Samaki Walker entered the game and immediately committed a turnover, which was stolen by Wallace.

On the counterattack, Gan Guoyang drove to the basket, received the ball, and scored a layup!

However, the referee called a pushing foul, and the two points were disallowed.

The referee was clearly trying to get one back on the ball. He had just given O'Neal two fouls, and now he was giving Forrest one, just to balance things out.

Both sides continued their fierce battle in the final stages of the first quarter, and Pippen finally made a mid-range shot, making it 31-29.

Then the Lakers made a steal with strong defense, McGrady initiated a fast break, Pippen had the ball in the low post and passed it to Walker who was cutting to the basket.

Holly's layup was blocked by Gan Guoyang! Holly then came from the other side, grabbed the rebound, turned and shot, but Gan Guoyang blocked it again!
With two consecutive blocks, he controlled the ball. On the defensive end, Gan Guoyang still possesses the dominance to protect the rim, and his anticipation is even more accurate than before.

The ball is passed to Van Exel for the final offensive possession. Gan Guoyang sets a high screen, Van Exel breaks through, passes the ball back to Gan Guoyang, who fakes a move to break through, draws the defense in the middle, and passes the ball to Raja Bell in the corner.

With no one guarding him, he took a three-pointer from the absolute angle and it went in!
With Pippen's long-range shot missing at the end, the first quarter ended.

34:29, the Glorious made 5 three-pointers in the first quarter, leading the Lakers by 5 points.

The Lakers' offense was up to par, while Glorious's offense was clearly exceptional.

Van Exel and Raja Bell's accurate three-pointers helped the Glory take the lead.

At this moment, the Lakers fans in the arena could only console themselves, "They can't always be this accurate."

Not only Lakers fans, but also the Lakers coaching staff and players think so.

"They can't stay this accurate forever! Maintain our defensive rhythm and intensity, and don't let their exceptional performance disrupt our play. The only one to watch out for is Forrest Gump; when he gets on fire, he's unstoppable. Everyone else, just do your job, and everything will return to normal. The key is for us to find our own offensive rhythm."

Based on his experience, Jackson didn't believe that Glorious could be accurate throughout the entire game.

Numerous examples have demonstrated that three-point shooting is highly inconsistent.

Let alone this game and the next game, even this quarter and the next quarter will be worlds apart.

They were hot in the first quarter, but couldn't make any shots in the second.

Even the Trail Blazers, who were once the most prolific three-point shooters, were no exception.

Three-pointers are their biggest weapon, but the real cornerstone is Agan's low-post offense, which is the team's ballast and regulator.

Despite their worst three-point shooting season in 1999-2000, they still won the championship.

Of course, when their three-point shooting got going, it led to a league-wide massacre in the 1997-1998 season.

Forrest Gump looked to be in good form tonight; I wonder if he'll have a breakout performance. We need to step up our defense against him later.

On the other side of the Glory bench, Gan Guoyang felt great; everyone was in better form than expected.

During their few days in Palm Springs, the regular eating, sleeping, training, and communal living kept everyone in good spirits.

Especially when you're away from women, look at the elasticity of Van Exel's legs when he breaks through. If you slept with your wife every day, would you have this effect?
The other players were also more energetic on the defensive end than the Lakers players, never giving up and playing tenaciously no matter what.

Of course, the other players on the Glory team lacked experience, especially Arenas and Wallace, who didn't have any standout performances.

If they don't make mistakes for now, that's a contribution to the team. We still need to focus on the veterans first.

The second quarter was about to begin, and Jackson still looked relaxed. He even joked with Jeanie Buss, the daughter of the Lakers' owner, who was sitting behind the bench, and laughed happily. It's unclear what their relationship is now.

But Jackson's smile quickly faded as they made a mistake on offense, allowing Richmond's drive to be intercepted and the Radiant to counterattack.

Arenas replaced Van Exel, drove hard to the basket and drew a foul from Horry, making one of two free throws to extend the lead.

Then, when Pippen was having a one-on-one game, Gerald Wallace stole the ball from him.

After losing possession, Pippen was even too exhausted to chase after Wallace, who was dribbling wildly. It truly is a case of new talent replacing the old.

Wallace charged too aggressively and passed the ball too far. Gan Guoyang didn't receive it properly and almost went out of bounds.

The ball was passed back to the outside, and after a series of passes, Arenas broke through, but was intercepted by Richmond.

However, the Lakers' counterattack was still ineffective. Fisher missed a three-pointer, and Wallace grabbed the long rebound again.

He adjusted the power of his pass during this counterattack, and before Forrest Gump even came back to defend, he delivered a precise pass.

Gan Guoyang received the ball, turned around, and slammed it home with both hands!

The Lakers desperately needed points, and despite facing Brilliant's defense, they still attempted three-pointers, but missed again.

The Lakers' three-point shooting has almost given Jackson a bad feeling; why is his shooting percentage so poor?
The Lakers missed their shot, but Glorious could. During the fast break, Gan Guoyang received the ball at his favorite left 45-degree angle, opened his hand and shot, making it accurately!
The entire Staples Center fell silent. They could still score! The lead had widened to 11 points! 40:29!

Jackson couldn't take it anymore. Could he really be accurate for the whole game?

(End of this chapter)