Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 319 Trailing by 12 points at halftime, what's the point of adapting?

The first quarter has ended.

The Knicks trailed 33-25, and the point difference not only failed to narrow but actually widened by one point.

This difference...

Jackson frowned, trying to reassure himself that it wasn't a big problem.

The difference of 5 points is just a three-pointer away.

Is a 5-point difference even considered a difference?
Jackson saw the key to victory: when Yao Ming was resting on the bench, Chandler couldn't stop O'Neal.

In just two minutes, O'Neal made a strong drive, committed a foul, and made both free throws, bringing his first-quarter score to 11 points.

With 11 points in a single quarter and playing all four quarters, 50 points is very likely.

Jackson carefully managed the players' playing time.

O'Neal needs to be taken off the court to catch his breath.

Two minutes, no more.

Kobe and his teammates won't get any rest, and when Shaq is off the court, Kobe will need to play even harder.

Jackson grabbed Malone and told him to set more screens for Kobe.

He estimated that Yao Ming would sit on the bench for a maximum of four minutes in the second quarter, and whether they could catch up in the score depended on those four minutes.

Ma Long nodded with a serious expression. He understood the importance of this match and was prepared to give it his all.

I'm already 40, and I'm here aiming for the championship.

If we can't beat the Knicks this year, how will we compete for the championship?

As for Kobe...

Jackson didn't say anything; the kid was so motivated that he didn't need any reminders.

The break passed quickly, and both teams took to the field.

Malone rushed over to set a screen immediately.

His pick-and-roll is masterful; he's physically strong and his pick-and-rolls are of high quality.

Most importantly, after playing pick-and-roll with Stockton for so many years with the Jazz, his grasp of the timing of pick-and-rolls has reached a level of perfection.

The perfectly timed movement blocked Wade.

The referee on the sidelines, whistle in his mouth, frowned slightly.

This pick and roll has a slight suspicion of being a moving pick and roll.

But Ma Long's movements and footwork were well-controlled; it's a matter of praise or criticism.

Wade was blocked behind.

Kobe hit a pull-up jumper, bringing his season average to 31 points per game. He's poised to challenge McGrady for the scoring title again, and his shooting accuracy is getting better and better.

Wade pointed at Malone's foot and complained to the referee.

Is our home ground suitable for you?

With just one sentence, to put some pressure on the referee, Wade quickly sprinted forward.

During the bench phase, Carlisle's strategy was still to use speed to find opportunities in rapid offensive and defensive transitions.

Then you also need to be able to immediately switch to a defensive position if you can't get going.

Wade had the ball, and as soon as he raised his hand, Chandler rushed over.

You have pick-and-rolls, and so do we.

Wade bypassed the screen and made a pull-up jumper.

His offensive style is almost exactly the same as Kobe's.

After scoring, Wade gave Kobe a provocative look.

A rookie, facing a three-time champion MVP-level superstar, showed no fear and even dared to challenge him.

Wade didn't think anything of it; the Knicks drafted him because they wanted him to be like McGrady or Kobe.

We were taught by the same master, so who's afraid of whom?

Eye contact, match successful.

With both centers off the court, Kobe was no longer constrained. He waved his hand, signaling everyone to spread out, and then went one-on-one with Wade right at the three-point line.

He performs a crossover dribble, followed by a brief pause, a change in rhythm.

Then pull back and take a three-pointer.

Wade didn't seem to be affected at all.

Every disciple trained by Tang Sen is a master of rhythm.

Wade leaped into the air, as if to say, "What you can do, I can do too."

The defense was taken to the extreme.

But Kobe's shot was clearly modeled after his senior brother, with a significant backward lean.

With a flick of his wrist, the basketball slipped from his hand and plunged into the basket.

Kobe glanced at Wade, his eyes saying it all.

Wade has a three-point shot, but it's not that accurate yet.

His most powerful weapon is still his breakthrough.

Pull it open in the same way.

The stands were filled with cheers and shouts of encouragement for The Flash.

Wade started from the wing, paused slightly, and held the ball with his left hand as if to close it down, but in an instant, he flipped his wrist, turning the close-up into a drop shot, and his upper body swayed. In an instant, his whole body was full of feints.

But the most terrifying thing is the speed of the first step.

Kobe had the awareness to move his feet and reacted, but his body couldn't keep up.

Wade easily beat Kobe and drove straight to the basket.

Facing Malone's help defense, he was not afraid at all. Just as he was about to collide with Malone, he took a step to the baseline to avoid him, then jumped up and pulled up in mid-air for a reverse layup.

Madison was in an uproar.

The media behind the basketball hoop were snapping photos like a torrential downpour.

That was absolutely a Jordan-esque layup.

Kobe cursed under his breath, already sensing how difficult Wade was to deal with.

With that kind of breakthrough, how many players in the entire league could stop him?
As Kobe ran away, he couldn't help but glance at the Knicks' bench, spotting the figure leaning over and talking to Yao Ming.

The familiar feeling came again.

Just like Sasser, who suddenly appeared in the finals back then.

The only difference is that Sasser is a defender, while Wade is an offensive player.

Two minutes later, O'Neal entered the game.

The point difference remains at 7 points.

Four minutes later, when Yao Ming and the starters returned to the court, the score difference was nine points.

That means there has been no change.

Jackson's dream of catching up in points during the bench phase was pure fantasy.

He paced restlessly along the sidelines, trying to reassure himself: It's okay, I can get used to it and still win.

He looked towards the field.

O'Neal was scoring, and Yao Ming couldn't completely stop him.

However, O'Neal also couldn't defend Yao Ming.

Yao Ming has too many offensive methods.

Jackson still remembers the question he posed to Shaquille O'Neal when they first faced each other last year: "Do you think I can't score 50 points?"

Especially with Wade resting, Yao Ming became the offensive core.

Receive the ball at waist level, step forward, turn around, raise your arm high, and throw it.

In the instant he turned around, O'Neal was already a beat too slow, and could only watch helplessly as the basketball went into the net.

In the next round, Yao Ming came again, in almost the same position.

He turned around directly, but just as he raised the basketball and was about to shoot, he suddenly flicked his wrist, and the basketball flew over O'Neal's shoulder.

Wallace cut to the basket, received the ball, took a step, and slammed it into the hoop.

Jackson's eyebrows furrowed even more.

This is what he finds most terrifying about Yao Ming.

Possessing exceptional scoring ability, covering the entire half-court without any blind spots, and with his superior height, he has remarkable vision.

Having practiced skyhook training, he possesses amazing wrist strength, allowing him to pass the ball purely through a flick of the wrist, making it very subtle.

After a season of adjustment, the Knicks have developed sufficient chemistry.

Therefore, Yao Ming frequently delivered brilliant passes.

This also raises the question of efficiency.

The center forward is the finisher; after receiving the ball, he either scores or passes it back out, which is not easy.

Shaquille O'Neal was like that; he scored a lot of points, but his shooting percentage wasn't high. Yao Ming, on the other hand, with his passing ability, could make choices at any time. If the ball wasn't in a comfortable offensive position and the chances of winning weren't high, he would pass it.

He doesn't crowd out his teammates' ball possession, has extremely high efficiency, and can rack up assists, making him a pivotal player for on-court support.

That's why I've had three consecutive triple-doubles this season.

His leadership skills far surpass those of O'Neal.

Unfortunately, you have no way to restrict it.

Double team?

He can still pass the ball, and given the Knicks' players' abilities, double-teaming them and leaving one open is tantamount to giving away points.

Therefore, Carlisle did not double-team, and Jackson did not choose to double-team either.

In a global constellation, encirclement is not very effective.

In the four minutes after Wade returned, Yao Ming scored 6 points with 2 of 3 field goals and one free throw, and also provided 2 assists.

He already has 6 assists before the half is even over, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he's going to get another triple-double.

For a Lakers team with four stars, this triple-double is incredibly impressive.

Halftime ended.

In the second quarter, relying on Kobe and O'Neal, the Lakers scored a bit better, with 26 points in the quarter.

But the Knicks are just as good, maintaining their scoring ability.

He scored 30 points in the quarter again.

At halftime, the score was 63-51, a difference of 12 points.

Inside the locker room, Jackson stood with his arms crossed, saying nothing.

His mind raced, trying desperately to reassure himself that it was okay, he could adjust a little more and still have a chance to win.

But like a balloon that keeps expanding, it bursts when it reaches its limit.

Jackson cursed inwardly: What the hell am I supposed to adapt to? It's already halfway through the game, if I was going to adapt, I would have adapted by now!
Still trailing by 12 points, there's only one explanation: they can't beat them.

O'Neal had 19 points in the first half and Kobe had 18; that was a good performance.

Malone scored just like Payton.

The Lakers' performance was somewhat affected by the Knicks' defensive intensity, scoring only 51 points in the first half.

That's not low either; it's considered a failure if no one performs well.

It can only be said that the Knicks played better.

With 63 points in the first half and a 59% field goal percentage, Jackson must have felt powerless in the face of those numbers.

How can someone be so strong?

What's even more alarming is that the Knicks still maintained their normal rotation.

On the Lakers' side, only O'Neal rested for two minutes, while 40-year-old Karl Malone played the entire first half, just like Kobe.

This means the Lakers have given it their all, while the Knicks still have some energy left.

His gaze swept over the group of players.

The momentum is not strong.

Even Shaquille O'Neal, who always loves to stir things up, was subdued at this moment and quietly sat down to rest.

Malone, the old guy, looked visibly exhausted.

This is not a good sign.

Jackson took a deep breath and encouraged everyone, "Guys, we're only down by 12 points, we haven't lost yet."

"Shaq, didn't you want to get 50 points?"

He started by taking action against O'Neal.

You said it yourself, getting 50 points is a sure win.

Right now, they have 19 points at halftime, still 31 points behind.

O'Neal glared, his gaze immediately becoming unfocused. He muttered something, then suddenly pointed at Kobe across from him: "Kobe said he was going to score 30 points."

My own calculation is that Kobe scored 30 points, Malone and Payton each scored 20 points.

They only have a few points now.

Falling behind cannot be solely blamed on oneself.

Yao Ming is so strong, and scoring 19 points in the first half is already very impressive. Looking at the entire league, even that kid from the Magic couldn't do that.

Kobe is no longer the greenhorn he was a few years ago. He glanced coldly at O'Neal and said, "I can guarantee 30 points. What about you?"

With 18 points in the first half, Kobe was confident of scoring 30 points, or even more.

Meeting Kobe's provocative gaze, O'Neal cursed under his breath and looked away again.

The atmosphere was almost frozen.

Jackson cursed under his breath, somewhat regretting his provocation of O'Neal.

Waving his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, Jackson continued to encourage them: "I need someone to step up, and it has to be everyone. I don't want to leave Madison with a crushing defeat and become a laughingstock for everyone."

With four All-Stars, the Lakers, who were practically public enemy number one in the league, suffered a crushing defeat to the Knicks. Jackson could easily imagine how the teams that had been thrashed by the Lakers would react after the game.

And how will the media mock the Lakers?

We cannot afford to lose this game.

O'Neal gave a soft snort and turned his head away.

Kobe clenched his fists and remained silent.

The Lakers are working hard to build momentum, and in the home team's locker room, Carlisle has already seen what he wants.

The so-called four-star Lakers are not as scary as you might think.

Ma Long is getting old, so he can only do dirty and tiring work.

As for Payton, Carlisle never expected his form to decline so drastically.

Or perhaps Billups is just too strong?

But it doesn't matter anymore.

Before the game, Carlisle had calculated that if he could win by 20 points, then in the finals, the championship would not fall into the hands of anyone else.

With a 12-point lead at halftime, they have already achieved their goal.

Most importantly, the Knicks haven't gone all out yet.

Therefore, Carlisle did not give any instructions during the entire halftime break, allowing the players to relax on their own.

He didn't get up until the break ended, and said to the players who were about to go on the court, "Guys, go on the court and win your championship."

After securing a comfortable victory against the Lakers, no team in the league can stop the Knicks.

Carlisle's words sent a chill down everyone's spines, and they walked out of the locker room without saying a word.

The game continues.

O'Neal's words clearly provoked Kobe.

In the third quarter, Kobe gave it his all and was unstoppable.

He scored 14 points in the quarter, going 5-for-9 from the field and including free throws.

If you say you'll get 30 points, then you mean it.

However, after three quarters, the point difference had not been recovered.

98 to 82, the score difference came to 16 points.

In this quarter, both teams temporarily abandoned defense and launched a full-scale offensive.

Kobe scored 14 points in a single quarter, while Yao Ming also racked up 13 points in the same quarter.

Wade scored 9 points, and the two led the team to a new high of 35 points.

He scored nearly 100 points in three quarters.

Jackson's face twitched uncontrollably.

In the fourth quarter, O'Neal, who had scored 28 points in three quarters, began to show signs of fatigue.

Even Kobe was the same.

Wade's defense is really good; scoring against him is not an easy task.

Kobe also suffered a great deal.

The Lakers' offense stalled at one point.

Yao Ming, on the other hand, could sit on the bench and watch Prince repeatedly take on Devin George one-on-one.

With half of the fourth quarter gone, the point difference had reached 20 points.

Jackson stood courtside like a statue, as if he could already see what the Finals would be like next year.

There are no miracles.

In the final minutes, even Kobe felt the agony, sweating profusely.

The Knicks defeated the Lakers 127-104, a 23-point blowout.

(End of this chapter)