Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 443 Age Gap

In Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, D'Antoni adjusted the offensive focus on the perimeter based on the situation in Game 1.

The focus shifted from Ray Allen and Nash to Marion.

The Lakers have Kobe and Rush on the perimeter, so their defense isn't bad.

The problem lies with the forward line.

When forced into positional play, D'Antoni devised numerous off-ball cuts around Marion.

The old Marion might not have been able to carry the production volume, and his scoring ability wasn't explosive enough.

But after Tang Sen's training camp last year, he can still step up if the team needs him.

In this game, Marion scored a team-high 39 points, successfully helping the Suns secure the victory.

The score is now tied 1-1, and both teams are back to square one.

Upon arriving in Phoenix, the Suns continued their strategy from the previous two games, prioritizing speed.

D'Antoni could see that Jackson was trying to make an impact at the power forward position, attempting to limit Marion.

But the Lakers don't have any suitable assets.

As a result, Marion still managed to score 33 points.

The Suns' fast-paced style of play also caused the Lakers considerable trouble.

O'Neal had a poor game, scoring only 23 points.

Howard played with a floater's touch and still managed to score 24 points.

O'Neal was in poor form and wasted a lot of possessions, leading to the Lakers losing the game 96-104 by 8 points.

We're down 1-2!
This result left the Los Angeles media completely speechless.

At the post-game press conference, Jackson said that the team was fine and he was still full of confidence, but he was already starting to panic inside.

He could already feel the power of the sun accelerating.

The Mavericks also play a fast-paced game, pushing the offense in various ways and shooting whenever they have a good opportunity.

However, the Mavericks have no one in the paint, no one can guard O'Neal, so the Lakers don't have to follow the Mavericks' pace.

Because we have a strong inside presence, we can win the game if we play at our own pace.

But the sun is different.

The Suns also have Dwight Howard in the paint, the so-called fourth-best center in the world.

His defense is exceptionally strong; he can single-handedly guard the paint and, if he grits his teeth, even hold his own against O'Neal. He also uses his speed and agility to disrupt O'Neal's offense.

O'Neal couldn't score as recklessly as he did against the Mavericks.

So the Lakers couldn't win by playing at their own pace, and were forced to adapt to the Suns' rhythm, trying to speed things up and play more possessions.

But the strain this style of play puts on O'Neal is considerable.

Then O'Neal's performance will only get worse.

In other words, it's a vicious cycle.

Fortunately, the Lakers still have one more trick up their sleeve: Kobe.

In Game 4, Jackson focused his efforts on playing around Kobe.

Kobe scored a game-high 47 points and hit the game-winning shot in the final moments, leading the Lakers to win the game.

The score was tied at 2-2, and the two teams were back at the starting line.

D'Antoni didn't care. They had already come back from 0-3 down, so what was this situation?

Once he made up his mind, he sped up the pace, playing at the Suns' own rhythm, focusing on the outside shots. The longer the game went on, the greater the Suns' chances of winning became.

Another crucial battle, and once again, it's on the opponent's home turf.

But just like in the previous round, the Suns won the game once again.

Noticing that the Lakers had shifted their offensive focus to Kobe, D'Antoni decisively chose to double-team Kobe.

Despite being double-teamed, Kobe still managed to score 26 points through free throws, but that wasn't enough to help the Lakers win the game.

O'Neal scored 24 points, while the Lakers as a whole only managed 89 points.

This score proves that the Lakers' offense is in trouble.

Howard scored 22 points, Marion 27 points, and Nash 20 points, with three Suns players scoring over 20 points, leading to a 97-89 victory.

Before the Western Conference Finals began, all media outlets generally favored the Lakers, thinking it would be another big showdown between the East and West coasts.

The media praised the sun.

After all, they were the worst team in the league last year, so it's an incredible achievement that they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals this year.

At this rate of progress, D'Antoni should have won Coach of the Year. But no one expected that the Suns would pick up the same script as the Magic and seem poised to break through the Western Conference.

What about after that?

During the regular season, the Suns were the only team among several championship contenders to have defeated the Knicks.

Although it seems impossible, the Suns have even come back from a 0-3 deficit, so maybe they can really create a miracle.

No one likes a predetermined ending, but the sun's comeback only increased its popularity.

Back in Phoenix, the Suns were in full swing.

As the series progressed to Game 6, the negative consequences of being forced to speed up the pace began to emerge.

O'Neal still couldn't find his form in this game.

In the second quarter, the team's defensive efforts were slow at times, allowing Howard to complete a dunk over them.

Kobe tried to turn the tide, but Ray Allen fought back fiercely, relentlessly battling him.

In the third quarter, the Lakers narrowed the score gap.

But in the end, they couldn't hold back their anger, and the Suns gradually widened the score gap again.

With two minutes remaining, the score difference reached 7 points, and the Suns fans in the arena began chanting MVP.

With just two minutes to go, the Suns will return to the NBA Finals after a 12-year absence.

Jackson tried his best to stay calm, standing on the sidelines and constantly shouting reminders, especially to O'Neal.

If the Lakers had just played a little tougher and scored a few more points at this point, they might still have a chance.

But O'Neal was clearly no longer able to play.

Even backing down Howard was no longer enough.

Howard, on the other hand, remained energetic and active, roaming around everywhere.

At that moment, Jackson clearly saw the age difference between the two.

A young man who has just turned 20, like the rising sun.

He was 33 years old and looked listless.

Jackson was in a daze, and the game was already over.

The American West Arena erupted in cheers.

The Suns won and advanced to the NBA Finals.

O'Neal was panting heavily, looking bewildered.

Kobe's gaze was sharp, but it couldn't hide his resentment and exhaustion.

On the Suns' side, the usually composed Ray Allen completely lost his composure at this moment, shouting excitedly and incessantly, his eyes already welling up with tears.

After so many years in my professional career, I've finally reached the Finals.

Even if we lose this year, what does it matter?

Howard is still young and has room to grow.

And who says we're bound to lose? If we can beat the Knicks in the regular season, we can beat them in the Finals too.

Tonight belongs to the sun.

For the losers, the only option is to slink back to Los Angeles.

After returning to Los Angeles, the team had a day off.

Jackson also gave himself two days off; he needed time to calm down and think carefully about what to do next for the Lakers.

O'Neal has one year left on his big contract.

O'Neal's agent has already hinted privately that the Lakers hope to extend O'Neal's contract this summer.

Considering this should be O'Neal's last big contract, the other party will definitely want a long-term deal, at least five years.

Jackson felt that if the price was less than 20 million, O'Neal wouldn't even give it a second glance.

If they really re-sign O'Neal to such a large and long contract, then for the next few years, the Lakers will still be stuck with their salary cap locked up, relying solely on O'Neal and Kobe to win the game.

But O'Neal is getting old.

While he still has value, he can be traded for a promising rookie and live off a rookie contract for a few years.

Following the Knicks' rebuilding approach, since they have training camp spots every year, as long as they have a good eye and select talented players, the Lakers can rise again in less than two years.

Jackson felt that the Lakers needed to make a decision.

(End of this chapter)