Chapter 164 While He Is Young

After losing the first Western Conference game, negative news flooded the Internet.

All of them were commenting on the might of the Los Angeles Lakers and the poor team building of the Trail Blazers.

Zhang Jun, Aldridge, and Luo Yin were all beaten up by the media.

Nate McMillan knew what the players would experience and endure at this time, so he told everyone in the locker room.

"This is the result of failure."

"In competitive sports, the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. If you win the game, you will be the darling of the fans and the media. If you lose the game, you will be the laughing stock of the world."

Zhang Jun took a deep breath. It was indeed as coach Nate McMillan said. He had experienced such a winner and loser during his NCAA period.

That game against Jordan's hometown also had a great impact on him. It was precisely because of that NCAA game that he completely made a name for himself in the United States. In addition, in Los Angeles, a place with a lot of traffic, it was not surprising that there were any overwhelming comments on the Internet.

Of course, the only difference is that he won that game, and now he lost, and the result is also a drastic change.

"We need to do something." Zhang Jun said very confidently. He knew very well that if the Trail Blazers did not make any changes, they would still lose the next game. The Lakers' twin towers had too much advantage over them. Luo Yin still applied ice to his knees and ankles as usual, and he lowered his head with some emotion. He made 6 of 21 shots, 4 of 5 free throws, and scored 18 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in the whole game. These were the data he handed in tonight. Luo Yin was very dissatisfied with his performance. He knew that he was dragging the team back and completely lost his offense under Kobe's defense. Everyone called him the Yellow Mamba, but when he really met the Black Mamba Kobe, the gap between the two was extremely obvious, both on offense and defense. "I'm such a waste!" Luo Yin punched himself hard in the thigh, and Aldridge patted his good brother's shoulder encouragingly. His performance tonight was also very poor, with 14 points and 10 rebounds, which seemed to be a reasonable double-double, but he was almost beaten by Gasol on the court, and the data compared with the opponent was completely different.

Unlike the game against the Rockets, although Aldridge couldn't defend Yao Ming on the offensive end, he still had an offensive skill. Tonight, he met the Lakers. Under the suppression of the opponent's twin towers in the interior, Aldridge even lost his offense, with only 5 of 16 shots.

The Lakers' strategy of defending the interior and mid-range really had a great impact on him.

Snap! Snap!

Two crisp slapping sounds were heard.

Zhang Jun patted the shoulders of both of them at the same time and said.

"What's wrong?"

"Losing a game to the Lakers has turned into this."

"They are indeed a stronger team than us, and we didn't deserve to lose, but if the Lakers think we will just surrender, they are probably wrong."

"We will get their respect, and let Kobe and Gasol see how powerful we are. Even if we lose the game, we will walk out of the court with our heads held high and get the respect of our opponents and fans."

"This is what we should look like!"

Zhang Jun said hoarsely and his blood boiled. Luo Yin and Aldridge also became re-energized in such an excited voice.

"Fuck, the Lakers are nothing, don't they like to defend the inside? I will kill them with long-range shots in the next game."

Aldridge, who has always been dull, cursed at this time.

Luo Yin also gritted his teeth and said: "Without Gasol and Bynum, the Lakers are no match for us. Kobe can't win the game either. He is a piece of shit." Although the words are unpleasant, Zhang Jun nodded with satisfaction to see his good brother cheer up. He didn't care about anything else and echoed. "That's right, kill Kobe and get rid of this shit!" May 22. The Western Conference Finals continued. The fans in Los Angeles laughed and cheered. They saw the Lakers' almost overwhelming advantage over the Trail Blazers in the interior, and also saw the Lakers' dominance over the Trail Blazers in the last game. They firmly believed that this would be a very easy series, and the Lakers would win the game more easily than the last series against the Spurs, and then advance to the NBA Finals in one fell swoop. This will be the first time the Lakers have reached the Finals again after many years, and the Finals without O'Neal. The Lakers players on the court also looked very relaxed. Pau Gasol raised his hands and blew a breath of air. Bynum tattooed the abbreviation of the championship on his already thin hair.

If this wasn't the finals, Bynum would have even wanted to dye his hair green. There was no other meaning, just for fun.

Only Kobe's face was still serious. He was very serious about becoming the team leader and leading the team to the finals.

The game started.

Just like the last game, Pau Gasol still played a single inside and forced Aldridge.

Aldridge used all his strength to defend Pau Gasol, but it was obvious that Pau Gasol, who had not only strength but also footwork and movement, could not be defended simply by a fierce force.

"Paul Gasol scored the first goal again!"

"This is a very good signal. In fact, Gasol joining the Lakers was a seamless transition, and his performance throughout the playoffs was also very stable."

Barkley finally understood at this time, what does it mean to be young or old? No wonder when the Lakers and Grizzlies completed the deal, Spurs head coach Popovich was so angry that he stamped his feet.

The Lakers, who acquired Gasol, directly shattered the Spurs' dream of defending the title. They have already become one of the top teams in the league and launched a final charge towards the championship.

The current Portland Trail Blazers team cannot be an opponent of the Lakers from any perspective, not to mention that they also have a weak inside lineup, which has been hit by the Lakers.

"I can't think of any team in the league other than the Boston Celtics that can beat this Lakers team."

Barkley affirmed.

Kenny Smith on the side nodded in agreement, which is why Los Angeles fans can be so happy in advance at Staples Center.

"You could tell from the first game that the two teams are not on the same level at all."

On the court.

Zhang Jun gave Aldridge an encouraging look, telling him not to be upset.

"If the defense can't prevent us, we can still attack. A basketball game consists of two rounds, one attack and one defense. There are still many things we can do."

The Trail Blazers still let Luo Yin take the main attack in the first quarter, while Kobe defended alone. Zhang Jun went up in advance to pick and roll to open up Kobe's defense.

Kobe frowned in displeasure. He felt that Zhang Jun was playing too smart, which was not a good thing for the Lakers.

Luo Yin used Aldridge's pick-and-roll to play Gasol in singles, and he steadily hit the basket with one hand.

This attack has caught up!

"Compared with the last game, the Trail Blazers appear to be more experienced on the offensive end. They know how to rely on their own advantages to break the Lakers' defense and release Luo Yin's pressure on the offensive end."

"Kobe's defense is very good. It will not be easy for Luo Yin to score against him."

The CCTV commentary station also broadcast the game.

Su Qun wants to see what the Blazers' youth team can do in this year's playoffs. Although he is not optimistic about the Trail Blazers' lineup, he is optimistic about Zhang Jun.

"In the first game, Zhang Jun's performance was actually better than Kobe's. It's a pity that his teammates did not give the same support as Gasol and Bynum."

Zhang Weiping was the first to be unconvinced when he heard this and argued.

"On the basketball court, you can't just look at the data. On the surface, it seems that Zhang Jun's data is better, but in terms of influence on the game and ability to control the court at critical moments, Kobe completely crushes Zhang Jun."

Yu Jia couldn't help but laugh.

Coach Zhang is the famous Komi. In his eyes, Kobe's ability is the best in the league. No one can compare to him except Jordan, so he doesn't like to hear anyone say that Kobe is not good.

Yu Jia stood in the middle and said: "But to be honest, the Lakers may not be able to beat the Trail Blazers without Gasol."

On the court.

Kobe Bryant singles Zhang Jun.

Zhang Weiping explained passionately: "Look at Kobe's singles, his beautiful footwork changes, his back, and his many fake moves. Zhang Jun is so lucky. He can keep up with this offense."

"But it doesn't matter. What level of attacker is Kobe? His singles experience is fully capable of dealing with such a situation."

"Hey, Kobe shot."

"It's a pity that he didn't score. The ball was a good shot but he was a bit unlucky. Zhang Jun was also very lucky. It is impossible for a defender of his level to guard Kobe every round."

"Come to the Lakers and play for Kobe. No one wants to stick to the ball."

"Hey, Zhang Jun is following me again. I have to say that I'm really lucky."

"Kobe passed the ball and assisted Gasol. Good shot!"

"Look, this is Kobe's passing awareness, this is the NBA's signature star."

On the court.

Kobe shook his head and pursed his lips and high-fived Gasol.

After being defended by Zhang Jun for two consecutive rounds, he wanted to say that the opponent's progress really surprised him.

In the last game, Zhang Jun's defense was only acceptable in Kobe's eyes, but in this game, Zhang Jun seemed to have understood his footsteps and movements, and he could defend every ball very carefully.

If Gasol hadn't stepped in to catch the ball, Kobe would have had a hard time handling the offense in this round.

In the first quarter, the Trail Blazers trailed 28:31.

Live commentary desk.

Kenny Smith said with some surprise: "Although the Trail Blazers are still lagging behind, their performance tonight is better than the last game, especially Aldridge and Luo Yin. The offensive recovery is obvious."

Barkley nodded and said: "Compared with the last game tonight, Aldridge almost always shot from the outside. He did not get to the basket and did not give Gasol and Bynum a chance to effectively protect the frame."

"Luo Yin's singles relied more on Zhang Jun's misplaced pick-and-roll to pull away Kobe in advance and reduce the defensive pressure he faced on the offensive end. Facts have proved that Luo Yin is worthy of the name of Yellow Mamba. In the face of Odom and He performed very well with Gasol.”

Lakers coaching bench.

Phil Jackson, the Zen master, was very surprised by the Trail Blazers' performance tonight. Luo Yin was second to none. After all, Zhang Jun made such a move on the court in the last game and helped Luo Yin get a comfortable matchup. Chance.

But Aldridge's outstanding performance tonight was something Phil Jackson didn't expect at all.

"Although the three core players of the Trail Blazers are all young, they are all malleable talents, and their strength is not inferior to that of most of the league's starting players. If they were allowed to fight so freely, they might really be beaten to death by random punches. Master."

Phil Jackson put his two tail fingers to his mouth, whistled hard on the court, and then waved to signal the players to make a tactic.

The second quarter begins.

Zhang Jun leads the bench, and the Lakers are still led by Kobe.

I have to admit that Kobe is determined to compete for the championship this season. He took less than two minutes of rest in the first quarter and immediately came to lead the bench in the second quarter. He is also hardworking enough.

The Trail Blazers attacked and Zhang Jun singled out Kobe.

Kobe quickly took a step back.

Zhang Weiping was very embarrassed when he saw this scene. He didn't expect that a defense as strong as Kobe's would have to take a step back when facing Zhang Jun. You can imagine how powerful this guy's breakthrough is.

Zhang Jun broke through smoothly, and did not pass Kobe in the first step, but then followed up with a large change of direction in front of his body. This step change and movement directly separated him from Kobe by half a body.

Ronny Turiaf decisively moved up to help defend, and he grasped the opportunity well.

Zhang Jun combined with a sudden shot, waited for Ronny Turiaf to take a step forward, and immediately used a back-turn fadeaway jumper.

Uh-huh!

Basketball hits steadily.

Zhang Weiping shouted in the bottom of his heart. He wanted to praise Zhang Jun's mid-range singles skills. He was really not bad at all. Compared with Kobe, he was at most a little bit weaker. In terms of shooting percentage and stability, Zhang Weiping yelled. Jun's performance is even better.

This is due to Zhang Jun's extraordinary physical talent. Zhang Weiping would like to say that apart from Tracy McGrady, he has never seen anyone better than Zhang Jun's physical talent. Naturally, Kobe cannot compare with him.

Of course, Kobe has to fight back when he is beaten in singles. His mid-range singles skills are very similar to Zhang Jun's, except that there are more changes in his footsteps, and in the final shot, Kobe's force is stronger and his backward range is greater. It's bigger and requires more core strength.

That's Kobe. Others can't guarantee their hit rate when shooting in this position.

Duang!

Kobe's mid-range shot hit the mark, and the Trail Blazers took advantage of the situation and started a fast break.

Zhang Jun took the lead, and Kobe chased after him. The two of them jumped at the same time near the basket. Zhang Jun dunked hard, and Kobe almost blocked the shot.

"Zhang Jun's dunk is really scary. I suggest inviting him to participate in the dunk contest at the NBA All-Star Game next year."

Kenny Smith said.

Buckley agreed very much with this suggestion and said something meaningful.

"While Zhang Jun is young now, hurry up and invite him to participate in the dunk contest. In two seasons, those in the league office won't be able to invite him."