bayedsolid Chapter 620 The Nets' Double-Edged Sword!
Chapter 620 The Nets' Double-Edged Sword!
With a loud thud, Wang Xiucheng completed a seemingly ordinary free-throw line dunk at Staples Center!
5 is better than 2!
Although the Lakers gained possession first and scored the first basket.
But Durant hit a three-pointer for the Nets, and Wang Xiucheng made a steal, so the Nets took the lead from the start.
James chased back two steps, but gave up when he reached the mid-line.
I can’t catch up. I can’t catch up at all!
If he were ten years younger, he would give it his all, but now he'd better give up.
With that kind of energy, you might as well shoot a few three-pointers.
Prince ran back, picked up the ball from the ground, and passed it to James.
James glanced at Wang Xiucheng's position before dribbling forward himself.
He was going to back down Durant after receiving the ball.
But Wang Xiucheng suddenly appeared behind Durant, and he had no time to react. He could only watch helplessly as the basketball was slapped away by Wang Xiucheng.
"This match won't be easy!"
James lobbed the ball to Davis, who had already secured a position inside, and then pulled Durant to the baseline.
Davis leaned against Towns, creating a little space before turning and hitting a jump shot.
James reached out and patted Davis on the shoulder as he ran back.
With Davis on the team, there aren't many teams in the league that can rival the Lakers at the center position.
However, James knew very well that Davis didn't want to play center.
However, the Lakers' salary cap space doesn't allow them to bring in another starting-caliber center, so Davis will have to continue playing.
Possession changed hands, and Wang Xiucheng carried the ball to the frontcourt, where Russell, who had been waiting, immediately closed in.
Wang Xiucheng pushed Russell, then switched hands between his legs, used his other hand to block Russell, and drove into the paint.
Russell immediately turned around to chase after him, but unexpectedly, Wang Xiucheng suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Russell had just started to accelerate and couldn't brake to a standstill like Wang Xiucheng.
The next moment, Russell crashed into Wang Xiucheng.
Ah!
Russell didn't even need to look to know that Wang Xiucheng was screaming in agony again.
Swish!
The sound of the basketball going through the net rang out.
Russell knew that despite Wang Xiucheng's terrible screams, he didn't hesitate at all and threw the ball.
With a whistle, the referee blew the whistle.
Russell turned and walked straight back to his own half, not wanting to look at the referee at all.
He knew that the referee must be signaling to the scorer's table that Wang Xiucheng's shot was valid and that he needed to get a free throw.
From the moment Russell collided with Wang Xiucheng, he could already foresee a series of events that would follow.
In fact it is.
As Wang Xiucheng was bumped by Russell, he lunged forward, simultaneously throwing the basketball in his hand.
Davis jumped up to try and block the ball, but he didn't even touch it.
Swish!
Wang Xiucheng stood at the free throw line and made the first free throw of the night.
Steal, dunk, free throw...
Wang Xiucheng demonstrated each of the skill packages.
I thought this situation would continue throughout the first quarter.
But then the Lakers suddenly went on a rampage.
Russell, who had been holding his breath, scored consecutive baskets, while Davis also dominated the paint.
On the contrary, James didn't have any outstanding performances.
Throughout the first quarter, the Lakers' exceptionally high shooting percentage allowed them to score a high of 37 points.
The Nets had a slightly lower shooting percentage than the Lakers, but still managed to score 28 points, which is within the normal range.
Surprisingly, after scoring the Nets' first 5 points, Wang Xiucheng disappeared, just like James.
Davis and Russell stepped up for the Lakers.
For the Nets, it was Thomas.
During Wang Xiucheng's third attack, he passed the ball to Thomas, who then made a long two-pointer. Wang Xiucheng then intentionally let Thomas shoot.
Especially after Durant and Towns left the game.
Thomas's shooting touch tonight was truly frightening. He took 6 shots in the first quarter and made them all, scoring 14 points.
It can be said that Wang Xiucheng set a good beginning and a good ending, scoring 8 points.
Thomas scored 14 points in a mid-range shot.
The two players scored 22 of the Nets' 28 points.
But Thomas's problem has never been offense, but defense.
Whether facing Reeves or Russell, Thomas has had a hard time effectively limiting them.
If it weren't for his good shooting night and greater contribution on offense, he probably would have been substituted by the defensively-minded Udoca long ago.
The first quarter ended with the Lakers leading 37-28.
At the start of the second quarter, Wang Xiucheng and Thomas rested, while Durant and Towns returned to the court.
The Lakers' shooting percentage finally returned to normal, which allowed the score to climb back and forth between the two teams.
When Thomas returned, this was once again targeted by the Lakers.
In less than three minutes, the Lakers went on an 8-2 run.
Uduka immediately replaced Wang Xiucheng, which stabilized the situation.
The two sides reached a stalemate.
With one minute left in the first half, the Nets were down by 14 points, 52-66.
The good news is that the first half is about to end and the Lakers are leading by 14 points.
The bad news is that the game went into the final minute and the Nets had possession.
The entire Lakers bench was standing and watching the game.
They knew all too well what "the King's Time" meant.
Not only the players, but all the fans in the Staples Center stood up at that moment.
Russell and Reeves sandwiched Wang Xiucheng from the front and back, preventing him from even receiving the ball.
On the contrary, Thomas, who performed well today, had an open space here.
Towns passed the ball to Thomas, who had an endless field of vision in front of him. He carried the ball all the way to the frontcourt before Prince finally pounced on him.
But Dillon, who was matched up against Prince, was now available.
Even if Thomas has no instinct for passing, he must pass the ball to Dillon at this point, otherwise Udoca will definitely call a timeout to substitute him.
Thomas's pass wasn't very accurate; Dillon received the ball, adjusted his position, and then shot the three-pointer.
Bang!
The ball bounced off the rim and was rebounded by Davis.
Davis dribbled Towns a step and then passed to James.
While the Nets players were still out of position, James shoved Dillon aside with his shoulder and then slammed home a fast break dunk, scoring two points.
The Lakers now lead the Nets 68-52, a 16-point advantage.
James seemed extremely satisfied with the team's performance tonight, once again displaying his signature swagger, though his eyes remained fixed on Dillon.
Udoka walked straight onto the field and called a timeout.
I simply can't stand it!
He now finds nothing about Thomas appealing.
Thomas's scoring ability is undeniable.
If you let him farm, he can rack up 30 or 40 points in a game.
However, the opponent can also keep attacking him one-on-one.
The score at this moment is the best proof.
Thomas has already scored 20 points in the first half.
However, the Nets were down by 16 points.
Last month, in the Mid-Season Invitational between the Nets and the Lakers in Las Vegas, the Lakers only made two three-pointers throughout the entire game.
But tonight, the Lakers have already made 6 three-pointers.
Three of those shots were made when he was matched up against Thomas.
And that pass just now, if it had been Wang Xiucheng who passed it, Dillon would have shot immediately after receiving the ball.
However, Thomas's pass forced Dillon to take a step to receive the ball, and then he had to adjust himself before he could shoot.
The scouting report's assessment that Thomas couldn't pass the ball now seems to be absolutely true.
Udoka had seen reports in Japanese media saying that Thomas complained about not getting enough playing time.
But with this level of defense, how long do you expect to play?
Thomas is like a double-edged sword; if you use him to score, you have to put up with his defense!