bestfiction Chapter 213 023: Powerful Power Forward
Chapter 213 023: Powerful Power Forward
Chapter 213 023: Powerful Power Forward
As soon as the Celtics players got off the plane, they immediately felt the "enthusiasm" of Los Angeles.
Several billboards appeared near Los Angeles International Airport. The content on them was simple and clear, with golden flames burning green four-leaf clover.Even if it is not the finals, the Green Army players can understand what this means.
"It really is an old enemy. I felt different when I first came here." Garnett is playing for the Celtics for the first year, and he has never felt this way when he came to Los Angeles before.
Ray Allen and Garnett feel similar.In the past, I only thought that Los Angeles was a gorgeous entertainment capital.Arriving this time, there is a vague feeling of coming to a "hostile" city.
The Celtics arrived on the morning of the game day, and there was no routine training. The players spread out to rest, recharge their batteries, and wait for the game that started in the evening.
Not only did the reporters think that the Lakers' advancement was a fluke, but even some Celtics players felt the same way.There are three All-Star players in their team, and they are not afraid of any opponent.
Half a day passed quickly, and it was the eve of heading to the Staples Center in a blink of an eye.
Garnett has a lot of contact with Bill Russell, and he really likes the team culture of the Celtics.He put on his suit, picked up his backpack, and walked out of the hotel room.
The Big Three teams usually give way to each other.
The team entourage also has emotional intelligence and booked three rooms with the same specifications.
"Ray, we have a tacit understanding." Garnett saw that Ray Allen's suit was similar to his own style, communicated friendly, and walked out of the hotel together.
Rondo has been promoted to the main point guard by Celtics head coach Rivers, followed by the two big brothers and entered the elevator.
It took only ten minutes for the bus to carry the players from the idle state.
Pierce sat next to Rondo and communicated with his younger brother.
When the Celtics were about to start from the away hotel, Gao Fei had already arrived at the home team locker room.
The first game will use a gold jersey with a circular badge on the right shoulder and the words "NBA FINALS" printed inside.Gao Fei put on the No. 6 jersey, changed into sneakers, and then put on the golden warm-up suit for heat preservation.
The golden sneakers are placed at the bottom of the locker, and the shoelaces are re-laced to fit the equipment on the feet, which can bring the best protection to the players.
Gao Fei didn't stay in the locker room, and entered the court early to warm up for shooting.
Fans also entered the field early, wearing Lakers support team uniforms, watching the shooting warm-up, and discussing the upcoming game.
"The Celtics are going to be amazing this year." A Lakers fan who often watches the game said to his partner next to him.
"They traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The three star players are complementary and compatible, and there are also different kinds of players. They are really strong."
The fans talked a lot, but Gao Fei was not affected at all.
The caddy helped Gao Fei pick up the ball and specially practiced back-and-back jump shots.His passing does not need to be practiced. In fact, in many cases, he can find his state with simple adjustments.
The players entered the arena one after another.
Kobe walked up to Gao Fei and said with a smile: "Gao, you are not authentic. You came to warm up by yourself first."
Gao Fei's body was already active, feeling great, and passed the ball to Kobe: "Find your form quickly. This time the opponent is not ordinary."
Kobe and Garnett are good friends, so they naturally know the opponent's defensive ability.
Garnett is a passionate player, his mobility is better than Odom's, and his wingspan is quite long, which brings a correspondingly large defensive range.
The offensive areas of the Celtics' Big Three are all different in areas of expertise, and they complement each other.Compared with other combinations, it does not require much running-in.
Dick Bavita, who was the referee for the first game, tucked his T-shirt into his pants and hung his whistle around his neck, waiting for the game to start.
Gao Fei had found the on-site DJ in advance, and introduced him without any prefix, just a simple introduction.
The players from the visiting team played first, followed by Goofy.
There were extremely warm cheers at the scene.They are all after the commander of this team.
The lights came back on, and the starting players of both sides began to prepare.
ESPN released the starting list of both sides.
Lakers: Goofy, Kobe, Dudley, Luke Walton, Odom!
Celtics: Rondo, Ray Allen, Pierce, James Posey, Garnett!
Mike Breen saw the starting rosters of both sides and said: "The Celtics have Kevin Garnett, can play positions, and can also play fast with opponents. The Lakers are actually not easy to deal with."
Mark Jackson said: "Kevin Garnett and James Posey are both tall and long-armed defensive champions. With the training of defensive coach Tom Thibodeau, they are very organized in single defense and cooperative defense."
Gao Fei stretched his neck and stood in the backcourt, ready to defend Ray Allen.
They're both good off the ball, move a lot, and are naturally good defensively.
Garnett touched the ball with his right hand and passed the ball to Rondo who was standing in the backcourt.
The first game of the finals begins!
Rondo dribbled the ball across the half, and the O'Brien Cup, which was close to the center line, stopped and took a look.
Dudley's defensive ability is relatively weak, and he can deal with Rondo, who has a deviation in offensive ability.
Luke Walton is facing up to defensive giant James Posey.
Kobe played against Pierce, and Goofy defended Ray Allen.
Garnett mentioned the top of the arc and played a pick-and-roll with Rondo to break the Lakers' defense.
The scale of confrontation allowed in the finals is very large.
Odom didn't take advantage of this, hesitant in defense, and the defense against Rondo and Garnett was not in place.
Rondo's golf quotient is enough to suppress Odom, looking for opportunities while on the move, and throwing the ball near the basket.
The 10 Garnett that many fans see has actually suffered a serious knee injury.He is really at his peak, has a scandal of touching the top of the backboard, and plays an alley-oop, which is almost commonplace.
The right hand caught the basketball when it was falling, and dunked violently into the basket!
First record!
Lakers 0-2 Celtics!
Gao Fei received the ball in the backcourt, took advantage of the trend, and at the same time communicated with Odom who was a little confused: "Lamar, you can be more active in defense."
Odom nodded, ran to the frontcourt, and opened the space.
The Lakers do not have a strong inside line, and it is not suitable to play the triangle offense.Kobe's personal offense, try first.
Goofy's pass was in place, and it was given to Kobe in the paint.
James Posey is in charge of defense, and his long arms are like bamboo poles, affecting Kobe's offense.
Tom Thibodeau can be called the best defensive coach in the league. He has arranged his tricks and sat on the sidelines to watch Rivers perform.
Rivers is one of the few black head coaches in the league. He once led McGrady and almost let Duncan play under him.The network is very wide, but the level is not high.
Kobe Bryant's first turnaround jumper, missed!
Garnett reproduced his explosive athleticism, grabbed the rebound and passed it to Rondo in the backcourt.
The big men of the old days were usually very intimidating. They had a hot temper and some would slap teammates in practice.O'Neal tried it, and Garnett used it occasionally, so the players believed in them.
Gao Fei is defending against Ray Allen, and correspondingly, he cannot help defend, but a good defensive player has unparalleled awareness.
Rondo hit the ball to Pierce and was robbed by a bandit as soon as he walked halfway.
Gao Fei copied the ball, quickly counterattacked, and directly passed it to the fast-running Kobe.
Ordinary Celtics will suppress the rhythm, mistakes make everything futile.
Kobe caught the ball in the frontcourt, glided into the air, and dunked with one hand!
2-2!
Compared with the past, Kobe is more restrained and has a more stable style of play. If there is no Gao Fei, he might be able to win the MVP again, and finally ranked second with a disadvantage of 21 points.
The reason why the Lakers have such a strong threat is the support of two top perimeter players.
Gao Fei pointed to Kobe and stood beside Ray Allen to prevent him from running.
"Cover! Cover!" Rivers knew that Ray Allen was an indispensable part of the offensive end. If he was blocked by Gao Fei, the offense would be greatly reduced.
James Posey and Garnett, both fast forwards, formed two screens and blocked Ray Allen's chances.
Rondo trusts his passing very much. Although he made a mistake once, he still chooses to hit the ground to pass the ball.
Ray Allen received the ball, made no adjustments, and threw the ball directly.
The shooting posture is beautiful and the movements are clean and neat. Many basketball fans are willing to use this kind of shooting.
Swish!
2-5!
Ray Allen has a bald head, chewing gum, and seems to have adapted to the three-pointer, not excited, retreating to the backcourt to defend.
Gao Fei advances with the ball, like a painting on the court, patiently organizing the offense.
Kobe received the ball in the paint area, tested the defense with three threats, and saw that James Posey didn't hesitate at all.
Thibodeau has strong attainments on the defensive end. He taught James Posey the essentials of defense in advance, letting him take advantage of his height and wingspan, not to jump easily, and at the same time use his body to fight the defense.
Kobe played a few games of organization, and he didn't just attack blindly, passing to Goofy who ran out of opportunities on the right.
Ray Allen's defense is not very strong, above average, and his physical fitness is too poor. He straightened his right hand and could only place it on Gao Fei's chest.
Despite the injury, Gao Fei's take-off height was hardly affected. He took off on the spot and made a three-pointer from the bottom corner.
Bingo!
5-5!
Garnett picked up the basketball buffered by the Nets, stepped out of the baseline, and marveled at Goofy's accuracy and calmness.
"This kid is really difficult to deal with." He wanted to send the ball to Rondo, but found that he was covered by Gao Fei and had to give it to Pierce who responded.
Gao Fei quickly switched defenses, and the matchup restricted Pierce.
Kobe and Goofy are about the same size, can defend Ray Allen, and switch defenses seamlessly.
Pierce dribbles sideways and passes back to Rondo, who initiates the offense.
Both Ray Allen and Pierce came to the strong side, pulling the Lakers' two best defensive perimeter players apart to help teammates create offensive opportunities.
Rondo and Garnett played pick-and-roll cooperation, looking for opportunities on the move.
Odom gave a lot of physical confrontation, but there were not many changes, and he failed to intercept the pass midway.
Garnett made a shot in the confrontation, heard the whistle, and ended the ball with his left hand!
Hit the board!
There are additional penalties!
5-7!
Garnett high-fives Rondo first, and then it's everyone's turn.The Celtics are very cohesive on the court and can be felt in the details.
Gao Fei stood at the top of the arc, looked at Garnett's thin back, and felt that this power forward who could run and jump fit the Celtics very well.
"Anji is ruthless, but he has two skills." Gao Fei admired Anji's trading skills in his heart.
Neither Garnett nor Ray Allen are free agents and cannot be recruited with rings. They were both acquired through trades.
There are also penalties!
"Kevin Garnett is more terrifying than when he was in the Timberwolves." The fans felt that Garnett supported the Celtics inside and was more stable than when the Timberwolves.
"In the past, the Timberwolves were weak on the perimeter and their defense was not good enough. From the coaching staff to the players, the Celtics are basically the best configuration, and of course they are stronger than before."
Gao Fei connected with Kobe, led a layup, and completed a quick cooperation.
7-8!
"Kevin, we won't give up easily." Kobe was in a good mood and greeted his old friend Garnett.
Garnett really wanted to get the first championship trophy in his career, like a warrior who went to battle to kill the enemy, he ran to the frontcourt quickly without answering.
Celtics players, most of them think that green blood flows in their bodies.Both offensive and defensive ends are very hardworking.The collision on the offensive end is also unambiguous.
Odom didn't resist, took a step back and gave Garnett half a step.
Generally speaking, top teams have good insiders.The Lakers are a special case, only Odom is above the level.
Garnett is a player who is better defensively than offensively. He usually doesn't focus on the main offense. He is full of vitality when playing against the weak inside Lakers.
"Everyone is excited, this is the battlefield!" Garnett's more commendable thing is to mobilize the emotions of his teammates.
Passionate offense and defense can bring additional effects.
In the first half of the game, with Garnett's excellent performance on both ends of the offense and defense, the Lakers fell behind by 5 points and entered the intermission.
"Keep working harder and use hand-to-hand combat in the second half to strangle the Lakers' offense!" Rivers is not responsible for the specific tactics, and his main responsibility is to feed the players chicken soup.
Garnett sat in the corner and said after Rivers' speech: "The Lakers are not strong. They mainly rely on two guards and pinch them two. I will help defend the rest."
The players all know Garnett's defense range and trust him.
James Posey has almost no role on the offensive end and is exclusively responsible for defense.He took the initiative to say, "I'll follow Kobe."
"Okay, everyone finds their position. Strengthen the physical confrontation and get back the home court advantage first." Rivers applauded and cheered, using his tone to drive the team's emotions.
Staff reminded players to return to the field.
Garnett did what he said, strengthening the confrontation on the defensive end without losing flexibility.At the beginning of the third quarter, Luke Walton was given a strong hot pot.
I saw my teammate when I blocked the shot, the direction was right, and it fell into Pierce's hands.
Rondo advances with the ball and passes it to James Posey.
The defensive champion is good at defending, not knowing how to attack. He jumps from the bottom corner and shoots a three-pointer directly!
No one can be empty on the basketball court. This is a saying that can be confirmed from two-dimensional to three-dimensional.
Odom took off to grab a rebound, saw the ball go in, and had no choice but to serve from the baseline.
Kobe could feel the momentum of the Celtics players on both ends of the offense and defense, and he felt a sense of oppression, holding the ball and rushing in.
James Posey and Garnett immediately gave up their opponents and double-teamed, extending the advantages of height and wingspan to the limit.
Kobe is good at difficult offense, but in a confrontational state, and the air field is occupied.
clang!
A good piece of iron!
Garnett turned around quickly, protected the defensive rebound, and after the Lakers retreated, he handed over to Rondo to counterattack.
Rondo has a clear mind, knows the advantages and disadvantages of the two teams, knows how to make use of their strengths and avoid weaknesses, and cooperates with Garnett in the pick-and-roll again.
There was a loophole in the cooperation between Odom and Dudley, and Rondo was put in the penalty area.
Luke Wharton made up the defense and was activated by Rondo's pass fake. If he wanted to defend, he already had considerable difficulty.
Rondo made a layup with a time difference, wiped the board and made a layup!
Very poor!
The Boston fans smiled knowingly, watched the situation on the field, and did not forget to use their mobile phones to post in the forum.They began to ridicule, thinking that the Lakers' overvalued remarks made sense.
Gao Fei threw a three-pointer directly, facing the defense, and made a tough hit!
Mark Jackson in the commentary said: "Although Gao is very powerful, he is more often used to organize offenses. Their offense is very difficult, so they need to shoot high. Overall, this is not a good phenomenon."
"The Celtics responded perfectly, and Tom Thibodeau has a targeted defense against the double guards. Kevin Garnett and James Posey's defense is indeed too wide." Jeff Van Gundy added to his partner's words.
Zen master never likes to call a timeout, but the team is in a difficult situation and still has to make adjustments.
"Guys, have we accomplished our mission?" Zen master was rarely strict. "To reach the finals is to accomplish our goal, right?"
Kobe pursed his lips, but did not speak.Their goal is simple, but of course it is also difficult, that is to win the championship.
The Western Conference was indeed a bit lacking in intensity, and with Nash injured, he did not face a real challenge.The Celtics are obviously another level. With three stars plus defensive champions and team commanders, they can be called the most balanced team.
The Celtics players still did not let up, continued to encourage each other, eager to win the game.
Gao Fei returned to the court, received Odom's serve, and took the half court slowly.
Due to insufficient internal and external connection, only personal attacks can be launched.
Garnett defended Odom, decisively helping to defend, trying to block Goofy.
Goofy is not an offensive player, he hits the ground and passes the ball, connecting with Odom standing in the penalty area.
Odom raised the ball over his head, trying to complete a dunk, and suddenly felt a strong force coming from the side.
Garnett reacted quickly and blocked Odom who was slightly hesitant when he was almost out of position.
Odom missed the ball and wasted a great opportunity.
Kobe was very angry and yelled directly at Odom.
Garnett's defense range seems to be a shadow hanging over his heart, which makes Odom a little at a loss.
The Celtics played without stage fright, and were vaguely anti-customer-oriented. They suppressed the Lakers in momentum and quickly widened the point difference to 13 points.
Gao Fei called Odom up and cooperated with the pick-and-roll.
The Celtics' defensive strategy is very simple, which is to pinch Goofy and empty Odom.
Garnett and Rondo's pincer defense used physical confrontation to block Goofy almost in a free combat style.
Hit the ball high and hand it over to Odom!
Garnett returned to the defense quickly, guessing that the opponent was a little timid, and the defense was frightened, which successfully affected the rhythm of the shot.
The arc of the basketball deviated slightly, hit the left edge of the basket, turned into a rebound, and fell into Pierce's hands!
Mike Breen said: "The Lakers may have rested for too long, there is no rhythm on both ends of the offense and defense, and they are playing a bit distracted."
"Lamar Odom cares too much about KG, which affects his own rhythm. Now we still need to pause and try to adjust." Jeff Van Gundy believes that Odom's performance is seriously abnormal and needs to be paused and adjusted.
Zen master is a top coach, and he can also see the existing problems, so he called a timeout and let Odom take a temporary rest.
Chris Mim was sent on the field to replace Odom in an effort to increase the hardness of the inside line.
"It doesn't matter if you play poorly, you must show your strength." When the Zen master explained to Chris Mim, his voice was a bit loud, which seemed to be done on purpose.
Gao Fei and Kobe didn't rest, and wanted to narrow the point difference to less than ten.
Garnett is the backbone of the Celtics, but on the offensive end, Ray Allen and Pierce are more confident.
After a long silence, Pierce chose to play post-up.
With both feet barely off the ground, with a unique rhythm, he threw the ball out.
Kobe's defense almost touched the basketball, a short distance away, and he could only look back to see if he made it to the net!
clang!
The basketball bounced up, landed in a positive position, and entered the basket!
Lakers 62-77 Celtics!
Gao Fei looked at the scoreboard and felt that the difference in strength between the two sides was not that big.The setback on the offensive end really affected morale.
Kobe took the initiative to speak: "High, pass the ball!"
Gao Fei didn't hesitate, passed the ball, and then started running.
James Posey focused on one thing, and that was to block the attacker.
Kobe didn't find the touch, and shot according to the conventional action, which was slightly short of distance.
short!
Chris Mim stuck Garnett, but Luke Walton couldn't grab Pierce and lost the ball again.
The Celtics bench threw the towel like crazy and supported the players on the court.
Rivers also applauded continuously, mobilizing the players' emotions together.
The more Garnett played, the more excited he was, and the empty match with Rondo, the height was simply amazing.
Goofy came out from the sidelines, fouled Garnett roughly, and intercepted an alley-oop dunk that was inevitable!
The scene became very hot within a second.
The Lakers and Celtics gathered and shoved each other.
Bavita blew his whistle and stopped among the players to avoid a large-scale conflict.
Knowing that the team had the lead, Garnett yelled as bad as he wanted.
Chris Mim pulls Goofy away, preventing the conflict from actually breaking out.
Gao Fei couldn't pretend he didn't hear it, and he also yelled at him until he got a technical foul.The dispute was declared over.
"Chris, if Kevin wants to dunk next time, don't hesitate to pull him down." Gao Fei knew that what the team lacked the most was toughness, so he explained to his teammates and asked them to pay attention to details and show their attitude.
Bavita replayed the video and did not upgrade the foul, allowing Garnett to execute a free throw.
In this game, Gao Fei's touch was not found, and his efficiency was not high.
Kobe also failed to stand up.
When both guards are misfired, the strength of the Lakers is greatly reduced.
The Celtics turned their backs and built a nearly 20-point lead in the third quarter.
Zen Master still chose to rely on the double guards, but the Celtics were too resolute in targeting Gao Fei and Kobe all the time.
In this case, it is still possible to attack, but the efficiency will plummet.
Garnett's defensive deterrence to the other three players far exceeds the data performance.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Lakers basically surrendered.
"This should be the Lakers' first defeat in the playoffs this season." Mike Breen's commentary is like a footnote for the Lakers' defeat.
Kobe walked into the player tunnel with his head down. The light in the shadows was not very bright.
Gao Fei walked at the end, thinking carefully about the problems in this game.The Celtics are obviously more balanced, and have infinite fighting spirit, which is an unprecedented challenge.
Both he and Kobe are top players, so they are naturally not afraid, but other players will inevitably be affected when facing such a strong team.
The impact brought by Garnett is the most intuitive, and the defense seems to be everywhere.He lost to Gao Fei in the selection of the best defensive player, and he is still not convinced.
The atmosphere in the visiting team's locker room is more active than when we first arrived.
"The Lakers are just bad. They got into the finals because of luck." Garnett and Goofy almost had a conflict, and now they won the game, and they didn't have a word for it.
There were too many reporters at Staples Center, and the voices were so loud that the voices in the two locker rooms could not reach each other.
Gao Fei wanted to hold a player meeting, but felt it was not the right time, so he decided to build a team after training tomorrow, to speak up, and try to make the players ignore the Celtics' bluff.
Before the post-match press conference, Gao Fei met the Celtics' Big Three.
They all greeted Kobe, but ignored Goofy as if he didn't exist.
"Gao, don't worry about it." Kobe is the big brother, taking care of the little brother's feelings, "Calm down your emotions, let's go for an interview."
Gao Fei didn't take it to heart, just looked at the backs of the three of them, and decided to kill the Celtics no matter what the price was.In this world, only winners are respected.
Loser is nothing.
(End of this chapter)