One Guard

In the second round of the playoffs, many teams encountered difficulties of varying degrees.

The Celtics, an ancient giant as famous as the Lakers, are currently 2-0 behind in the confrontation with the Heat's Big Three. Although 2 to 0 is only a temporary score, it does not represent the final result. But in the history of the NBA, there are not many teams that can come back from a 2-0 deficit.

The ancient giants of the Celtics are in trouble, and the giants of the Lakers are also not doing well recently.

In the first game of the Western Conference semifinals, they lost to the Mavericks. Moreover, it was still when Kobe scored 36 points.

Although the Mavericks temporarily lead in the total score, the outside world still seems to be optimistic that the Lakers can make it out of the tight encirclement, and that Kobe can reunite with James in the finals. Because under the "Zen Master" Jackson's gag order, no one knew the fact that Kobe's injury aggravated again.

So before the start of this game, when "Zen Master" Jackson got off the team bus, the white-haired old man's brows never loosened. He is very clear about what kind of state Kobe is now, and now Jackson only hopes that Carlisle will not see anything unusual about Kobe. Otherwise, if he deploys defense against Kobe, it will not be good news for the Lakers and Kobe.

For this game, Jackson is very fancy. After all, the Lakers have won two championships in a row in the previous two seasons. With the championship team almost unchanged, winning three consecutive championships and establishing a dynasty is naturally the only goal of Jackson and the Lakers.

It's just that this year, it seems that it is not so easy to break out of the encirclement.

"Coach Phil! How do you and the team feel after a day of closed adjustments yesterday? Will the missed lore in the last game have an impact on the players' psychology! I heard that Kobe and Artes Te got into a fight at practice, is that true!?" Reporters scrambled to stick out their mics as the Lakers players walked the distance from the underground parking lot into the tunnel.

"Zen Master" looked at the reporter. If he walked over with such a serious face without saying anything, the media might make up some exaggerated news next.

So, the old man stopped. Suddenly, dozens of microphones reached his mouth.

"My players are in good shape, my team is in good shape, and I'm in good shape. Everything's fine. We're just waiting for one victory. As for the conflict between Bryant and Ron, heh, I read the report as a novel." After speaking, "Zen Master" Jackson turned and left.

The reporters were all excited. It seemed that Jackson was full of confidence in today's game. However, is this really the case?

On May 4, the second contest between the Mavericks and the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals was still held at the American Airlines Center Arena.

The time has entered May, and the temperature in Dallas has begun to soar. Of course, what really makes the city hot is not the temperature, but basketball.

At 6:30 in the afternoon, the afterglow of the setting sun still remained in the western sky. From a distance, there was only a little light under the black sky, which proved that the night had not come completely.

Still, the city of Dallas is already brightly lit. The streets near the American Airlines Center arena were even more crowded.

Fanatical fans are walking towards the American Airlines Center Arena, because it has become impossible to drive in under this kind of crowd density.

At this time, there is only half an hour before the start of the game.

But Vignali and Wen Xue were still blocked on the road. These two public figures are now just part of a dense crowd, no one recognizes who they are, and all have a common identity Mavericks fans.

A few Lakers fans who were bustling were caught in the crowd, and they didn't dare to show one. The policemen on duty on the street are all paying attention to the "uninvited guests" wearing the golden Lakers T-shirts. If there is disorder on the street today, it is most likely because of them.

Fortunately, Wen Xue and Vignali had Cuban's permission to enter the arena directly through the VIP channel, so they rushed to their seats before the game started.

When Vignali sat down in the row closest to the scene, players from both sides had already entered the field to warm up.

At this moment, Vignali, who was sitting in the first row, was only a few meters away from Yiyang. In front of her is the arena and behind her are the stands, which can be said to be full of presence.

Yiyang accidentally turned his head and saw Vignali, and nodded slightly to her. As for the frail Wen Xue, she continued to pay attention to her son in the luxury box.

"Hey! Let's shout, shout!" In the stands, a fat man suddenly appeared to mobilize the fans' emotions. The fans obeyed Fatty's command and gave a neat sound of cheering.

That passionate fat man is none other than Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Compared to the luxury box, Cuban prefers to be among the crowd and mingle with the fans. He believes that only in this way can he experience the full passion of the basketball game.

In the VIP box where Wen Xue was, Mike Brin and Kevin Harlan's commentary had already started.

Before the game starts, they naturally want to analyze the situation on the field for the fans. Today is still in the warm-up stage, and the two commentators discovered the clues.

"Did you find anything Kevin? Look, when warming up and shooting today, most of the Mavericks players shot from outside the three-point line. Even Yi and Kidd are no exception. Does this mean that, Coach Carlisle emphasized the offensive mode dominated by three-point shooting? After all, we all know that the Mavericks are best at jump shots, and they just have two excellent point guards who can safely send the ball to the shooter." Mike .Brin's analysis was endorsed by his partner.

"It's very possible! The Mavericks have many players with excellent three-point ability. And the Lakers' twin towers protect the basket very tightly. Therefore, it is indeed a good way to choose to break through from outside the three-point line .The only question now is, when the game starts, will the Mavericks shooters be able to make the ball."

If even the two commentators can see the clue, how could the "Zen Master" Jackson, who is the godfather of the champion, fail to notice this detail?

But Jackson didn't immediately change his defensive strategy. He couldn't judge the opponent's tactics just because of the opponent's few shots in the warm-up stage. Maybe Carlisle asked the players to do this just to confuse himself?

In order to win the game in the playoffs, the head coach can use any method.

The warm-up time is over, the players of both sides leave the field, and the head coach begins to make the final deployment.

Kobe was already sweating during the warm-up, and today he directly wore a pair of thick leggings to protect his entire leg. But "Zen Master" is still worried. If the protective gear can really eradicate injuries, then the alliance would have been peaceful long ago.

"Remember, pass the ball more to Paul and Andrew inside. We will play more inside today and let them share your scoring pressure. If I think you feel unwell on the court, I will replace you immediately!" Before the game started , Jackson still gave Kobe a "vaccination" in advance.

Kobe gave Jackson an "ok" gesture with a relaxed face, but in fact, the most uncomfortable person right now is Kobe.

"Jet, don't you really want to play? Today, I let you start! Three-pointers, at the beginning of the game, you have to use three-pointers to lay a good foundation for me! Defensive end, also, you go to defend Kobe. Don't be afraid of his breakthrough, listen to me, press the defense, don't give Kobe any space to shoot, don't give it a step!" On the other hand, Carlisle is already making a big fuss about Kobe's injury.

"Well, press the defense." Yiyang didn't know why Carlisle wasn't afraid of Kobe's breakthrough, but this academic coach never lied to himself. He said to press Kobe Bryant, ok, then make it, it must be wrong.

After the head coaches of the two sides finished speaking, the starting five tigers of the two teams also took off their training clothes and stepped onto the court.

"In the last game, the Lakers once led the Mavericks by 14 points, but at the last moment they were overturned by Yi's quasi-lore and block lore. Although Kobe scored a game-high 36 points, the Lakers fell short. After Kobe was very upset, he named and criticized his teammates. Let us see what kind of state the Lakers will play against the Mavericks again after a day off. After all, for the defending champion, this game cannot be missed. NBA history is 0 There are very few teams that come back from 2 down, and the Lakers don't want to be in this predicament."

Following Mike Brin's commentary, ESPN's on-site photographer also pointed the lens at Yiyang and gave him a close-up of his half body. This magical guard who played in the playoffs for the first time but helped the Mavericks overcome difficulties again and again has become the key to whether the Mavericks can go further in the playoffs.

Before the game started, Kobe looked at Yiyang. Yiyang also happened to be looking at his former idol Kobe, and the two looked at each other.

Yiyang doesn't know that Kobe's injury is getting worse, and Kobe doesn't know that Yiyang is about to launch a pressing defense against him.

These two guards who sparked off in the last game, what kind of raging fire will be ignited for the American Airlines Center Arena today?

If the Lakers cannot win today, the defending champion will return to Los Angeles with great pressure.

If the Mavericks can't win today, they are bound to struggle in Los Angeles.

Both sides want to win, and both sides see this game as the turning point of the entire series.

Vignali, who was sitting on the sidelines, twitched her high nose. Sitting in the first row closest to the court, she seemed to smell a bit of blood...