NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 577 Why are there always conflicts in the locker room? (Lakers chapter)
Faced with a series that is doomed to lose, how to motivate teammates becomes a big problem.

Faced with the choice between a last-ditch effort and completely laying low, many players silently chose the latter, ending early and enjoying their vacation. After all, losing does not affect their ability to make money.

Before the start of Game 4, Kobe did not encourage his teammates in the locker room, but instead issued a "must-win order". The atmosphere team responded positively on the surface, but Mamba was a little bit upset after the game started.

"Shh!"

In the Staples Center, more than 18000 Los Angeles fans booed again after the Lakers requested a timeout. After the second quarter started, the home team was still behind. Where was the promised battle of honor?
The director also focused the camera on Kobe who was walking towards the bench. He was wearing the yellow home jersey. The special Mamba had sweat all over his head. He waved his arms and communicated loudly with his teammates, looking a little anxious.

Duncan, who was sitting in his seat, also clapped his hands in annoyance. He really didn't understand why the opponent was in such good shape while his team's basket was blocked.

In the noisy arena, Phil Jackson sat in front of his players with an expressionless face. Instead of offering chicken soup as usual, he looked at everyone angrily and said:
"I don't see any energy from you guys! I don't want to be reminded again that the series isn't over yet!"

"."

The pre-game commentators' behavior of assigning blame still hurt the role players. Odom looked indifferent, as if saying, "I know you want to trade me."

Among the members of the atmosphere group, Vujacic did not applaud as passionately as before. He was badly criticized in the past two days. It was obviously the boss's fault for the loss, but he ended up becoming the "scapegoat".

Kobe, who was panting and gritting his teeth, didn't pay attention to anyone else. After the game started, he lost his calm mentality before the game. Li You kept shaking off the defense, as if mocking his incompetence.

In the ABC live commentary booth, the three chatted happily. As the series had lost its suspense, there were some changes in the commentary style.

Van Gundy transformed himself into a humorous championship coach, sharing his "championship experience" from time to time:
"The Lakers are in the same losing cycle as the Cavaliers. I don't like those reports. I think Kobe is the root cause of the loss!"

"You all know that I have been successful in New York, but the results of the Cavaliers have not met expectations, and a large part of the reason is the gap in core players."

"Tactics can't make up for these problems. Kobe should realize this. He must become more efficient and stable. Only in this way can he win."

On average of the three games, Kobe's shooting percentage is no more than 40%. If we ignore his name and only look at his efficiency, his data is very similar to Iverson's.

Some basketball commentators have discussed this issue in the past two days, and dug up Iverson's Eastern Conference Finals data. Mark Jackson also added fuel to the fire and quickly took over the conversation:
"I read the report from Philadelphia and there's an interesting view that Allen Iverson is underrated, considering he was playing against Lee in the past few years with the 76ers."

"It is indeed a fact that Iverson's experience was actually more difficult. There was no MVP on that 76ers team!"

Van Gundy smiled and gave a positive answer. He seemed to feel that he had not said enough and added seriously:
"Kobe showed a lack of leadership in this series. Although the game lasted less than 4 minutes, the Lakers' role players seemed to lack motivation and they did not show desire!"

"Basketball games are sometimes simple, but sometimes complicated. As a team leader, he must unite the locker room!"

"Although the Lakers have won a championship in recent years, judging from the results of this year's finals, they have not yet established a true winning culture. Kobe must learn from Lee in this regard."

In the noisy arena, the referee began to call the Lakers players back to the court. Phil Jackson was still pulling Radmanovich, who came off the bench, to give him instructions:

"Act tough!"

Radmanovic, who was aware of the situation in the locker room, nodded silently. The reason why everyone was not motivated was mainly because Kobe still could not break through Li You's limitations.

Fisher, who was preparing to kick a sideline ball, saw Kobe bouncing outside and asking for the ball at the top of the arc, attracting Li You again. He had no choice but to pass the ball to his teammate on the left wing who had just come on as a substitute.

According to the tactical requirements, Duncan immediately cross-screened with Odom at the baseline. The Knicks chose to switch defense. The former tried to receive the ball in the low post, and the latter accelerated to the right corner to open up offensive space.

Gasol tried hard to defend, and when Duncan received the ball, turned around and attacked facing the basket, he took the initiative to turn sideways, trying to let his old opponent break through with the ball in his left hand.

"attack!"

"Let *** look good!"

Some excited Los Angeles fans behind the basket stood up and shouted, but Duncan remained expressionless. He took a series of tentative steps with his right foot and found that the opponent had not changed his defensive strategy. After another fake move, he immediately released the ball with his left hand.

When Duncan began to force his way to the basket, Chandler immediately moved his feet at the bottom right side of the basket. Just like in the previous three games, he still insisted on double-teaming the inside.

Duncan, with an expressionless face, did not force an attack. When he approached the basket, he threw the ball to the right corner with his left hand. Odom, who was completely open, was hesitant when he received the ball.

Finally, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Odom missed another open three-pointer.
"Still failed to seize this open opportunity. The Lakers players seem to lack confidence!"

"I have to give credit to Duncan for passing the ball, but right now, they seem to need to score more."

Mike Breen subtly questioned Duncan's choice. In his opinion, Duncan lacked aggressiveness tonight and passed the ball frequently after the opening.

"Shhh!!"

The disappointed Lakers fans once again burst into loud boos. The rebound was picked up by Raja Bell, and the on-the-spot pressure did not have much effect. After receiving the ball, Li You easily rushed across half court against Kobe.

When Li You approached the left wing, the Knicks players also began to move in an orderly manner. Artest ran to the opposite corner, Gasol quickly moved up from the left near the baseline, and the players rotated one by one.

Kobe lost his composure soon after the game started, mainly because Li You played too many tricks and seemed to be constantly teasing him.

Right in front of the referee, Kobe Bryant cut the ball while defending him. Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, leaned sideways to protect the ball. While slapping his arm away with his ball-protecting hand, he gave his old rival instructions:
"Don't make reckless contact! Left? Right."

Kobe cut the ball fiercely with his teeth bared. When he saw the movement behind him, he couldn't help but rush to steal the ball again. Just as he stretched out his right arm, Li You in front of him suddenly shook his shoulders quickly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Kobe instinctively moved half a body length away, twisted his body, and led the ball forward. Li You suddenly accelerated, facing Odom who was coming up late, and made a small in-and-out while moving.

Li You swayed to the right and rushed to the left, while pushing the ball outwards, ignoring the defense and accelerating decisively. Kobe, who was chasing him, had supported Gasol and tried to cooperate with his teammates to double-team him, but Odom was actually thrown away in one step, and he cursed in anger:
"What the hell!"

Amid the boos, Odom, who was chasing and defending, rushed out of the baseline in a panic. After a brief confrontation, Li You jumped into the air. Duncan had no time to jump up to block the shot, as the old opponent in front of him had already dunked the ball with both hands!
Duncan was forced to take two steps back by the shaking body. Seeing Li You falling back to the ground, his eyes widened and he looked a little angry.

"I've got a gift for you this year too! Bro, how was the champagne last year?"

"."

Li You patted his old rival and made a preview with a smile. Thinking of the 4 points in G53 last year, Duncan was so angry that he almost punched. He wanted to launch a "charge" but ended up bumping into Chandler.

40:29, the score difference returned to double digits, and the referee blew the whistle continuously to separate the two big guys who were "head to head".

"The triangle offense is not suitable for today's league. I think the Lakers' tactical system must be changed. They need to make the offensive tempo faster."

"Lee changed modern basketball. In this era of more emphasis on space, low-post offense has become increasingly inefficient."

Van Gundy was once again "giving instructions" in the commentary booth. Seeing the smile on his partner's face, Mark Jackson immediately joked:

"You think that coach Phil Jackson's tactical system is outdated? God, I think many fans will not agree with you. The Lakers have a strong dominance in the Western Conference this year."

Seeing Kobe touch the screen and catch the ball in the right blocking area, Van Gundy explained again: "But they faced the Knicks in the finals. The Lakers couldn't find a player to match up with Lee. Kobe's poor performance was also related to defense."

On the right wing, Kobe, who received the ball, was almost intercepted by Li You. This forced him to readjust his body shape, quickly sweeping the ball from left to right, and taking continuous tentative steps, but he found that Li You was still slightly sideways.

There was no intention of passing the ball, nor was there any call for a pick-and-roll. Kobe moved his hands and feet behind the defense and made a strong shot from beyond the three-point line!
In order to avoid being blocked, Kobe leaned back slightly, raised the arc, and fell to the ground. The basketball finally went into the basket accurately. Before he could stand up, Mamba punched and roared:

"Yes!"

After three games, Kobe has also made changes on the offensive end. He rarely backed up to the basket tonight. Currently, he just faces the basket, makes quick stop jump shots, and pull-up jump shots.

"Oh!!"

The first cheers after the game started, Los Angeles fans actually didn’t ask for much, they just wanted to win decently once.

Duncan, who was just blocking for the ball, actually wanted the ball too, but scoring is always good, which made him celebrate with a high-five with his new partner when he retreated. Amid the cheers, everyone on the Lakers felt excited.

"Defense!."

Defensive cheers were heard again in the arena, and the narrowed score gap gave the Los Angeles fans at the scene hope.

Li You, who was close to the right wing, made a tactical gesture. Facing Kobe's defense, he dribbled the ball with a jump step and pretended to accelerate. When the opponent squeezed in front of him, he immediately stopped and then dribbled behind his back.

Kobe was still pressing forward, but Li You, who had switched to his left hand, suddenly turned around, then shook his wrist and threw the basketball to the right corner.

With a low cry, Artest, who had just slipped across the baseline and got rid of the defense after contacting the big man's screen, easily received the ball. Without making any adjustments, he made a decisive three-point jump shot in the right corner!

43:32, the Knicks responded quickly.

Kobe turned his head and couldn't help but "focus on death", and Radmanovic actually lost his defender.

Perhaps because he believed in his shooting touch, Kobe asked for the ball directly at the baseline, dribbled across half court himself, and when he reached the top of the arc, he dribbled between his legs continuously in place facing Li You's defense.

Actively increasing his dribbling strength, Kobe suddenly passed the ball, faced the defense, and shot directly from outside the three-point line!
"state!"

The basketball hit the back edge of the basket and bounced out straight. Duncan, who was fighting under the basket, had no chance to grab the rebound. Li You turned around and caught it immediately.

“Move!”

Phil Jackson, who was waving his arms on the sidelines, shouted loudly. Amid the boos that filled the arena, Li You rushed faster and faster. Kobe, who did not choose to foul, fought back desperately.

When approaching the three-point line, Li You suddenly pushed the ball and changed direction. Kobe had no time to adjust his center of gravity and was forced through.

It was too late to reach out and pull, Li You completely shook off the defense, stepped into the paint area, jumped with both feet, and slammed the ball into the basket again with both hands!

"Shh!"

The score difference widened, and there were 4 minutes and 30 seconds left in the first half. The Lakers fans at the scene could no longer hold their breath. What was the difference between this battle of honor and the previous one?
He couldn't help but speed up the offensive tempo, and when Duncan found Radmanovic who was running out of space in the right elbow area, the latter received the ball on the left wing and missed another three-pointer.

The nearly 20-second offensive time eventually turned into another counterattack by the Knicks. When Gasol's long pass found Li You, Kobe could only retreat quickly.

Loudly directing his teammates to man up in time, Kobe, who was retreating, stopped outside the three-point line. He just twisted his body and was about to defend Li You, but he didn't expect that his old rival would suddenly attack him!
In the transition offense, Li You was still one step away from Kobe, but he suddenly stopped and made a decisive jump shot!
Odom, who was chasing back to the paint, turned his head subconsciously to look at the basket. As the basketball went into the net, the Staples Center fell completely silent.
Duncan, who had just made up for the half-court break, stopped in frustration. He watched Li You jumping up and down and high-fiving his teammates to celebrate. For a moment, he lost his temper and squatted down, pounding the floor angrily.

48:32, the familiar score difference completely wiped out the emotions of the Lakers fans at the scene, and everyone became more and more silent.

When Duncan was surrounded by two people and was about to take a free throw, both free throws hit the rim and went out. There was jubilation on the Knicks bench, and Phil Jackson on the sidelines folded his arms and stared at everyone.

Gasol jumped up in the left blocking area and received the ball with his back to the basket. Without waiting for Odom to make any other moves, he made a ground pass the moment he received the ball.

Li You on the left wing accelerated, caught the ball before Kobe, forced his way into the paint, and jumped again against the defense in the paint area, floating to the left of the basket.
Kobe, who was defending behind him, jumped up with all his might, and Duncan, who was assisting in defense, also raised his right arm. When they collided in the air, Li You pulled his left arm to the side, and after an obvious pause, when his opponent began to fall, he tilted his body and threw the ball.

"squeak!"

The referee blew the whistle, and the three players fell out of the baseline almost at the same time. Duncan couldn't touch the basketball. As soon as he looked up, he heard the sighs of fans.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Seeing Li You being pulled up, the defectors shouted wildly.

The two teams showed completely different atmospheres at this time. Kobe did not need help from his teammates. He immediately stood up and complained loudly to the referee. Duncan looked up at the basket and looked extremely frustrated.

The other Lakers players did not react much either. They lowered their heads and stood in position, as if they had completely "given up". They watched their opponents celebrate wildly and waited quietly for Li You to stand on the free throw line.

51:32, Li You made another free throw and the Lakers requested a timeout again.

"It's over! Li suddenly exploded, ending the suspense of the game!"

"It's a pity. I think the remaining game time will most likely become a performance moment. The Knicks are in very good shape tonight and everyone looks very confident!"

Van Gundy gave his opinion bluntly, and the two people on the side did not refute it. Mark Jackson could feel the "energy" disappearing from the scene, and commented with some regret:

"I don't know what happened in the Lakers locker room. Duncan's performance reminded me of last year's Finals G4!"

"The Spurs lost by 53 points last year."

When the three began to popularize history to the online fans in front of the TV, the Lakers' performance after the timeout surprised them again.

Kobe Bryant shot repeatedly from beyond the three-point line, and in less than two minutes, he led the Knicks to a 6:0 run.
When Duncan also missed his shot, Staples Center turned into a library again. It was not until the last moment that Kobe stepped back on the left wing and scored again from outside the three-point line.

Such a beautiful goal only received boos from Los Angeles fans. At the end of the first half, the score was 63:35, and everyone broke down.

The angry Kobe ignored the fans on both sides of the player tunnel and yelled loudly before returning to the locker room:

"Shit! You guys played like shit! Why were you out there if you didn't want to win?"

Kobe scored 7 points in a single quarter, including 2 of 5 shots, 2 of 2 three-point shots, and 2 of 8 free throws, taking more than half of the team's points. The Lakers only scored 2 points in the second quarter.
No one responded to Kobe. Duncan seemed to be in a trance. He was not in a good condition before the game and rarely spoke in the past two days.

Everyone who returned to their seats looked at each other, and no one responded, which made Kobe even angrier. Without even looking at the old KFC man who entered the locker room, he shouted again:

"Give me the damn basketball in the second half!"

(End of this chapter)