Grab Curry at the start

Chapter 353
In the fourth game between the Timberwolves and the Lakers, whether the Lakers can pull back a round is actually not that important.

Fans mainly want to see wonderful moments, unless the Lakers can win three games in a row, otherwise, everyone thinks that the Timberwolves will smoothly enter the Western Conference Finals.

Since Zhang Sixin coached, the Western Conference finals have been their most basic achievement, which is simply ruthless.

The Lakers still hope to get back a little face.

I really think the Lakers may come back, and none of the Lakers players know if there is one.

But there is no doubt that Kobe will never leave the playoffs stage like this, he will definitely work hard.

Two days after the Timberwolves won the match point, the game between the Timberwolves and the Lakers began in the Western Conference semifinals.

As expected, the Lakers didn't make changes to their irreplaceable roster.

Already standing on the edge of the cliff, Kobe opened fire when he came up.

The first goal is 2+1, ignoring the defense at all.

The Timberwolves didn't attack in an all-round way at first, because they didn't see Kobe's attitude.

So Kobe scored in double figures in the first quarter, completely returning to the top.

However, Kobe's performance and the Lakers did not complement each other.

Kobe desperately scored points, but the rest of the Lakers couldn't score at all. It felt that the last few minutes of the Lakers' plot had already advanced to the first quarter.

As for the Timberwolves, they are still blooming more, and they are not playing well without players coming up.

But even so, they have always been in the leading position.

No matter how strong Kobe is, one person can't score as much as the five Timberwolves.

At this time, Kobe probably missed a strong teammate very much, and he couldn't win in the playoffs alone.

When it came to the rotation period, the Lakers couldn't stand it anymore.

The Timberwolves can keep the intensity of the game unchanged through rotation. The Lakers let all the main players play more, and the tactics may be more stable, but the players must consume more energy and cannot keep up with the Timberwolves. rhythm.

Fortunately, in the second quarter, the Twin Towers, who had been struggling in the front, finally showed some performance, and the Lakers barely held on in the first half.

In fact, it can be felt that Kobe's physical strength has dropped significantly by the second quarter.

Compared with when he was at his peak, Kobe's style of play has actually changed a little bit, and he has become smarter.

So from the data point of view, he seems to have continued to peak, but when it comes to the high-intensity confrontation in the playoffs, his body will still protest.

Maybe he can still play on the court, but his shooting rate will drop, and his footsteps will be slower when defending. The fans will not be able to see it, but the athletes who directly confront him on the court will know it.

In the second quarter, although the Timberwolves still maintained a stable level, the Lakers players may indeed have been infected by Kobe, and others stepped forward to help the team bite the score.

So although the Timberwolves lead, they don't lead by much. Everyone still has a chance in the second half.

But there is a problem that the Lakers need to consider, that is, they caught the Timberwolves by surprise in the first half, so they are still behind, and the Timberwolves are prepared in the second half, whether they have the ability to perform better and let the series continue.

This is actually a very cruel question. The team did not take the lead even after Kobe attacked. Rationally speaking, the Lakers are really difficult, unless the Timberwolves mess up and ruin the game themselves in the second half.

But with Zhang Sixin here, it is impossible for the Timberwolves to have such a problem.

In the third quarter, the Timberwolves came up with a high confrontation and flanked Kobe.

Bryant's shooting environment was much worse than in the first half, and he had to try three-pointers from the outside.

He didn't hit a three-pointer when he felt good in the first half, but he actually hit one in the third quarter under strict defense. Some of Kobe's shots may indeed have to be more difficult.

It's just that when Kobe broke out, other Lakers players were sluggish. This is a problem that the champion coach Zen Master has not completely solved, and the Lakers' head coach Brown this season has nothing to do.

At the same time, Curry finally broke out.

Curry's performance in the first half was mediocre, and he was entangled by the Lakers' defense.

But the adjustment ability of superstars is more targeted than the opponent's defense.

As a young superstar, Curry has plenty of physical strength, so naturally he cannot be restricted all the time.

As a result, Kobe's various difficult goals appeared on the scene, and his personal score went straight to 30+, but the team was opened up by the Timberwolves.

It does make fans feel sad, but this is the reality of the Lakers now.

The Lakers basically didn't come on the bench in the second half, and they really wanted to get back a game.

Zhang Sixin was also very moved, but out of respect for them, the Timberwolves would not release the water.

In fact, the Lakers played well before the third quarter, but during the rotation period, the physical strength of the Lakers' players began to have problems.

The Timberwolves rotate on time, and the players are full of energy.

This time is the time to widen the gap.

The score, which had narrowed the gap for some time, was quickly opened.

Bryant tried another three-point shot, but this time he couldn't hit it.

At the end of the quarter, not only Curry, but even Love also hit a three-pointer.

The Timberwolves' lead easily reached double digits.

In addition to Kobe, other Lakers players also tried three-pointers, but none of them hit.

After halfway through the last quarter, except for Kobe, the other Lakers players already had the intention of giving up.

They really didn't have the courage to continue fighting, and Kobe felt lonely on the lively court.

Fighting hard again and again, hitting the iron again and again, until he was replaced by the head coach in the last minute.

Kobe's playoffs ended like this, with too much unwillingness.

No one would have thought that this would be Kobe's last playoff game.

In the future, he is still strong and is still liked by many fans, but he is no longer able to compete for the league's highest honor.

In competitive sports, the competitiveness of a veteran gradually decreases and then leaves, which is a historical law.

After the game, Lakers coach Brown criticized the team. He said: "We need the big man to do more. We need these two guys to score on the offensive end and grab rebounds. In addition, we also need more assistance from the bench."

After the team lost, Gasol also felt very disappointed, "Our goal is to fight for the championship, and now the season has ended hastily, which is somewhat disappointing."

But Kobe was extremely lonely, he sighed: "This is indeed different from when he was 21 years old. At that time, he could have endless opportunities. At 34 years old, the end is getting closer..."

"It's going to be a long summer for sure."

As the winner, Zhang Sixin's speech was very simple but powerful.

"We still have another opponent in the West, but whoever it is, we have to beat him. The road to the playoffs is only halfway, but we know what to do to the top of the mountain. Our goal is to defend the title, and we are now eight wins away from the goal."

(End of this chapter)