As a Kobe hater, he was actually teammates with Kobe!

The G2 battle begins.

Both sides continued with the starting lineup from G1.

However, certain adjustments have been made in defensive strategies.

The purpose of G1 is to test each other's strengths and weaknesses and adjust strategies for the next series, while G2 is the foundation battle of the entire series.

After the game started, in order to prevent Zhou Ze from receiving the ball, the Denver Nuggets kept the opposing defender Nene Hilario between the ball handler (Old Fish) and Zhou Ze.

From the perspective of the audience in the front row, Nene was almost standing on the same level as Zhou Ze.

This defensive strategy can prevent Zhou Ze from receiving the pass outside the three-point line, but the drawback is that Zhou Ze can almost cut into the basket without any obstacles.

In order to prevent Zhou Ze from attacking the basket directly, the Nuggets' second line of defense had Marcus Camby squat under the basket.

At 2:11 in the first quarter, Old Fish wanted to pass the ball to Zhou Ze at the top of the key, but Nene immediately took a step to the upper left, blocking the passing path between Old Fish and Zhou Ze. Zhou Ze went down, and Old Fish hit the ground and passed the ball to Zhou Ze at the corner of the free throw line.

Without a mid-range shot, Zhou Ze could only rush to the basket, facing Marcus Camby who was squatting under the basket, with Nene chasing him from behind. With a "swoosh", Zhou Ze jumped up from the ground, facing the squatting DPOY, and looked for confrontation in the air.

DPOY stumbled in mid-air as if struck by a tank. Zhou Ze seized the opportunity to shoot, but Nene, behind him, leaped up, his long arms reaching the sky. Nene's footwork was fast, and with a 227cm wingspan, he had a large defensive area. Although DPOY was awkwardly hit in mid-air by Zhou Ze, his "retreat and defend" strategy prevented full contact. Zhou Ze, with the impact largely depleted, managed to dodge Nene's backup defense with a powerful pull in the air, allowing the ball to bounce through the rim and into the net. 6 to 10!

There was some luck involved in this shot, and Zhou Ze couldn't be so lucky every time. In addition, after yesterday's game, Nene and Camby gradually understood Zhou Ze's "offensive habits."

In a round not long after, facing Zhou Ze's similar attack, the Nuggets' twin towers defended Zhou Ze very well.

Marcus Camby, who got the defensive rebound, was even more excited.

However, what Nuggets coach George Karl couldn't understand was that there wasn't a trace of panic on Zhou Ze's face.

He was targeted by himself so much that his off-ball threat in positional battles dropped sharply, and his efficiency in positional battles with the ball also became very ugly.

But why wasn't he afraid?

There was no tension at all.

At 6 minutes and 10 seconds in the first quarter, Carmelo Anthony received the ball at the waist position, made a triple threat, and then stepped forward with his right foot. He suddenly stepped firmly and exerted force, passing most of Odom's body and rushing to the basket, facing Zhou Ze who wanted to defend him.

With a "bang", Anthony dribbled the ball and jumped, but Zhou Ze followed him like a shadow, forcing Anthony to change the arc of his shot. With a "ding", the shot missed.

The basketball bounced out of the basket, and Marcus Camby made a good positioning move in advance, but Zhou Ze jumped diagonally after landing. Zhou Ze jumped to the upper left, and his big hand was like a tentacle. With a "snap", he caught the rebound in his arms.

Next, the Lakers switched offense and defense. Iverson faced Kobe again. After Kobe got to the free throw line, he passed the ball and rushed towards Iverson. The latter did show his tenacious fighting spirit and committed a foul, not giving Kobe a chance to score 2+1.

The Denver Nuggets learned to defend Zhou Ze 1 in Game 2.0. Last season, the Denver Nuggets coaching staff called Zhou Ze version 1.0. However, the Lakers also adjusted their defensive strategy, with Zhou Ze matching up against the incapable DPOY, while the "Smash Brothers" took turns dealing with the remaining players.

Zhou Ze was selected into the second team of the defensive lineup this season. After the regular season, his defensive ability has been improved to a certain extent. He protects the basket through his squatting, ensures defensive rebounds, and uses the first pass to initiate fast breaks.

"How come this kid's rim protection ability has become stronger? It's even slightly better than Kwame Brown, whose defense is above average." George Karl's mind was full of Zhou Ze's defense on Anthony's jump shot. His more accurate defensive positioning and good blocking timing disrupted Anthony's shooting rhythm.

"Also, this kid's rebounding is getting more and more aggressive. His control over the landing point of the rebound, ah... reminds me of those rebounding maniacs." Similarly, Zhou Ze's protection of the rebounds made George Karl feel a little uneasy.

But what gave George Karl the most headache was that Zhou Ze actually made a sacrifice tonight.

In order to win the team and cover up his offensive shortcomings, he played like a blue-collar player.

Zhou Ze reduced his role on the offensive end, including pick-and-roll, screens, rebounding and defense.

At 4 minutes and 19 seconds into the second quarter, Kobe Bryant received the ball and shot from mid-range against Anthony's defense, but missed. Zhou Ze, under the basket, made a rough move, pushing Marcus Camby behind him, and after grabbing the offensive rebound, Zhou Ze dunked it, making the score 32-38!

It can be seen from the score that both teams did not have a good touch tonight.

This also allowed Zhou Ze to grab 11 rebounds in less than one and a half quarters, including 3 rebounds. It is worth mentioning that the Lakers did not lose a single defensive rebound.

"Zhou, are you psychologically traumatized by my block and don't dare to attack?" Marcus Camby saw the basketball passed to Zhou Ze and then decisively passed it away, and couldn't help but start the mocking mode.

"Haha, shut up!" Zhou Ze gestured 8 to 2 with his hand in disdain.

Well...

That’s right, even though Zhou Ze turned into a blue-collar player, he still scored 8 points through tip-ins and steals, while Camby only scored 2 points.

At 8 minutes and 51 seconds in the second quarter, Zhou Ze was 1v2 under the basket. Facing the double-team of Nene and Camby, he grabbed the offensive rebound that Old Fisher missed from outside the three-point line, but soon the referee's whistle sounded.

Zhou Ze made both free throws, 43 to 49, the Lakers led by 6 points.

At the end of the first half, Iverson hit an ultra-long buzzer-beating three-pointer, bringing the score difference back to 5 points, 48 ​​to 53!

...

...

Before the start of the second half, the Nuggets coaching staff thought the Lakers would continue like this. After all, the Lakers, who were willing to transform into blue-collar players, still had a certain advantage in the game.

However, as soon as the third quarter began, the Lakers used the death five outside, and Zhou Ze moved directly up to the 5th position.

"DPOY, your nightmare is coming." Zhou Ze, who received the pass in the low post, smiled brightly at Marcus Camby behind him.