The Way of the Center

The second quarter of the game can be described as ups and downs. In the first half, the Lakers combined internal and external forces and aggressively attacked. Durant and Kobe's back-and-forth scoring made the fans hooked.

In the second half, Anjie came on the field, and the Thunder's tactics changed again. This time, people saw a completely different rhythm of the game from the first half. Head-to-head insiders and brutal duels between big men have become themes.

Now, in the final three minutes of the second quarter, both teams fielded most of their bench lineups. But the Lakers kept Kobe, while the Thunder kept Ainger and Durant. Fans don't have to worry about the last three minutes of the game suddenly becoming dull. As long as those three guys are there, the game will never be dull.

Sean Livingston, the first high school point guard in the history of the NBA, was so glorious back then that he even received an invitation letter from Coach K himself. But under the temptation of fame and fortune, Livingston did not choose to go to the NCAA for further study, but skipped college and devoted himself to the NBA.

If this guy played a few years under the old Coach K, maybe the career path would be smoother. However, the decision that has been made cannot be reversed. In the first few years when this guy was placed with high expectations, his performance can only be described as a flash in the pan.

After that, people gradually forgot about this outdated high school genius, and the team began to trade him, and then his next club would choose to trade him. He never seemed to be an integral part of a team, and Livingston would always be the first to be considered as long as he needed to add chips.

But that all changed after signing with the Thunder midway through last year's season.

He began to have regular playing time, he became a regular in the rotation, he found that he could get along well with his teammates, he found that he finally found a sense of belonging.

Although Livingston's personal ability is limited now, as long as he plays, he will always work hard. He is willing to work hard for the Thunder and Van Gundy. Because of the Thunder and Van Gundy, he was not abandoned again!

"Sean Livingston's cutting speed is very fast! Although he is also a tall guard with a height of 2.01 meters, Vujacic's speed is much worse than that of Livingston!" Although An Jie He held the ball with his back in the middle distance on the left, but Barkley saw a guy in a blue jersey on the weak side cut in without the ball.

As long as an opportunity arises, it cannot escape An Jie's eyes. His height gives him a wider field of vision, allowing him to see some opportunities that others cannot see.

An Jie did not hesitate, calculated Livingston's speed, and suddenly faced the basket and hit the ground to pass the ball.

The basketball quickly bounced to the ground and refracted again. Livingston just arrived on the horse and did not make any adjustments after receiving the basketball.

Go straight to the basket!

If even the offensive Livingston can't make adjustments in this situation, then Vujacic can't make any adjustments in defense.

He chased back with all his strength, and before he even had time to take off, Livingston had already scored the ball.

This ball is already the second consecutive time that Livingston has cooperated with An Jie. At this time, the Lakers also changed from leading by two points to falling behind by two points.

The reason why Livingston can play so smoothly depends on one word, positive!

Vujacic's performance this season has been inconsistent, and God knows if it's because he put more energy into Sharapova. In short, the low position of this tall guard in Zen Master's heart has become lower and lower. Now he is put up to make Livingston's height advantage useless.

As a result, Livingston still scored the ball, or twice in a row. Seeing the Zen master gently shaking his head, Vujacic was even more anxious!

In competitive sports, you can mobilize your emotions and let yourself burst into greater strength. But there is one emotion that definitely does more harm than good, and that is anxiety.

Vujacic really wanted to prove himself in front of Zen Master, but the more he thought about it, the worse his performance became. Livingston's easy change of direction in front of his body passed the Slovenian who was eager to steal the ball.

After Livingston broke through, Bynum's defense was naturally attracted. At the same time, Angie followed Livingston's pace and cut in, hoping that the tall point guard could see himself.

Livingston stared at the basket, but suddenly flicked his wrist and completed a no-look pass. And An Jie, who received the basketball, is only one step away from the basket at this moment. Odom tried his best to jump from behind Anjie, but still failed to prevent this big guy with obvious height advantage from completing a dunk.

"How many deductions has An Jie made today? Can you still count them?" Barkley seldom talked about the Thunder and made sarcastic remarks about An Jie. On the contrary, he likes this team more and more, likes the No. 16 center forward.

"The point is not Ann's dunk on Charles. Phil Jackson never expected that Livingston's performance would make Vujacic very embarrassed! This ball Livingston's breakthrough pass is the most important link!" Miller said Born as a defender, he will naturally unconsciously focus on the defenders during the game. Although Anjie is the end point of the offense, but the performance of Livingston in that offense is what Miller thinks shines the most.

This is Sean Livingston. His average data may not be more ordinary. It belongs to the kind of average data that anyone who can play in the NBA can get. But once in a game or two once the tactics suit his appetite or his own state improves, the effect will be huge.

Unfortunately, Jackson and his Lakers just caught up with this day.

In addition to Livingston, Ibaka's performance is as good as ever. The question of who is more suitable to start between him and Morris has never stopped discussing among the fans. In other words, Ibaka has the ability to start, and his defense not only failed to disappoint Presti and Van Gundy, but exceeded expectations.

If it weren't for Morris's containment ability and the tacit understanding with Anjie, Van Gundy might really push Ibaka into the starting lineup.

When Anjie put more energy into the offense, Ibaka used his fast defense, terrifying bounce and accurate take-off timing to prevent Kobe's breakthrough offense frequently. If it weren't for Odom's shooting ability is too tough to score a goal, then Ibaka's defense can be described as perfect.

In these three minutes, Zen Master originally thought that Durant would be the most dangerous end point. Unexpectedly, Durant seemed to disappear during these three minutes. Ibaka, Livingston and Angie formed a brand new iron triangle. Their interconnection on the defensive end and the offensive end revitalized the Thunder.

On the Lakers side, Kobe led the second team but fell into a solo situation. Shannon Brown lost Kobe's trust after he missed two shots. Vujacic couldn't find his form on the court at all, and his running position made Kobe unable to hand over the ball with confidence. Odom scored two goals, but Bynum missed all three shots. From this point of view, Kobe has no choice but to choose his own singles.

Under the loud shouts of the Chesapeake Energy Arena, the game advice of the two sides in the second quarter ended. The Lakers players walked off the court with their heads bowed one by one, while the Thunder players all smiled and celebrated each other.

44 to 50, under Anjie's scheduling and his own offense, the Thunder not only caught up with the initial 8-point gap, but now they have overtaken by 6 points. The performance in the last three minutes is the most critical reason for this situation.

When Kobe is alone and helpless, it is also the time when the Lakers are at their lowest efficiency. Kobe is great, but only if a team works together can it be possible to win the championship.

"Crack!" Kobe's ears finally quieted down after Jackson, who was the last to enter the locker room, closed the door. No wonder Anthony capsized the Thunder. The atmosphere at the Chesapeake Energy Arena is really not inferior to Staples.

Of course, the interference of fans is only a secondary factor. Bryant knew that the Lakers had to play more as a team in the second half to have a chance of winning.

"Pau Gasol, Bynum, you guys have to be tougher in the second half! But at the same time you need to be calm, not irritable. Tough but not reckless, understand?" Phil Jackson rarely worried about his twin towers, but in In this series, the Lakers Twin Towers are the place with the most loopholes.

"Later, you should also respond to Bryant's ball more, and don't let him fall into the Thunder's siege. Did you see it? When Bryant holds the ball, the Thunder's defensive lineup will be Unknowingly, an encirclement is formed, and no matter which direction Kobe breaks through, he must face the defense of the opponent's two players. As long as others are also active and can score, then this encirclement will definitely be useless!" Jackson said very Don't talk about tactics like this, because the teams he leads are generally very good teams. In such a team, the players are very autonomous, and Master Zen doesn't have to talk about them one by one like teaching children.

But against the Thunder, facing Van Gundy with clear and rigorous tactical thinking, Zen master had to remind his players all the time, because the Thunder team's lineup can make too many tactical changes. As far as the offensive core and tactical core are concerned, Van Gundy can have three choices.

"Later, let me control the ball a lot, you must move actively." As soon as Zen master finished speaking, Kobe spoke.

Suddenly, everyone turned their attention to Kobe. Judging by his expression, Kobe is definitely not joking!

The game was halftime, and Kobe wanted to win! He thought of last year's Western Conference semifinals, Yao Ming's perseverance in front of the Lakers, and the fact that they had to fight the Rockets to tiebreaker.

The big Chinese man actually made trouble for him in the same place for two consecutive years. They won the Rockets last year, and this year, Kobe will also win the Thunder!

Both Yao Ming and An Jie are worthy of respect, but only by defeating them can you express your respect.

Yao Ming sat in front of the TV and sneezed. Injuries also have the benefits of being injured, at least he is living a very comfortable life now. But when watching this game, Yao Ming frowned the whole time.

An Jie on the court was like himself last year. They are not afraid of power, they challenge the champion!

"I hope you can pass the test." On the TV, the picture of the third quarter of the game has appeared. Yao Ming became focused again, he stared at the TV quietly, looking forward to Anjie's performance in the second half of the game.

In the first half, both sides played a good quarter each. It's time to try, and it's time to adapt. In the second half, come on, let's decide the victory!