basketball scientist

The Lakers continued to move according to the offensive routine designed by Ke Yan. Odom brought it to the frontcourt and passed it to Kobe, who singled out Bowen on the right, facing a triple threat.

At this time, Finley ran from the right corner to the left corner. Diop in the penalty area gave Finley a cover to help him get rid of Parker. Finley had no chance to catch the ball after the corner and ran up the line.

Create a pick-and-roll without the ball for Butler who is cutting through the air. Kobe beats the Spurs' defense in the penalty area and hands the ball to Butler who is cutting through the air. This is equivalent to a "front row screen, back row screen" in a volleyball game.

"Row-row smash", Butler attacked the frame from the back row and sent the ball like a basket. (51:50)

Duncan continued to mention going to the line to set up pick-and-rolls for his teammates. With the help of Duncan's extremely high pick-and-roll quality and the offensive threat after breaking down the defense, Parker continued to go deep into the penalty area. Before Diop's help defense came up, he succeeded in a high-arc throw.

, helped the Spurs hit the first goal of the second half. (53:50)

Although COSCO has not yet mastered shooting, there is no need to doubt Parker's ability to score when he gets to the basket. In terms of overall efficiency and production, he is definitely the best in history among guards. He and the Spurs can be regarded as mutual achievements!

On the court, Kobe and Finley exchanged a few words. The Lakers attacked in the next round. Kobe did not continue to hold the ball, but used his influence to contain the Spurs' defense. Finley made a mid-range shot with the help of an off-ball pick-and-roll, taking charge.

Parker can't do anything to defend him!

This is also the reason why Ke Yan chose to replace Finley. If it were Barnes, he would be more active on the defensive end, but on the offensive end it would be difficult to take advantage of the mid-range defensive loophole in the Spurs' defensive system!

Kobe didn't need to be strong on the offensive end. On the defensive end, he was more active in pestering Parker. Parker held the ball too much in this round and never broke through Kobe's blockade. When he handed the ball to Ginobili, there were only 5 seconds left in the attack time.

, Butler gave him half a step of space, and Ginobili's shaking attempt to break through did not fool him. In the end, he forced a shot and hit the neck of the basket. Kobe jumped high and protected another rebound!

It was still Finley who caught the ball in the corner through running positions and singled out Parker. This time, Parker was very close and did not give Finley an easy mid-range opportunity. Finley leaned against Parker with his back, trying to turn around and shoot a jumper.

, but when Duncan came up to cover the defense, he directly sent a back pass and handed the ball directly to Diop, who was already open under the basket.

Duncan reacted too late, and Diop easily scored on the board. The Lakers completed the lead. (53:54)

Ke Yan's adjustments at the beginning of the second half effectively improved the team's offensive efficiency. The veteran Finley, who was left out by him in g1, showed his value after he came on the field. He seized the weak link of the Spurs' defense and completed the offense one after another, helping the Lakers in the third.

Achieved a 5-point lead before the official timeout in the third quarter (59:64)

Looking at the performance of this old rival, combined with the ideas derived from his battle with Ke Yan in this series, Popovich had the intention of recruiting Finley to play for the Spurs.

Although Finley is good, his salary is as high as 16 million. The Lakers' "Allan Houston Clause" will most likely be used on him. By then, the Spurs should be able to find a way to free up some salary space to try to sign him.

!

After returning from the timeout, the Spurs replaced Nesterovich with Horry to improve the team's offense. Parker used Duncan's pick-and-roll to break through inside. In the process, he used the space brought by Duncan to pass the ball to the left four.

Fifteen degrees on Ginobili’s hands.

The latter held the ball like a water snake, twisting his ankle randomly and sliding past Finley's defense.

Finley was abandoned by the Mavericks. In addition to his offensive singles ability not meeting Avery Johnson's requirements, his defensive ability is also deficient. He is more suitable for a coach like Nelson Keyan who values ​​offense.

Dodging Finley's defense, Ginobili went straight to the basket and was about to perform a two-handed dunk!

At the moment, Diop has been pulled to the left side of the basket by Duncan, and the Lakers penalty area is briefly empty. However, just as Ginobili takes off with all his strength and prepares to wreak havoc on the basket, he suddenly feels a cool breeze coming from behind his head.

.

"boom!"

As the basketball hit the backboard with a loud sound, Kobe, who came from the side to help defend, directly used a nail board to block Ginobili's dunk from behind!

"Beautiful! The Mamba blocked Ginobili's dunk from behind! Kobe showed a strong desire to win on both offense and defense!"

"If Kobe was on the Dream Team, I don't think we would lose in Athens!"

Barkley's words stimulated the neutral fans watching the game. The defeat in Athens was a shame for American basketball. Although Delfino was also on the Lakers team, it was obvious that Ginobili was the number one "enemy."

Odom's first reaction when he picked up the backcourt rebound was to launch a counterattack. When he turned his attention to the frontcourt, he found that Caron Butler had already rushed to the frontcourt, and directly threw the ball over with a long pass.

Bowen, who was two positions behind, jumped up high and touched the basketball with his knuckles, changing the direction of the ball and destroying it out of the sideline.

The Lakers' counterattack was destroyed, and they attacked in a positional battle. Kobe and Odom played a pick-and-roll and then passed the ball to Odom. The latter did not pause after receiving the ball, and he directly pulled up and succeeded in a mid-range jumper.

When the Spurs attacked, Ginobili continued to play pick-and-rolls with Duncan. The Lakers' defensive intensity increased, which made it difficult for Ginobili to create good offensive opportunities through pick-and-rolls like before.

After taking it apart, before Duncan could cut inside, Diop was stuck on the defensive line in advance.

Duncan immediately turned around and set up an off-ball pick-and-roll for Horry, who was pushing up in the left corner. With the help of the pick-and-roll, Horry received the pass from outside the three-point line. He took the open opportunity and made a steady hit of his own.

’s first three-point goal.

Although there is also an element of luck, it is impossible for Horry to become a "championship mascot" without a big heart.

Horry's appearance has improved the Spurs' mid-to-long-range shooting ability. He is indeed more flexible than Nesterovich and can move to the free throw line, but it is difficult for him to be better on the defensive end.

The Lakers maintained their offensive pressure on the Spurs and entered the fourth quarter with a 6-point advantage! (74:80)

At this point in the game, the Spurs fans at the scene were really panicking! If they go to Los Angeles with a total score of 0:2, even if they have an absolute advantage in strength, the fans will not have the confidence! At this time, they are looking forward to the hero's victory.

Appear!

However, fans who support the Spurs are in the minority. In Los Angeles and China, fans all choose to support the Lakers. Even fans in Dallas and Phoenix are supporting the Lakers to upset and kill the Spurs!

The fans on the sidelines were anxious, but Popovich remained calm and continued to rotate the lineup by replacing substitute players at the beginning of the fourth quarter to give the main players some rest time.

Ke Yan also did not rush for success. He replaced Kobe, Odom, and Finley, and Butler led the team to deal with the Spurs.

Trailing by 6 points in the last game and entering the fourth quarter, Ke Yan dared to use a "blitzkrieg" to catch up with the score difference. In fact, it was a gamble. If he could come back, he would be considered a winner. If he couldn't catch up, he would basically admit defeat.

But now that the Lakers are on the active side, he doesn't need to strike first. The Spurs choose to make a decision and then act. He can also "remain unchanged in response to changes."

The efforts of Butler, Barnes, House, Medvedenko, and Anderson helped the Lakers temporarily maintain the situation and did not let the Spurs' more "luxurious" substitute lineup take advantage. Wait until the fourth quarter.

At 7 minutes, the Spurs replaced all their main players and prepared to start the final decisive battle with the Lakers.

Ke Yan arranged a lineup of Kobe, Finley, Butler, Anderson, and Diop to continue the policy of "the game can be lost, but Duncan must die"!

Once this lineup is used, the game becomes less exciting. But against a team like the Spurs, it will be difficult to win if you don't pinch Duncan. Ke Yan would rather accept the result that Kobe can't guard Parker and let Parker open up the situation.

, they all have to kill Duncan.

In this case, Popovich made a change. After Duncan pulled out to set up a pick-and-roll for his teammates, he resolutely attacked personally. If Diop didn't guard him, Duncan would make a mid-range shot when he had the chance. If he couldn't make the shot, he would come back and defend!

If Diop comes out of defense, Duncan will face the frame and hit hard. His footwork has the advantage of beating Diop! Unless the Lakers attack from a double flank, Duncan will consider supporting him!

To a certain extent, Popovich's arrangement solved the "three-high tactics" designed by Ke Yan for Duncan. Duncan's personal attack was more determined, and he hit two consecutive mid-range hits, helping the team narrow the point difference to 4 points. (

96:100)

Kobe beat Bowen hard on the offensive end, broke into the basket, was interfered by Duncan, and barely put the ball into the basket. Looking back, Anderson and Diop double-teamed Duncan, and Bowen, who made 0 of 3 shots from beyond the three-point line in the game, hit the ball.

A crucial three-pointer, narrowing the point difference to only 3 points with 2 minutes left in the game! (99:102)

The Spurs have found the "key to victory" and will most likely replace Horry when the ball is dead next time. Horry's shooting ability matches the current Spurs' tactics. Going to the "three highs" is a gamble! Ke Yan struggled for a long time.

Replaced Diop with Atkins, replaced Butler with Finley, and still played the Spurs' mid-range!

Atkins dribbled the ball past halftime and handed the ball to Kobe. Ke Yan chose to remove Butler and replace him with Finley. This was also a signal. Kobe, when you should go up by yourself, go up by yourself, score or not.

Even I admit it!

Kobe dribbled the ball to control the rhythm. When there were 10 seconds left in the attack time, Anderson came up to set a pick-and-roll for Kobe. Duncan followed decisively, keeping a step or so away from Kobe. Anderson passed down from the other side, and Kobe stepped back to get the ball.

Throwing it into the air, Anderson was about to take off, but at this moment Bowen, who was changing defense, pulled his jersey. The take-off height was not high enough, and the ball passed through Anderson's fingertips...

Anderson responded to the referee immediately, but he only saw the referee shaking his head. Ke Yan was also a little angry and walked up to argue with the referee, but still in vain!

At the critical moment of the game, unless there is a particularly obvious big move, the referee will usually let the players decide the outcome of the game. Bowen's pull on the jersey is obviously within the referee's "tolerance range". If you want to blame it, you can only blame Anderson.

The range of movements is not exaggerated enough. If he jumped upright and fell to the ground sideways like Ginobili, maybe the referee would react!

When the Spurs attack, Duncan, who has not breathed free air in the low post for a long time, returns to his most familiar position. Behind him is no longer the "black and strong" Diop, and the defender is no longer a flying birdman. It even feels like

It felt relieved for a while.

Two consecutive hits pushed Anderson away, and Duncan even chose to end the attack with a dunk, narrowing the point difference to 1 point. (101:102)

Ke Yan had an ominous premonition in his heart. After Horry came on the court, the Lakers were forced to give up the "three highs" and chose to keep Anderson on the court. This was also a reflection of Ke Yan's emphasis on offense over defense. The team led by 3

It doesn't matter if he is scored by the Spurs, the important thing is that he can also seize the opportunity on the offensive end.

As a result, it only took one round to re-enter the crisis!

Kobe faced Bowen's defense with the ball, waved his hand to deflect Anderson's pick-and-roll, and chose to break through. Before the body came into contact, he used a turn to pull the ball and successfully shifted Bowen's center of gravity, creating a smooth connection.

He pulled the ball back and broke through Bowen's defense. When Duncan rushed to cover the defense, he took off and made a shooting motion, and then threw the ball into the air.

Anderson, who was about to step forward for a pick-and-roll but was rejected, leaped high and steadily sent the ball into the basket! (101:104)

The Spurs had no time to commit a foul!

The situation was reversed again. With 1 minute left in the game, the Spurs were three points behind and had one foot on the edge of the cliff!

When the Spurs attacked, Parker and Duncan were in a high pick-and-roll after halftime. The moment the latter separated, he cut directly inside. Even though Anderson returned in time after delaying Parker on the first pass, Kobe also let go of Bowen, who was in charge of him.

He immediately moved to the basket to prepare for coverage, but Duncan was determined to attack the basket.

Taking advantage of the impact of going straight to the basket after the pick-and-roll, Duncan got up after receiving the ball under the defense of Anderson and Kobe. Through strong physical confrontation, he caused Kobe to commit a defensive foul.

At this time, Horry's strategic value is particularly obvious. The reputation of "playoff killer" forces Odom to dare not let him go. For the Lakers, if Duncan scores 2 points, the team still has at least 1 point.

The lead, but if Horry hits from beyond the three-point line, it will be really dangerous!

Duncan is a star who has seen the world and experienced many life-and-death battles. At critical moments, whether in the low post where he is good at, or at the free throw line where he is not good at, he is a trustworthy presence. Two extremely stable shots ensure that

The Spurs' offense was successful in this round! (103:104)

When the Lakers attacked, Kobe chose to drop to the low post, trying to attack Bowen alone.

Continuous back-up attacks knocked away Bowen's defense. Kobe turned around and brushed Bowen, preparing to hit the board at close range. Duncan appeared at the key position in time!

Pass or shoot, without any time to think and could only make a choice based on subconscious instinctive reaction, Kobe chose to force the shot!

"Bang!" Duncan's judgment was extremely accurate and he slapped away Kobe's shot!

Bowen, who had just been wiped out by Kobe, grabbed the basketball and immediately called a timeout to avoid being surrounded by Lakers players!

When a veteran handles the ball, he has experience!

There are still 32 seconds left. The Spurs will definitely press the clock to play for 24 seconds. If they score, they will definitely defend one and watch the last ball. If they fail to score, they can also foul immediately and send the Lakers to the free throw line.

.Even if two free throws are made, the Spurs can still get a three-pointer in the end!

The initiative is basically in the hands of the Spurs!

In this timeout, Ke Yan not only arranged defensive tactics, but also made a plan for this time's defense in advance! If the Spurs score, don't call a timeout, advance to the frontcourt as soon as possible, and attack when you have the opportunity! Beat the Spurs

Unexpected!

Calling a timeout to set up the final attack is when many coaches show their "sense of presence". As everyone knows, you have the opportunity to set up the attack, and the opponent also has the opportunity to set up defense and stabilize the fence.

First of all, you still have to defend yourself!

On the Spurs' last possession, the ball was still given to Ginobili.

"A car drives a car in good times and a Buddha in bad times, and a demon slays all demons in desperate times." At this time, it is an adverse situation for the Lakers. The Spurs are already in a desperate situation. If they really can't score the last attack and are forced to use foul tactics, they will

Too passive!

Ginobili controlled the time, and when there were 20 seconds left in the game, he swayed, accelerated, and turned around. Kobe was still behind him, clinging tightly to him. The time passed by second by second. There was nothing Ginobili could do.

He passed the ball bitterly.

Parker caught the ball and immediately passed the ball to Horry in a panic.

Horry understands that there is not much offensive time, so he can no longer move the ball needlessly. He just takes action after receiving the ball and does not touch it!

However, this time the offense was not over yet! The basketball, which did not touch the board or the frame, accidentally fell into the hands of Bowen who ran from the bottom corner to the basket and was about to grab the rebound. At this time, Bowen happened to be under the basket.

, and the nearest defender Anderson happened to be mixed up with Duncan!

"No one is guarding, layup quickly!"

Bowen had no time to react to whose voice it was. He only subconsciously turned around and made a solid layup!

The Spurs took the lead by one point! (105;104)

"Yes!" In the crucial game, Bowen became the team's winner. Bowen jumped up excitedly while running back. Both he and Duncan fell in the Lakers' half.

On the other hand, for the Lakers, almost the moment Bowen scored, Anderson had already reached the baseline, handed the ball to Finley immediately, and quickly advanced.

Parker tried to block Finley at the midline, but Finley dribbled past him with a behind-the-back dribble.

In the blink of an eye, Ginobili noticed Kobe Bryant rushing in on the right side. He instinctively tilted his body, trying to catch him. He realized that the team's center goal was wide open and that there was a plain in front of Finley. He wanted to twist his body but had already stopped.

It's too late.

The Argentinian's center of gravity was unstable, he staggered, fell to the ground and squirmed like a water snake, and watched Finley lay up, completing the final blow against the Spurs! (105:106)

This is the real killer!