I'm really strong in basketball

Chapter 107 Shaq Did It Too

Come back in the fourth quarter.

Sure enough, Medvedenko was put on the bench.

Horace Grant came on to replace the fourth position.

The Lakers also had no one available, so they had to send the 39-year-old Grant.

But the effect is not satisfactory.

Facing the old Grant, Rasheed Wallace, who was playing in his early years, just spent an extra effort to turn around and break through, and easily passed the old Grant.

O'Neill defends Rasheed.

Rasheed drives the ball straight to the hoop.

Big Ben catches the ball and dunks.

boom!
70: 64.

Lakers offense.

As soon as Liu He got the ball, he was double-teamed by Rashid and Hamilton.

Liu He gave the ball to the old Grant, and the old Grant rushed into the penalty area slowly, and scored through the big defense.

72: 64.

Phil breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the old Grant also couldn't guard Rasheed on the defensive end.But at least the offensive end still works.

In this way, the Pistons would not dare to double-team Liu He.

Pistons attack.

Rasheed continued to force the old Grant.

Kobe rushed forward to help Grant Sr. defend.

Rashid played very smartly, did not force a shot, but distributed the ball to Hamilton who was emptied.

Hamilton catches the ball and makes a shot.

Swish!
72: 66.

Lakers offense.

As expected, the Pistons no longer double-teamed Liu He, who was taking action against Hamilton.

Swish!
75: 66.

At this point, the special effect time of the [The Burning Cauldron] badge has been exhausted.

However, Kobe and O'Neal then stepped forward and helped the Lakers maintain the lead until the end.

In the end, 95:91.

The Lakers narrowly beat the Pistons by 4 points, rewriting the big score to 3-0.

In this game, Liu He scored 29 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

科比24分6篮板5助攻1抢断1盖帽。

O'Neal had 21 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks.

……

活塞队这边，拉希德砍下25分10篮板5助攻2抢断1盖帽。

In the later period, he almost single-handedly overturned the Lakers.

With 20 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, Billups is the most stable strength of the Pistons on the court.

After this game, the series score changed to 3-0.

In the history of the NBA, no team has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit.

According to this rule, the Lakers have almost become the championship this season.

But... laws are just laws, not facts.

Laws can be broken.

Early the next morning, news came out from the Lakers: Karl Malone will miss all the remaining games of the season due to a leg injury...

"As a Lakers fan, we are already leading 3-0, why am I so nervous?"

"Me too! Malone was injured, which had a great impact on the Lakers. In the third game, if it wasn't for the big lead before and Liu He's explosive scoring, the Lakers might have lost. "

"By the way, is the 41-year-old Ma Long really so important? Doesn't he only score a few points in every game?"

Of course, Malone is important.

His role is not that the data can be withdrawn.

First of all, on the offensive end, Malone has a stable mid-range shot.

As long as Malone is on the court, opponents will not dare to double-team O'Neal easily.Whenever the Pistons dare to double-team, Malone's shooting will definitely make the opponent pay the price.

Then there is the defensive end, not to mention assist defense or supplementary defense, only one-on-one.

Malone's three rounds have restricted Webber, Garnett, and Rasheed to a certain extent.

After Malone was injured in the last game, you also saw how Rasheed played.

Malone is here and Rashid is honest.

When Ma Long was injured, Rashid went down to earth directly.

In addition to offense and defense, Malone can also pick and roll, grab rebounds, protect the frame, cover...even an iron elbow at a critical moment.

These are things Medvedenko and Grant cannot do.

"Look, with Grant and Medvedenko in this state, the Pistons can double-team O'Neal in the next game. Once O'Neal is eliminated, half of the Lakers will be eliminated."

"Medvedenko is really rubbish. The old Grant can't defend well, so let's attack!"

"Haha, you forgot, old Grant is 39 years old. Even if he is in good condition, he will not be able to play a whole game."

"Malone's injury is a fatal blow to the Lakers! Regardless of the fact that the Lakers are leading 3-0 now, the Pistons are expected to win 4 games in a row, believe it or not?"

"It's impossible to win 4 games in a row, right?"

"Impossible, let's talk about the facts. After Malone was injured in the last game, the Lakers went from an 11-point lead to a narrow victory by 4 points. If Liu He hadn't made several difficult three-pointers, the Lakers would have lost."

When G3 was thoroughly analyzed, a trace of worry was planted in the hearts of Lakers fans.

Instead, the Pistons rallied, and the Motown media chanted the slogan "Let 3 chase 4".

"Roaring God" Rasheed Wallace also said in front of the media: We will return to Los Angeles and fight the Lakers there.As some people said, it's a pity that we can't continue to provide wonderful games for the fans in Los Angeles... I will give you a chance!

Rasheed publicly dissed Liu He.

"A rookie is just a rookie after all. You must pay attention to your identity, speak appropriately, and don't be too crazy. Carl was injured because you were too crazy, so God took action!"

And at this moment, a shocking big melon was exploded.

Kobe was involved in off-court trouble last summer.

In order to get out of trouble as soon as possible, Kobe asked his "big brother" O'Neal for advice.

O'Neal then gave Kobe a trick...with money.

O'Neal also told Kobe: "I was in this kind of trouble once, and I solved it with this trick."

Bryant then approached the police department.

The police department was reluctant at first.

Kobe said: "I know, O'Neal used this trick to solve this kind of trouble, and I hope to solve it as soon as possible..."

Only then did the police agree.

What Kobe didn't know was that there was a full surveillance video in the police department.

Just after the end of the third battle, this video belonging to the police department was unexpectedly released.

After editing and editing, the media gave this video a name...

Shaq did it too!
That day, a fierce argument broke out in the hotel where the Lakers were staying.

O'Neal hated Kobe for dragging himself into the water.

Kobe was also very aggrieved. I was talking to the police. I just wanted to urge them to act as soon as possible. I didn't mean it at all. Everything was taken out of context by the media.

The quarrel between the two equally displeased people grew more and more violent than it had ever been in years.

When others arrived, Kobe and O'Neal were about to fight.

The experienced Phil said: "If you really do it now, then you will never be able to create a record of winning the playoffs. This is your only chance to surpass Michael!"

Even after hearing this sentence, the two furious guys were still too angry to restrain themselves.

Phil said again: "If you do it now, we will lose this round of the series. Let 3 chase 4, and we will be nailed to the pillar of shame in NBA history forever!"

Hearing this sentence, O'Neill and Kobe gradually calmed down.

"Okay, everyone go back to your room and calm down. If you win tomorrow's game, I won't care if you just shoot at each other!"

Phil finally said.

O'Neal and Kobe then returned to their rooms, and other players also went back.

Until only Phil Jackson and Tex Winter were left in the corridor, Phil finally broke out completely:
"The son-of-a-bitch Pistons are playing such shameless off-game moves. They still have no bottom line as always."

Ma Long was seriously injured, which was a fatal blow, and Phil was suffering from a headache.

Nowadays, the phrase "Shaq did it too" directly makes the OK group turn against each other.

In an instant, the Lakers fell from heaven to hell.

Phil later commented in his autobiography: This day was the worst day in my entire playing and coaching career.It's like it's dark and there's no light in sight.Until that guy showed up...

To make matters worse, at dinner time, Phil found that Kobe and O'Neal had no communication, whether it was language or eyes.

In the past, no matter how much the OK group quarreled, they just kept arguing and reconciled after arguing.

But this time, O'Neal may have really hurt O'Neal badly, and now O'Neal is unwilling to talk to Kobe.

According to Kobe's personality, if others ignored him, he would naturally not take the initiative to find others.

Seeing this scene, Phil's heart sank even deeper.

That night, Phil couldn't eat at all.

Until late at night, Liu He knocked on the door.

"Phil, I have something to tell you."

Liu He cut to the chase.

Phil squeezed out a smile: "Say it!"

Liu He said directly: "Tomorrow's game, I want to play the fourth position!"

Phil was instantly bored.

He was already in a state of distress, but Liu He was simply ignorant to do something at such a time.

But Phil is Phil after all, and the city is very deep.He thought about it carefully: Liu He is not the kind of ignorant player, he has always been very mature.It's not Liu He's style to make trouble at this time.

"So, may I know why?"

After thinking about it, Phil asked patiently.

Liu He nodded: "Carl can't play, our fourth position is now the weakest point, and only I can make up for it."

Phil felt a little better. It turned out that Liu He was thinking about the team, what a good boy!If O'Neill and Kobe were half as sensible as Liu He, Phil wouldn't be so distressed.

"But, even if you play the 4th position, you can't guard against Rashid!"

Phil thought about it carefully and made an opinion.

In terms of body size, Rashid is still one size bigger than Liu He.

From height to tonnage and strength, Rashid has obvious advantages, and Liu He can't guard against Rashid.

Liu He didn't refute, but said: "I can't guard against Rashid, but Rashid can't guard me either!"

Phil was taken aback for a moment, and then reacted immediately.

Rashid can rely on tonnage, strength, and height to overwhelm Liu He, and Liu He can naturally rely on speed and flexibility to overwhelm Rashid.

For a moment, Phil became interested.

"Tell me carefully!"

Liu He sat down and said slowly: "Outsiders say that the Lakers have the Big Three, but everyone knows that our strongest point is O'Neal, so the key to our victory is O'Neal's performance. The key to the Pistons must be It’s O’Neal too.”

Phil nodded.

Liu He continued: "In the next game, if Stan or Horace is allowed to play the fourth position, our fourth position will definitely suffer. Then Rashid can beat our fourth position offensively and defensively. The end can also spend more energy double-teaming O'Neal. In this way, O'Neal's performance will be limited."

In real time and space, Ma Long dragged one leg to play in the finals, and even missed the game in the end.

The Lakers sent Medvedenko as a substitute, but Medvedenko was beaten by Rasheed.

So Rasheed and Big Ben double-teamed O'Neal with impunity.This is the real reason why O'Neal didn't take many shots in that round of finals.Because most of the time, he was double-teamed by Wallace.

Malone, who played with one leg, and Medvedenko failed to provide O'Neal with any help.

Phil thought about it carefully, then nodded again.Although he can't have the memory of rebirth like Liu He, Phil, who has coached for many years, can speculate on the scene of the game.

Seeing this, Liu He continued, "And if I come to play the fourth position, would Shuang Wallace dare to double-team O'Neal?"

Of course not!

Liu He is already the best three-point shooter in the league. As long as he stands outside the three-point line, the Pistons must send someone to watch him.

If Liu He plays the [-]th position, no matter whether the Pistons' [-]th position is Rasheed or Ben, they must follow outside the three-point line, so the Pistons cannot double-team O'Neal.

In this way, it can be ensured that O'Neal will try not to be double-teamed and play his maximum role.

Phil's eyes lit up, but he still hesitated.

Liu He didn't want to give Phil a chance to repent, so he hit the rails while it was hot: "Phil, you know, G4 is actually the last battle. If we win, we will win the championship directly. If we lose, we may be drawn four games in a row. Karl is injured. , Shaq and Kobe broke up. As long as we lose, we will only get worse. Winning can cover up all problems, but losing will expose all problems in an instant. You know how many problems the Lakers have. Once it breaks out Come out, we are doomed. So don't hesitate, we only have one chance, G4 is doomed!"

Finally, Phil nodded.

Outside, the Lakers have hit rock bottom.

Karl Malone is injured and will miss the rest of the game.

And "Shaq did it too" directly turned O'Neal and Kobe, and the news of the fierce quarrel in the hotel was also exposed.

This is Detroit after all.

The Lakers couldn't hide it even if they wanted to.

The spokesperson of the Lakers explained that there was no problem between Kobe and O'Neal. The two of them had no quarrel at all. They were just discussing tactical issues, which were more intense.

But soon, the local media in Detroit published photos of O'Neill and Kobe arguing.

"Look at the eyes of O'Neal and Kobe. They look like they are going to eat each other. You tell me that this is a discussion of tactics. Do you believe it? Anyway, I don't believe it!"

The Lakers were slapped in the face at the speed of light.

(End of this chapter)