The era of point forwards in the NBA

Chapter 194 Fighting Overtime (asking for a subscription, asking for a monthly pass)
With 1 minute left, for the Lakers, they still have at least two offensive opportunities, and the difference of two points is not too big.

The problem is, now they have to score.

Whether to give it to a more stable inside to get two points, or let the shooter shoot three-pointers, Phil Jackson will naturally choose the former.

The former Bulls dynasty used iron and blood mid-range shots to create brilliance. Compared with three-pointers, Phil Jackson believed in two-pointers.

……

Thunder here, Brooks is trying to arrange tactics.

"Lin, I think you can switch defensive positions with KD and let him limit Kobe's offense." Brooks said, he was most worried about Kobe's personal offense. Although Lin Yue's defensive effect in the first half was good, Kobe's offense recovered significantly in this quarter.

Rather than letting Durant defend Ci Shiping, it is better to let him defend Kobe. After entering the league in the past few years, Durant's defensive ability has also improved significantly. Unlike Lin Yue, he will not easily take off and be shaken.

"The timeout is over, let us continue to focus on the game." Kenny Smith said.

"Both sides did not change, but the Thunder changed the defensive strategy, and now Kobe is playing against KD. They want to use KD to limit Kobe's offense." Barkley said.

"This is a good decision, but is Kobe really so easy to defend?" Kenny Smith questioned.

In fact, Kobe didn't care whether Lin Yue or Durant was defending him, he knew what he was doing.

The score is currently 97 to 95, the Thunder temporarily lead by 2 points, and the Lakers have the ball.

Fisher stands outside the line ready to serve.

Kobe went around the three-point line to catch the ball, and Durant followed suit.

Lin Yue ran to stare at Ci Shiping outside the three-point line. Although this guy didn't shoot much, he could still shoot three-pointers.

Kobe held the ball and signaled his teammates to pull away, and Durant slowly backed away. He had to observe and judge the opponent's offensive line.

"Kobe started, does he still want to break through?" Barkley explained passionately.

Suddenly Bryant went to the free throw line to recover the ball, and there was a time lag. Just as Durant adjusted his center of gravity, he got up and leaned back to shoot.

Durant also followed up after braking. With his excellent wingspan, he can still interfere even if he jumps back.

The ball passed through the top of the fingers, and the Lakers players on the bench and the Lakers fans on the scene got up to celebrate, even though the ball was just shot, they knew that the boss would never disappoint at critical moments.

"Shh!"

Kobe hit the crucial shot over Durant's long arm.

The score came to 97 to 97, and the two sides tied again.

Curry sent the ball to Lin Yue, and Lin Yue temporarily handed it to Curry after half court.

They need to score this goal and successfully defend the next goal.

Durant reached out for the ball, Lin Yue took the ball and passed it directly to Durant.

Kobe was still defending Lin Yue, he was afraid that the opponent would steal another three-pointer.

But no one expected that Durant caught the ball and directly pulled it out.

Seeing the ball go into the net, Ci Shiping gritted his teeth, regretting that he didn't have some physical confrontation in the first place.

With only 30 seconds left in the game, the Lakers still have a chance to attack, and the Thunder also have a few seconds.

Even if the Lakers score or overtake, the Thunder can still make adjustments. In addition, there are still timeouts that have not been used up, so there is no need to worry about the time spent dribbling halfway.

"KD!!! At the critical moment of the Thunder, the three juniors all stood up. They used their extraordinary offense to take advantage before the end of the game." Barkley was happy, and in all fairness he still hoped that the Thunder would win.

Fisher put the ball on the ground and rolled it, and then followed up to pick it up, saving some time.

Curry is close to Fisher. He knows that the opponent's three-pointer is also strong, and the more critical the moment is, the more he can't relax.

Fisher passed the ball to Kobe again, and Durant continued to lead the defense.

Kobe suddenly took off after continuous cross dribbles and made a throwing action in the air.

Durant saw the situation and posted it, causing interference to Kobe.

However, what was unexpected was that Kobe did not shoot the ball himself, but passed it across the air to Gasol, who caught the ball and went directly to the basket.

Collison took off to block the shot, Gasol turned around and evaded the defense, and made a strong shot at the basket.

"Fortunately, the Thunder did not foul this ball. If Gasol made a fake move just now, the possibility of scoring two plus one is very high." Barkley said.

"Kobe played the ball very smartly. He knew that the opponent's defense was focused on him. Therefore, he made a fake shot and passed the ball across to others when he took off." Kenny Smith continued to add.

"The time left for the Thunder is only ten seconds, and they still have a chance to attack." Barkley continued.

Brooks used up the last timeout at this point.

"Wait for Lin to serve, then Ibaka came out to cover, Stephen and KD ran in opposite directions at the same time, and whoever had a better chance passed the ball."

Brooks has troubles different from other coaches. There are too many people who can shoot at the critical moment of the team.

The first three rounds were scored by Curry, Lin Yue and Durant respectively, no matter who is eligible to perform the final attack.

However, at this time, he could only trust Lin Yue's passing ability, and believed that he could find a more suitable shot.

The timeout ends and players from both teams return to the field.

Lin Yue stood outside the line just as coach Brooks arranged.

The referee handed the ball to Lin Yue and blew his whistle at the same time.

Ibaka came to cover at the top of the arc, and Curry and Durant ran towards the top of the arc from a 45-degree angle on both sides. With the help of Ibaka's cover, they opened up and defended the position.

In the end, Lin Yue passed the ball to Durant who was closer to him, and after receiving the ball, he used his signature emergency stop to make a mid-range shot.

The fans at the scene held their breath, the Thunder fans hoped that the goal would be scored, while the Lakers fans prayed in their hearts that the goal would miss.

"Bangdang."

As if cursed, the ball went wide after a few bounces, and Collison, who grabbed the offensive rebound, didn't have time to make another shot.

With cheers and sighs, the game officially entered overtime.

The Thunder played very well in this game. Although the Lakers were not satisfactory, they also found the state of the game at the last minute.

The two sides returned to the same starting line in the next overtime.

This was Lin Yue's first overtime game in his personal career. Even with his excellent physical strength, he couldn't hold it anymore. Kobe was stronger than he imagined.

The consumption in this alignment is too great.

Curry and Durant also suffer from varying degrees of physical troubles. Unlike the Lakers, who have experience in major competitions, the Thunder have run out of ammunition and food at this time.

In the first half of overtime, the situation on the field completely collapsed.

Kobe fought more and more bravely, scoring six points in a row, neither Lin Yue nor Durant could stop him.

Only Durant hit a mid-range shot for the Thunder.

Even coach Brooks' timeout failed to help the team overtake the score.

For this sake, the Thunder have tried their best.

With the final whistle, the Thunder ushered in their first defeat of the season.

The audience stood up and applauded, not only for the excellent Lakers, but also for the Thunder.

Their spirit has been conveyed to the audience. This season, they are no longer a team that has always been weak. They want to show the entire league that they have turned out.

"Phew, the Lakers are really strong!" Lin Yue finally took a breath after the game.

(End of this chapter)