God's hand behind the scenes

Chapter 474 Evolution
After keeping two home games in a row, the Pistons have won 14 consecutive victories in this year's playoffs, which also makes the whole team gear up and prepare to continue to sweep their opponents 4-0 in the finals.For the thoughts of the team members, Chang Wei was a little dumbfounded. Fortunately, they didn't say these words in the interview, otherwise they would definitely be considered ignorant.

In Chang Wei's view, it is not a big problem for the Pistons to win, but sweeping is almost a luxury.With the Lakers' star lineup, it is very easy to win a few games. As long as a few players among them suddenly break out, it is enough for the Pistons to drink a pot.And if you keep holding this mentality, maybe you will underestimate your opponent in the game, that is simply looking for death.

For the next two games, Brown is a little worried. The Lakers' home record this season is also very good, and the atmosphere at the Staples Center is more popular than the Palace of Auburn Hills.It will be difficult for the Pistons to get out of there unscathed.In Brown's plan, as long as he can win one of these two away games, it will be regarded as the completion of the task.

After arriving in Los Angeles, the Pistons were surprised to find that there were Lakers fans holding up very unfriendly slogans at the gate of the airport.Of course they dare not write swear words on it, but ridicule is unavoidable. Obviously, Lakers fans intend to create a stressful atmosphere for opponents from afar, which will help the Lakers gain an advantage when fighting at home.

However, for the Pistons players, these small actions did not cause any interference at all. Maybe rookies like Wade and Crawford who had just entered the league for a long time would be angry because of this, but the starting five didn't feel it at all. Lin Sidu pretended not to see it at all.In fact, this is also a temperament that the Pistons have developed in recent seasons.

Fortunately, the Lakers fans still have to face. They didn't do whatever they can to win. They can't do things like making trouble outside the hotel where the visiting team is staying. This also gave the Pistons players a good rest.But Brown still didn't relax his vigilance. God knows what those fanatical fans will do when they get excited. Protecting yourself is the first priority.

However, nothing happened until three hours before the start of the game. Under the leadership of Brown, the Pistons rushed to the Staples Center for final preparations.For them, this game is very important. If they can win it, they can grasp the match point of the series, but if they lose, the Lakers' momentum will rise. 1 to 2 is already a small gap.

In order to be able to win the game, Zen master decisively changed his formation, put Malone on the bench, and switched to the combination of Walker and O'Neal to start.Originally, Zen Master wanted Payton to be a substitute, but the Pistons' outside strength is too strong, and the combination of Payton and Kobe is not comparable to other combinations in terms of defense and contribution, so it is better to let Malone be a substitute.

But it's not that Zen Master doesn't give Malone a chance. At the critical moment at the end of the game, he will definitely put on the strongest lineup of the Lakers.Ma Long seemed very displeased with the Zen master's arrangement. Although he is already a veteran over forty years old, Ma Long, who has always had a bad temper, still put his emotions on his face.It's a pity that Zen master's qualifications are much deeper than him. In his opinion, there is nothing that cannot be sacrificed for the victory of the game, even if you are the number one star of the team, let alone Malone.

Brown was also a little caught off guard by the Lakers' change, but after thinking about it carefully, it seems that there is no threat. It is not that the combination of Walker and O'Neal has not confronted before. In fact, he never thought Walker was a threat. This guy may not even be a second-rate insider in the league. Not really, and I don't know what the Lakers like about him.However, Brown still probably guessed his thoughts about Zen Master's change. If Walker starts, Malone can get more playing time, and he doesn't need to consume too much to face the substitute Malone.

After the game started, the Lakers still wanted to open the gap from the inside first. Without Malone, O'Neal had to take on more responsibilities.But this may be a good thing for him. If he is usually partnered with Malone, as a lazy fat man, he may have the idea of ​​playing soy sauce. Now that his partner is replaced by Walker, he has to pay more on both ends of the offense and defense. effort.

O'Neal seemed a little unaccustomed to it, and the first two attacks in the opening game came back unexpectedly, which is very rare for him.After the Pistons seized the opportunity to hit two counterattacks, O'Neal finally came to life, igniting the atmosphere at Staples Center with a signature violent dunk, and showed off his strong biceps by the way.

This is not good news for the Pistons. O'Neal's feeling inside means that the Pistons must shrink their defense, and the Lakers' outside players will naturally get a chance to shoot.Although Kobe and Payton are still looking for a touch, Szczerbiak, a pure shooter, is at home. Although it is not a three-point rain, it also makes the Pistons feel a lot of pressure.

The first 8 minutes of the first quarter almost became O'Neal's special game. He was omnipotent in the interior, and he displayed eighteen martial arts one by one, causing a lot of trouble for the Pistons' interior.Originally, Daben could barely hold his low post singles behind his back, but when O'Neal easily scored with small hooks on the other side, Daben could only express that he was powerless.

During this period, O'Neal scored 13 points and 5 rebounds alone, helping the Lakers to a 23-15 lead.What Brown didn't expect was that after the two sides replaced the substitutes, the Lakers' substitutes suddenly became very powerful. Malone's destructive power in the interior has been further amplified. Neither Dior nor Heywood can stop his low singles at the basket. .

Even so, Malone still feels very upset. In his opinion, it is a shame to let him serve as a substitute. After all, he can still contribute 18+8 data per game this season. It is very uncomfortable for him to be a substitute. respected.Ma Long knew that Zen Master was here to win the game, but his status may be more important to him.

It’s hard to say whether this idea is right or wrong. For some players, the championship is more than everything, and they are willing to make any sacrifices for it, but there are also some players who are obsessed with status, data and contracts, and they hope to prove themselves in these aspects. value.Ma Long is obviously the latter, and this is also his value concept, so there is nothing to criticize.

However, Malone is still a player with great professional ethics. Although he was a little upset, he still went all out on the court, otherwise he would not be able to occupy a very important position in NBA history.

(End of this chapter)