Jim Bass Ambition

Chapter 249 Jim Carrey's Counterattack
The expected duel between Mars and the Earth turned into a slap. The neutral fans expressed some disappointment, but the Lakers fans rejoiced. Judging from the progress of the game, the Western Conference Finals was more laborious.

"Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most overrated players in my opinion, no superstar is going to be swept 5 times in the playoffs, and as it stands, this season is very likely It will be his sixth sweep. Poor Reggie Miller and Gary Payton, if it is for the championship ring, they should have made smarter choices in the off-season, such as signing the Lakers." "Sports Illustrated" The well-known commentator Ian Thomson commented on this.

"No matter how you say it, some people's dreams will come true in this year's finals, and some people will continue to regret it. From my point of view, I certainly hope that the Lakers can help Carl get the championship ring to mark the end of his great and legendary career. A perfect ending, of course, Reggie and Gary are also worthy of respect, but we may let down the fans who supported them. Carl may not be able to play in the finals. Losing a player like him is very difficult for us We saw Ron's defensive performance in the Western Conference Finals and Greg's efforts in the first game of the finals. You may think their statistics are not good, but in our hearts , They are as important as Kobe and Kevin who scored gorgeous data, everyone is fighting for victory, and we will continue to move forward.” Jim’s interview was quoted on the team’s official media “Los Angeles Daily News” for the ball Cheering for the team has become his daily routine.

Compared with sitting on the sidelines during the Western Conference Finals with a serious face and nervous expression, in the first game of the finals, Jim was talking and laughing happily in the pictures captured by the camera, relaxed and happy.

At the other end of the spectrum, Pacers president Larry Bird wasn't in such a good mood.

"We have been preparing for a whole year in order to get revenge in the Finals and defeat the Lakers. We strengthened Gary and Robert, these excellent players in the off-season. After a season of hard work, we reached the Finals. In order to get 20 points by the opponent? We have to find a way to make Shaq play more comfortable. I don't want those ball blinds talking outside, what an Ostertag and his like guarded Shaq to death or something , Understood!" During the call, Bird put pressure on Pacers coach Carlisle.

Carlisle groaned secretly in his heart. There were only so many cards in his hand. Except for O'Neal, the others were completely crushed by the Lakers in matchups. Other abilities cannot overwhelm Billups. As for the matchup between Reggie Miller and Kobe, what Carlisle can do is to try not to let the two face each other directly on the defensive end.

Zen master's use of O'Neal is first-rate. He knows the advantages and disadvantages of the sharks. Of course, he can also arrange tactical traps to limit the performance of the sharks. Two strong blue-collar players, Tag and Campbell, coupled with Garnett's help defense, and three people on the outside pinch the passing route.

Carlisle sat on the dugout with dark circles under his eyes when Game [-] began.

The Pacers' starting lineup has been adjusted, Bruce Bowen was taken down, and Al Harrington served as the starting small forward.

"We saw that after the loss in the last game, the Pacers took the initiative to seek changes. They replaced Al Harrington, who has a stronger ability to attack independently, as the main force. When double-teaming, there is one more solution to handle the ball. After all, Gary Payton’s low-post ability is no longer comparable to that of 96, and his breakthrough has also declined a lot. But making the decision to put Bruce Bowen on the bench requires A lot of courage, will they let Gary Payton deal with Kobe Bryant? Let's wait and see." The guest commentator on the sidelines was the legendary Trail Blazers coach Dr. Jack Ramsey, and his partner was the famous The up-and-coming commentator Mike Breen is the successor of Marv Albert.

"The Pacers jumped to the ball, Payton got the ball up the frontcourt, yes... the first play still had to go to O'Neal in the low post, Garnett came to double-team... Reggie Miller's The movement was very targeted, the off-ball screen from Robert Hawley, O'Neal passed the ball to Miller in the corner, it was a good opportunity, and the three-point shot... hit!"

"Gary Payton started to defend Kobe Bryant, let us think of a few years ago, the Sonics and the Bulls in the finals, he is indeed an outstanding backcourt defender, but let's look at Kobe, Catch the ball in the low post, turn around! Nice fadeaway!"

Due to the presence of Al Harrington, the position of the Pacers players is more flexible, unlike Bowen who always squats in a certain bottom corner.The Lakers did not switch defenses in time a few times, and were led out by the Pacers. Hawley and Miller were in good condition and each hit a three-pointer.

On the other end, due to the existence of Ostertag, the Lakers' offensive space is actually much more crowded than in the Western Conference Finals. O'Neal is entrenched under the basket, and the Sharks' ability to protect the basket is not trivial, so most of the Lakers' offensive positions use mid-range shots. Solve the problem.

"The Lakers were able to win easily in the last game, thanks to their defense. Successful defense brought high-quality counterattacks and many easy scoring opportunities. Today, the Pacers' offensive efficiency has improved. The Lakers can only compete with the Pacers. If the Pacers can maintain their current offensive efficiency, this game will be very intense." Jack Ramsey commented on the slightly sluggish offense of the Lakers.

Zen master gave a few instructions on the sidelines, and the Lakers' position changed immediately, and the defender no longer tried to attack from a low position.

"Garnett with the ball in the high post against Robert Hawley... Ostertag comes up and screens, it's a pick-and-roll between two post guys, Hawley gets blocked, O'Neal doesn't follow Come out, it's a good opportunity, Garnett's mid-range shot! It's always been so stable!"

"Phil Jackson obviously understands O'Neal's pick-and-roll problem. When he was in the Lakers, he was often targeted by others. We saw that the Lakers targeted O'Neal a lot in the first quarter, using Ostertag's screen to create open space. , O'Neal can't defend, and the Lakers have many players who are good at mid-range shooting, this is a problem that the Pacers have to solve."

Here, Hawley missed a three-pointer, and Billups used the pick-and-roll to make a mid-range shot.

Carlisle saw the Zen master grabbing O'Neill and kept hitting him, so he immediately asked for a timeout.After 5 minutes in the first quarter, the two sides drew 12.

(End of this chapter)