Legend of Tomorrow

The Lakers turned away and controlled the situation on the court, never letting the Nets take the lead.

Unfortunately, Guo Xu failed to continue his 50+ scoring record in this game. He lost to garbage time and clocked out early.

The Lakers led 101 to 76 by 25 points in the third quarter. Guo Xu played a total of 32 minutes, making 14 of 19 shots, 5 of 9 three-pointers, 3 of 4 free throws, and scored 36 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals.

Guo Xu's shooting percentage was as high as 73.7%, but fans felt that it was not enough. His playing time was too short, and his shots and scores today were too few. Guo Xu sat off the court in the final quarter. Some Nets fans hoped that the home team could catch up with the score and then he would come back and play for a while.

The Lakers mainly use two tactics, Guo Xu singles and Guo Xu attracts double teams and then distributes the ball. Regardless of Carter or Horford, when receiving the ball, they first look at the bottom corner and then the basket. If their teammates are blocked, they will then look for Guo Xu to pass the ball.

The Nets were trapped by the Lakers' zone defense and their offensive efficiency was not high. They only scored 17 points in the second quarter, and their rotation players were completely misfired.

Nurkic came off the bench to defend the Lakers' penalty area in the second quarter. Neither Bargnani nor Thomas Robinson, the Nets' substitute inside men, could beat him.

Bargnani is the famous Italian parallel import No. 1 pick. He shot pretty well at his peak, averaging 21.4 points per game. It's a pity that he has the attributes of a glass man. He has been seriously injured every year since 2010, and he often ends up being reimbursed after playing less than half of a single season. His shooting gradually lost accuracy, and he couldn't get rebounds on the defensive end and couldn't guard anyone. This was probably his last season in the NBA.

Robinson was also a high draft pick. After being drafted in 2012, he played for four teams in three years. He was waived by the Hawks before the fourth year of his rookie contract was completed and joined the Nets with a minimum salary.

After the Nets united, role players had to find low-paid players, and Thomas had a chance to perform. He just has good physical fitness, but does not have the ability to attack independently. He can only pick up misses at the basket and has no shooting range. Nurkic doesn't need to go out to guard him, he only needs to interfere with shots in the penalty area.

Bogdanovic and Ellington can shoot three-pointers, but their physical fitness is generally entangled. Heavy point guard Jared Jack's condition has declined sharply, he has no breakthrough speed and his outside shots are inaccurate.

In the final quarter, both sides sent in substitute lineups. The Nets did not let the star play again simply because they did not want to see Guo Xu play again. If he catches up with the point difference, he might come back with another 50+ score in the second half.

Beverly couldn't guard him, and others couldn't guard him either. Guo Xu could easily get past Wade now. James was the main defender, and Guo Xu switched to running without the ball, leading James to sneak around to find cover.

As a big muscular man, James

He is not as flexible as a defender to get around the screen, so he cannot be guarded.

The final score was 123 to 95, and the Suns won by 28 points.

Diehard Nets fans felt desperate after watching this game. Under the leadership of Guo Xu, the Lakers actually won so easily in an away game? What if the two teams meet in the finals? James was swept again?

This is not an ordinary regular season. A single-core team beat the Big Three teams completely, which greatly improved the morale of the Lakers. The confidence of the young players has been demonstrated, and they will no longer be afraid of the stars of other teams.

Before the game, many fans praised Beverley's defense, saying that he had restricted Westbrook, but now no one thinks he is good.

Indeed, Beverley's defense is fierce and active enough, there is no problem with his attitude, and his single defense is good. In the first six games, he only allowed his opponents to score 0.579 points per round. He suppressed his opponent's singles shooting rate to 26.2%, and on the defensive end, his strategy of focusing on physical confrontation did play a role in wearing down his opponents.

However, he is poor at guarding pick-and-rolls and interfering with fixed-point shooting. His overall defense is overrated because his physical fitness is only average. He had never met a star of Guo Xu's level before. As for Westbrook's restriction in the third game... Westbrook just shot. When his hand was not good, he was able to hit the ball without anyone guarding him.

The Nets also faced an embarrassing situation, with Wade playing extremely unstable. After being entangled by Robertson in this game, he made 3 of 12 shots and 4 of 4 free throws. He only had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

James' performance requires his teammates to attract defenses from beyond the three-point line and open up space. He plays better when paired with Bogdanovic. He played 32 minutes and scored 24 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

In Guo Xu's previous life, in the 2017-18 season, Wade also joined the Cavaliers with a minimum salary and defected to James. As a result, he only played half a season before being sent back to the Heat. The only bargaining chip the Cavaliers received was a second-round pick. If Wade hadn't asked to leave, the Cavaliers wouldn't have traded him.

James and Wade have overlapping positions and must have teammates with specific roles to cooperate. Their success in the Heat was related to the fact that Bosh often played as a center, and the team also had players such as Battier and Ray Allen who were good at shooting three-pointers. Nowadays, the Nets' starting role player who is good at shooting three-pointers is Beverley, and it is difficult to play if he is targeted.

When the Lakers' three swingmen are on the court, they can ensure quick defense changes. What the Nets need most is either a second ball-holding offensive point or a second organizational point, or a three-point shooter.

Warcraft Howard scored 16 points and 10 rebounds, including 12 points in the first half. He was sent to the free throw line many times in the third quarter and made only 4 of 10 free throws, without scoring in sports games.

When evaluating Howard, O'Neal said this: If he can set a good example, they can become a very dangerous team, but has he been in the league for 10 years? Over the years, he is still the same.

Although Ewing and Olajuwon have coached Howard, he has not made progress since 2009.

The Nets' lineup is flawed. They can win against most teams in isolation, but they will be difficult to beat against teams with excellent wing defense.

The arrival of Tucker has obviously strengthened the Lakers' wings. He and Robertson are amazingly efficient when defending power forwards. On the surface, their height disadvantages, but West, Thomas and others will shoot away from the basket.

The Nets' pick-and-roll cooperation was also blocked. The small forward switched defenses very quickly. This was very similar to the situation of the Suns back then. Haslem and Millsap are both short forwards, and they still suffer when rebounding.

At the post-match press conference, Guo Xu attracted the attention of all reporters.

The reporter asked: You led the Lakers to easily defeat the Nets, which ranked first in the Eastern Conference and formed a team of the Big Three. How do you feel now?

I don't have any special feelings. I rarely lose to James' team. If I lose, I should have more feelings. Guo Xu paused deliberately and smiled: I'm not targeting James. I rarely lose to other teams. For a team led by stars, this season will be no exception.”

The reporter asked: The Lakers' lineup is not strong. What do you think is the key to the team's victory?

I can attract double teams. My teammates share the ball very selflessly and try to move the ball to open shots. Then everyone's shooting percentage is relatively high. I think this is the key to winning.

Guo Xu also specially praised PJ Tucker. Our three-pointers have been better since he joined. I like this new teammate. He is very tough and can help the team on both offense and defense.

The reporter asked: Do you feel regretful that your 50+ record is broken?

Guo Xu shook his head. There's nothing to regret. If the opponent keeps double-teaming me and my teammates have good open shooting opportunities, I can't always force the shot. I'm not that kind of cancer.

A female reporter asked: If you were born in Chamberlain's era, how many points do you think you could average per game?

To be honest, if I was born in that era, I probably wouldn't know how to play basketball. Guo Xu said with a smile.