Legend of Tomorrow

The next day, the Suns easily defeated the Clippers by 17 points without encountering any resistance.

The Suns players' defense was no longer serious, and their offensive choices were also more casual. They did not cooperate strictly and the Clippers couldn't defend them even if they improvised.

Livingston did not play. He sprained his knee in last week's game against the Trail Blazers and will miss six to eight weeks. As a result, he can avoid next month's game with the Bobcats, which may be a blessing in disguise and his fortune will change dramatically.

In Guo Xu's previous life, Livingston's left knee bent strangely and broke inward when he landed a layup during a game against the Bobcats in February 2007. The severe pain made Livingston's screams heartbreaking, and the scene was quite tragic. YouTube once uploaded a video of Livingston's injury. NBA officials believed that the footage was too cruel and that many fans would be too scared to take a layup after watching it. The NBA asked YouTube to delete the video.

Although the final examination results prevented amputation, the extent of Livingston's knee injuries was still shocking. The anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament of the knee joint were ruptured, the lateral meniscus was torn, the patella was dislocated, and the anterior tibia was decapitated and dislocated. Livingston's knee injury is now much milder and can be treated conservatively like Odom.

Guo Xu, Stoudemire, and Roy are facing opportunities in one-on-one action. The Clippers players cannot guard against each other alone. Marion can only catch the ball during counterattacks, and most of the time the positional battle is soy sauce.

In December, the Suns continued their defeat journey and maintained a complete victory. The only threat to them was the Wizards. The Trident led by Arenas and the Suns fought hard to attack, but failed to bite in the last two minutes and lost by 7 points.

Guo Xu and Roy scored 30+, and Stoudemire also scored 20+. Larry Hughes failed to defend either Guo Xu or Roy, and the Wizards management had no choice but to accept the fact that his strength was seriously overestimated. Hughes also has nothing to do with Guo Xu on the offensive end. He mainly relies on breakthroughs to score. He has not practiced mid- and long-range shooting well in the league for many years.

The Suns did not participate in the Christmas game again. The league only arranged one game between the Lakers and the Heat. Guo Xu was tortured by not finding a team.

Stern even regrets arranging this game. Kobe's encounter with O'Neal can easily remind people of the contradictions of the OK Group. If O'Neal said anything, it may also trigger conflicts within the Lakers.

The result of the game was that the Lakers lost to the Heat, whose strength had dropped significantly, by 12 points.

Kobe's touch was terrible. He made 4 of 17 shots, 0 of 4 three-pointers, 8 of 9 free throws, and scored 16 points and 4 assists. If it weren't for Artest's outstanding performance, making 10 of 16 shots, 4 of 8 three-pointers, 4 of 4 free throws, and scoring 28 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, the Lakers would have surrendered at halftime.

Every team knows how to guard Kobe.

Simply double-teaming him near the penalty area and forcing him to pass can reduce efficiency. Once his single shot in the low post was inaccurate, it was almost like a blacksmith performance. In the second half, he didn't dare to shoot anymore, and he missed all mid-range and long-range shots.

After the game, many fans on the Internet criticized Kobe for stealing the ball from his teammates inside and ruining Bogut. There are also fans who are disgusted with Artest and think that he and Kobe should lob the ball to Bogut so that the big man can take more shots.

Bogut performed well on both offense and defense in this game, making 6 of 7 shots, 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 14 points and 10 rebounds. His statistics were not inferior to O'Neal's, and his efficiency was higher, but he had no thoughts at the press conference. He was desperate and had no other choice but to leave the Lakers.

The relationship between Kobe and his teammates became increasingly tense. After being criticized by Artest, he took more shots and was determined to win the scoring title. Odom is out for at least six weeks due to a knee injury. Kobe has a reason to take more shots. The second in command is no longer there. If he doesn't take shots, how can he let Artest take more shots?

Kobe scored 40+ points in a row, averaging 28.4 points per game and catching up to second place in the scoring list. However, the Lakers' record declined, and the cost of his extra shots was destroying the team's overall coordination.

This is how Kobe Bryant became the two scoring champions in his previous life. He knew how to play more easily to win. After entering the playoffs, he rarely messed around and became much more selfless. This is why Kobe Bryant's points in a single game in the playoffs are far lower than those in the regular season, but in the 2007-08 season, his shooting percentage reached 47.9% at his peak, averaging 30.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game, leading the Lakers to the Finals.

The Suns have been on a roll, defeating the second-ranked Pistons in the Eastern Conference 111-95 in an away game at the end of the month.

Guo Xu played 35 minutes, making 12 of 19 shots, 6 of 11 three-pointers, 5 of 5 free throws, and scored 35 points, 4 rebounds and 12 assists. Billups can't defend himself alone, so he double-teams to create space. It's that simple for the Suns to win.

The Suns also have an advantage inside, but Stoudemire and Marion didn't play much. They mainly used screens and air cuts, and didn't attack with the ball.

Their task is to protect rebounds and remove Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace from the basket. Once the Pistons are empty inside, Roy and Guo Xu will show off their power and have a lot of room to break through.

The Suns have always maintained the lead, not even bothering to use the shark-cutting tactic, and the team defended the penalty area and finished. Ben Wallace made 1 of 5 shots from the field, scored 2 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks, and no free throws.

After the game, some fans still said that Big Ben is the spirit of the team. In the Pistons system, his rebounding and shot-blocking statistics are not bad. On the offensive end, his upper body strength, which is said to be the strongest in the league, could not beat Marion and Haslem. After turning around several times, he threw a discus towards the basket, giving people the feeling that the soul of the Pistons is forging iron.

Guo Xu doesn't even want a teammate like Ben, who gets the basic salary, and he can get mad when he attacks.

Because Big Ben is too short and has a body like a forward, he has no power in covering for his teammates. It is easy for the opponent to bypass the pursuit. Coach Sanders knew this, so he asked him to stay near the penalty area and wait for the ball to be missed. Going out to cover would only cause his teammates on the outside to be double-teamed, and the opponent would 100% let him go.

On January 2, Guo Xu won the Western Conference Player of the Month for the second time and led the Suns to a 107-86 away victory over the Bulls, extending their winning streak to 30 games.

After sending away Tyson Chandler, the Bulls' interior defense is completely ruined. They may be able to make the playoffs with their sharp offense, but they won't get far. Guo Xu casually called Jason Richardson to save face. He was not far away from being traded by the Bulls.

Richardson's dunks are beautiful. He can be called comprehensive both inside and outside but is completely unpopular. It's a bit strange.

In fact, the person the Bulls should leave most is the general manager. His series of magical operations are hard to describe. He felt that Chandler was not good enough and gave it to the Hornets. The P.J. Brown he exchanged for could not play anymore and could only be used as a substitute. He had a loophole as soon as he came on the court. He could not quickly switch defenders when encountering no-ball screens. He could easily get passed if he switched defenders. .

Brown didn't even have to play against Guo Xu, so Lowry could just get by with him. This was the only player the Bulls got from the Hornets. J.R. Smith was traded to the Nuggets by them. He performed very well and became the team's sixth man.

After 30 consecutive wins, everyone is discussing the possibility of the Suns breaking the regular season record. If this continues, they will not only break the Lakers' record, but will actually win 80 games.

Stars who have been teammates with Guo Xu will inevitably be interviewed by reporters. O'Neal said: I think the Suns may break the record because their current lineup is deeper than the Lakers' three consecutive championships and they are more united.

The reporter asked: That record is a testimony of your friendship. Do you feel regretful?

A little bit, but records are meant to be broken. He has that strength. Amare is a killer inside. Roy is like Kobe Bryant back then. The Suns and Lakers are really similar. O'Neal said with a smile.

As usual, Kobe refused to comment on Guo Xu, nor did he mention the Suns' title defense. He faced the camera with an expression of You owe me 100 million. He doesn't tell reporters and doesn't force him, just report it truthfully and let the fans guess Kobe's psychology.