When pride still matters

Chapter 512 It takes time

Chapter 512 It Takes Time

Kobe quickly scored another 2+1 on Durant, and Yu Fei came on the court.

Then, Kobe made the free throw and the Lakers' lead reached 9 points.

The atmosphere at the Staples Center was heated, and Lakers fans were excited to see the familiar team back.

Facing an opponent like the Supersonics, they have gained an advantage, and now all they have to do is maintain the momentum.

Yu Fei stopped the bleeding for the team with a breakthrough jump shot in a positional battle.

However, Kobe's form has been fully brought out, and no matter who defends him, he can put the ball into the basket.

Yu Fei went to face off against Kobe, who was leaning against him with his back. He did not have the physical advantage, but his feet were agile, and he turned left and right, twisting the center of gravity of the defense like a twist, and then he made a beautiful up and down layup to score.

"This is Kobe, you can always trust him!"

"When he gets going, even Frye can't get the better of him."

The Supersonics were trailing by 9 points, but what Yu Fei had to do was not only to suppress Kobe, but also to help his teammates find their touch.

However, Bosh hardly took any shots in the few minutes that he partnered with Durant. Apart from pick-and-roll screens and positioning defense, both were thankless tasks. These blue-collar jobs consumed his touch. Now that he is playing pick-and-roll with Yu Fei again, his long-range shooting touch is gone.

Bosh's shots were repeatedly too short.

The ball hits the front of the basket and then bounces out.

This is a sign of physical distress.

Coach Lu reacted and called Jermaine O'Neal from the bench to replace Bosh.

But Bosh's consecutive misses allowed the Lakers to counterattack twice, and the Supersonics were already 13 points behind.

This looks like a desperate scene.

Yu Fei has returned, but the Supersonics are still unable to withstand the Lakers' offensive.

Want to call a timeout?
Tyronn Lue has trouble making decisions.

Yu Fei had only been back in the game for two minutes. Was it too hasty to call a timeout? But even without calling a timeout, the score difference had already reached 13 points.

"Time out, first we need to disrupt the Lakers' rhythm!"

Tim Ggurich said.

Coach Lu thought it made sense, so he went to the technical desk and requested a timeout.

Yu Fei didn't expect Lu to call a timeout so quickly.

He originally wanted to try other people's skills, and if that didn't work, he would just let go and do it alone.

"Frye, I'm going to replace Chris and Tony (Morrow's nickname) with Jermaine and Zo," Coach Lu said. "You need to increase the frequency of your personal offense."

Lu's move was to let Bosh and Morrow go off the court to rest first. Compared with Bosh at this stage, O'Neal's offense and defense are weakened, but he is still useful. He is a backup power forward who can score in double digits per game. And Alonzo Gee replacing Morrow is like replacing a monster with a high defensive stat in a card game to get beaten. The longer the delay, the better.

On the offensive end, Key only has one skill, which is cutting and extremely unstable shooting. His ability to create space is completely incomparable to that of a shooter like Morrow.

Lu's idea is very simple. Let Dafei work hard on the offensive end and let the others adjust well. If they can withstand this wave, they can still play in the second half. If they can't withstand it, they will prepare for G3 one and a half games earlier than the Lakers.

What Coach Lu didn't expect was that this was just like the previous replacement of Kwame Brown with Jordan Jr.

If people like Bosh and Morrow were still on the court, Yu Fei might still focus on passing the ball.

Now that everyone has gone down, the court is full of space black holes who are of no help and only cause trouble. The only person who can help him relieve the pressure on the offensive end is O'Neal. Then Yu Fei can ignore everyone else and be a real ball hog.

Back then, George Karl was impressed by one characteristic of Fei.

The reason why the organizing forward, the predecessor of the ball-holding core, is given the ball is that although they are small forwards, they can hold the ball, have an organizing heart, and can feel the joy of assists.

In other words, as an evolutionary product of the organizing forward, the essence of the ball-holding core should be a selfless basketball philosophy.

It is impossible to let such people take on too much, ignore the feelings of others and only care about their own pleasure. They will have a moral burden.

Am I being too selfish by doing this?
They will think this over and over again.

But Carl didn't see such a burden on Yu Fei.

This was the case with Yu Fei during his time with the Bucks. As soon as he arrived in Milwaukee, he couldn't wait to liberate his personality. In his second season, he averaged 28+9+9. In 2005, when the team was facing internal and external troubles, he averaged an astonishing 35 points per game, and then averaged a triple-double.

As long as he wants to get certain data, he will do his best without considering the feelings of his teammates.

So Carl thinks Yu Fei's transformation in Seattle is great and incredible.

A person who values ​​ball possession more than anything else suddenly gave half of the ball possession to Brandon Roy, and also gave some ball possession to Durant to help him grow. At the most extreme time, he averaged less than 18 shots per game.

These changes reflect Yu Fei's shift in game philosophy as a player.

But the question is again, if he accepts a new philosophy of play, will he give up everything old?

After Tyronn Lue took office, Yu Fei's performance as a ball-handling core player in the Bucks era proved that it is difficult to change one's nature.

A selfish ball handler, an ultimate ball handler who is not bound by moral constraints is Yu Fei’s background.

Now that all the covers have been torn off, Yu Fei is no longer hiding.

Yu Fei called for a pick-and-roll for O'Neal, and the Lakers thought he was going to pass the ball.

However, Yu Fei rushed into the basket and dunked for 2+1.

Kobe wanted to respond, but after the timeout, his touch was not as hot as before, and he missed the shot due to Yu Feiqiang's interference.

Yu Fei returned to the basket and grabbed the defensive rebound. The Lakers retreated quickly, but he slowly came to the frontcourt, faced Kobe, and pointed to a position one meter in front of the Lakers logo.

What that means is: I'm going to shoot from that position, will you defend against it?
If someone else did this, Kobe would just think he was bluffing, but this is fucking Yu Fei.

Kobe stepped forward decisively, but was still a step too slow.

Yu Fei received the ball and shot a long three-pointer.

“Bang!!!!!”

“Ohhhhhhh!!!”

The audience at the Staples Center couldn't help but exclaim.

Commentators from major TV stations began praising Yu Fei.

Doug Collins of ABC, as the spiritual leader of the Kobe Bryant fans, made the most explosive speech: "When we talk about the best in history, what are we talking about? I tell you, you are talking about Frye's game! He brings a whole new standard to the best players in history! Who can save a dying team? It's Frye! Who can make you pat your chest and guarantee that 'this person is simply omnipotent'? It's Frye! Who can loudly say in front of Kobe that his offensive ability is better? Baby, it's Frye! The end of professional basketball is Frye!"

Superstars are packaged by sponsors, and media professionals spread their stories like bards singing myths, which naturally gives them a gilded statue.

But the golden body can be broken.

Kobe only needs to go to Eagle County, and James only needs to announce his decision in the live broadcast, and all the efforts made by the forces behind them will be in vain.

But in the case of Yu Fei, these things that were detrimental to his divinity did not happen.

Not only that, he looked more and more holy.

Even on the road, his performance received a full house of applause, because this city that belongs to Hollywood welcomes the best performances in the world.

The ones who could relate to this the most were the Hollywood stars at the scene. For them, the pinnacle of their acting career was not only the box office revenue of their performances, but also the commendable moments of the roles they played.

Rocky ends the Cold War, Spider-Man blocks with his body, and Rose and Jack say "If you jump, I jump too" on the bow of the ship. These clips all give people emotional value that is difficult to obtain in reality. The reason why professional sports are popular is that the top players in the sport can bring this emotional value in large quantities.

Don Cheadle, who was beside Scarlett, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor a few years ago for his outstanding performance in "Hotel Rwanda". This was the peak of his career. Now, while watching Yu Fei from afar, he could feel that the performance this man gave to the audience on the court was no less than those of the current Hollywood superstars.

"Will the Sonics win?"

Scarlett, who had never been interested in ball sports, got involved and asked Cheadle a question.

"It's hard to say." Cheadle's understanding of basketball was only half-baked, "But Frye won't lose no matter what."

What Chandel meant was that even if the Supersonics lost, Yu Fei would not lose.

This is the conclusion he came to based solely on the players' fame and influence, as someone who knows little about basketball.

Ironically, winning even when losing is the history of professional sports to this day.

This is a medal for losers and a satire for winners. You lose, but it seems that you haven’t lost. You win, but it seems that you haven’t won. Even if you lose at the time, you may win in the future with data. Even if you win now, you will lose everything in the future for various reasons.

Half a minute later, Yu Fei left Kobe with an opportunity to break through, then caught up with him from behind and blocked his shot, and assisted Alonzo Gee with a dunk in a defensive counterattack.

The 13-point gap was narrowed to 5 points in less than two minutes.

The Lakers requested a timeout.

Just now, they were within striking distance of a big win, and now it looks like they are back to square one.

Jackson was very disappointed.

Because this lead was brought about by the triangle offense. If they win because of this, although they cannot convince James to accept this system, it at least proves that his concept is correct.

But now, Yu Fei’s previous efforts were wasted with his personal abilities.

A 5-point lead is not convincing at all.

Jackson glanced at James and the Emperor was ready to go on the court.

"It's good for us that Frye plays like this," Kobe said.

"That's right," James said. "He can't change the situation alone."

As for the Supersonics, coach Lu did not expect that Yu Fei not only held on for the game, but also narrowed the gap to 5 points.

Is this what it’s like to coach a superstar?
If you can't handle it, just let others do it freely?

As a novice coach, Coach Lu was greatly shocked, but the Lakers immediately stated that they would not watch Yu Fei fight alone to the end.

Jackson coached Jordan and saw how the Pistons dealt with Jordan. Many of the so-called Jordan rules are no longer applicable today, and he doesn't have the time to develop a defensive system specifically to target Yu Fei.

No matter how basketball develops, the best way to limit the ball handler is always to double-team.

Now that the Supersonics have players like Jason Kildare and DeAndre Jordan who don't have any shooting threats, they don't have to worry about double-teaming.

When the Lakers used double-teaming again, Yu Fei knew that his opponent was getting angry.

This method was not new, Yu Fei immediately passed the ball to Ji.

Ji dribbled the ball clumsily and broke through, forcing Big Z to foul under the basket.

Yu Fei saw this scene.

Key prepares for a free throw.

Yu Fei began to think back to the penalty standards since the first game. As far as he was concerned, although both games were played at the Staples Center, the Lakers' penalty preferential treatment was far less obvious than before.

Yu Fei even felt that it would be easier for them to commit fouls.

This is the Lakers' home court. Every visiting team playing here must be mentally prepared to fall behind the opponent by 5-10 free throws at the start.

But up to now in the Western Conference Finals, Yu Fei really didn't see the Lakers having a home-court advantage in terms of whistles.

Does this mean the judgment is fair?

Indeed, the penalty is fair, but big city teams have always been the representatives of "if I don't take advantage, I will suffer a loss", especially top-tier cities like the Lakers and the Knicks. Why did the Lakers' most important home-court advantage disappear?

When Alonzo Gee made one of two free throws, Yu Fei thought about the adverse impact of "The Decision" throughout the league.

For the league, players like Kobe and James should not stay on the same team. As franchise players, they should become hot commodities in NBA cities. Now, two hot commodities belong to the Lakers at the same time, which will not make the Lakers make more money, because the Lakers have a solid foundation in Los Angeles and the market is saturated.

There are signs that James was conspiring with Kobe even earlier, when he was still a member of the Cavaliers. What could be more annoying in the eyes of the owners?
The players' self-planned grouping systematically challenges the league's current rules. It has subversive significance. If Janko succeeds, it will be widely imitated by later generations.

Therefore, the league has every intention of not seeing the Lakers win the championship.

However, it is impossible for them to blatantly blow the whistle against the league's second market.

So the Lakers were fair at home, but what about on the road? Did the Sonics take over the Lakers and become the first team in NBA history to have a 5-10 free throw advantage against the Lakers at home?

Yu Fei didn't know that he needed data, needed to review the video of the first game, and needed to conduct more tests on the penalty scale during the game.

However, it is unusual for a bottom player like Alonzo Gee to draw a foul on Marc Gasol on a play that could have been called or not.

After James' return, Kobe entered his comfort zone.

Kobe no longer has to shoulder the task of finishing the triangle offense like before. He only needs to position himself against players like Alonzo Gee, or call for a screen to get rid of him.

Kobe's previous performance has proved that he is in hot form tonight.

James passed the ball directly to him.

Kobe took the ball and shot a three-pointer, which he made.

Yu Fei asked Durant to set a pick-and-roll, and the Lakers chose to double-team the ball handler in advance.

Yu Fei had to pass the ball to Durant before the pick-and-roll was completed.

Durant got the ball, and I don't know what he was thinking. Up to this point in the game, the highlights of the Supersonics were all about Fei and Bosh.

He looked dim in front of Janko.

The Nike representative on site will report his performance to the headquarters truthfully.

By then, those old guys will think that his current strength is not enough to carry the banner.

Durant is not desperate because the series is still long, but he wants to prove that he is capable of rebounding after hitting rock bottom.

Therefore, he did not continue passing the ball according to the tactics designed by Yu Fei, but instead asked people to move away and dribble to single out James.

Although it is reckless to do so, it is also one of the privileges Durant now has.

He can ask for the ball and play one-on-one regardless of time and place.

Seeing this, Yu Fei decisively stepped aside.

Durant changed directions continuously with huge amplitude, but James, who returned to the court after a rest, had recovered his energy to his heyday, and his tank-like body was like a huge mountain standing in front of him.

Even the son of America could only do a reluctant job of it.

There's no way this shot could go in.

Yu Fei was sure that he would not score, and he also predicted where the rebound would land and tried to grab a position in advance.

The ball really bounced out of the basket. The moment it fell, Yu Fei seemed to have a better reaction nerve than anyone else. He jumped up and caught the ball.

Before landing, Yu Fei passed the ball to Xiao Ao.

O'Neal forced his way up under Gasol's defense and committed a foul again.

"My fault!"

O'Neal felt guilty for not making the 2+1.

Yu Fei patted his shoulder and said nothing.

The core players are definitely the most sensitive to the scale of the game because one of their potential opponents on the field is the referee.

Only by understanding the referee's standards can you know what actions to use to defend.

Before it was Ki, now it's O'Neal's turn, and they both earned fouls in a defensive situation that could be called or not.

Yu Fei didn't believe this was a coincidence, but more samples were needed.

The Lakers replaced Gasol with Big Z as a defensive move.

Unfortunately, the Supersonics didn't have a good feel for free throws tonight.

O'Neal also made one of two free throws.

Afterwards, Yu Fei asked Morrow's substitute, Larry Hughes, who took the initiative to shoot on the trade deadline, to attack the basket.

Hughes did not commit a foul, but the Sonics' impact under the basket made the Lakers defensively cautious. In a lightly contested defense, Hughes scored the ball against Big Z's defense.

However, after the Lakers returned to their main players, their offensive became more and more intense.

On the Sonics side, Yu Fei either played one-on-one, or drew fouls, or Hughes made a sudden steal. The Lakers were much smoother. Kobe's form was ignited again. With James passing the ball, his offense became much simpler. Moreover, shooters like Richard Hamilton started to hit three-pointers.

It seemed that both sides were scoring, but the Lakers were more efficient. At the end of the quarter, the Lakers' lead was fixed at 8 points.

The first half is over.

In the second half, Yu Fei took over again, scoring and assisting to narrow the gap to 4 points.

But with their shooters silent, Durant being blocked, and their overall free throw percentage low, their scoring efficiency was too poor.

Yu Fei's momentum of chasing points driven by his personal ability in the first half did not continue. Instead, Kobe's hot state spread to the shooters on the Lakers side, allowing James' one-star and four-shooter system to be fully utilized.

Kobe may be the brightest star tonight because offense is the most important part of the game of basketball.

Kobe scored a game-high 44 points tonight.

Following him was James with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists.

It can be said that James' passing is like Kobe's engine.

But in Los Angeles, James' versatility is destined to be overshadowed by Kobe.

The only person who was on par with Kobe was Yu Fei, who started in the second quarter and was not removed from the court until 15 seconds before the end of the game because the score difference widened to 9 points.

Yu Fei fought until the last minute, scoring 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, but defeat tonight was inevitable.

119 is better than 112
The Lakers, playing at home, defeated the Supersonics and tied the game 1-1.

Post-match interview
"That's why they are No. 1 in the league and why they can achieve the best record. They have a lot of excellent players and everyone can bring key performances." - Tyronn Lue talks about the strength of the Lakers.

"Don't blame KD. You can't blame him just because he didn't play a monster game like Frye. He's only 22 years old and it's unfair to him." - Tyronn Lue talked about Kevin Durant's poor performance in Game .

"When we become a collective, no team can beat us." Phil Jackson looked at the follow-up of the series, "I don't care about Seattle, I only care about ourselves."

Kobe Bryant gets all the love.

He proved that he is the master of the City of Angels with an outstanding game.

Countless media wanted to interview him and ask him how he felt about scoring 44 points in front of Yu Fei.

This is the strongest feeling that "Fry Yu's era is coming to an end" that people have had in a long time.

If the Lakers beat the SuperSonics, it would be the beginning of the Kobe era.

Therefore, everyone acted as if they were interviewing a new god.

Kobe asked back with an indifferent expression: "My work is not done yet. There is still the Finals after the Western Conference Finals. I will not think about these things now."

Soon, James arrived.

He is always the last person to be interviewed.

In his life, there is only one kind of dessert that he cannot refuse, and that is the sweetness obtained by defeating Yu Fei. He is willing to suffer from diabetes for it.

Although Kobe was the best player of the game, he believed that people with insight could see his role.

Without his help, Kobe would not have won this matchup.

He won tonight and will win again in the future. The era of Frye is about to end, so what awaits him?
"LeBron, this is the second time you've beaten Frye in your career, how does it feel?"

There are many ways to ask questions, but the reporter chose the one that James disliked the most.

His good mood faded a little.

"There will be many more times in the future." James wanted to show confidence in the future, but his words sounded arrogant. "You'd better get used to it sooner."

"Kobe was the best player tonight. What do you want to say about that?"

"I always knew he was a great player, if he wanted to"

"After a slump in the first game, you shook off your bad form tonight. Do you feel like Kobe helped you with that?"

"certainly."

"How did Kobe help you find your form?"

"."

Kobe, Kobe, and Kobe. In Los Angeles, Kobe seemed to be the only thing that mattered.

James knows this, but he hates that the media is increasingly referring to him as Kobe's sidekick. Is that a wrong term? Strictly speaking, it's not. He is Kobe's sidekick, just as Kobe is his sidekick. But the media never says that Kobe is his sidekick.

He didn't understand why, with the same victory, Kobe won everything he had dreamed of, but his life, image, and reputation did not change at all?

It was obvious that they defeated Yu Fei together tonight, so why does the outside world perceive it as "Kobe defeated Yu Fei"?
Why? What's the problem here?
Along with doubts come the seeds of jealousy and hatred.

But before those seeds sprout and begin to significantly affect emotions, James is left with the most questions.

He has not yet seen the true face of the world, nor has he achieved enough success to allow himself to review the impact of his "decision".

All this takes time.

(End of this chapter)