So I am the god of basketball?

After losing the first game of the series, Nelson didn't look too upset.

He has been in this league for too long and has seen almost every situation.

For him, tonight was just a test.

His changes are also to adjust the Warriors' offensive mode.

Chris Webber played from the high post to the low post, and Hardaway and "Madman" cooperated more.

In this game, their statistics are very good.

哈达威拿到了21分5篮板8助攻2抢断的数据，“狂人”拿到了25分，克里斯-韦伯拿到了18分8篮板6助攻的数据，三个人都在第一场比赛中展现出了他们的特点。

As long as this "basic plate" can perform as they should in the Lakers' defense, there is still time to play in this series.

Anyway, not many people think that the Warriors can cause trouble to the Lakers this season.

The outside world is optimistic that the Lakers will eliminate the Warriors 4-1 or 4-2.

Nelson's own expectation is to drag the series to the sixth game. If it can be a "tiebreak", that would be great.

They are also teams that made major trades last summer. The biggest difference between the Lakers and the Warriors is that this team has young people and experienced veterans. Their break-in speed is much faster than that of the Warriors.

The Warriors only started to become strong after playing in November.

But even so, they are still a very young team.

Chris Mullin doesn't add enough experience to this team.

So Nelson is very satisfied to reach the semifinals this season. Give him another year to perfect the tacit understanding between Hardaway and Webber. "Madman" will unlock some skills related to off-ball threats. The upper limit of this Warriors team is not low.

There are passes, inside attacks, and strong solutions, but the fifth position lacks a "heavy tank" that was a special product of the 90s.

This also has a lot to do with Nelson. He doesn't like to use that kind of "heavy tank" center.

So in his opinion, what hinders the Warriors from going further is their experience.

If they can play against a strong team like the Lakers, it will definitely improve the self-confidence of these young people.

The goals are different, so the expressions when losing the game are also different.

For the Lakers, Meng Lang scored a team-high 38 points as usual, along with 8 assists and 7 rebounds.

It is worth mentioning that there were quite a few Lakers who had more than 7 rebounds in this game...

In addition to Meng Lang, Johnson also got 7 rebounds, Barkley got 15 rebounds, and Divac also got 9 rebounds.

They grabbed 11 more rebounds than the Warriors in the game.

Chuck Daly looked at the rebound difference on the data sheet and fell into deep thought. Of course he can see that the Warriors haven't adjusted much yet. But similarly, in this Lakers game, even the "Fifth Player" simply ran on the court for 3 minutes, and did not pull out any real swordsmanship to fight the opponent. Also keep a backup plan!
Originally, he planned to put up a "five small" lineup as soon as the second game started and kill Nelson off guard. In this way, no matter what changes Old Nelson prepares, there will definitely be panic for a long time. With the Lakers' offensive firepower in a chaotic situation, it is not impossible to directly take advantage of one quarter to seal the victory. !
But now, he has a new idea.

Two days later, the second game of the series between the Lakers and the Warriors continued at the Lakers' home court.

As soon as the game started, Nelson felt that the opponent's offensive strategy had changed:
Meng Lang, who had been attacking with the ball in the last game, became a "dribble guard" in this game. After dribbling the ball across the half court, he quickly gave the ball to Jones on the wing or Magic Johnson who came to respond.

Then a group of people went straight to the Warriors' basket, fighting for rebounds and launching a second attack.

The Warriors didn't pay attention at first, just paying attention to Meng Lang's running. ——Thanks to Hardaway for repeatedly reminding his Warriors teammates to pay attention to Meng Lang's position. As a result, Meng Lang had no intention of shooting three-pointers from the outside. Instead, he frequently ran towards the basket. The Lakers grabbed 5 offensive rebounds in less than 4 minutes of the game.

The score also smoothly led by 10 points to 4-6!
The Lakers' shooting status was not very good tonight, but they were unable to hold up 4 more offensive rounds than the Warriors.

Nelson reluctantly called a timeout.

Not only did the defensive tactics deployed by the Warriors fail! ——He specifically emphasized the double-teaming of Meng Lang. But in the end, Meng Lang didn't touch the ball at all. And the Warriors' offense didn't play well either.

Originally, what Nelson emphasized was to take advantage of the Lakers' missed offensive attempts and the time after getting the rebound to carry out quick counterattacks.

Unexpectedly, the Lakers came to this game for rebounds.

In desperation, the Warriors could only change to a lineup that focused on shrinking the basket and protecting the basket.

In the second game of the series, before Nelson could show his sword, he was stabbed in the ass by Chuck Daly. The scene of this second game was finalized. The Lakers defeated the Warriors again, 108-94, with 14 points.

Won the second game of the series.

Chuck Daly is still a little confused:
Is this also a test?
Because he didn't see any obvious changes in the Warriors' offensive and defensive formations at all.

As expected of a "mad scientist", he just keeps his composure.

Meng Lang grabbed a playoff-high 9 rebounds in this game.

Of course there is the factor of his hard work, and part of the reason is that Barkley is willing to be the "green leaf".

Meng Lang got several backcourt rebounds with his help.

In addition, Meng Lang also scored 30 points and 6 assists.

The decline in assists is due to the fact that he holds the ball less in each possession. He was the one responsible for pulling the gun line in this game. It's been a long time since he was a pure "shooter". In this game, he shot 60% from three-point range.

10 shots, 6 hits!
In the 90s, such three-point line performance was really exaggerated.

After two consecutive big wins, in the eyes of the Los Angeles media, the Lakers are afraid that they will sweep their opponents to advance again. But the results told them that the behavior of "opening the champagne in advance" is really not advisable. I don’t know if there is anything unclean in Oracle Arena.

Even Meng Lang only made 17 of 7 shots this time. You must know that he has the "Mr. Big Scene" buff. When he is in very good condition, missing so many shots is really a small probability event.

All members of the Lakers team are in a downturn!
勇士队以112比100，12分大胜将大比分扳成了1比2.
Of course, this game is not entirely the reason for the Lakers' sluggish state.

Nelson may also know that if the Warriors lose again, there will be no room for error. This game showed all his " trump cards ":
There are no adjustments on the defensive end, which is very "Old Nelson", it is all adjustments on the offensive end.

Chris Mullin and Marshall scored 7 three-pointers tonight.

Their strong three-point firepower ensured the breakthrough threat of Hardaway and the "Madman". Coupled with Chris Webber's support and various cooperation, the Warriors' offense almost never lost power tonight.

This may be the offensive effect Nelson imagined this Warriors team could achieve.

And tonight, these young people really did it.

So Old Nelson's smile was also very gratifying.

Not only was he smiling after winning the game, but he was so happy because the Warriors had achieved all the tactical intentions he wanted to see. Because this tactic can continue to be used in the next few seasons, and with time, this lineup will produce more classic nights.

Anyway, that's what Nelson thinks.

"We will tie the big score at home and we want to go to Los Angeles with a score of 2-2!"

After this victory, the Warriors' confidence is back.

To be on the safe side, Chuck Daly used the Lakers' version of the "Los Angeles Five" in the fourth game of the series.

Divac sat on the bench and became Ben Wallace's substitute in this game.

But he had no reluctance.

The reason is also very simple:
In the third game, facing Marshall who was pulling outside, his defense was really weak.

The most important thing is that Chris Webber can also shoot three-pointers.

His mobility has become an unsolvable problem in the face of such a "run and gun brigade". He himself knew this situation, so when Chuck Daly put Ben Wallace into the starting lineup, he immediately calmed down and encouraged Ben Wallace. Let him cheer.

This game also became the first playoff game in which Wallace started in his career.

His "Afro" has taken shape, and the Ben Wallace in Meng Lang's impression completely coincides with the rookie in front of him.

"Dream, if you win this competition, can I design a look for you?"

"..."

Ok……

Well, Meng Lang didn't expect that Ben Wallace was not only stupider than he thought, but also more persistent. Ever since he came up with the idea of ​​styling Meng Lang's hair, Ben Wallace had used every opportunity to find a way to do it, and he would definitely mention this topic whenever he had the opportunity.

But if you think about it carefully, without this foolish persistence, he would not have become an NBA "inspirational model" in the future!

"roll!"

Meng Lang's answer was the same as before.

Ben Wallace said "hehe" happily, but he was rejected again!
But seeing him like this, Meng Lang felt relieved. At least he wasn't nervous mentally...

During the jump ball session, Meng Lang stepped forward to jump the ball.

Don't ask why it's Meng Lang.

Because in this team, except for small forward "Magic" Johnson, he is the tallest one!

Then the jump ball was lost as expected. Warriors possession.

Meng Lang had to admit that jumping the ball also depends on technique and timing.

Hardaway took the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt. It can be seen from the movement of the Warriors that they still played the same way as the last game. Chris Webber and Marshall both stretched out the three-point line.

Hardaway cooperated with "Madman", who successfully broke through Jones with the ball.

But this time, when he came to the basket, it was no longer empty. Ben Wallace opened his hands and waited for him to enter the basket with a serious face.

"Dangdang!"

The ball hit the basket and fell out.

Interference successful.

"Snapped!"

Not only was the interference successful, Ben Wallace also protected the rebound.

Since the "Christmas Day Game" became an overnight sensation, Wallace's playing time with the Lakers has skyrocketed.

During that time in January and a few starts, his average playing time was as high as 1 minutes. After February, his average playing time was also around 28.6 minutes. There are times when Chuck Daly would rather Divac play less minutes and let Ben Wallace play a full 2 minutes.

All this is to make 22-year-old Ben Wallace mature quickly! ——For older rookies, their physical fitness and abilities have basically been finalized. Whether they can play well depends entirely on whether they can adapt to the rhythm of the league. This process of adaptation is the accumulation of experience.

Chuck Daly is undoubtedly right to do so.

Now he's reaping the rewards.

In fact, in the first round of the playoffs, we can see the results of Ben Wallace’s growth through continuous experience:

In the first round game against the Clippers, he averaged 25 points and 4.3 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game.

If this were converted into 30 minutes, the number of rebounds would be in double figures!
Although the opponent is the weak Clippers.

But the intensity of the playoffs is here, which proves Ben Wallace's ability.

And after interference in this round, quickly controlling the rebound is his signature method.

His flexibility and outstanding wingspan allow him to easily follow the opponent's movements when facing a defender in a dislocated position.

Not to mention under the basket, even on the outside there is no clumsy feeling at all.

Meng Lang knew he could perform like this, so he wasn't surprised...that's weird!

He knew Ben Wallace's future ceiling, but he didn't know that this kid had grown up so quickly. It seems that this time he can enter his peak period early.

Plus Divac…

Hum hum!
Are you the "peak shark"?

Ah!
Meng Lang is already studying the next version.

Meng Lang took the ball in his hands, and the Lakers quickly counterattacked.

Ben Wallace certainly has weaknesses.

For example, he has almost no offensive ability.

This is also reflected in the Lakers' counterattack.

Nelson quickly responded to this by asking everyone to keep an eye on the other four Lakers players. but……

The Warriors are too obedient!

Ben Wallace does not have a strong scoring ability, but he can still "eat the pie". Especially since Meng Lang had told him long ago, don't worry about anything else after getting the ball, just dunk it!

Whether it's Chris Webber or Marshall, they are actually not the kind of insiders who can disrupt others' dunks. On the contrary, they will be a little timid, and their bodies will subconsciously move away.

"Bah!"

Meng Lang, who was attracted by the double team, passed the ball to Ben Wallace, who dunked without being marked.

After dunking, Ben Wallace slowly walked past Nelson with a silly smile on his face. As if to say:

Did you mean to let me go?
Thank you for your patience~
The Lakers, who didn't get the first right of attack, scored first.

In the Warriors' next attack, "Madman" had a very strong desire to attack. It was difficult to ignore him in his entire posture of wanting to catch the ball. Ben Wallace once again showed his outstanding defense switching ability, blocking the "Madman" at the "entrance" position.

The "Madman" who just took a breath simply pulled Ben Wallace to the outside for singles.

Da Ben was not false at all, he giggled and followed step by step.

I still can't get rid of you?

He knows that Big Ben's height also plays outside, but Big Ben is taller than Eddie Jones. Since he can dodge Jones, there is no reason why he can't dodge Ben Wallace in front of him.

Unfortunately, things went against expectations. Ben Wallace had a very good defensive awareness. He kept his position directly in front of him even though the "madman" kept making fake moves. The final shot was interfered with again.

Although Divac is gone, the Lakers' rebounding ability has not declined at all.

Chris Webber and Marshall were an interior combination that averaged 10 rebounds per game during their peak period, but they were a bit inadequate in front of Barkley and Ben.

Yes, these two men have truly won the "rebounding king", even if Ben Wallace has not yet reached his peak. But "newborn calves are not afraid of tigers", but they get better and better with excitement.

The rebound quickly reached Meng Lang's hands, but this time he failed to form a quick counterattack.

The Warriors retreated quickly.

For this team that doesn't pay much attention to defense, being able to do this proves their mental concentration.

They did not let go of Ben Wallace this time. Everyone stayed in front of their opponent and adopted a "man-to-man" tactic.

Meng Lang slowly moved towards Hardaway with the ball, changing from face to back. His eyes looked around from time to time to see if the Warriors really didn't double-team. Seeing that he was already in a high position, the opponent still let Hardaway defend him alone. Meng Lang stopped hesitating and turned around immediately, before he could make a move to put his hands together with the ball. Hardaway came forward early. The offensive deterrence formed by Meng Lang's current "turnover jump shot" can be seen as average.

Meng Lang took advantage of this opportunity and rushed in with the ball. But just after taking a step, his whole body suddenly brakes, and then he steps back to throw the ball. The whole movement was smooth and fluid. The main reason is that without getting rid of Hardaway, his ability to enter the basket is not as reliable as mid-range shooting.

But Hardaway was deceived from his progress in the first step, and then made one wrong step after another. Every step was very impatient. Meng Lang's "emergency stop" and step back effectively opened up space for him.

A solid hit in the mid-range shot!

Old Nelson was so anxious that he licked his lips and wanted to say something, but he was too anxious to spit out a word.

The opening scene almost made him suffer from brain congestion.

It's okay, as long as the offense can be played well, there will be a chance to regain the initiative.

As a head coach whose faith has been shattered by offense, Nelson believes that as long as the offense is smooth, it means everything is fine.

But the Warriors' offense is really not going smoothly...

The "Madman"'s breakthroughs were continuously restricted, so that the tear that Hardaway tore after his first breakthrough could not play its original role at all. Hardaway also thought about breaking through and then distributing the ball, allowing others to "break in" through the hole he tore open, but the problem now is that even the "Madman" can't break through Ben Wallace after switching defenses, and others What effect can it have?
Ben Wallace, who became famous for his defensive ability in the "Christmas Game", let the fans at Oracle Arena see his ability tonight. This newcomer who came out of nowhere has, in just one year, become a representative of the "interior defense gate" that cannot be underestimated among the new generation of NBA.

Speaking of which, Big Ben is really perverted. He is a guy who can truly defend from one to five.

In addition to Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan, who have top post-up ability under the basket, and inside players who completely crush his physical talents, he can't stand low-post singles masters like Chris Webber. I can't find any good juice in front of me.

Not just now, Webber tried to hit a single in the low post, almost allowing Ben Wallace to "single"!
The hook barely missed, and the ball rolled off the basket and was caught by Barkley.

Nelson finally couldn't help but make arrangements on the defensive end, letting the "madman" defend Meng Lang. ——He can't help it. Now the Warriors haven't scored a single goal, and the Lakers keep scoring. If he doesn't make adjustments and try to limit the Lakers, then the first quarter of this game won't even be finished. They, the Warriors, will It can be taken away and buried!
Sprewell is the Warriors' strongest perimeter player, not only on offense, but also on defense. While becoming the league's best first team in 94, he also made the "best defensive second team."

This is enough to prove his perimeter defensive ability.

Although he is only 1 meters tall, his athletic ability is amazing, and he knows how to use his body to create confrontations, which Hardaway cannot match.

Meng Lang looked at the menacing "Madman" and without any hesitation, gave the ball to Barkley who came to respond.

"Flying Pig" kept hitting back, and with a few "哐哐哐哐" sounds, he ran over Chris Webber and got inside, completing an easy layup.

Minato was so simple, he even twisted his butt when he landed.

The Lakers scored this goal. As long as they score one more goal, they can open the point difference to more than 10 points.

The game time has only passed less than 3 minutes.

What’s even more exaggerated is that the Warriors still haven’t scored a point!
"The Lakers' five-small lineup worked wonders!" Bill Walton explained this game today. Having just watched the Bulls' "five-small" lineup show off its power on the field, he couldn't help but admire these two "five-small lineups." "Small lineup" compared, "Compared with the Lakers' lineup, the Bulls' five small lineup has fewer key points. Only Michael Jordan can be trusted at any time. Scottie has regressed significantly this season, but The good news is that the Bulls still have Kukoc, and the two of them together support another fulcrum of the Bulls' offense."

"Dream is much more relaxed. With Charles beside him, he is still a top-notch scorer in the league!"

"This is where the Lakers are strong, but on the defensive end the Bulls are more advantageous. 'Magic' is great, but he is indeed a big problem for the Lakers on the defensive end..."

"But one thing can be seen. The Warriors probably don't have a good way to deal with the Lakers' lineup!" (End of Chapter)