NOVPUBChapter 797: Chapter 515: Kevin Durant Can’t, but Kobe Durant Can_3 Chapter 797: Chapter 515: Kevin Durant Can’t, but Kobe Durant Can_3 “`
Jackson did not respond to Yu Fei’s comment.
To others, it seemed like he was feigning profundity, but in reality, he just wanted to see how James would react.
Subsequently, what the Lakers felt was an incredibly tough defense.
It wasn’t just Yu Fei’s defense against James that was strong.
Pau Gasol tried to set a pick for James.
Yu Fei’s choice was to bluntly squeeze past the screen, relentlessly pursuing to the end.
Following Pau Gasol, DeAndre Jordan chose to double-team James.
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The constantly intensifying defensive pressure made James suspect that if he controlled the ball for one more second, it would be stolen, prompting him to quickly pass the ball to Pau Gasol.
However, such a pass was too close, allowing Yu Fei not only to react but also to reach out and disturb Pau Gasol’s shot.
The Lakers’ offense had completely transitioned to a small-ball format.
Taking the shot whenever there was an opportunity became the consensus among all players.
Under Yu Fei’s interference, Pau Gasol took a three-pointer.
“Bang!”
This was the new requirement Tyronn Lue had for players on the defensive end.
After the starting lineup change, the second-shortest person on the SuperSonics on the court was Yu Fei, standing barefoot at 206 centimeters.
Larry Hughes was a forward-guard swingman with a height of 196 centimeters, which was considered excellent even among guards.
So, the SuperSonics effectively had five Spider-Men on the court, four of whom were at the peak of their age and athletic abilities.
The advantage of having long arms and legs meant that as long as they defended with full effort, they could use their long arms to guard two areas at once.
In the last game, Phil Jackson had presented the SuperSonics’ sharpshooters with a semi-open position challenge.
Jackson believed that those so-called sharpshooters with a 40% shooting rate would struggle to maintain output in semi-open situations, and Moro’s performance proved the success of this defensive design.
Coach Lu, as half a disciple of the Zen Master, had no special talents, only stealth tactics and interceptions. Your tactics that worked well in the last game have been taken over by me in the next one.
Coach Lu believed that a defensive setup that gave the opponents semi-open shots was very suitable for them since they had many players with the gifts of height and arm length.
Pau Gasol, as the starting player with the least stable outside shooting ability in the Lakers lineup, missed his first shot of the game.
This bolstered the SuperSonics’ confidence.
After Pau Gasol missed the three-pointer, Kevin Durant grabbed the rebound and passed it to Yu Fei.
Yu Fei dashed down the court like a cheetah, stopping just beyond the three-point line in the frontcourt.
James, startled, raised his hand to defend, but it was already too late.
Yu Fei’s trailing three-pointer swished through the net!
In the first minute of the game, Yu Fei scored 5 points in succession.
“It seems Frye wasn’t just bluffing when he said he’d score 50 points,” said Kevin Harlan of TNT, NBA2K’s voice, “If he continues playing like this, he can exceed his goal.”
Meanwhile, ESPN studio analyst Hubie Brown said, “The most special thing tonight is the SuperSonics’ defense; they’ve left the Lakers baffled.”
Just as Brown’s voice trailed off, the SuperSonics’ suffocating defense led to James making an ineffective pass.
James passed the ball to Richard Hamilton in the corner, but Hamilton was unable to do anything under Hughes’ aggressive defense, and the ball returned to James’s hands.
James, with a determined heart, chose to force his way through.
The resistance from Yu Fei was still strong, making James uncomfortable with the fact that despite the considerable physical contact of a foul-worthy level, the referees did not blow their whistles at all.
James’ forced drive was ineffective, his layup was disturbed, but fortunately, Pau Gasol grabbed the offensive rebound and tossed the ball to Kobe.
Kobe, facing Kevin Durant who was thoroughly taller than himself, also made a poor shooting decision.
Kobe dribbled to the right side in place, then, as if seeking “The Shot,” he drifted and forced a shot.
At that moment, the Lakers had just secured the offensive rebound, with a full 24 seconds of attack time. Perhaps Kobe was impatient due to James’s various ineffective drives and passes, wanting to play more freely, but at that time, such an offensive choice was definitely unwise.
“Bang!”
Of course, that shot did not go in.
Yu Fei leaped to snag the rebound and was about to counterattack, but noticing that the Lakers had already retreated to defend, he decided to play it smart using his left hand to gesture, signaling his teammates to stabilize.
“Take it easy!” Yu Fei said, “Hold steady, make this shot!”
The pace of the game is often uncertain.
Either fast or slow, in a normal game, the rhythm often switches back and forth between the two, with the coaching staff influencing it.
This was what set the SuperSonics apart.
Controlling the game’s pace was not up to the coaching staff, but to Yu Fei.
So, with the SuperSonics, it was fast if Yu Fei wanted it fast, and slow if he wanted it slow.
As the Lakers were pondering why the SuperSonics, who had been effective in a fast break earlier, were not continuing to play quickly, Yu Fei had already dribbled to the frontcourt, giving sufficient trust to Kevin Durant, letting teammates spread out, and then tossing the ball to him.
Yu Fei’s targeted attack on James at the start of the game prevented the Lakers from carrying through the “James on Durant” matchup that had worked well in the previous game.
The responsibility for this lay with James.
He wanted to test his strength against Yu Fei, so he let Kobe guard Durant.
What’s the difference if it’s just one person defending?
Kobe couldn’t pressure Durant with size, strength, and talent like James could.
Now, Kobe was in the twilight of his prime, and his defense was no longer comparable to his younger years; he primarily relied on his tough spirit, experience, and cunning judgment to deal with younger players.
Durant took a deep breath, then suddenly rose up, hoping to win with height.
