Chapter 102: The Spurs' Targeted Defensive Tactics, Thanks to Wang Chong!
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As Wang Chong effortlessly maneuvered around Turkoglu, Spurs head coach Popovich frowned. Before the series against the Lakers began, dealing with Wang Chong had become his biggest concern.
The Lakers were already tough enough to handle with the Shaq-Kobe combination. With the addition of Wang Chong, it was now overwhelming, leaving opposing coaches puzzled on how to strategize.
Bruce Bowen had to defend Kobe, and even if Bowen tried to cover Wang Chong, his height and defensive effectiveness weren't ideal for this task. If Bowen focused on Wang Chong, Kobe would have a much freer hand to dominate.
Although Wang Chong's performance this season had been impressive, Kobe was still considered a much greater threat.
Popovich silently cursed Phil Jackson's luck. Not only did Jackson have the Shaq-Kobe combo—the best inside-outside duo—but also had stars like Karl Malone and Gary Payton. Now, to top it off, he had a young rookie like Wang Chong, whose skills were being maximized to perfection. Any coach would be envious of Jackson's lineup.
The Spurs' defensive tactics initially worked well, as Popovich had expected. O'Neal easily overpowered Nesterovic in the paint, but with Nesterovic's active front defense and Duncan's timely double-teams, O'Neal found it difficult to receive the ball.
O'Neal has always faced this problem. His strength under the basket is unmatched, and once he gets the ball in the restricted area, he can almost always finish. The issue was getting him the ball in the first place.
Given the league's three-second rule and five-second back-to-the-basket rule, O'Neal couldn't position himself for too long in the paint and had to rely on teammates to feed him the ball.
This was one of O'Neal's biggest limitations, aside from his poor free-throw shooting.
While O'Neal was considered the core of the Lakers' offense, it was clear that without elite guards like Kobe or Wade, he struggled to dominate in the playoffs. O'Neal's career, for all its highlights, featured only one regular-season MVP award, which was less than contemporaries like Duncan, Nash, and future stars like Antetokounmpo and Jokic.
Last season, the Spurs eliminated the Lakers 4-2 in the second round of the playoffs using similar tactics. They denied O'Neal easy access to the ball, fouled him before he could shoot, and employed the "Hack-a-Shaq" tactic. Meanwhile, Bowen's one-on-one defense kept Kobe in check.
The results: Kobe averaged 32.3 points on 26.5 shots per game, while O'Neal was held to 25 points and 14 rebounds. Despite O'Neal's superstar numbers, it wasn't enough to overcome the Spurs' defense.
This year, the Spurs had lost David Robinson, a key defender for O'Neal, and O'Neal's offensive impact had declined further from the previous season. Still, the Spurs continued to employ front defense and double-teaming tactics.
In the first quarter, O'Neal managed to score 4 points on 2 of 3 shooting, but missed both free throws. Even when double-teamed, O'Neal could score under the basket, but getting him the ball was a challenge.
Kobe, similarly, struggled under Bowen's defense, going 1 for 4 from the field and scoring 6 points, primarily from free throws.
Between O'Neal and Kobe, the Lakers' offensive output was meager, totaling only 10 points from their stars in the first quarter. It seemed like the Spurs should have pulled ahead significantly.
But they didn't.
The reason? Wang Chong.
Though Wang Chong only took three shots in the first quarter, he made all of them, including a three-pointer and two mid-range jumpers. He also hit 2 free throws, scoring 7 points with a 100% shooting percentage, keeping the Lakers within 4 points by the end of the first quarter.
Popovich's worst fears had come true.
The media had already remarked that Wang Chong was the Lakers' safety net. When one or both of the "OK" combo were struggling, Wang Chong's ability to score efficiently and consistently in the mid-range kept the Lakers in the game.
Thanks to Wang Chong, the Lakers were only down by 4 points after the first quarter, and as the second quarter began, the "OK" duo started to regain their form. Both Kobe and O'Neal were too talented to be completely neutralized by defensive strategies.
O'Neal, frustrated by Nesterovic's persistent defense, demanded the ball and forced the Spurs to start using the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy early. He made 9 free throws in the second quarter, hitting only 3, and added 9 more points from the field.
Kobe also improved, contributing 7 points. The Lakers scored 22 points in the second quarter, outscoring the Spurs by 2 points, cutting the deficit to just 2 points by halftime.
The home crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief.
In the third quarter, Kobe found his rhythm, scoring 12 points on 5 of 11 shooting, sparking a 12-4 Lakers run. The Lakers outscored the Spurs 32-21 in the quarter, taking a 9-point lead into the fourth.
Despite Duncan's 12-point effort in the final quarter, the Spurs couldn't catch up, and the Lakers won 105-97, claiming their first victory in the Western Conference Finals.
Wang Chong finished the game with 23 points on 8 of 15 shooting, helping Kobe and O'Neal seal the win.
The Spurs' only misstep was their inability to deal with Wang Chong. His 53.3% shooting, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, was a critical factor in breaking down the Spurs' defense. If the Spurs couldn't find a way to neutralize him, the series might end in the same fashion.
The Spurs had successfully limited O'Neal to under 20 points and Kobe to an inefficient shooting night, but Wang Chong had been the wild card they couldn't handle.
In Game 2, O'Neal exploded for 32 points on 71% shooting, while Kobe added 15, and Wang Chong chipped in 18 points. Despite Parker's 30-point performance, the Lakers won 99-95, taking a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Now, heading to San Antonio, the Lakers needed to win at least one road game to maintain their advantage.
End of this chapter
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