Chapter 208: Who is afraid of whom when the points are flying? Victory in the first battle!
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In fact, if you only look at their career matchups, even though Gasol was completely outmatched by Garnett in terms of personal honors, their head-to-head stats were not much worse than those of his opponent.
The two have played a total of 44 games in their careers, with Garnett winning 25 and Gasol winning 19, which is only slightly inferior.
As for individual stats, Garnett averaged 18.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. This is definitely ahead of Gasol, who averaged 17.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. But just like the game record, although Garnett has a slight advantage, it's still limited. The shooting percentages of both are also very close.
Including the original 2007-08 season, you can't say that the final 6 matchups between Garnett and Gasol, averaging 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists per game, have stabilized Gasol's stats at 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists.
But this is just a comparison of stats. There isn't much of a difference in their contributions to the team in terms of offensive scoring and rebounding, but on the defensive side, stats can't reflect the true value. In most cases, the difference is enormous.
At his peak, even toward the end of his career with the Celtics, Garnett's defensive skills were recognized as some of the best in the league. Even when the media discussed the ranking of the greatest defensive players in NBA history, Garnett was certainly included in the conversation.
This is the best defensive player with nine other first-team defensive accolades.
Gasol's defense is also decent, and his top-tier height and wingspan in the paint make his defensive abilities in the paint very good.
But this kind of comparison needs to be made. Gasol, who has never been selected to an All-Defensive Team in his career, is absolutely different in defense from Garnett.
This gap is better reflected on the court. Although Garnett cannot completely shut down Gasol in a one-on-one situation, his ability to help on defense keeps the Bulls' defense in the paint consistently strong.
On the Lakers' side, besides Kobe and Gasol, who can score, the offensive efficiency of other players significantly drops under Garnett's defensive coverage.
At the start of the game, Kobe and Gasol were the main offensive drivers. The situation was slightly better, but even a strong player like Kobe couldn't carry the ball on every possession. When attacking, the Lakers' offensive rhythm would immediately stall.
On the other hand, the Bulls typically relied on Wang Chong's individual offensive ability, but when Wang Chong was stopped, Billups was able to immediately take over the team's offense, using his rich game experience and overall vision to help the team keep moving forward.
When both offense and defense were problematic, even if Phil Jackson called a timeout to adjust the team's tactics, it wouldn't help.
The score difference between the two teams began to gradually widen, and by halftime, the score difference had reached 15 points.
During the halftime break, Phil Jackson took the tactical board in the locker room and explained to the players how to play the second half of the game, but he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
A smart woman cannot cook a meal without rice.
The Lakers' lineup is truly outstanding, but there's a clear gap when compared to the Bulls. This gap can no longer be easily closed by relying on tactics.
Phil Jackson, nicknamed the Zen Master, is truly a very capable coach, but it's undeniable that a team that trains to win the championship will have a better lineup than the opponent in most cases, especially with a top superstar leading the team.
What Phil Jackson does best is maximize the stars' skills and coordinate the relationship between the stars and the distribution of ball-handling duties.
Jordan during the Bulls' era, O'Neal during the Lakers' three-peat, and Kobe during the Lakers' back-to-back titles were the league's top stars at the time.
As for the current Lakers, while Kobe is one of the top three players in the league, Phil Jackson's view of Wang Chong, his opponent, is no less than that of Kobe and even more stable.
Not only that, the Bulls also have Kevin Garnett.
At this stage, even if Garnett isn't ranked in the top five in the league, he is at least a top-ten player.
Of course, the game doesn't necessarily mean that the team with the most stars will win, but if there are more stars, the players are stronger, and there are no issues with tactical execution or player coordination, and no injuries, then not winning the championship will be a problem.
Looking at the past few decades in the league, whether it's the Bulls' dynasty with Jordan and Pippen, the Lakers' dynasty during the Shaq-Kobe era, or going further back, the Lakers and Celtics during the Magic-Bird rivalry, which one wasn't full of superstars and was comparable to the rest of the league? Did those teams have obvious advantages over their opponents?
It's a law that the stronger team wins. On the contrary, it was a rare miracle when the weaker Pistons defeated the Lakers and won the championship in the 2003-04 season.
Phil Jackson's tactics for the second half were actually quite simple: all players covered Kobe, and Kobe had unlimited shooting rights, no matter the method, he had to close the gap in points.
Of course, Kobe liked this arrangement and was eager to try it. What could be more satisfying than scoring against Wang Chong on the court?
As soon as the second half began, Kobe immediately took control of the ball and launched a fierce attack against the Bulls' defense.
In the first half, Kobe's touch was already very good, but his sudden burst of energy really caught the Bulls off guard, especially Garnett, who picked up two consecutive defensive fouls while helping James Jones cover Kobe and avoid being ejected.
The Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant, launched a 10-2 run, instantly narrowing the gap to just 7 points.
This offensive surge gave Lakers fans hope for a comeback.
But just once.
How could Wang Chong simply sit back and watch Kobe recover the lead he had just gained?
In terms of scoring ability, Wang Chong is not inferior to Kobe at all. Compared to Kobe, the only thing Wang Chong is lacking in is physicality.
Wang Chong's physical rating is exactly the same as Durant's, just 92. In fact, there is a significant gap compared to Kobe, whose physicality is rated 99.
Because of this, Wang Chong didn't take many shots in the second quarter and also rested for about 5 minutes, including during halftime, but his physical condition was still at its peak.
Seeing Kobe Bryant's hot touch and continued offensive successes, Wang Chong immediately started increasing his shooting frequency to keep up.
After their attacks in the first quarter, the two men began a battle in the third quarter.
Although Wang Chong and Kobe didn't face off directly in the game, that didn't stop the excitement and enjoyment of the game.
Kobe showcased his dream footwork and his signature faded jersey.
Wang Chong's mid-range jumper was as steady and simple as a machine program.
Phil Jackson sat on the sidelines watching the dizzying scoring battle between the two top scorers, feeling only a deep regret in his heart.
These two were once Lakers players. If Wang Chong were still with the Lakers at this moment, I believe the Lakers would already be pushing for their fourth consecutive championship!
What made it even more uncomfortable for him was that, although the two were now locked in an inseparable battle, he could see that at least in terms of scoring ability, Wang Chong was still slightly better.
Kobe's offensive form was at its hottest stage, but the problem is that Kobe can't maintain such a good touch in every game. In other words, it's normal for Kobe to have a cold streak, especially since he tends to be more stubborn. The harder it is, the more shots he takes to make one, often leading to losses in games the team shouldn't lose.
On the other hand, Wang Chong, at least according to Phil Jackson, rarely has a cold streak. Precision and efficiency have long been synonymous with Wang Chong in the league. This is, of course, due to his excellent height and wingspan compared to other perimeter players. Wang Chong faces minimal interference on the defensive side, but his smooth and precise touch is also key.
If Phil Jackson had to choose, of course, he would prefer Wang Chong, who is more stable and whose personality and playing style seem much more agreeable, rather than a player like Kobe, who is difficult to discipline.
But there's no way, there's no other choice in such matters. Although Kobe has many flaws, he remains one of the league's strongest players and also the Lakers' best option to win the championship.
After three quarters, Kobe scored 36 points and Wang Chong had 29 points. It seems like Kobe is better, but Wang Chong wins due to his higher shooting percentage, and the outcome of the game really doesn't depend on the two highest scorers.
Although Wang Chong's score was slightly lower, every time Kobe scored on offense, Wang Chong could immediately counter, not giving Kobe and the Lakers any chance to chase the victory.
As a result, after the third quarter, the point difference between the two teams remained around 10 points and couldn't be narrowed, including in the subsequent final quarter.
Kobe's touch was hot for three quarters, but eventually, the game started to cool down in the final quarter. Of course, the game was already mostly decided, and Wang Chong continued to control the game with his efficiency.
In this case, Wang Chong constantly controlled his shots to make sure he was in good physical condition and could respond to any emergency at any time.
This resulted in the score difference between the two teams remaining at around 10 points. During this period, the Lakers briefly launched a counterattack, but were immediately suppressed by Wang Chong, who scored consecutively.
As the score and time passed, the Lakers were losing momentum. Kobe shot three consecutive three-pointers from outside the three-point line in an attempt to turn the tide. However, when his hand was completely cold at the time, how could such a purely luck-based shot succeed?
Missing three consecutive made it worse for the Lakers and they eventually lost the game.
The score was 109:97.
The Lakers lost by 12 points in the away game. The game was quite back and forth, but fans who know a little about penalty shooting can see that there is still a clear gap in strength between the two teams.
Kobe scored 44 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the entire game, shooting 45% from the field.
Originally, Kobe's shooting percentage hit 50% in the first three quarters, but decreased contact in the fourth quarter caused his shooting percentage to drop as well. Still, the 45% shooting rate was quite high and his 44-. Scoring performance was also quite good.
But the problem for the Lakers also lies in this.
The team scored a total of 97 points and Kobe scored 44 points alone, almost half of the team's points.
Pau Gasol and Garnett still suffered a small loss in the first game of the Finals. They hit 5 of 12 shots and scored 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
Lamar Odom spent most of his energy on how to restrict Wang Chong throughout the game. He scored 10 points and 8 rebounds on 5 of 11 shooting.
These two are the only two Lakers players to score double figures.
You can see that the Lakers completely fell into the Bulls' defensive trap during the game and were completely taken advantage of.
In fact, Kobe is very strong. Even if we look at the history of the league, he is probably the second super defender after Jordan at the shooting guard position.
But it is impossible to win the game based solely on Kobe's scoring.
On the other hand, for the Bulls, five players on the team scored in double figures.
Wang Chong, who scored 37 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, and a 55% shooting percentage, was as steady and efficient as ever. Most of his points came in response to Kobe's offense. You can see that if he wants to, he can. It is absolutely possible to score as much as Kobe did all game long. It's not impossible to score 40+ points in a single game, but it's obviously not necessary.
Billups scored 19 points and 8 assists, and hit 3 of 6 three-pointers. He was the Bulls' second leading scorer.
In the matchup between Bulls and Lakers, Billups' matchup can be considered as the one with the biggest advantage, even bigger than the advantage between Wang Chong and Odom.
In fact, it is not easy to deal with Odom. After all, Odom is not weak at this stage. His height, wingspan and athletic ability are quite outstanding. Wang Chong was able to defeat Odom simply because his strength is too outstanding. he is no longer one-on-one. He is only limited to the extent that a single defense can limit him.
But Billups was different. The player he primarily faced during the game was Lakers veteran point guard Derek Fisher.
Fisher has never been an excellent point guard. As a point guard, he averaged 8 points and 3 assists per game in his career. Even he has had some standout performances in his career, such as beating the Spurs. 0.2 seconds, but he can't hide the fact that his abilities are lacking.
There's only one reason why the Lakers have always used Fisher as the team's primary point guard, and that's because Fisher is cheap.
Fisher in the 2007-08 season is already 33 years old, old and slow, and has no strength advantage against Billups, who is also known for his strength.
During the game, Billups repeatedly used running screens and pick-and-rolls to make open shots and frequently shot from the outside.
In addition to Billups' 19 points, the Bulls also had Garnett with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks, Paul Millsap with 12 points and 5 rebounds, and Marc Gasso with 10 points and 7 rebounds.
Unlike the Lakers, who basically can only rely on Kobe to score points offensively, the Bulls have a lot of points and the efficiency is very good.
The lineup gap caused the Lakers to lose the opening game of the Finals, and the G2 Finals that followed two days later told everyone that even if the offensive ability of the core core players was better than the core players, the Bulls would not lose.
End of this chapter
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