Chương 138: Stopped in the Western Conference Finals
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With this performance, is this the sophomore year for Wang Chong? D'Antoni may not have believed that the Lakers could match the Suns' offensive firepower with just Kobe Bryant and Wang Chong. Yet, as soon as the game started, his skepticism began to erode.
Kobe opened the first quarter in dominant fashion, attacking the basket with relentless energy and tearing through the Suns' defense with ease. Although Kobe's shooting percentage wasn't particularly high (3 out of 7), his aggressive drives to the hoop drew multiple fouls. By the end of the first quarter, Stoudemire and Marion had each committed fouls, with Quentin Richardson also picking up one while guarding Kobe.
As a result, Kobe earned eight free throws in the first quarter, converting seven and ending the quarter with 13 points. Although the Suns managed to keep pace with the Lakers, the score stood at 29-28 in favor of the Lakers by the end of the first quarter, a testament to how closely matched these two teams were offensively.
D'Antoni was still clinging to the hope that the Lakers couldn't maintain their offensive rhythm across four quarters. Unfortunately for the Suns, that hope would soon be dashed. Kobe continued his assault in the second quarter, scoring another 10 points by making 4 of 8 shots, plus 2 of 3 from the free-throw line.
Meanwhile, Wang Chong gradually began to find his groove, especially from beyond the arc. Kobe's strong offense disrupted the Suns' defensive rhythm, creating open shots for Wang Chong, particularly in the corner, where his proficiency in three-point shooting was on full display. He drained 3 of 5 three-pointers in the second quarter, tallying 9 points from deep and adding 2 mid-range shots to finish with 13 points for the quarter.
By halftime, the Lakers were up 63-60, thanks to Kobe's 23 points and Wang Chong's 13. D'Antoni's worst fears were realized: the Lakers were not only keeping up with the Suns, but they had matched their offensive style, even outgunning them.
The Suns' run-and-gun offense revolved around Nash's brilliance as a playmaker, while the Lakers relied heavily on the one-on-one skills of Kobe and Wang Chong. Despite lacking the same structured teamwork, Kobe and Wang Chong's individual abilities kept the Lakers neck-and-neck with Phoenix.
By the third quarter, Kobe had played 11 minutes and scored 34 points, showing little signs of slowing down. Despite the physical toll, Kobe's endurance at his peak was legendary—allowing him to perform at a high level late in games. Wang Chong, capitalizing on the attention Kobe was receiving, made 3 of 5 shots and added 7 points in the third quarter.
Phoenix, meanwhile, began to unravel. Their rhythm was disrupted, and Joe Johnson struggled, going 1 for 4 in the third quarter. The Lakers, scoring 30 points to the Suns' 26, extended their lead to 7 points heading into the final quarter.
The Suns, known for their offense, found themselves outgunned at their own game. Although Kobe finally showed signs of fatigue in the fourth quarter, Wang Chong stepped up when the team needed him most. With fresh legs, Wang Chong began to take over, driving past a fatigued Marion and scoring at will.
Despite a late surge by the Suns, the Lakers held them off, winning the game 117-113. Kobe finished with 40 points, and Wang Chong added 32, combining for 72 points.
The Lakers had just stolen the first game of the series, catching the Suns by surprise. It was clear that Phoenix would not go down without a fight. Two days later, in Game 2, the Suns bounced back, winning 114-105, behind dominant performances by Stoudemire (37 points, 14 rebounds) and Nash (27 points, 17 assists). Kobe struggled with his shot, going 8 of 24, while Wang Chong continued his strong play with 27 points and 9 rebounds.
In Game 3, Kobe regained his form, scoring 35 points, while Wang Chong added 29. The Lakers won 119-114 to take a 2-1 series lead. Staples Center was buzzing—could the fifth-seeded Lakers really take down the top-seeded Suns?
Game 4 saw a tactical shift from the Lakers, who slowed down the pace and reintroduced Chris Mihm to counter Stoudemire. While Nash thrived with a scoring-focused role (scoring 48 points), it wasn't enough. Wang Chong and Kobe combined for 64 points, and the Lakers secured a crucial 113-109 victory, pushing the Suns to the brink with a 3-1 series lead.
Facing elimination, the Suns responded in Game 5, as Nash and Stoudemire dominated again, combining for 67 points in a 114-108 win.
Game 6 was a thrilling contest that went into overtime. Shawn Marion exploded for 38 points and 16 rebounds, while Nash hit a clutch shot to send the game into extra time, where the Suns pulled off a 130-126 victory, tying the series at 3-3.
The decisive Game 7 saw Kobe score 25 points and Wang Chong deliver a brilliant 34-point performance, sealing a 113-109 victory. The Lakers had eliminated the Suns and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, stopping the Suns' championship dreams for another season.
Wang Chong had proven himself on the biggest stage, and his partnership with Kobe had blossomed into one of the league's most feared duos.
The thrilling offensive showdown between the Suns and Lakers fulfilled the expectations of nearly every fan. The Suns, known for their fast-paced, run-and-gun style, and the Lakers, who adopted a small-ball lineup to counter the Suns, consistently scored over 100 points in their seven-game series. The average score exceeded 110 points per game, a remarkable feat for the 2005 era, when offensive tempos hadn't yet reached the breakneck pace that would define the NBA's future.
This fast pace was reflected in the players' statistics. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with an impressive average of 33 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5 assists over seven games. On the Suns' side, the highest scorer wasn't their regular-season leader, Amare Stoudemire, but Steve Nash. In one game, Nash exploded for 48 points and finished the series with an average of 30.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 12 assists per game. Despite scoring slightly fewer points than Kobe, Nash's 12 assists per game made his overall impact more significant.
Stoudemire, while slightly underperforming in the latter part of the series, still averaged an impressive double-double with 28.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. However, when comparing the second options on both teams, Stoudemire couldn't quite match the consistent performances of the Lakers' Wang Chong. Wang played steadily throughout the series, averaging 30 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 57%, the highest shooting percentage of any player on either team.
Wang's stability was crucial to the Lakers' success, especially in key moments when he delivered essential baskets to maintain leads or close gaps. For some fans, this made him as vital to the Lakers' success as Kobe, if not more so. The dynamic partnership between Kobe and Wang sparked speculation among basketball enthusiasts—could this duo surpass even the legendary Jordan-Pippen pairing as the greatest backcourt in NBA history?
The Lakers' victory over the Suns in a 4-3 series elevated the Kobe-Wang duo's reputation. The Suns, known as the strongest offensive team of the season under Nash's leadership, had crushed nearly every other team they faced. However, they met their match against the Lakers, whose offense proved superior.
After defeating both the Mavericks and Suns, the Lakers' next challenge would be the San Antonio Spurs, followed by a potential matchup against either the Miami Heat or the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals.
Unlike the intense seven-game battle between the Lakers and Suns, the other playoff series were less dramatic. The Spurs beat the Supersonics 4-2, the Pistons defeated the Pacers 4-2, and the Heat swept the Wizards 4-0.
While Lakers fans were optimistic about their chances, Wang Chong knew that the real challenge had just begun. The Spurs were a different beast. Although the Suns had dominated the regular season, their offensive firepower was no match for the Spurs in the playoffs, who had swept them 4-1.
The Spurs were the epitome of the long-standing basketball mantra, "Offense wins fans, but defense wins championships." The Spurs, with their defensive system centered around Tim Duncan, had historically stifled high-powered offenses like the Suns'. Throughout the mid-2000s, the Suns fell victim to the Spurs three times in the playoffs, only managing to get revenge in the 2009-10 season, when they swept the Spurs 4-0. Even then, the Suns ultimately fell short of winning a championship.
As the Western Conference Finals began, the difference in styles between the Lakers and Spurs became apparent. While the Lakers had managed to exploit the Suns' defensive weaknesses, the Spurs were well-equipped to contain both Kobe and Wang. In Game 1, the Spurs delivered a commanding 103-81 victory, with Duncan dominating inside and Bowen locking down Kobe. Bryant, who had thrived against the Suns, was held to just 17 points on 6-of-18 shooting, a stark contrast to his previous performances.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich knew that defending Wang was even more difficult than defending Kobe, as Wang could shoot over defenders like Bowen, even with his wingspan. But Popovich's strategy was simple: focus on shutting down Kobe, while letting Wang try to beat them alone. The result was a Lakers offense that struggled to find rhythm, and although Wang managed to score 21 points on efficient shooting, it wasn't enough.
In Game 2, the Lakers put up a stronger fight but still fell short, losing 89-96. Despite Kobe's 37 points and Wang's 25, the rest of the team couldn't provide enough support. The Spurs, led by Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker, outmatched the Lakers' role players, and the 0-2 deficit weighed heavily on Los Angeles.
Back at home for Game 3, the Lakers showed signs of life, winning 102-92. Wang was crucial in the victory, scoring 34 points and hitting five three-pointers. However, this would prove to be the Lakers' final stand. In Game 4, the Spurs regained control, winning 95-86 and pushing the Lakers to the brink of elimination.
With the series at 3-1, the Lakers' hopes were dim. Although Kobe and Wang continued to play at a high level, the overall disparity in team strength was too much to overcome. The Spurs' defense was simply too strong, and the Lakers struggled to create easy scoring opportunities.
In Game 5, back in San Antonio, the inevitable happened. The Spurs closed out the series with a 101-95 victory, ending the Lakers' season. For the Lakers, making it to the Western Conference Finals in their first year without Shaquille O'Neal was an achievement in itself. With Kobe, Wang, and Odom in place, along with future draft picks and salary cap flexibility, the future looked bright for Los Angeles.
However, the Lakers' front office would need to handle the delicate situation with Wang. While Kobe was the established star, Wang's rapid development made it clear that he was more than just a sidekick. The team's future success would depend on how well they could balance their two stars.
In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Miami Heat in a seven-game series, setting up a Finals matchup against the Spurs. The Heat, led by second-year player Dwyane Wade, had been a revelation throughout the playoffs, with Wade averaging 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. Despite Shaquille O'Neal's presence, it was clear that Wade had become Miami's true offensive leader.
Ultimately, the 2005 playoffs highlighted the rise of young stars like Wang Chong and Dwyane Wade, signaling a changing of the guard in the NBA. Both players had gone from unheralded prospects to bona fide superstars in just two seasons, and the future of the league seemed to rest in their hands.
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