As professional players, Big Bird and Jordan see much more than the surrounding audience.
It’s the first ti they’ve seen a sense of powerlessness in the Magician.
At positions 2-4, each position is inferior to the opponent, the gap is too big.
Although Gerald Wilkins doesn’t score as much as Byron Scott, his defense is much stronger. He starts over the still capable 20-point-per-ga Vandevich, relying on his rough defense, to help relieve Zhang Yang’s pressure.
Oakley, considered a deluxe version of AC Green, plays just as fiercely and even tougher.
Ewing... Daddy of the night!
If Sky Hook hadn’t retired, even if he only played for 20 minutes, the Lakers would still have a fighting chance.
Sky Hook’s static physical condition was too superior, 218 cm in height, 228 cm wingspan, 120 kg weight. Asking him to take on the role of pre-retirent Duncan would be a bit much, but the Lakers’ inside wouldn’t be poked around by Ewing.
Tonight, as soon as Zhang Yang pulls out from the elbow area, passes the ball twice, the Lakers’ defense gets pressed into the paint by Ewing, Zhang Yang can get a shot opportunity from the periter.
Zhang Yang’s scoring threat is indeed big, but at least he’s shooting outside, while Ewing catches the ball from the free-throw line and plays Divac like it’s a ga, one-on-one. The Magician, AC Green, Jas Worthy try to double-team to help, yet Divac can’t defend, at least two people need to help.
The most exaggerated thing is Ewing single-handedly in the paint, rendering Divac and AC Green ineffective in set-piece offense. It’s also the first ti Big Bird and Jordan have seen such dominance by Ewing in the NBA.
This makes it so that the Lakers’ offense cannot stop, once it does Ewing’s inside defense dominance is shown. But the Lakers run and gun, Zhang Yang’s fast-break opportunities arise, creating an unsolvable problem for the Lakers.
Moreover, most Lakers players aren’t young anymore. Divac, the inexperienced soldier still in training, doesn’t count; Byron Scott and Jas Worthy, both 29-year-old players, are considered the backbone of the Lakers.
On the opposing side, Zhang Yang, Ewing, the two major cores, and Mark Jackson, the main control, are all 25-27 years old, just stepping into their peak!
Just as Big Bird and Jordan expected, by the second quarter, the Lakers hadn’t made effective adjustnts. Even as adept as Pat Riley is in coaching, in this situation, he couldn’t think of a breakthrough thod.
From a business angle alone, the fortuneteller was right...
Second-quarter score 29 to 26, third-quarter score 27 to 27, final-quarter score 28 to 23, the Lakers only relied on Jas and Byron Scott’s long shots to steel themselves against the Knicks team for one quarter, all other three quarters were losing.
At 10:20 PM, the first ga ended.
Zhang Yang scored 10 points in the first quarter, 8 points in the second quarter, 11 points in the third quarter, played half of the final quarter and didn’t return to get 5 points, played 36 minutes, 22 shots and made 13, including 5 out of 8 three-pointers, plus 3 out of 4 free throws, earned 34 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 4 steals, combined with Ewing’s 23 points, 16 boards, 4 blocks, allowing the Knicks to easily take down the Lakers 116 to 99, imdiately snatching the ho-court advantage in the finals!
...
After the first ga, Lakers fans also saw it. There’s no difference between this year and last year—smooth sailing in the Western playoffs, but overwheld in the finals.
Last year’s finals loss was so tragic because Pat Riley pushed Jabbar to retirent, and the Magician was practiced so hard that he only played 3 gas due to injury, averaging only 11 points and 8 assists, swept miserably by the Pistons.
This year, simply put, is a continuation of last year’s finals. Sky Hook is gone, and the center position wasn’t reinforced.
If they played against the Pistons, with the Magician back healthy, they could still give it a shot. After all, the Pistons’ inside barely have any strong attack ability, both sides’ inside can’t score, running and gunning set piece periter shooting, there would still be a chance, a low victory probability but not zero.
But the Knicks team has Ewing, their inside-outside combination... completely hopeless!
Just after ga 1, calls for Riley’s dismissal have already arisen...
One day later, on June 3, Knicks and Lakers engage in the second finals match at Great Western Forum Arena.
Tonight, Riley once again lets the Magician launch the offense in the start.
Running a light offense, may get shot down by Zhang Yang, playing set-piece battles, the inside disadvantage is too big. Riley foresaw this before the finals began, so made such an offensive arrangent.
Last ti didn’t expect the opposing side to let Zhang Yang double-team the Magician, caught off guard by the defense, nor did they expect Ewing’s inside advantage to be so big. Watching the score gap widen, montarily panicked, failed to make effective adjustnts based on the existing strategy, directly chose to abandon change, returning to conventional tactics.
This ti, Riley was more prepared, and the Magician also prepared for being strong-wing-guard defended Zhang Yang’s double-team defense, passing the ball tily, teammates supporting and cooperating much better.
Jas Worthy perford outstandingly tonight, 26 shots and made 14, including 2 of 4 three-pointers, plus 4 of 5 free throws, exploded his personal new high single-ga score in this year’s playoffs with 34 points, 9 boards, 2 assists.
With Jas Worthy supporting him, the Magician’s offensive conditions improved, resulting in 22 points, 9 boards, 8 assists, going 9 for 18 with 4 of 6 free throws.
However, on the other side, Zhang Yang scored 30 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, going 10 for 17 with 2 of 3 three-pointers, plus 8 of 10 free throws, scoring slightly less but performing more efficiently!
Ewing even put up a crazy performance with 28 points, 12 boards, 3 assists, hitting 9 for 13 with 10 of 14 free throws.
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