Chapter 507 Prepare for a Rainy Day

When ace vs ace, run and gun vs run and gun, what was presented to all the audience was a thorough and hearty experience.

When Nash began to play freely on the court, people were surprised to find that compared with the Sonics' run and gun, the Lakers' run and gun seemed to be smoother.

Payton couldn't defend Nash, not just because of his own physical decline, but because Nash's playing style was different from most of the opponents he had played against before.

Just like using an outside three-pointer to force the defender to close the defensive distance, but actually wanting to break through and kill the inside, Nash did this by passing the ball.

Payton's task was not just to control Nash's scoring, he also had to turn the Sonics as a whole on the defensive end, control Nash's passing route, and then control the Lakers' offense.

But it was really too difficult to do this.

If you want to block his passing route or interfere, you can't prevent Nash's breakthrough, and if you prevent Nash's breakthrough, you can't prevent him from "throwing" the ball all over the court.

As long as anyone on the court has any opportunity, Nash can always pass the ball to the open hand in the first time.

Lin Dong can lock a Kobe with the ball, but can't lock a Kobe without the ball. Kobe Bryant, who has completely switched to the No. 3 position, has shown extremely strong firepower on the offensive end, of course, with Nash's pass.

And Yao Ming's pick-and-roll outside the 3-point line is also successful, even if Sakuragi's defense is replaced, it doesn't help, which makes the Lakers' offense smooth throughout the first half.

Nash scored 13 points and 12 assists, Yao Ming scored 12 points and 3 assists, Kobe scored 22 points alone, Doug Christie on the outside ate three open 3-pointers and scored 9 points, and what's more deadly is Odom, who scored 18 points and 7 rebounds against Chandler's defense and became an inside gate.

The Lakers scored as many as 74 points in the first half! The team's hit rate was 63.5%!

This is an offense played under the Sonics' rotation defense, which is known as the strongest in the league, enough to shock everyone!

Everyone can see that this is Nash's credit...

Whether it's Kobe scoring 22 points under Lin Dong's defense, or Odom and Chandler, who were originally evenly matched, the former actually scored 18 points in the first half and became one of the team's offensive pillars. This was a result that no one had expected before this game.

McMillan on the sidelines kept walking back and forth, closely watching all the changes on the court.

In terms of strength, Lin Dong> Kobe, Chandler=Odom, but now there is a feeling that they cannot be restricted. The reason is that Nash's pass gave them a blessing on the offensive end.

Nash is like a super assistant with a BUFF aura that improves the team's offensive power. He even has a natural intuition for the defense's loopholes. Under his pass control, every attack of the Lakers can always hit the most uncomfortable and unexpected place of the Supersonics.

For other point guards, one or two such exquisite passes that can pinch the weak points in a game would be amazing, but this guy can do it in every ball, which is really a bit too...

Even McMillan felt sorry for the Mavericks. The Mavericks really don't know how to use people! If they had given Nash more trust and more ball rights, the talent of this pass master might have been discovered by the entire league earlier.

Although Kobe is a level weaker than Lin Dong, to be honest, in terms of offense alone, he doesn't feel much weaker, but once Nash's pass increase is added, it will be difficult for Lin Dong to limit Kobe's scoring.

Chandler was originally able to fight Odom 50-50 and limit him at the basket, but now as long as Nash passes, Odom will almost certainly succeed, leaving Chandler in a state of explosion.

Nash, who is running, is like a gust of wind, and can throw the basketball to where it should appear at any time!

Rotation defense? Double-team Nash, the ball holder?

In another world, the Spurs did this when playing against the Suns.

Use double teams to limit Nash, the ball handler, and forcefully slow down the Suns' running and gunning rhythm.

But now, it's useless... because the Lakers are not the Suns!

In the second quarter, the Supersonics used rotation defense for a while, but as soon as they double-teamed Nash, Yao Ming's advantage in the high position would immediately show up.

Because as long as you double-team, you will inevitably miss someone, and as long as you miss someone, no matter who you miss, you can immediately turn to play pick-and-roll with Yao Ming, and when Yao Ming is in a high position, Nash has a most stable passing point even if he is double-teamed... Yao Ming scored 12 points in the first half, except for a 3-pointer in the first quarter, and the other 9 points were scored by Yao Ming in the high position when Nash was double-teamed in the second quarter.

This is really... the first time I have encountered a team that completely cracked the Supersonics' rotation defense.

The Lakers' offense is too strong...

Of course, corresponding to this, the Lakers' defense is naturally broken.

Kobe needs Nash's pass to score over Lin Dong, but Lin Dong doesn't need it... His unstoppable singles ability is equally applicable at any time, any place, and any situation.

The Lakers were forced to close the encirclement, and what they faced was the long-range shots from the Sonics' outside line.

Iguodala made 5 of 7 shots in the first half and scored 15 points, Chandler made 2 of 3 shots and scored 6 points, Payton made 1 of 4 shots and only scored 3 points, while Lin Dong made various inside and outside shots and scored 32 points in the half!

Thanks to Lin Dong's performance, the Lakers' shrinking inside line often crowded towards Lin Dong, but this not only gave the Sonics' outside line a chance, but also gave Sakuragi a chance to eat cakes.

A small-scale containment is still containment, not to mention that Yao Ming was not at the basket most of the time.

Sakuragi Hanamichi had 15 points and 6 rebounds, all of which were offensive rebounds, because he needed to be pulled outside to deal with Yao Ming on the defensive end. Otherwise, with Yao Ming's current 3-point shooting of 4 out of 5, the terrifying hit rate, I'm afraid it would be far more than just 12 points. It's really weird... A big center's 3-pointer is more accurate than a shooter! The 226-centimeter big man's shooting feel is so soft that countless fans even shouted the nickname "Big Bird" in front of the TV excitedly.

Indeed, compared to Yao Ming, who became a heavy center after being forced to gain weight by Morey in another world, Larry Bird's method is more suitable for him.

And Odom's rebounds in the first half were more than Sakuragi Hanamichi, basically thanks to this.

But even with such a comprehensive blossoming inside and outside, the Supersonics still trailed the Lakers by 3 points with 71:74!

The fierce offensive battle that could not be missed for a second lasted from the beginning of the game to the end of the first half.

All the fans in the God Arena were stunned. The Sonics scored 71 points in the first half. If they played other teams normally, they would have clocked out with this score, but now... they lost by 3 points!

What kind of offense is this Lakers?

And the fans in the United States sitting in front of the TV were almost in a state of collective climax at this time.

What kind of basketball is the most interesting?

For experts, the defensive battle like the Pistons is more detailed, more sophisticated, and more exciting under the collision of muscles. But to be honest, for most fans, the high-tempo offensive battle is the best.

The fans were very satisfied, and the number of people watching the live broadcast of this century's battle was also rising steadily.

85 million, 90 million, 92 million... By the time the second half started, the number of viewers in the United States had reached an astonishing 94.3 million.

In the distant Dragon Country, whether in the streets and alleys, or in front of various home computers and TVs that have gradually become popular, hundreds of millions of fans are watching the game nervously and excitedly.

——Fuck, this Lakers team is too awesome, actually playing against Lin Huang...

——Kobe actually scored 22 points on Lin Huang in just the first half... I am so awesome that I am willing to call you the best!

——It would be nice if the Lakers won...

——Get lost! Where did the spy come from? Get out of here!

——Don’t the Lakers also have Yao Ming?

——Yao Ming is the second in the Lakers, and Lin Huang is the boss in the Supersonics. Who do you support!

——That’s right! Besides, the boss of the Supersonics is still from our Dragon Country, it’s Lin Huang’s motherfucking!

——Hey, why are you cursing?

——? ? ? Who cursed? It was Lin Huang's motherfucking!

——That's right! The Sonics are the only main team of Dragon Country fans! Damn, it would have been great if Yao Ming had also gone to the Sonics to partner with Lin Huang.

——I heard that Under Armour's Dragon 1 and 2 were designed by Lin Huang himself, so talented!

——It makes me angry when I talk about this. Under Armour's shoes are so hard to get. I heard that they now have two production lines. The Dragon Country one was just built. It acquired a foundry in Putian, but the productivity can't keep up with the sales speed. The shoes I ordered last month are still in line...

The negative impact that the Yuya incident brought to Lin Dong in China during the Olympics last year has already ushered in a complete two-level reversal after Lin Dong and Nike terminated their contract and Nike hired a water army in China to lead the rhythm to discredit Lin Dong.

If Dragon Country used to support the Sonics and the Lakers equally, now it has almost unified the country and collectively supports the Sonics.

CCTV's ratings rose from 8.7% at the beginning of the broadcast to 13.5%, with a total of 160 million people sitting in front of the TV to watch the live broadcast of this game!

In another world, in Longguo, basketball ratings exceeded this data only once, that was during the 2008 Olympics, Longguo VS the United States had a 15% rating, and more than 189 million people watched the live broadcast nationwide.

But now, this is just the data of an NBA game, not even the finals!

And if you add Japan's 40 million ratings, Europe's 70 million, and some scattered ratings in other regions, the number of people watching this live game worldwide has exceeded 400 million!

Timely data feedback makes the media and officials at all levels of the league extremely excited.

You know, the most popular Super Bowl in the United States, the highest rating in the United States is only 130 million, and the global rating is about 200 million.

The NBA, which has been a niche sport since the emergence of Michael Jordan in the 1980s, has surpassed the ratings of super events such as the NFL, and has become the world's first super league with more than 400 million live viewers!

Frankly speaking, even the NBA itself could not imagine this sudden ratings and global influence.

Sitting in the office, Stern was both happy and nervous.

What made him happy was that under his leadership, the NBA, with the help of the Asian market opened up by Lin Dong, had achieved his original development goal of at least 20 years in just three or four years!

But what made him nervous was also this.

NBA is now more and more famous around the world, and its overseas influence even far exceeds that of the United States.

In this case, if there are black whistles and injustice, no matter how high the league climbs now, I am afraid that it will fall as badly as it does!

At the beginning of this season, in order to regain the national ratings, to balance the balance of the Supersonics on the league, and to add more highlights to the league, he acquiesced to Nike's intervention in the league and even acquiesced to Nike's pursuit of Lin Dong.

Stern even always felt that there was nothing wrong with letting young people lose once, but now it seems...

The Lakers and the Cavaliers are already strong enough. If the Supersonics can still beat them, then this should belong to the glory of the Supersonics. The referee group manipulated by Nike behind the scenes must not be allowed to interfere, otherwise it would be tantamount to killing the goose that lays the golden eggs!

However...

Because of the indulgence of Nike for more than half a year, Nike's minions have penetrated into many places in the NBA. Coupled with a large amount of sponsorship and Nike's own NBA shares, the current NBA is no longer a place where one can directly influence all decisions with just one word.

If you want to regain absolute control of the NBA, it is not enough to just say one thing. You have to prepare for the rainy day.

Stern in the VIP room looked at the noise on the court outside and dialed several numbers.

"Paul?"

Paul Faemen, CEO of Reebok.

This famous brand that once invented spiked running shoes is now in a precarious situation. Its annual sales have been squeezed by Nike to only 2 billion, but it still remains the top three sports brands in the United States.

There are rumors in the industry that Reebok will merge with Adidas to fight against the growing Nike, but Stern knows very well that the matter should be true, but whether it will be achieved will probably take at least one or two years.

He and Paul Faemen have dealt with Paul Faemen too many times, and the league and Reebok have also cooperated a lot. For example, Iverson is a star under Reebok.

Paul Faemen is an ambitious guy. If it weren't for Nike's rapid development and the fact that Reebok has been squeezed across the United States and shrunk significantly, he would never agree to merge with Adidas.

Now, if he wants to stop Nike from making injustice to the Supersonics in the finals, he will need to uproot many people in the league and lose a lot of Nike sponsorship.

In this battle, either he loses and the NBA loses; or Nike dies, and the dead are buried!

NBA needs a substitute... and Reebok, a sports brand with a deep foundation, a base camp and a focus in the United States, and a rich family, is undoubtedly the best choice.

"I know you are facing a crisis recently, but crisis... Danger often breeds life. I have a chance to fight. If you fail, you can go back and seek a merger with Adidas, but if you succeed, you may be able to replace Nike... Do you want to try?"

Of course, it is not enough to just find a substitute sponsor for the league.

"Al," Stern dialed another number: "Find a way to check and monitor Bavetta's account, including all relatives who have dealings with him. I want to know every transaction of his!"

Dick Bavetta, the currently appointed referee of the finals.

Nike bribed the referee as early as the 2002 season, and this time Nike manipulated the board of directors to push him back to the position of referee in the finals...

A dog will never change his nature.

Stern knew that this was his breakthrough to get rid of Nike.

Of course, there must be sufficient evidence, both on the court and outside the court.

There may still be injustice in the finals, but using one unfair game to catch all the handles, not only will Nike be thrown into the notorious garbage pit, but also all the people related to it and planted by Nike will be uprooted, so that the NBA will be completely under their control again, then everything will be worth it.

Of course, if Nike pulls back from the brink and does not do such a thing, and does not affect the future of the NBA... then Stern does not mind continuing to cooperate with them.

Whether to live or die depends on Nike's choice at that time.

Stern's brain is working at high speed, and while he is dealing with the matter at hand, the referee's whistle for the return of the court has been heard from the stadium outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

The battle was boiling on the Lakers' bench at this time.

Facing the Sonics, who were at their peak in 2002 and invincible since entering the league, there were too many teams in the league who wanted to beat them, but for three whole years, except for some luck or accidents, no team had ever done it seriously.

But today... the Lakers can do it!

The Sonics in the first half had already shown all of them, their strongest offensive mode, their strongest defensive mode, but the Lakers held on and even got a 3-point lead!

Bombardment!

At this time, everyone on the Lakers bench was holding their hands together.

Phil Jackson's eyes were flashing with passion.

He led two three-peat teams, and now, what he is doing is to beat another three-peat team!

If the Lakers really do this in this round of the series, then his name will be destined to be recorded in history, and he will be destined to surpass all other coaches and become the real No. 1 in the United States!

"We have the best small forward in the world!"

Kobe Bryant's eyes sparkled, he had never felt so fulfilled in life!

"We have the best center in the world!"

Yao Ming pursed his lips. He has been in the NBA for four years and has made the playoffs every year, but has missed the championship every year.

He has partnered with Jordan and Kobe, and he has partnered with the best players in NBA history, but he has never won a championship... Although his statistics are beautiful enough, even though the person who beat him is also a native of the Dragon Country.

But to be honest... Yao Ming is still very unwilling.

No one aspires to be a green leaf, he also hopes to be the protagonist for once! Can get a truly fair evaluation! Rather than always saying that he, the second in command, can't even play as an assistant.

There is a reason why he must win this battle!

"We have the best offensive point guard in the world!"

Nash's eyes were even a little moist at this moment.

Despite being looked down upon in all kinds of ways in the Mavericks, it was the Lakers that allowed him to find a sense of belonging and identity.

Not to mention his own championship ring, even if it is just for the kindness of the Lakers and Zen Master, he still wants to give everything he has for the Lakers!

“We even have an All-Star power forward and shooting guard!”

Odom and Doug Christie have sharp eyes and are standard warriors, but most of the time, they play the role of coolies in the team. Defense and running are tasks they can never finish.

But this season, with the addition of Nash, they have also released themselves on the offensive end and found their own highlights!

Who wants to do dirty work all their life... Even if it is not for the sake of wealth, but just for the original intention, every basketball lover falls in love with this sport because they enjoy the feeling of throwing a basketball into the box!

We will also attack!

"Every position of ours is impeccable and we have no reason to lose!"

"If you can't beat the SuperSonics' shortcomings, then try to beat their strengths. And facts have proven that we have this ability!"

"Continue our rhythm, use your wildest offense to destroy the SuperSonics, and let them taste the bitterness of our past three years!"

Running and gunning requires passion, and the Lakers still have hidden tactics, but now it seems that they can do it even if they don't use it!

With that said, Phil Jackson roared with red eyes: "The Lakers must win!"

"OH! The Lakers must win!"

"superior!"