Chapter 1185: Chapter 377: I May Not Be Able to Defeat You, But Warriors Never Lose
The Lakers scored again, dragging the offense into a set play still couldn’t completely stop the Lakers, but Spoelstra was not nervous.
As a coach, you can’t control every possession, you can’t lock down every star, what you can really control is the overall flow of the game.
The plan Spoelstra most needed to achieve tonight was to prevent the Lakers from being efficient in fast breaks, forcing them to dirty themselves in the mud of set plays.
As long as you force the Lakers into set plays, the defense is considered half successful.
In the following possessions, both sides were grinding in set plays. Thanks to the restrictions of the new rules, Kobe, Nash, and Roger managed to score some star player shots without the defensive players being able to reach extravagantly, otherwise, the match scene would probably be very ugly.
After the first quarter, the Lakers still led by 4 points, but Kobe didn’t feel the joy of leading.
This season, in 11 games, he had already gotten used to that rhythm of using fast offense to crush opponents completely. But today, being forced into laborious, high-difficulty slugfests in set plays, always makes him feel very aggrieved.
And Matt Barnes, that scumbag, is really too despicable.
His trash talking and minor actions constantly harrassed Kobe, and his fierce confrontations did not relent even after being called for fouls.
He’s like a death row convict released by the FBI and got this promise: "As long as you stop the opposing star at all costs, your previous crimes will all be written off, I guarantee it."
Kobe sat on the bench, both he and Nash were heavily exhausted, under the continuous pressure defense of the Warriors, the stamina needed for them to score once was about two to three times the norm.
And the Warriors achieved such ultimate pressure defense, without squandering a single ounce of last season’s DPOY stamina.
Before the season started, many media predicted that the Warriors’ lineup, which piled up numerous forwards, would erupt in terrifying pressure on the defensive end.
Now, the Los Angeles Lakers finally had firsthand experience of this.
In the next two quarters of the match, neither Kobe Bryant nor Steve Nash had any possession that was comfortable.
Jason Richardson, although not as ferocious on defense as Matt Barnes, wasn’t a pushover either. He and Barnes rotated on the court, ensuring Kobe a full wrap-around experience.
Tayshaun Prince went up and down alongside Steve Nash, becoming Nash’s dedicated "bodyguard."
Towards the end of the third quarter, Kobe consecutively scored several high-difficulty shots over Matt Barnes.
On the last possession, Kobe broke through to the basket and executed a high-difficulty switch lay-up amidst Matt Barnes’ and Marcus Camby’s front and back double-team.
This shot brought Kobe to 26 points for the game and helped the Lakers maintain their lead at the end of the third quarter.
Logically, it was a shot that should greatly boost morale, but after Kobe landed from the lay-up, the joy of scoring vanished.
Because Matt Barnes still stared at Kobe with that "I’m going to end you today" malicious expression.
It’s very unsettling for the attacker when the defender has no reaction to your bursts of offense.
Kobe knew it well, he hadn’t been able to psychologically defeat that guy. In the fourth quarter, that bastard would still pounce on him like a hungry wild dog without hesitation.
Matt Barnes indeed didn’t crumble, to be honest, Kobe’s performance was already good enough, especially towards the end of the third quarter, that series of continuous high-difficulty shots is enough to make any defensive player’s heart crumble.
It was precisely under this circumstance that Jeff Hornacek also saw the true value of Matt Barnes.
Imagine having someone in your rotation who, once on the court, can go full throttle and tirelessly attack the head of the opponent’s offense, how gratifying that would be.
Matt Barnes indeed somewhat dragged the offense, but he equally heightened the Warriors’ level of defense one notch.
On the other side, the Lakers’ two players responsible for leading defense against Roger didn’t have such strong mentality.
Whether it was Jumaine Jones or Brian Cook, they were very desperate now.
Roger scored 25 points by now, also making many high-difficulty shots that left them helpless.
Their positive mindset was being gradually devoured, fear was beginning to overcome courage, soon affecting their performance on the court.
They didn’t know how to defeat Roger, didn’t know how to face that fearsome guy.
And soon, the disparity in mentality between both sides would be faithfully reflected on the court.
The fourth quarter soon started, the Warriors attacked first.
Roger set a standard pick and roll with Stademeyer, Shaun Marion was ready to switch defense, but Roger accelerated towards the side without the pick and roll.
Roger’s fake pick and roll was indeed very unexpected, eventually shaking off the defense and scoring effortlessly with a mid-range jump shot.
Kobe saw Roger score, immediately furious: "Jumaine, if you don’t want to play, then get out!"
Kobe’s anger wasn’t only because Jumaine Jones allowed Roger to score, but because Jones’s defense attitude was very passive. When Roger broke through to the side without the pick and roll, Jumaine Jones clearly still had the chance to rush up and interfere. But it was like he gave up in advance, merely stretching his hand lazily without fully rushing out.