First in scoring

Chapter 464 463. G6 starts the war!
Zhang Yang has encountered extreme changes in public opinion before. Both he and his team have been controversial during his training period. He doesn't know why he is so unlucky.

But the situation this time is still extremely special, and the media hype is too intense.

You have to know that even when the Thunder tied the score at 3-3 in the second round and dragged the game into a seventh game, they were not so "favored" by the media. Even if the Thunder completed a comeback in the previous round, they would not be "favored" to this extent.

It was like he was madly hinting to the Thunder players, "You are going to win, you are better than the Lakers," while at the same time messing with the mentality of the Lakers players. The method was so clumsy that one could tell at a glance that it had a purpose... uh... it didn't seem so obvious.

During the pre-match warm-up, Zhang Yang really felt that his teammates were affected by public opinion, right?

Sacre punched the sandbag with a "bang" and yelled, "Lakers, charge, charge!"

His teammates shouted, "Lakers, go, go!"

"Send those miners back underground!"

"Send those miners back underground!"

"Kick their balls..."

"..."

At the beginning, Thackeray shouted conventional slogans, but they became more and more vulgar as time went on, even to the extent of "regional discrimination".

Americans have many chains of contempt. People in traditional wealthy areas in the East look down on the nouveau riche in the West. The West also has an internal chain of contempt. Those engaged in capital entertainment and farmers look down on each other, but at the same time they all look down on the group of "pioneers" in Oklahoma and Colorado. Those people were the "slaves" and "untouchables" who were exiled to those mountain valleys by the emerging capitalists or traditional farmers in the West. This kind of discrimination is deeply rooted. Even the locals look down on their hometowns and would rather go to the beach in Los Angeles to beg, rob, and play rap than go back.

Zhang Yang didn't like what these slogans meant, but they were indeed useful! He was also infected by Sacre, and he chose to look at these slogans from another perspective - they are a member of the Lakers, representing Los Angeles basketball and California basketball.

Did the Thunder players gain stronger confidence due to public opinion? Zhang Yang thought so, but!

Some people who are trying to guide public opinion seem to have forgotten what the Lakers were like before the start of the season - a non-playoff team built around a traitor from the Spurs, with a group of outdated veterans and a group of high-ranking duds who were cut by their old clubs and had only limited abilities.

Most of the people in their team may have had self-doubts, feeling that they are old, that they are not strong enough, and that this is no longer the place they want to stay. But they have worked together for a year, from being predicted to be ninth in the Western Conference to defeating the Spurs to become the number one favorite to win the championship among the four teams in the divisional finals. Things have changed a lot.

They don’t want to, and are even afraid of, losing everything they have now. The less optimistic they are, the more they want to hold on to their current position!
After understanding the mentality of his teammates, Zhang Yang felt that some people were shooting themselves in the foot. He had been a "reverser" and knew that the Thunder, which was trailing 1-3, only needed to win one game, which had greatly boosted their confidence. Whether there was an increase in public opinion or not, the effect was not that big. Being in that position, he believed more in his own abilities rather than what the outside world said.

Such public opinion has made the Lakers team more united!
Zhang Yang understood why the management gave Sacre a one-year fully guaranteed contract extension in advance.

During training, Sacre actively serves as a sparring partner and does all kinds of odd jobs; during the game, when his teammates play well, Sacre waves the towel, and when they play poorly, he gives encouragement and comfort, providing enough emotional value; when the team needs someone to lead the pace, he will also stand up to guide his teammates... He is worthy of the name of a cornerstone!
...

As the night came, players from both teams entered the Staples Center.

During the pre-match greeting session, Zhang Yang could feel the changes on both sides.

Although he did not participate in the entire process, Zhang Yang knew that the Lakers and Thunder had played against each other three times before, and there was no real grudge between them, because their positions at that time were different from what they are now.

In 10, the Thunder was just a rising team. In 12, the Lakers were no longer the favorites to win the championship. The Thunder had become a stronger team. In the series that Zhang Yang "personally participated in" last season, the Thunder was the top seed in the Western Conference and the Lakers were on the edge of the playoffs...

This time it's different! After the Spurs are eliminated, whichever of the two teams advances to the finals will most likely win the championship as easily as the Western Conference Finals teams from 01 to 03. This time it's a real championship battle, that is, a battle for interests!

At least on the court, the players of both teams have begun to develop towards becoming sworn enemies!

If the situation continues to develop in this way, if Harden and Durant choose to join the Lakers after their current contracts expire... I can’t imagine how difficult that road will be.

At 8 o'clock in the evening, the much-anticipated Western Conference Finals Game 6 began.

Gasol beat Perkins to win the jump ball, and the Lakers attacked first. Gasol received the ball near Perkins in the elbow area, turned around and faced the basket, and passed it to Kobe who cut in from the middle with the help of Jordan Hill's screen. Perkins retreated and double-teamed Kobe with Ibaka. Kobe passed the ball back to Gasol, and Gasol passed it again... Jordan Hill, who was running down the left sideline of the three-second zone, received the ball and slammed it into the basket through Perkins!
It was a very beautiful cooperation between the three of them. They didn't let the ball stop, and their passing targets and movements were clear, which tore apart the Thunder's defense which was mainly man-to-man + quick switching + rim protection.

This ball also made good use of Zhang Yang's restraining power. Harden actually had the conditions to block Jordan Hill who was cutting in, but he chose to stick close to Zhang Yang who was moving towards the left corner.

Yes, when Kobe and Gasol cooperated to create opportunities for Jordan Hill, Zhang Yang took the initiative to move the person defending him to the position where he could defend Jordan Hill, but unfortunately Harden did not fall for it.

When the Thunder attacked, Durant faced Zhang Yang one-on-one and took a jump shot with one step sideways... and missed!
Tony Allen's method of defending Durant's one-on-one play is indeed effective. Zhang Yang's strength, height, and wingspan are even better, and his one-on-one defensive effect is very good.

But Ibaka grabbed the offensive rebound and immediately threw it to Durant, who went around to the left at a 45-degree angle to catch the ball and shoot... a three-pointer!
Zhang Yang stepped inside to prepare to receive the ball and counterattack. Although he actively rushed forward again, he was too late.

However, next time the same situation occurs, he will still choose to prioritize counterattack opportunities. This is an important part of their strategy to break the Thunder's defense... to be precise, every part is important.

They are not as talented as their opponents in terms of individual players, but they can play with stronger strength because of the interlocking offensive and defensive coordination. Of course, there are other things on this basis...

From the first round, the two teams strictly implemented their respective game concepts and firmly implemented the established strategies.

The Thunder played in a simple and rough style, with their three superstars swinging and the whole team defending.

The Lakers have some of the Spurs' feelings. They first set out their offensive and defensive tactics to get off to a steady start.

Just like in the previous game, Zhang Yang gave priority to helping the team develop teamwork at the beginning of the game.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

The two teams have very different styles, but whether it is based on star players playing tacit cooperation or teamwork, the execution is stronger than any previous game in this Western Conference Finals. The competitive state of the two teams has reached a new high!
In comparison, the Thunder, who will be eliminated if they lose and have just won one game, are more powerful in momentum.

Even though Jordan Hill dunked at the beginning of the game, it did not have any effect on suppressing morale. After all, he was just Jordan Hill, not Jordan or Hill.

Just like the Clippers, no matter how beautifully Griffin and DeAndre Jordan perform their dunks, the impact on the opponent's morale is minimal, not as strong as Paul's single mid-range shot. Perhaps this is why Griffin is eager to change? Such a genius would definitely not be willing to be treated as a "dunker" like DeAndre Jordan, even if it is a deluxe version. It's a bit desperate...

Having talent really means you can do whatever you want. The Thunder relied on their three superstars to attack, not only overwhelming the Lakers in momentum, but also in the score. At 4 minutes and 55 seconds in the first quarter, Harden broke into the inside, made a reverse layup with a European step, and the score came to 18 to 11. The Thunder's lead reached 7 points!
One more goal would give the Thunder a double-digit lead in the first quarter, and the Thunder's morale would be further boosted!
But just when the Thunder were about to further expand their advantage, Zhang Yang received the ball one step inside the three-point line, turned around and stepped back to face Harden's defense and made a three-pointer!

14 to 18, the difference narrowed to 4 point!
Harden looked at Zhang Yang who was retreating. He was very familiar with the opponent's previous attack. The step-back action was exactly the same as his!
They were both good at step-back long shots, but he was good at the normal version, while Zhang Yang was always good at the difficult version. So when Zhang Yang turned around just now, he didn't choose to stick close, which was not the 'Hamblen-style' step-back shooting method... I didn't expect this guy to have secretly learned from him! Obviously he had practiced before!

When the Thunder attacked, the chance to expand the score difference to double digits was ruined by Zhang Yang, but they were not discouraged. They were building on the momentum and just needed to create new opportunities.

Harden held the ball in a high position, and suddenly passed it to the low post. Durant received the ball and shot high!
Zhang Yang has done a good job defending Durant, but it is impossible to completely defend a player of this level. The most he can do is to limit him. He has tried very hard to prevent Durant from getting close to the inside to receive the ball, but Durant still seized the fleeting opportunity, and Harden also tacitly passed the ball to the right place.

Every time this happened, Zhang San thought it would be better if the Thunder had kept Turtle.

It was the Lakers' turn to attack. Zhang Yang continued to ask Harden for the ball on the outside and turned around after receiving the ball.

Harden stuck close to him...but was dribbled past by Zhang Yang from behind!
Ibaka predicted the situation well and came up from the elbow area in advance, blocking the free throw line and blocking Zhang Yang's space for a quick stop jump shot, but Zhang Yang still chose to grab the ball... and stepped forward to the left, taking the European step!

Perkins expanded out of the reasonable collision zone and tried to confront, but Zhang Yang changed direction flexibly, stepped forward to the right, passed by Perkins, and came to the arc of the reasonable collision zone. Durant rushed in from the left baseline and pounced on Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang did not pass the ball. After landing in the second step, he jumped on the spot, raised the ball high, and slammed the ball into the basket in the confrontation with Durant who was flying over!
The hum of the basket, the referee's whistle, and the fans' explosive cheers sounded almost at the same time!
The fans at the scene were completely excited. When Zhang Yang passed Harden, Ibaka and Perkins in succession and came to the reasonable collision zone facing an empty basket, the fans were ready to cheer and scream. Unexpectedly, Durant gave Zhang Yang a dunk, and it was 2+1!

After Zhang Yang slammed the ball into the basket, his body leaned backward uncontrollably and he took several steps back when he landed. Fortunately, he had strong waist and abdomen... and mainly because someone supported him from behind, which helped him avoid falling on his butt and keep his handsome posture.

To express his gratitude, Zhang Yang turned to Harden and said, "This is the real Eurostep. James, what you did just now was like a child's hide-and-seek game."

Erha:?
Next time I help you, I'm a pig!

(End of this chapter)