Chapter 1252: Chapter 507: Not Allowed to Shoot? I’ll Shoot Anyway! (Part 6)

The current situation means he can’t predict the next move of that betting bald guy on the opposite side, so it’s better not to complicate things. Kidd handles the offensive end, Garnett takes care of defense, Kobe is responsible for shooting and initiating attacks—this is the best choice at present.

The Zen Master’s composed demeanor does have an effect. Calling a timeout was perceived by the players as merely a way to calm them down, not to worry about the substitute center falling into foul trouble. After the timeout, the Lakers executed their offensive plays steadily and were minimally affected.

But on defense…

Kwame Brown, who played over 8 minutes as the center in the first quarter and over 3 minutes as the power forward, rested for just a short while; upon returning, his performance in protecting the rim noticeably declined!

Earlier on, Kwame Brown’s stamina wasn’t this poor, but after gaining nearly 20 pounds of muscle last summer and because the talented rookie center Gasol adapted to the NBA speed too quickly, he often had to play as a power forward, which is no longer suitable for him. This led to even greater stamina consumption than before!

Garnett, in his younger years, suppressed big centers significantly; now at 33, he does it even more!

Kwame Brown’s decline in rim-protection effectiveness resulted in the Lakers’ defense overall sinking!

Zhang Yang seized the opportunity to fire from the top arc, sparking action on both wings. Zhang Yang had two three-pointers in one quarter, Felton added one, Brad Miller had one, Afflalo contributed two… The Bobcats scored six three-pointers in the second quarter alone, opening up inside and outside collaboration during the remaining 10 and a half minutes, racking up 30 points while suppressing the Lakers’ 23 points!

While the Lakers’ offense in the second quarter looked decent, scoring 27 points in a single quarter, they conceded 36 to the Bobcats. When the first half ended, the Bobcats overtook the Lakers by 3 points, 59 to 56!

This quarter was still manageable for the Lakers, but their real predicament arose in the third quarter.

After halftime, as soon as Gasol returned, Zhang Yang, Felton, and Okafor took turns attacking him. Trying to avoid defending, Gasol quickly accrued his 5th foul due to issues with his defensive moves, which sent him back to the bench.

At that moment, Garnett was still resting on the sidelines. His pivot ability forms the critical axis of the Three Giants connecting; d uring regular rest, the talented rookie Gasol usually assumed this axis. Garnett played the entire second quarter, so the foul trouble faced by Gasol had yet to impact the offense. But now…

Zhang Yang seized the opportunity for a relentless attack. In the early part of the third quarter, he led the team to a 16-7 scoreline. By the time the official timeout arrived, the Bobcats’ leading advantage had grown to double digits, 75 to 63!

The Zen Master indeed has courage; after the official timeout, he chose to let Kwame Brown rest while pairing Garnett and Gasol in the frontcourt. Despite being scolded by Wolf King, when Gasol returned to the court, he wasn’t afraid anymore, defending the rim aggressively without worrying about fouling out.

This approach had a substantial impact, with Bobcats’ scoring reduced to 12 points in the latter half of the quarter. However, the Lakers’ offense didn’t pick up; the whole front half went chaotic, and even with Kidd, they struggled to adjust, only getting 10 points.

By the end of the third quarter, the Bobcats led by 14 points over the Lakers, at 87 to 73!

In the final period, Kwame Brown, having had ample rest, along with Garnett, formed the strongest high school duo, and with Kidd, Kobe, and Ariza, they played the entire quarter. The three old dogs were undeniably powerful—Bobcats scored 36 points in the second quarter, 28 in the third, but faced with the desperate effort by the Three Giants, only managed to hold them to 19 points in the final quarter.

Yet, the Lakers couldn’t elevate their scoring. Although it slightly warmed up compared to the third quarter, it didn’t match the first half, with only 26 points!

At 10:23 PM, the final whistle blew, the cheers of thousands of Bobcats fans overpowered those of more than ten thousand Lakers fans.

Kobe made 12 out of 25 shots tonight, including 3 out of 7 from three-point range, plus 6 out of 8 free throws, securing the second-highest score in the game with 33 points.

Garnett’s playing time set a new high in this finals series, clocking 39 minutes, resting only over 3 minutes in the first quarter and over 5 minutes in the second. From 15 shots, he made 8, getting 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists—a commendable performance in this finals.

Kidd had 9 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals, leading the team in rebounds and assists.

Though the Three Giants performed outstandingly, they couldn’t defend their second home game… Zhang Yang scored the highest in the game, with 36 points—including 13 out of 28 shots, 5 out of 12 three-pointers, and perfect free throws 5 out of 5—plus 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, leading the Bobcats to beat the Lakers 106 to 99, achieving a series score of 3-1.

No Game of the Hills! They enter their match point!