freeallnovels Chapter 493 491. The trade deadline for the loss to the Lakers
Chapter 493 491. The trade deadline for the loss to the Lakers
Chapter 493 491. The trade deadline for the loss to the Lakers
At the start of the second quarter, O'Neal will have to rest for a while on the Lakers side. The biggest difference between O'Neal in the past two years and the previous two consecutive championships is that O'Neal has become so fat this year that the Lakers management can't stand it.
However, the Zen master replaced Fisher and replaced Brian Shaw, who was already out of use.
On the Eagles side, a new cavalry company has been replaced!
Liu Mang, Jason Terry, Prince, Rahim and Muhammad played.
The Lakers sent Fisher, Kobe, Fox, Mark Madsen, Medvedenko.
Taking advantage of O'Neal's absence, the Eagles played a wave of 11 to 5 at the beginning of the second quarter, successfully overtaking the score by four points.
This is the biggest problem for the Lakers this year. Even if OK is there, when it comes to the second team, Kobe alone leads the team to play against an ordinary strong or weak team.
After more than four minutes in the second quarter, Zen Master finally replaced O'Neal.
After the OK combination gathered, the offense of the Lakers changed completely, and the Eagles and the Lakers went up against the Lakers again. Coach Kruger realized that he was at a great disadvantage after falling into a positional battle, so he didn't think about anything else, and just relied on the offense first.
After the cavalry company started to attack, Liu Mang and Jason Terry began to alternate as the starting point of the attack, facing the Lakers' OK momentum.
After halftime, the Eagles maintained a slight lead of 59 to 56.
Liu Mang switched to scoring mode in the second quarter. Although he only got 2 assists, he scored 12 points. After halftime, he scored 16 points and 8 assists. After Jason Terry came off the bench and took over a lot of Langby shots, Liu Mang played more easily, scoring and passing everything.
……
During the intermission, the Eagles emphasized the defense in the third quarter, trying to widen the point difference in the third quarter.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the Eagles sent a combination of Liu Mang, Jason Terry, Prince, Muhammad, and Ratliff.
On the Lakers side, Kobe played with iron... no, he played with iron. He didn't rest for a second in the first half, and continued to start in the third quarter, bringing Fisher, Fox, Horry, and Wang Zhizhi on the stage.
The halftime break ends and the third quarter begins.
The Lakers attacked first, Fisher advanced to the frontcourt and handed it to Kobe, Kobe dribbled to the frontcourt, and Prince defended.
Kobe was lucky, and seemed to be directing the offensive movement. Suddenly, Kobe picked up the ball and shot a three-pointer. Prince was caught off guard, and Kobe hit a three-pointer.
The offensive and defensive transition, the Eagles attacked, Liu Mang advanced and handed the ball to Jason Terry, Jason Terry also directly threw a three-pointer against Fisher's defense, decisive and accurate, and returned one to Kobe.
However, immediately Kobe made another mid-range shot. Immediately after the Eagles, Liu Mang broke through to the three-second zone and failed to make a throw. When the Lakers attacked again, Kobe made another mid-range shot.
Kobe time level 4 trigger!Stubborn Level 5 Trigger!
In the third quarter, Kobe started regular Kobe time at the beginning.
This is really unstoppable!
Kobe bombed indiscriminately, and personally played a wave of 15 to 10. In the middle of the third quarter, the Lakers scored 19 points in the half quarter, Kobe alone scored 15 points, and the Eagles only scored 15 points.
Looking at the little blacksmith who is about to approach the peak and has no solution, the Eagles really have nothing to do!
In addition, this is the home court of the Lakers. When the Lakers are in a positional battle, the Lakers will play a lot of defense, and the referee will not blow the whistle frequently. When the Lakers are already prepared for Liu Mang's touch, Liu Mang's foul success rate is not high. In addition, the Eagles feel mediocre in the third quarter. Halfway through the third quarter, they were overtaken by the Lakers by a point.
75 to 74, the Lakers overtook!
In the second half of the third quarter, the Lakers replaced O'Neal again.
When it came time for Kobe to make another shot and O'Neal to make another shot, the Eagles fell completely passive in the third quarter and were given the upper hand by the Lakers.
After three quarters, the Eagles trailed the Lakers by 82 points 92 to 10!
So fried!
Kobe and O'Neal both scored 30+, which is outrageously strong.
……
The rest after three quarters.
Liu Mang is thinking about how to deal with the OK combination, can he hack the shark?Try isolated defense on the little blacksmith?
But at this time, Coach Kruger made a different arrangement: "Dean, Matt, Tyshawn, Chris, Kevin, you go on the court, and the others rest and prepare for tomorrow's game."
Coach Kruger thought for a long time in the third quarter, and finally decided to give up in the fourth quarter.
"Coach, we are only 10 points behind!" Liu Mang complained dissatisfied.
Is this going to give up the game?
Seeing Liu Mang's expression of wanting to kill Kobe when he met Kobe, coach Kruger was very distressed, so he had to say after the others returned to the bench and the water dispenser lineup: "We still have three back-to-back games. Don't waste too much energy here. We can play, and even play to the end, but it's not necessary."
Liu Mang also understood, but he was so upset!Seeing that Kobe scored 35 points and 5 assists after three quarters, Liu Mang really wanted to go up and continue with Kobe.
But the coach arranged this way, and he had no other choice but to accept it.
Sure enough, as coach Kruger expected, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Zen Master replaced the OK combination and blasted the second team of the Eagles. The point difference was pulled to 20 points in two or three times. O'Neal, who rested for most of the first three quarters, saved his physical fitness until the fourth quarter.
Not everyone in the Eagles is like Liu Mang, they will never get tired from playing!
Liu Mang sat on the sidelines depressed, too passive!Everything is too passive!When the record is not good, everything is so passive.
In the end, relying on the OK combination, the Lakers beat the Eagles 119 to 103 at home to win the game. Kobe and O'Neal both scored 40+ points, and the two scored 86 points together...
……
……
After the game, Liu Mang flew to the next stop, Sacramento, the capital of California, with the team depressed, and there will be back-to-back games against the Kings.
For this game, Liu Mang summed up a lot by himself. Sure enough, it was not wise to provoke O'Neal at the beginning. The OK combination cannot be judged by common sense. During the post-match interview, Liu Mang also took the responsibility on himself.
Seeing the hostility of Kobe, who was still 4/8, Liu Mang felt very uncomfortable. Killing the little blacksmith has become his obsession...
……
When the Eagles arrived in Sacramento, the players who had just played a game were exhausted and went to bed early at the hotel.
Coach Kruger is making a video call with the team management.
According to the precise prediction of Moore's Law, by 2003, the development of science and technology has been raised to another level, and video calls have become a very simple thing on the Internet.
On the other end of the phone is the Eagles management, mainly executive vice president Steven Price.
"Lang, what do you think of the Lakers' situation? Is there hope?" Steven Price asked eagerly.
Seeing that the boss has become so aggressive, coach Kruger has a headache. The team has a lot of troubles, but the boss has a new idea.
Why can't you see that you are so willing to spend money?At this time, money is the same as it is not money, and you want to throw it out if you hold it.
However, even coach Kruger is very excited about the goal of the boss.
Who wouldn't want a combination like that?
So today's game against the Lakers, in addition to the game itself, is also related to the future construction of the Eagles.
However, although coach Kruger is also very excited, he still has concerns: "The relationship between Kobe and O'Neal is indeed very bad, but do we really need it?"
"Lang, this is an opportunity! A very good opportunity! There is no better opportunity than this. Don't you want Ace and Kobe, or a combination of Ace and O'Neal?" Price continued to emphasize.
"Well, I admit that I also hope to complete this deal, but will the Lakers agree?" Coach Kruger said helplessly.
"Just like you think, they refused," Price replied honestly, but then changed the subject: "But they didn't say anything dead, and we still have hope."
"Okay, this is your future plan, boss. Everything is according to what you said, but I hope this matter will be discussed with the Lakers in private. If there is no confirmed news, Ace will not know." Coach Kruger said he didn't care.
How could Coach Kruger not understand what the boss thinks?Liu Mang plus O'Neal, or Liu Mang plus Kobe, has the most popular players in China and the United States, and the combination looks strong.
However, today, coach Kruger once again felt the hostility between Liu Mang and Kobe, and the Eagles have a very harmonious relationship now. If this news leaks to Liu Mang, coach Kruger doesn't think Liu Mang will be happy.
"Of course I know..."
……
The Eagles are planning future events, and the Lakers have no rest in the middle of the night.
The office of Lakers owner Jerry Buss at the Toyota Center in Los Angeles.
There are two pairs of forces in the office: Jenny Buss and Zen Master; Kupchak and Jim Buss.
The management of the relationship between Zen Master and Jenny Buss actively promoted the trade of Kobe for Liu Mang plus other bargaining chips of the Eagles, while Jim Buss strongly opposed it.
Jim Buss wanted to use O'Neal for a trade, and Zen Master and Jenny Buss also opposed it.
Seeing that the siblings are really not at peace at all, and the two siblings are still too tender, have no patience at all, and want to make a big deal before the defending season is over, Old Bath has a headache.
Generally speaking, Jenny Buss is more suitable as a successor, but she is a daughter, which makes Buss a pity, and the current thinking is too naive, only thinking about the field, not considering the market at all.
Trading Kobe for Liu Mang plus draft picks and one of Raheem or Jason Terry may be a win-win deal for the Hawks and the Lakers just to improve the team's strength.
But, will the Eagles let Liu Mang go?Old Bass wouldn't believe it, didn't he see that the Eagles, who had acquired Liu Mang for more than a year, had become one of the most profitable teams in the league?The Rockets acquired Yao Ming, and in less than a season, Alexander Grandet became a millionaire. The market value of the Rockets doubled in one season.
The main reason is that Old Buss doesn't want to dismantle the OK combination, which is still the strongest combination in the league, as long as they win, everything will be fine.
Seeing his daughter and son arguing fiercely, Bass Sr. waved them to shut up.
Seeing the two quiet down, Old Buss said: "We will not trade for the time being, especially Kobe. We can't trade and we can't break our tradition. I have received a call from the Eagles after the game with the Hawks. They want Kobe or O'Neal, but I didn't accept it. At least for now, we can't accept trading any of them. You all have to be patient. We will make a decision after this season is over."
Without giving Jenny Buss and Jim Buss a chance to speak, Buss Sr. kicked them out, including Zen Master, leaving only Kupchak, the veteran player of the team and the current general manager.
Kupchak didn't know how he was retained, and he didn't know what the inexplicable team high-level meeting was for tonight. Since the trade option was rejected at the beginning, it doesn't make sense to hold the meeting.
Old Buss attaches great importance to Kupchak. Whether he gives the team to Jenny Buss or Jim Buss in the future, Old Buss will regard Kupchak as the most capable assistant of his successor, just like Jerry West, the godfather of the Lakers.
Old Bass looked at Kupchak and asked: "Mitch, there are only two of us now, do you think it is appropriate for us to trade away O'Neal or Kobe now?"
Kupchak understood that it was the boss who was testing him. Although he didn't want to participate in the Lakers' "palace fight", he also knew that this was the time to show his vision as a general manager.
Kupchak thought for a while and said: "Kobe and O'Neal, we may not be able to keep both of them in the end, but if I have to trade one, I will choose to keep Kobe, he is younger. But just like what you said, the boss, we can't trade now. Kobe and O'Neal are still the strongest combination. We can try again next season, and we are not without a chance to win the championship this year..."
Old Bass didn't show any expression after hearing these words. Kupchak felt a little awkward, as if he didn't say anything constructive, so he gritted his teeth and said the future plan he had planned in private: "I think we can try again and continue to rebuild with Kobe and O'Neal. If it doesn't work, we can trade O'Neal away and get back the bargaining chips. Kobe is still young, and we can wait for the next chance to get a superstar..."
Hearing this, Old Bass finally had an expression on his face. What he wanted was this kind of decisive and rational general manager.
Dare to give up some things, even give up a few years to rebuild. In this regard, Old Buss has always admired the Celtics, but the Lakers must also have their own traditions, that is, not to trade the superstars they have cultivated.
Today is destined to be a sleepless night, the sleepless night of Lakers owner Buss.
Miami, American Airlines Center.
Pat Riley put down the phone. He organized a long-term conversation and wanted to discuss the O'Neal deal with his old team, the Lakers. As a result, he just said O'Neal's name, and the phone was hung up.
Pat Riley had some headaches, but the old Bass hung up the phone so decisively, which made Pat Riley feel that there was no chance.
In that case, wait!O'Neal's peak is still a few years away, Pat Riley feels that he can wait, and now the Heat don't have much good bargaining chips, so it doesn't matter if they wait for two or three years.
For a thoughtful decision-maker, a deal about the future of a team often doesn't happen suddenly, but has been planned for years.
In addition to the Heat and the Hawks, there are Wizards, Celtics, Pistons, Knicks... and other teams have contacted the Lakers, because today is the trade deadline...
Old Buzz's phone was off the hook tonight...
It was a peaceful trade deadline, and no real big deal was completed. The only thing worth mentioning was that the Pistons peddled the right to exchange the 2003 draft pick with the Grizzlies.
This year, the Grizzlies have the fourth-worst record in the league, with 100% of the top six picks.
Paper can't contain the fire. The Lakers received a large number of trade applications about O'Neal and Kobe on the trade deadline, and they were still leaked after all.
Including the Eagles applying for a trade.
Although there is no such thing as a complete transaction process, if you want to trade Kobe or O'Neal, you must have a lot of bargaining chips.
At 12 noon the next day, when the transaction deadline arrived, Liu Mang and others were having lunch at the hotel and saw the news.
Seeing these rumors, Liu Mang had no choice but to choose to get used to it. Isn’t the NBA just a business league? Although there are many teams with human feelings, they are all relative. When players like Kobe and O’Neal are in front of them, except for the Magic, there is really no team that will hold back when they have the opportunity.
Compared with Liu Mang, the rest of the Eagles are more calm. They grew up in the United States and have been engaged in the basketball industry since childhood. They have a deeper understanding of this league and are mentally prepared for the possibility of being traded.
But it is of course better not to be traded, and everyone is very glad that they were not traded.
Since the Eagles don't want to destroy the team's lineup structure now, if they don't get a player who can greatly improve the team's strength or help a lot in the future, there is no need for the Eagles to trade now.
The tentative application for a trade with the Lakers is just a test of the Lakers' rhetoric. The Eagles have no real idea of a trade this year.
The trade rumors this time did not have much impact on the Eagles.
The six-game streak continued, and in the evening, the Eagles came to Arco Arena to challenge the Kings away.
(End of this chapter)