Chapter 1734 Rising Heat

So there was the matter of the Lakers losing to the Thunder and Spurs, the two main playoff competitors, after the All-Stars.

In the last four games, the Lakers have only achieved a record of 2 wins and 2 losses, and their dominance on the court is also declining.

In fact, it's not accurate to say that it's a stroke. After all, the Lakers' recent record is actually pretty good, with just a slight fluctuation. After all, under the background of 59 wins and 5 losses, you can't say bad words no matter how you look at it, and in Ji Feng The average playing time per game is less than 30 minutes. Kobe has missed 4 consecutive games. With Bynum, Gasol, Fisher, Artest and other major players taking turns to rest, this record is not unacceptable.

However, the Lakers' record is still fluctuating. On March 9, the away game against the Atlanta Hawks was Kobe's first comeback after missing 4 games. JK reunited after a long absence, attracting thousands of Lakers fans to watch, and the league was also very To save face, it was broadcast live across the United States.

However, the Lakers chose to rest Bynum. When the roster was released, Ji Feng's starting position was also replaced by Artest.

But this is understandable. Everyone knows that Josh is afraid of fierce defenders like Artest. With Artest around, it is very difficult for Josh to open up. After all, Josh has not had a brilliant game against Artest in his career. of play.

This was also Zen Master's original idea, to let the combination of Artest and Kobe restrain the Hawks' dual-core team of Josh and Joe Johnson, while Horford would be defended by Gasol in a misplaced position, so that Ji Feng could calmly output when he came off the bench. Won the game without any bloodshed.

This idea is very good, and the tactics are also very appropriate. However, if you are as strong as a Zen master, there will be things you can't calculate.

After the game started, something surprising happened. Josh Smith, who used to shrink when playing against the Lakers, seemed like a different person tonight.

Josh's template in the NBA has always been James. His physical fitness is absolutely amazing, but perhaps the biggest gap between him and James is his mental fitness. Whenever he encounters a tough defense, Josh will get lost. It is difficult for you to believe that a Such a strong guy is afraid of physical confrontation. Although his dunks are always among the top five, he still likes to use unreliable jump shots to solve problems.

Therefore, he was defeated by guys like Ji Feng, James, Matthew, Pierce, and Anthony. Every time Ji Feng met him, it was like meeting an experienced baby. Artest also liked facing attackers like Josh.

But tonight, Josh took advantage of Horford's successful pick-and-roll to break into the paint. After getting rid of Artest, he dunked on Gasol!

Fierce buckle!

Not only was Gasol confused, but even Josh himself didn't expect that he actually did it!

The passionate roar not only infected the Eagles generals, but also made Josh's self-confidence rise. In the following rounds, Josh's performance was violent.

Forced attack!

Back slap!

The second offensive rebound after grabbing the offensive rebound!

Positive ** three points!

In just 7 and a half minutes, Josh scored 10 points!

Artest has not scored a point for so long.

The Eagles even got off to a perfect start at 20-11.

Artest was unexpectedly beaten, so Zen Master had to change his plan and quickly replaced Ji Feng to stop the decline.

But Josh's touch has already come out. Although Ji Feng made a wonderful steal when he came on the court and assisted Gasol to score two points, Josh did not shrink back like before and instead responded with a ball on the offensive end.

A sudden foul!

Josh scored two points on a free throw.

Then he and Ji Feng fought against each other and did not fall behind. In the end, he made 7 of 9 shots in a single quarter, 2 of 3 three-pointers, and 3 of 4 free throws. He scored 19 points in a single quarter, helping the Eagles to 36 points in a single quarter. -25 leads by 11 points.

In the second quarter, Ji Feng used the connection period to launch an attack, narrowing the point difference to only one point with a 16-6 burst.

Josh returned to the court, and the two sides once again started a battle.

59-60, 78-80, after three quarters, the Eagles have a 2-point advantage!

In the crucial fourth quarter, the Lakers played their best, and so did the Hawks. The two sides alternated the lead until the last minute, when Ji Feng assisted Kobe and scored a championship three-pointer, helping the Lakers take the lead by one point!

The last minute was a model of anxiety, with both sides constantly pausing, fouling, and going to the free throw line.

In the end, the Lakers were better mentally. Ji Feng made all 8 free throws at the last moment, while Joe Johnson missed two free throws!

When Ji Feng dribbled away Josh, the Hawks failed to seize the final foul opportunity, and the Lakers won the game!

"103-101, congratulations to the Lakers! They achieved a victory escape in Atlanta!" Yu Jia wiped the fine beads of sweat on his forehead. This game was one of the most tense games he had watched this season.

"Josh scored a game-high 43 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. He shot 57% from the field and 50% from the three-point range, his best performance of the season. It's just a pity that he couldn't give it to him. The Eagles brought victory." Director Zhang also praised Josh's performance.

In this game, Josh really pushed the Lakers to a dead end. If it weren't for the incredible three-pointer that JK combined in the end, the outcome would have been uncertain.

In this game, only JK of the Lakers performed normally. Kobe scored 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in his first game back. Ji Feng scored 29 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds, a near-triple double. In addition, Gasol scored 13 points. Fisher scored 7 points, Farmar scored 8 points, and Artest, who started the game, made 0 of 9 shots and only scored 2 points from free throws.

This is also a major problem facing the Lakers this season. Artest's state does fluctuate greatly. Although he is still a strong contender for the best sixth man, in some games, he does get lost. This is mainly due to The injury to his knee.

A hard-won 60 wins, the Lakers once again won 60 games in the season, 60 wins and 5 losses, the Lakers still dominate the league.

However, after winning the Hawks and achieving 60 wins for four consecutive seasons, the Lakers soon encountered their biggest setback this season.

On March 11, the Lakers faced the Heat.

This is the second game between the two teams this season. In the first game, on Christmas Day, the Lakers gave the Heat a painful defeat without mercy, which made Heat fans heartbroken to this day and made the topic of the strongest in the league no longer mentioned.

JK is greater than James Way, and is considered to be the truth.

But this time they meet again, the Heat are no longer the Heat they used to be!

From before the All-Star Game to now, the Heat have not lost for a month. In short, until now, the much-anticipated Heat are finally on the rise!

Although the Lakers are still favored in this game, the Heat obviously don't think so!

"We will defend our home court, that's it." James said before the game.

"We are no longer who we were last year. Lose? We'll see." Wade was even more unceremonious.