chsdbacks Chapter 59 Who have you taken a fancy to? Let me check if it's my ex-girlfriend first!
Chapter 59 Who have you taken a fancy to? Let me check if it's my ex-girlfriend first!
After striding back to the locker room alone, Lin Ze immediately collapsed. He sat in the chair, panting heavily. His exertion was no less than Kobe's!
If it weren't for the grueling training he did that day with the 200x effort card, he probably would have been lying on the ground unable to move two hours ago.
However, there are also some aftereffects from this one-on-one contest within the Lakers team.
In the Lakers' game against the SuperSonics the next day, Kobe scored 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists on 4-of-19 shooting, but also committed 5 turnovers, and was effectively shut down by Payton, who turned him into Nick Young.
Lin Ze wasn't much better off; he only scored 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting tonight. However, he didn't handle the ball much, so he didn't make any mistakes.
When both of the team's stars underperform like this, it's natural that the Lakers struggle to win. They suffered a crushing 21-point defeat to the SuperSonics, their seventh loss of the season.
Their record is currently 44 wins and 7 losses!
By this point, they had little room for error, or rather, little chance of surpassing the Bulls' 72-10 record.
To surpass the Bulls, they must achieve a record of at least 29 wins and 2 losses for the remainder of the season.
too difficult!
It's too difficult from any perspective. More importantly, if the Lakers really push for the record in February, will they still have the energy and strength to cope with the playoffs?
More and more people no longer believe that the Lakers can break the Bulls' record, and many others believe that sacrificing playoff health and energy for a regular season record is not worth it.
Meanwhile, many more people began to stir up trouble.
They all expressed their hope that the Lakers could break the 72-win record and that another super team, a historically great team, could emerge!
Clearly, these people all have ulterior motives; they're all just looking for a spectacle, hoping the Lakers will fail to break the record and suffer injuries from being too tense.
The Lakers can basically ignore these external voices, since the team consists of either seasoned veterans who have seen it all or Kobe Bryant, a player who is oblivious to outside noise.
At least until February, the Lakers can maintain a calm mindset.
And, at this time, the Lakers also received good news.
Shaquille O'Neal is back!
After resting for almost a week, O'Neal is back in top form.
He made his comeback in the final game before the All-Star break.
In this game, the Lakers defeated the Suns in Phoenix. O'Neal scored a double-double of 34 points and 20 rebounds in his first game back, shaking up the Suns' interior defense.
The Lakers secured another victory, allowing them to take the win to the Bay Area, to Oakland, for this year's All-Star Weekend!
Every year, All-Star Weekend is a precious time for teams to relax and rest. It can even be said to be the only rest time for each team in the middle of the season. After all, the league stops scheduling games from Friday onwards, and all teams can get at least 3 days of rest before the season continues.
Teams with a favorable schedule might play a game on Wednesday and then rest until Tuesday, giving them almost a week of rest, which is invaluable for every team!
For example, the Lakers' last game was on Wednesday, and their next game wasn't until Monday.
In addition, Los Angeles and Oakland are very close, so Lakers players don't have to worry about the fatigue of the journey even if they go to Oakland to join in the fun.
This is why many old-school coaches and veterans don't like to participate in the All-Star Game.
Why don't we just stay home and rest to recover from such a good opportunity? Why do we have to go and play an exhibition match?
For example, Gregg Popovich has always been the number one opponent of the All-Star Game. He doesn't like his players participating in the All-Star Game. If he were to be the head coach of the All-Star Game, he would even shamelessly make his own players play less and let the players of his competitors play more.
Take Duncan, for example. He's practically the king of coasting in the All-Star game. Every time he goes on the court, he doesn't put in any effort, but surprisingly, not many people can tell that he's not putting in any effort.
Because that's how he plays in regular season games too.
Regardless, the Lakers' starting trio will all be heading to Oakland, along with Phil Jackson.
As the top seed in his division, he will become the head coach of the Western Conference All-Stars.
As for the Eastern Conference team's head coach, it is Larry Bird, the current head coach of the Indiana Pacers, who are currently ranked first in the East.
Although it doesn't represent the Celtics, the entire Los Angeles area has no goodwill towards this big-mouthed braggart.
Jerry West, who has rarely appeared in front of his players since the start of the season, made an unprecedented appearance in the Lakers' locker room after the team's game on Wednesday night.
"While the All-Star Game can be a bit more relaxed, we can also be serious when it's time to be. This year we have three starters and a coach, so it's not an exaggeration to say that the All-Star team is half of the Lakers."
"And on the other side, there's that idiot."
"Phil, find a way to teach him a lesson!"
"Of course, after the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night, I'll get everyone a boat, and we'll set sail from the Bay Area for a great night of fun!"
"Then, in the main event on Sunday night, crush them!"
"Kill them!" O'Neal cheered, raising his hand.
"I could even throw a basketball at that idiot's head!" Lin Ze said eagerly, indicating he was willing to increase the stakes.
"Can I not go to the All-Star game? Just say I'm injured or something?" Kobe was always the loner. These past few days, he had been staying up late watching the video of him getting beaten up by Lin Ze in one-on-one games. He wanted to continue improving his post-up game and fadeaway shot.
Kobe's shooting is far less consistent than it was in his prime, and his low-post back-to-the-basket game is only just beginning to develop.
"What are you saying, Kobe!" West retorted. "Go find something fun, and you need to relax. Always being so tense isn't good for you."
Jackson looked at Lin Ze and gave him a wink, signaling him to talk some words of encouragement to Kobe.
This time, however, Lin Ze chose to ignore Jackson.
He can't offer Kobe any advice; he might even be the one to deliver the final blow later.
He now genuinely hopes Kobe will train more.
Ideally, he wouldn't even watch the games during the three All-Star break; he would just stay in the training facility and train hard.
However, just as West was half-jokingly hoping that Lin Ze and his team would play like the Celtics, O'Neal took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and pulled Lin Ze to a corner.
"Lin, how about you give me some ideas?"
"Which Hollywood actress have you taken a fancy to?" Lin Ze asked curiously. "Let me see if she's my ex-girlfriend first."