Chapter 876: So-called Open Conspiracy, Only the Willing Take the Bait!

Zhang Hao dribbled down the left side to the left of the three-second zone, as John Wallace closed in to double-team him, and Ewing guarded against Barkley’s cut. But Barkley obediently spaced out on the right side of the free-throw line. The New York Knicks players prepared for the defensive rotation, yet Zhang Hao didn’t pass and took a close-range shot directly from the left baseline of the three-second zone!

John Wallace and Larry Johnson’s double-teaming and trailing defense were excellent, but Zhang Hao’s crooked shot hit the rim and bounced high!

Ewing was about to grab the rebound when he heard excited exclamations from the fans near the baseline… A huge force slammed into Ewing’s back, bumping him right out of bounds.

The Big Diesel’s super putback dunk!

While Ewing was focused on guarding against the cut and Zhang Hao’s sudden change of direction to the center, O’Neal left the three-second zone. As soon as Zhang Hao attempted the shot, O’Neal charged into the paint, took advantage of Ewing’s inattention, and completed the putback dunk.

Seeing Ewing in a mess after crashing into the sponge padding under the hoop, O’Neal, who’s been struggling since the start of the game, released his frustration fiercely and landed excitedly to high-five Zhang Hao… but couldn’t find him!

Turning his head, he saw Zhang Hao was already running past the three-point line!

So, this guy took that ridiculous crooked shot and then immediately retreated on defense!

O’Neal didn’t know whether to be happy about the trust or to rush over and kick that jerk.

The Lakers’ attack left the New York Knicks players somewhat dumbfounded.

Is this considered tactical play or just random playing?

To this, if the opponents sincerely asked, Del Harris would mercifully tell them—this is our tactic!

With Kenny Anderson substituted out and neither Magician nor Brian Shaw sent in, Del Harris’s intention was clear enough, and the tactical arrangement simple—our ultimate frontcourt trio will find ways to get the ball in.

Zhang Hao made two gestures, the first was random, but the second was indeed a tactical signal—I’m shooting, Er Pang is ready to grab the rebound.

Using the “3” gesture implies a strategy of 1 board + 2 points.

The Lakers were straightforward, relying on the stars, just doing it!

When the New York Knicks went on the offensive, the Lakers positioned O’Neal to guard the three-second zone and nearby distances while switching defenses with other players to intercept drives from the perimeter; one inside, four outside defense aimed at cutting off ball distribution.

Ewing and Alan Houston wanted to easily get mid to long-range shooting opportunities, but it’s not so simple anymore. In the last play, the Lakers lacked coordination in defending, all ending up blocking Larry Johnson. As the game progressed, the defensive cooperation improved greatly.

Better opportunities for the New York Knicks weren’t what they initially expected there would be—mid and long-range shots. Instead, it was cutting into the lane.

However, with O’Neal back in the three-second zone and exerting all-out passionate defensive efforts, the rim protection was exceptional. The Knicks didn’t maintain offensive consistency as hoped, scoring occasionally.

With the New York Knicks instigating intense confrontations and loose officiating standards, tonight’s main referee, Steve Javie, didn’t alter this. O’Neal’s aggressive interior defenses, as long as it’s not clearly a violation of rules or ambiguous, weren’t called.

Though Larry Johnson was hailed as the player most like Barkley, his defense was better, the offensive gap was still apparent. In his best year, he averaged 22 points, which is certainly impressive for a forward, but Barkley had peak seasons of averaging over 25, even hitting over 28 and 27 in separate seasons. Against O’Neal’s high-level rim protection and the Lakers’ other four players’ stellar fast-switch mid-range defense, his offensive performance was poor.

Ewing’s mid and long-range shots improved after losing weight, gaining more chances, but aggressive post play declined significantly.

More shots attempted, more baskets made; it’s still Alan Houston.

Regarding this season’s mid-range shooting performance, except for Michael Jordan, no one really compares with Alan Houston; a 46.8% conversion rate on long two-pointers and 48.9% on mid-range shots so far this season, achieved amidst prolonged intense back-and-forth games.

Alan Houston’s progress was getting Pistons fans increasingly irked!

However, despite Alan Houston scoring 6 points in around 8 minutes of the latter part of the first quarter, the New York Knicks as a team scored only 11 points during that period.

After the first quarter ended, the New York Knicks scored only 18 points!

The Lakers weren’t much better, but the audience enjoyed watching because the star performances were impressive.

Er Pang remained consistent, efficiently spacing out, putting in effort in rebounding and defense, yet not willing to exert himself offensively, being merely a mid-range blue-collar player. His defensive switch was proactive, but the result… anyway, Alan Houston’s shooting chances and John Starks’ cutting in and passing could mostly be attributed to Barkley.

Nevertheless, O’Neal and Zhang Hao both performed outstandingly!

Zhang Hao was focused on shooting, while O’Neal concentrated on grabbing rebounds; occasionally Zhang Hao would pass to O’Neal, who could then dunk directly. Opportunities were limited, but the ever-focused Zhang Hao always seized fleeting chances.

This is Zhang Hao’s characteristic, always able to showcase his skills, always able to seize opportunities.

Overall, the fans’ intuitive feeling—their Lakers stars are solid!

Opponent defense strong? They can defend strongly too! And regardless of how strong the opponent’s defense is, they can always rely on star players to score!