Chapter 99 98. No one has the ball? Then I'll just take the lead with reluctance!
16 to 16, Zhang Yang scored 4 points in a row to tie the score!
And all of the goals were scored under Kobe's defense!

The teammates excitedly high-fived Zhang Yang who had returned to defense, and then became more actively involved in the encirclement and suppression of Kobe.

Originally, Kobe scored 8 points in the first half and led the team to score 16 points, which greatly reduced the morale of the Bobcats.

It was only a week ago that Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters against the Mavericks. That was the Mavericks! The league's top team with both offense and defense! In the East, no team has a better record than the Mavericks except the Pistons. The entire Mavericks team combined cannot beat Kobe. Can they do it?

But seeing that Jack, who was only 17 years old, was not afraid of Kobe and dared to fight hard, his teammates were inspired!
What if Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters? Even if Kobe scored 82 points in the whole game and their team could only get 81 points, they would still fight! If they didn't fight, this guy would only score more points!

Kobe continued to attack, and Gerald Wallace's defense was rough and strong, but he couldn't stop him, but he didn't play as well as in the first half.

The 129-kilogram Bynum squatted under the basket, and the 122-kilogram Kwame Brown assisted in close defense. O'Neal suffered a great loss when he encountered these twin towers in the opening game. He was defended to 18 of 8 shots, and Wade was also defended to 15 of 5 shots. The Heat still relied on substitute Payton to go crazy and score 11 points on 9 of 21 shots to narrowly beat the Lakers.

Felton and Gerald Wallace, naturally, could not break through the twin tower combination, and could only pass the ball to the unreliable shooter Jumaine Jones on the wing. If it went in, it went in, and if it didn't, there were no offensive rebounds to grab.

But the high school students’ twin towers also blocked the inside space!
Gerald Wallace really couldn't defend Kobe, and he was frustrated in the first half of the first quarter. But after calming down, he saw three high school students standing in the paint, so he gave up on defending the breakthrough and focused on defending the shot. When he was passed by, he chased after them and double-teamed Kobe with Perkins.

Perkins' tough and rough defense, coupled with Gerald Wallace's top-level shrinking interference defense in the league, has already made Kobe feel very tired. And Bynum, who didn't even know how to stand, was dragging his feet and blocking the space...

When playing against the Heat, the Lakers were able to suppress the opponent for a long time because Kobe could score continuously from mid-range. Even if Kwame Brown, Bynum and O'Neal were rooted under the basket, it did not affect his scoring. Having two high school players on the court at the same time had more advantages than disadvantages.

But facing the Bobcats with Gerald Wallace, the two high school players playing at the same time would hurt the enemy by 800 and hurt themselves by 1,000!
Kobe not only had a hard time on the offensive end, but also had a terrible time on the defensive end. Regardless of whether he scored or not, Zhang Yang would immediately rush down.

If he doesn't chase, his teammates won't be able to keep up with that kid's speed. If he chases, they will be on offense and defense all the time without any chance to catch their breath.

He has good physical strength, but he can't bear it if this continues!
Moreover, the high school center on the opposite side is really tough and his position is very stable. Kwame Brown can't even rush for the offensive rebound. Zhang Yang really has a chance to catch the ball and counterattack! Kobe must work hard on both offense and defense!

The Zen Master had no choice but to call a timeout and replace Bynum.

If Bynum had a better sense of position, he could have connected with Kobe. Kwame Brown moved well, but he couldn't catch the ball steadily, and his layup was easily flustered and unstable...

But there is nothing that can be done about it. Bynum just turned 18. If he had that awareness, he wouldn't score 0 points so often.

Although Kwame Brown is in his fifth year, he did not receive proper training in the first two years. In the third year, he proved his worth. In the fourth year, when the Wizards decided to start training him again, he injured his shoulder again and was out for half a season... In other words, Kwame Brown had never received proper training since entering the NBA and joining the Lakers.

The Zen Master regretted returning to the Lakers more than once this year. Why couldn't he resist the temptation of beauty?

And he had no more bullets in his gun, so he could only satisfy his desire...

However, there is still something to look forward to, such as Kupchak's trading ability and free market signing ability.

The Zen Master was really amazed when Payton and Malone joined the team in the summer of 03. If Malone hadn't flirted with Kobe's wife and directly intensified the conflict, they would have won the championship with a high probability. He really didn't expect Malone's character to be so poor.

After the timeout, after replacing Bynum with Brian Cook, Kobe's offensive space was indeed better, but it was still more difficult than in the first half of the first quarter.

Although Perkins is still a green player and his defensive skills are not as good as those of Eastern European center Brezek, he is tougher and more brutal and has a strong ability to withstand impact.

We also have to take into account the defense against Zhang Yang...

And after Bynum went down, Felton and Gerald Wallace worked together to play against Kwame Brown. It wasn't easy, but they were able to score!

After several rounds, the Lakers not only failed to regain the lead, but also fell behind by two points!

It was the Lakers' turn to attack. Luke Walton received a three-pointer from Kobe and missed it. Zhang Yang grabbed the defensive rebound and advanced on his own. He was blocked by Kobe and passed the ball to Gerald Wallace. The latter received the ball and crushed Luke Walton who was chasing him, broke into the inside and made a layup. The Bobcats extended their lead to 4 points!
Kobe decisively gave up targeting Zhang Yang. This ball was his fault. If he had not stuck to Zhang Yang who grabbed the rebound, and retreated normally, Gerald Wallace would not have had a chance. After Zhang Yang rushed over, it was only a two-on-two situation, and Luke Walton would not have to face the ferocious beast Gerald Wallace alone.

When Kobe defends Zhang Yang, it feels like he's back in 2000. When attacking, he has to defend Zhang Yang's fast run like he did with the Flying Squirrel in the Western Conference Finals that year. When defending in positional battles, he has to defend Zhang Yang's running like he did with Reggie Miller in the finals.

It's fine to combine the two, at most you'll just be a little tired, but the key is that the input-output ratio of defense is not proportional!
The Little Flying Squirrel was the offensive engine of that Trail Blazers team, Reggie Miller was the top outside scorer of that Pacers team, and Zhang Yang was just a substitute!

Kobe's decisive decision to give up targeting made Zhang Yang feel regretful that he could no longer help his teammates attract Kobe's defensive firepower.

In the two games against the Nets, he played a total of 45 minutes, and was guarded by Richard Jefferson or Carter for at least 40 minutes, creating good offensive space for Brevin Knight and Felton.

Although he felt regretful, Zhang Yang did not stop. On the defensive end, he stayed at the top of the arc to guard Luke Walton, and he retreated in the middle when necessary. On the offensive end, he continued to run... After two rounds, he was stunned by the Lakers' defense.

Bad! Really bad! Except for Kobe and the inside players, the rest of the Lakers have almost no sense of coordinated defense!

If Jumaine Jones had an average level of running ability, he would have more opportunities to shoot.

However, Jumaine Jones is the player abandoned by the Lakers. He played as the starting power forward for the Lakers last season. The one who replaced Jumaine Jones was the Lakers' current starting power forward Brian Cook, who is also a stand-up shooter. The latter was able to replace the former only because his three-point shooting percentage was a few percentage points higher when he received the ball in an open position. There is not much difference in actual effect.

Zhang Yang decisively adjusted his running style, from creating space for his teammates to actively looking for shooting opportunities.

Even if he runs, he may not be able to catch the ball. Felton and Gerald Wallace prefer to shoot themselves. Even if they catch the ball, they may not be able to make the shot, but they have to run and dare to shoot in order to help their two teammates more.

No, the opportunity is here!

At the last moment of the first quarter, Zhang Yang seized the opportunity, cut in from the baseline and made a layup, widening the score difference to 5 points and leading 30 to 25!

Kobe was in a state of panic. He had finally managed to hold off the opponent's attack, and it looked like he would be able to defend this ball. He was ready to rush to the frontcourt and throw a buzzer-beating three-pointer after the defense. If he made it, he would tie the score.

As a result, Weaver missed someone!
Kobe pointed at Weaver's nose and cursed at him.

Weaver felt very innocent: he stayed in the elbow area to guard against the middle cutter because there was someone in the low post. Who knew that after Felton broke through and Luke Walton extended to the corner, Perkins would be able to come in from the free throw line and lead Kwame Brown away?

Fortunately, Weaver didn't dare to complain, otherwise Kobe would definitely reply like his idol: Why didn't he have this opportunity when I was defending? How could I see it? With 4 seconds left in the first quarter, the Lakers failed to pass the ball to Kobe, and Weaver did not rush across half court, choosing to handle the ball like a goat.

In the second half of the first quarter, the Bobcats scored 18 to 9, from trailing by 4 points to leading by 5 points, and they showed great momentum!

Starting from the second quarter, the Lakers embarked on a long road to catch up.

Kobe's attack was fierce, and the Lakers' counterattack was also fierce.

But everyone on the Bobcats played very hard. Some were driven by Gerald Wallace, some were inspired by Zhang Yang, some felt a sense of crisis due to the trade of Brevin Knight, and some were newcomers... and they withstood the Lakers' counterattack!
And once Kobe's offensive slowed down, the Bobcats continued to widen the gap little by little.

The game came to the final moments, with 38 seconds left and the Lakers trailing by 5 points, Kobe made his 30th shot of the game...but missed the three-pointer against Kareem Rush!

After missing the shot, Kobe immediately chased after Zhang Yang...but was left behind by Zhang Yang, who returned to the court with two minutes left in the quarter.

Zhang Yang rushed to the frontcourt, grabbed the ball at the free throw line, took two steps, jumped with all his strength, and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand.

This was his first dunk at the Lakers' home court, Staples Center, and it killed the game!

102 to 95, the Bobcats secured the victory!

In the last 20 seconds, neither team scored again. The Bobcats defeated the Lakers by 7 points and won the last consecutive away game!
科比打满48分钟，30投14中，其中三分球5中1，加上12中12的罚球，单场拿到41分8板4助攻2抢断，也未能挽回败局。

Zhang Yang played for 23 minutes tonight, making 11 of 6 shots, including 1 of 0 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. He played well, making key shots and scoring on counterattacks to seal the victory.

费尔顿17分8助攻、杰拉德-华莱士20分5板3助攻3抢断4盖帽、伊莱11分6板、帕金斯5分6板、布雷泽克4分11板、拉什8分、朱梅因-琼斯6分……大家齐心协力，完成对科比的围剿！

Zhang Yang looked up at the Lakers' statistics on the big screen.

奥多姆，中规中矩，15分8板6助攻，夸梅-布朗8分7板、库克11分……这些都不重要。

Kobe's 41 points... don't matter.

Seeing Kobe's 30-of-14 shooting rate, Zhang Yang felt that this guy didn't value his data. In the last 38 seconds, he missed two shots against the defense, and his 46% shooting rate was reduced to the season average of %. With this performance, how can he be the GOAT? No ambition!

Bogans, Gerald Wallace and Kareem Rush did a good job of limiting Kobe's long-range shooting. In the first 47 and a half minutes, Kobe was limited to only three three-point shots and only made one.

However, their team still has one area where they did not do well - the backup point guard.

After Brevin Knight left and Felton started as a real starter, there was no backup point guard.

原本的第三控卫凯文-波尔森成了控卫主力替补，这是个赛季前24场比赛出战14场、场均10分钟拿到2.5分1.5板1助攻的饮水机管理员。

He was substituted after playing for 5 minutes tonight. The head coach would rather let Kareem Rush, who can only control the ball but not break through or pass, advance across half court and pass to Gerald Wallace or Eli.

The team actually considered this issue, and when they traded Dan Dickau, they got him a lottery ticket that he could try to scratch off, but there was no guarantee that he would win a prize, and it was said that he would be out for a while.

Trading is an option, but it is difficult for their team to trade. They don't have any high-quality chips. Most of their players are scraps picked up from other teams in 04. They are not wanted by others, so they take them back and trade them with others for a usable point guard?

Kareem Rush's play is a solution, but it puts more pressure on Gerald Wallace to attack with the ball...

Zhang Yang felt that he could try to assist in controlling the ball to help relieve the pressure on the fat guy. He had this idea during the game, but since the team was already in momentum and had a chance of winning tonight, he did not ask for the ball blindly. But he can try more in the future!
He is not good at organizing offense, but he can shoot one-on-one!

...

The next day at noon, Zhang Yang was on his way back to Charlotte with the team. He talked to Bickerstaff about wanting to increase the number of positional attacks with the ball to help Felton share the pressure.

Bickerstaff agreed without hesitation.

After Zhang Yang left with a strange expression, Randy Brown teased Bickerstaff: "You didn't even hesitate or tell Jack anything to be careful about. He must be very confused now."

Bickerstaff: "Come on, if I do that, he will definitely consider whether to practice for a few more months before holding the ball. He seems too rational in terms of ball possession and shooting rights. If he doesn't dare to shoot any ball when he has the opportunity, I'm really worried that he will become like Sean Battier."

England: "Jack's choice of playing style is correct. He just wants the team to be better. Blevins and Raymond are better at initiating offense than him, so he chooses to play without the ball. Gerrard is good at cutting into the basket, so he reduces his cutting into the basket. He is better at mid-range running shots and counterattacks, and he always seizes the opportunities firmly in his hands."

Bickerstaff: "Yes, I don't think he made a wrong choice. I'm just worried that if he keeps playing like this, his style of play will become rigid and waste his talent for holding the ball. You've all seen how good his talent for holding the ball is. I would rather the team perform less well than give him the opportunity to make mistakes, even if he keeps making mistakes, as long as he can improve. And, Chip, Jack hasn't made any progress in running, catching the ball and shooting for a while, right?"

England: "Yes, he has already mastered our team's main tactics. Recently, he has figured out his teammates' passing habits, movement habits, and shooting habits. To improve his performance without the ball, the only way is to improve his shooting ability. His mid-range and three-point shooting have improved rapidly, but it will take a long time to make a qualitative change... But even if you tell him that he can make mistakes at will, he won't do that. That would not be him."

Bickerstaff: "Yes, I know, so I didn't say anything. Originally, I could have traded Delonte West back, but I didn't want it. One reason was that I heard that Delonte West had personality problems and I was worried that he would affect the young players, but the main reason was that I wanted to give Jack a chance to come off the bench to assist Raymond with the ball. Anyway, having one more backup point guard won't improve our strength much. Even if Jack doesn't come to me, I will take the initiative to arrange new tasks for him after Christmas."

England: "It's a good idea to use objective conditions to push Jack forward and let him take the initiative to assume the role he is talented in. When the team needs someone to stand up, Jack will always be the one rushing to the front, just like yesterday, all of us were scared by Kobe Bryant, and only he dared to play against Kobe..."

When talking about the two times when Zhang Yang and Kobe Bryant attacked with the ball, several coaches laughed out loud.

At that time, they didn't see what was wrong. They thought it was just that Perkins was calm and didn't listen to Zhang Yang and had to go up to help with the pick-and-roll.

After the game last night, some media clipped that attack and magnified it for research, and found that although Zhang Yang said "let's have a high school showdown", his hands were not swung outwards to chase people away, but were pulled back to set a pick-and-roll.

They asked why Kobe had such a weird expression on his face at that time, and why he defended even harder afterwards, not even caring about assisting or helping out on defense. Was it really necessary to defend like that against a 17-year-old rookie?
After reading the news, I realized that Kobe had reason to be angry...but it was really funny!

The rookie 'toyed' the Black Mamba who had just completed a miracle of 62 points in three quarters, and helped the team win. This video is going viral on the Internet. Zhang Yang, who just signed the largest endorsement contract in AJ's history, has become popular again!
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(End of this chapter)