Chapter 145: Earth-shattering

After the conflict between Kobe and Bynum intensified, they no longer spoke in the locker room, and they both looked at each other with cold and hostile eyes.

Bynum felt that he had gained Fan Xi's friendship and could already overturn Kobe, just like Kobe drove away O'Neal back then. When a team's leader comes to power in an abnormal way, the young people in the team will naturally fall into a cycle. Just like the Tang Dynasty in ancient China, Li Shimin had great achievements, but the history of his coming to power was not glorious, so that the entire Tang Dynasty was panicked every time the dynasty changed, with fathers guarding against sons and brothers guarding against brothers.

Bynum felt from the bottom of his heart that the Lakers no longer needed an aging, finger-pointing emperor. He had been suppressed by Kobe too much over the years. He competed with Fan Xi for the position of successor before, and now he felt why not go further?

Kobe had never liked Bynum. He thought Bynum had no potential to be a leader; he was just a spoiled child. Without a trace of principle, and without a trace of blood and courage, how could he carry the Lakers, a giant team?

Kobe thought that he plus Fan Xi would be a brand new Jordan + Pippen, and whether Bynum was there or not didn't matter at all.

Under the complex emotional opposition of the two, Fan Xi inexplicably became the "soul figure" of the team.

In the locker room, Fan Xi's right to speak was fully strengthened.

Phil Jackson was caught off guard, but he was sure that the current situation was favorable to Fan Xi.

This was the reason why he arranged for Fan Xi and Kobe to start at the same time, while Andrew Bynum sat on the bench.

He was adding extra stimulation between Bynum and Kobe.

The more fiercely they competed, the more stable Fan Xi would be.

Fan Xi didn't think so much; he just wanted to win.

Nowitzki said before the game "I have no choice but to win," and Fan Xi thought the same in his heart.

As for the things Phil Jackson did for him behind his back, he didn't care.

Once the game started.

Kobe Bryant showed an unprecedented attitude.

When Pau Gasol won the jump ball against Tyson Chandler, Fan Xi brought the ball to the frontcourt. According to the tactics, he passed the ball to Kobe, who was playing one-on-one on the strong side. Kobe pushed back for a meter, turned around to attract a double-team, and instead of shooting directly, he quickly passed to Fan Xi. Fan Xi caught the ball, sprinted violently, and went straight into the paint... When Tyson Chandler flew over, the basketball had already been passed to Gasol.

Gasol easily scored a layup.

Kobe, Fan Xi, and Gasol formed an unprecedented relay-style offense in this possession.

The chemistry improved immediately.

The home atmosphere at the Staples Center was ignited at the start.

Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle was a bit confused.

Are the Lakers acting?

Why was it Fan Xi and Bynum who broke out in the last game, and it was Fan Xi and Kobe's turn to break out in this game?

What did we do wrong?

Rick Carlisle was speechless.

The Lakers' continuous unconventional moves made his pre-game tactical arrangements a display.

He couldn't understand the Lakers anymore.

Originally, they wanted to take advantage of the Lakers' "internal chaos" to "steal a win," but now they found that it was not the case at all.

The game continued.

Kobe was more active and fierce on the defensive end. He and Fan Xi firmly controlled the Lakers' perimeter gate. Jason Kidd spent a lot of effort to pass the ball in, and then Nowitzki's layup was double-teamed by Kobe who ran over... Bang!

The shot hit the iron.

Fan Xi followed up and grabbed the rebound.

Fan Xi was like the Lakers' universal accelerator; no matter who he partnered with, he could enhance the effect.

The Lakers' offensive pushed toward the Mavericks like waves.

Because of the relationship between Kobe and Bynum, the Lakers were particularly active now, and everyone was cautious, fearing to touch bad luck.

Phil Jackson was very satisfied with the current effect. He had always believed that a team needed internal competition. How could a collective be strong without an opposition?

Of course, this scale needs to be controlled.

If the internal division is very serious, it will cause the team to collapse. It must be maintained at the level of competition.

The current Lakers are like this.

Because of Fan Xi's existence.

After the first quarter, the Lakers led by 5 points. Kobe Bryant was extremely active in the first quarter. As the main offensive point, he reduced the number of shots and gave more ball rights to Fan Xi, and Fan Xi made the offense smooth.

On the defensive end, the Lakers also played well.

In the second quarter, Phil Jackson subbed in Andrew Bynum, and Fan Xi remained on the court.

Bynum sat on the bench for a whole quarter, and he was full of anger.

As soon as he came up, he set a screen for Fan Xi. Fan Xi took the opportunity to kill into the paint and turned back to assist Bynum. Bynum caught the ball and faced Jason Kidd in a mismatch, and came with a powerful two-handed dunk.

After the goal, Bynum roared to the sky.

He beat his chest like Garnett.

Very passionate.

The home fans also cheered.

The Mavericks were stunned.

The Dallas Mavericks are known for their strong lineup. Their rotation lineup and starting lineup can always seamlessly connect, killing opponents with endless toughness.

But now, the Lakers are even tougher than them.

Since the news of the conflict between Kobe and Bynum, the Lakers seem to have split into two teams, and both teams are very strong.

Fan Xi is compatible with both systems, and Fan Xi has raised the Lakers' firepower to a strong level.

"If this continues, the Mavericks' hope of advancing is very slim."

Commentator Reggie Miller said on the ESPN TV channel.

The Mavericks themselves felt this problem. Rick Carlisle was now overwhelmed, and he didn't know how to deal with the Lakers' two lineups.

In the end, he decided to double-team Fan Xi.

He wanted to pinch Fan Xi when the tactics were initiated.

However, once Fan Xi encountered a double-team, he passed the ball quickly and then ran without the ball.

Fan Xi may not be a superstar who can stand alone, but he is a quasi-superstar who is extremely compatible with the Lakers system. His off-ball ability is very outstanding.

After Andrew Bynum failed to play Tyson Chandler in the paint, he passed the basketball to Fan Xi who ran out of the open space.

Fan Xi caught the ball and shot... Swish!

Three-pointer made.

Rick Carlisle was depressed.

He clearly had three point guards under his command, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and Jose Barea. He wouldn't suffer losses against any other team, but the Lakers only sent one Fan Xi, which left them helpless.

"I really can't believe this is Jack's first time playing in the playoffs in his career. He even performed better than Kobe Bryant." ESPN host Mike Breen sighed from the bottom of his heart.

At this time, Reggie Miller added: "If the Lakers continue to play at this pace, they will win the championship, and Fan Xi has a good chance of becoming the Finals MVP."

This sentence was earth-shattering.

... ===== CHAPTER 146 =====