pertwk Chapter 40: People who play tactics are all dirty-minded!
Chapter 40: People who play tactics are all dirty-minded!
Leading the Lakers, who were already leading by 23 points, on the court at this moment was Kobe Bryant, who was in superb form tonight and scored 37 points.
Kobe, with the ball beyond the three-point line, once again attacked the basket, aiming for 40 points!
Keep in mind that Kobe Bryant has never scored 40+ points even once.
Especially after seeing Lin Ze score 40 points once, Kobe was itching to do it. Tonight, he finally got his chance and wanted to try for 40 points.
Then the unexpected happened.
When Kobe drove to the basket for a layup, he was fouled in mid-air by Jahidi White and lost his balance upon landing.
Those closest to Kobe even faintly heard a 'crack' sound. Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked at Kobe, who was lying on the floor, his face contorted in agony, screaming in pain.
"Fuck!" Jackson cursed, then turned to the bench and said, "Gary! What are you waiting for? Go check it out!"
Without Jackson saying a word, Lakers team doctor Gary Vitti had already stood up and rushed over to check on Kobe's condition.
Then came a brief exchange and a basic check.
Two minutes later, Vitti waved for his assistants to bring over some basic first aid supplies to help immobilize the hand, and walked toward the bench with a grim expression: "It might be a broken hand."
"A fracture?" Jackson's eyes widened.
The team is in great shape, everyone is in top form, and he even thought about the order in which he would make phone calls after breaking the 72-win record.
The first call was to that fat bastard Krause, the second to that scoundrel Jordan, and then...
Kobe is injured.
It's still a fracture.
Having been in the league for many years, Jackson has seen countless injuries. He knows very well that for bone injuries, players need at least six weeks of rest.
Six weeks without Kobe...
This is definitely a huge blow to the Lakers.
Although Kobe has averaged 21 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game this year, which is far from being a top star, his passing, penetration and defense are important weapons for the Lakers. Without Kobe, the team loses its most important offensive weapon on the perimeter.
Even with O'Neal and Lin Ze, Kobe's absence is still difficult to fill.
Of course, the good news is that it was a fracture in the hand, not in the shoulder, ankle, or knee—those worse places.
A fractured hand will at least not have any long-term effects or affect a player's performance.
"Let's get him checked out first." Jackson's mind raced with various thoughts, then he patted Vitti on the shoulder and said, "Find out the extent of his injury as soon as possible, then develop a recovery plan. It's okay if he rests for a few more games."
As Jackson was speaking, he caught a glimpse of Kobe, who had already stood up and was walking towards the player tunnel. So the old man, who had nothing to say before, immediately added a couple more words.
"Whatever the plan, everything must be based on Kobe's entire career as the most important premise. Don't be short-sighted. If necessary, end the season. I don't want conservative treatment that might leave lasting effects, nor do I want Kobe to force himself to return with an injury!"
"That old man is shameless!" Lin Ze thought to himself, feeling a deep contempt for Jackson, as he heard these words clearly meant for Kobe.
These tacticians are all incredibly dirty!
"Understood." Vitti nodded, then tried to leave with Kobe.
Unexpectedly, Kobe looked at Jackson with red eyes and said, "Coach, I can finish my free throws before leaving the court."
"Do you really think your left hand is more accurate than Shaq's?" Jackson looked at Kobe with a hint of helplessness.
Kobe opened his mouth, but ultimately did not refute.
Instead, he turned away dejectedly and followed Vitti out of the stadium.
……
The rest of the game went relatively smoothly. O'Neal, who was called upon to shoot free throws, made both of his shots without hesitation, proving once again that he would never miss a shot in a crucial moment. Jackson didn't keep O'Neal and Lin Ze waiting for long either. Less than a minute later, he made a substitution and unilaterally declared that the game was over.
Then, the Lakers secured a victory that no one could be happy about.
They all knew that without Kobe, it was virtually impossible for them to chase or surpass the 96 Bulls' record.
After that night, the Lakers quickly returned to Los Angeles to have Kobe examined and develop a treatment plan, while the rest of the team rested and prepared for their next game.
Christmas Day game, against the Spurs!
Although the Lakers' morale wasn't very high due to Kobe's injury, Jackson simply gave everyone a day off instead of continuing training so they could relax.
At this time, Kobe's medical report had also been released.
The fourth bone in the right hand is fractured, requiring 6-8 weeks of rest.
Jackson could accept this result.
At the very least, he'll have about two months after his return to regain his form and chemistry, and prepare for the playoffs. As for that so-called 72-win record...
Let's talk about it next time!
No matter how good the regular season record is, it's still just a regular season record.
Even if we break the record with 73 wins, what if we don't win the championship in the end?
So when the results of Kobe's injury diagnosis came out, Jackson was actually relieved.
At least it's not the worst outcome.
Jackson immediately shared the news with all the players, encouraging them to relax and focus on playing well.
After all, even if breaking the 72-win streak is out of the question, they can't just collapse and be overtaken by the teams behind them, right?
……
On the afternoon of Christmas Day, two hours before the match began.
Shaquille O'Neal swaggered into the locker room, the last player to arrive that night. He plopped down in his chair and said to Lin Ze beside him, "So, feeling confident? Your opponent tonight is Tim Duncan!"
"Of course I'm confident!" Lin Ze said. "My goal is to be an All-Star starter, so how can I let him beat me? We're sure to win tonight's game! And more importantly..."
Lin Ze looked around before lowering his voice and said, "Shaq, you don't want Kobe to come back and say something like 'You guys can't do without me,' with that hateful look on his face, do you?"
O'Neal's mind immediately flashed back to Kobe's annoying expression and tone, and he quickly shook his head: "We have to win tonight! Even if that kid doesn't say it, he'll definitely make that face! I can't stand the thought."
"It's just David Robinson! I'll kill him tonight!"
"I'll make a few more long-range shots," Lin Ze said. "Draw that idiot out of the paint so he can't double-team you! You'll definitely be able to easily beat an admiral into a private."
O'Neal and Lin Ze are getting along better and better, and O'Neal is very comfortable playing with Lin Ze.
After all, as long as Lin Ze is there, his opponents won't dare to double-team him as relentlessly as before, and will have to find someone to fight him one-on-one.