This set had not only been used throughout this entire series; over the past three years, aside from the point guard, the other four players in their lineup had never changed.
The game between the two sides began.
Right from the opening tip, Antoine naturally won the jump ball without any doubt.
By the time the series had reached Game 7, Aiton had not won a single opening tip.
In the first year or two after Antoine entered the league, others could occasionally beat him on the jump ball.
But after another year or two, once he had gained experience and grown stronger, he won ninety-nine out of every hundred jump balls.
Next, the opposing point guard, LaMelo Ball, dribbled across half court.
Bryce James was assigned to defend LaMelo Ball.
LaMelo Ball was getting older too, so it was unrealistic for him to blow past Bryce James in one step.
So he called for power forward Deng Dute to set a screen, then drove into the mid-range.
After faking a shot there to draw the defense, he flipped the ball in a handoff to center Antoine, who was rolling to the basket.
That was right—their first possession was not led by Antoine. He merely served as a cutting option.
The benefit was that it allowed Antoine to conserve energy. Even a younger Antoine would have felt somewhat fatigued by Game 7 of a series.
After receiving the ball, Antoine easily raised it high one-handed with his right hand, Raise Fire to Burn the Sky, and slammed it straight into the hoop.
On the other end, the Lakers attacked. Bryce James dribbled across half court while Wang Yi kept running through the paint, curling around screens and trying to get open for the ball.
The Lakers' entire strategy was to