The game entered the second quarter. The Lakers tried to let Kobe take over the game, but the Trail Blazers substituted Bonzi Wells.
This burly wing player, as strong as a bull, locked down Kobe. He wouldn't fall for fakes or jump easily, but instead used his suffocating physical strength to constantly wear down Kobe's stamina. Kobe missed two consecutive difficult turnaround jump shots.
In transition, Bonzi Wells called for the ball in the low post and backed down Kobe, who still seemed a bit light and thin at the time. He bulldozed his way in like a bulldozer, creating space, and then turned and hooked the ball in!
"He's wearing Kobe down on both offense and defense." Eddie Jones immediately understood the tactical intention.
"Relentlessly attack him on defense, and use your strength and weight advantage to back him down on offense." Lin Qi nodded, then turned his gaze to Chris Paul Pierce sitting in the front row. " Chris Paul."
Pierce turned his head, his face bearing that signature arrogant smile.
"You can do better than Bonzi Wells," Lin Qi said, looking at him. " Bonzi's offensive repertoire is limited. You, on the other hand, have better weight, more solid footwork, and an unstoppable shooting range. In the NBA Finals, I need you to be like Bonzi, chasing down Kobe on offense, using your weight and post-up game to drain his energy."
Pierce grinned, revealing his white teeth. "Leave him to me, Lin. I'll show him what real one-on-one is all about."
The game on the screen was incredibly intense. The Trail Blazers grew stronger with each game, Pippen continued to dominate, P.J. Brown fought desperately in the paint, and Wells relentlessly attacked Kobe. At halftime, the Trail Blazers led 48-44. O'Neal only scored 9 points in the first half, while Kobe made 4 of 10 shots.
The lights in the video recording studio came on.
"Halftime, the Trail Blazers are in the lead. Now, tell me how they did it." Lin Qi picked up the whiteboard marker.
"Inside the basket, use a fronting and decisive double-team to limit Shaq," Garnett said first. "On the perimeter, rely on Pippen's top-notch sweeping ability to cover," Gary Payton added. "Use the physicality of a heavy forward to wear down Kobe in both directions," Jones added.
Lin Qi quickly wrote these three points on the whiteboard, then turned around. "Very good. So, where is the Achilles' heel of this system?"
Rasheed answered without hesitation, "The only thing holding the fort in the paint is Sabonis. Both Sabonis and Brown are working overtime. Once their energy reaches its limit, the double-teams will slow down, and Big Shark will break free."
"Also, we're relying too much on Pippen," Mutombo pointed out. "A 34-year-old veteran simply can't maintain that level of defensive intensity covering half the court in the second half."
"On offense, Wells ' moves are too easy to predict, and Kobe will definitely be able to adapt to his rhythm in the second half," Pierce pointed out incisively.
Lin Qi wrote heavily on the other side of the whiteboard.
Risk 1: Overexploitation of interior resources ( Old Sabonis's role in the paint is irreplaceable).
The second potential problem is over-reliance on veteran players ( Sabonis and Pippen's stamina issues).
Thirdly, the offensive methods of power forwards are limited.
Lin Qi turned around, threw the whiteboard marker on the table, and glanced at the group of people who were now fully prepared for battle.
"Take a break, the second half will begin."
In the second half, the Lakers ' offensive rhythm began to stagnate.
O'Neal was trapped in a "pocket formation" in the low post, facing two or three players collapsing to double-team him every time he received the ball. On the perimeter, Kobe tried to solve the problem with isolation plays, but his shooting percentage dropped significantly under Bonzi Wells' constant physical contact. O'Neal Jr. and Peja also frequently missed shots.
On the other hand, the Trail Blazers' 34-year-old Pippen completely controlled the game. Trail Blazers, he constantly rotated between the strong and weak sides to help out. Offensively, he patiently orchestrated the ball, with Sabonis facilitating from the high post, Stoudamire driving to the basket, Smith and Outlaw hitting consecutive three-pointers, and Bonzi Wells continuing to back down Kobe in the low post.
Midway through the third quarter, the Trail Blazers went on a 14-6, 68-56 run, taking a 12-point lead.
Phil Jackson requested a pause.
The camera cuts to the Lakers' bench. Kobe is leaning on his knees, breathing heavily. O'Neal is wiping sweat with a towel, looking exhausted.
" Shaq is exhausted," Mutombo, staring at the screen. "The constant physical battles in the paint and the contact before receiving the ball are paying off."
" Kobe too," Jones added, " Bonzi was wearing him down on both ends of the court."
"That's the Trail Blazers ' strategy," Lin Qi pointed to the screen, "Not to completely shut them down, but to exhaust them with high-pressure tactics before the fourth quarter. But look at another guy..."
Lin Qi focused his camera on Pippen on the bench. The veteran was slumped on the bench, his jersey soaked with sweat.
" Pippen is at his limit too," Lin Qi said. "His half-court defense is even more physically demanding than one-on-one defense. If the game goes into a close battle, his stamina will become a problem."
Garnett stared intently at the screen.
After the timeout, the Lakers intensified their defense, forcing the Trail Blazers into consecutive turnovers and quickly narrowing the gap. However, the Trail Blazers stabilized the situation thanks to a three-pointer from Steve Smith.
Late in the third quarter, O'Neal pushed past Sabonis in the low post and prepared to jump, P.J. Brown decisively pulled him down from the wing. Tactical foul.
O'Neal stepped up to the free-throw line and made one of two shots.
At the end of the third quarter, the score was 76-66. O'Neal had only scored 14 points in the first three quarters. Kobe made 6 of 18 shots.
" The Trail Blazers ' defense worked," Mutombo said.
"Yes," Lin Qi said calmly, "But the Lakers haven't collapsed yet; the fourth quarter is the decisive moment."
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Lakers launched a counterattack.
Kobe increased his outside shooting attempts, avoiding low-post contact. O'Neal, on the other hand, used pure power to dominate the paint. A 10-2 run brought the score to 78-76.
At a crucial moment, Pippen used his experience to stabilize the situation. He patiently passed the ball around, assisting Stoudamire for a layup. Then, Steve Smith hit a three-pointer from the corner.
But the Lakers showed great resilience. Kobe hit a turnaround jumper. O'Neal was fouled again, but this time he held his nerve and made both free throws. With 3 minutes and 12 seconds left, Pippen scored with a hook shot after backing down Kobe. O'Neal then responded with a dunk in the paint.
With 2 minutes and 18 seconds remaining, Pippen drove to the basket and passed to Bonzi Wells, who made a mid-range jumper.
The score is now 87-82.
Turning around, O'Neal drove hard inside, and P.J. Brown fouled again, but the foul was too aggressive and called an unsportsmanlike foul. O'Neal made both free throws, and then Kobe had possession of the ball, so he made a layup and drew a foul.
87-87! With 1 minute and 31 seconds left, the Lakers erased the deficit.
The video room was completely silent. This is the ability of a top team to adjust and the quality of its star players.
With 56 seconds left in the game, Pippen received the ball at the top of the key and, as time was about to expire, drove into the paint, drawing O'Neal's help defense before calmly passing the ball to Steve Smith on the left. Smith swished a three-pointer, making it 90-87!
"Top-notch strategic vision," Lin Qi commented. "The ability to find teammates in the best positions even in crucial moments. That's the value of a system."
The final few dozen seconds were extremely brutal.
Kobe's shot missed, but A.C. Green put it back in and scored, making it 90-89.
With 5.7 seconds remaining, Bonzi Wells made one of two free throws, making it 91-89.
O'Neal grabbed the rebound and passed it to Kobe, Kobe three-pointer missed.
The game is over. The Trail Blazers narrowly escaped elimination at home, forcing a Game 7 in the series.
In the scene, Pippen roars to the sky, while Sabonis sits wearily on the floor.
The entire Lakers team looked grim, and Phil Jackson turned and walked toward the tunnel.
"This is the reference the Answer for the NBA Finals." Lin Qi walked to the whiteboard, picked up Mark, and wrote down the key points.
What did the Trail Blazers do right in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals...?
First, combine top defense with fronting to limit O'Neal's receiving depth.
Second, the flanks should be decisively contracted to form a double or even triple encirclement.
Third, maintain the intensity of the competition by rotating players in the paint.
Fourth, timely tactical fouls to disrupt the offensive rhythm.
Fifth, Pippen (the one who fills the gap) rotates at high speed, filling the gaps on the outside.
Sixth, on offense, use heavy wing back-to-the-basket moves to wear down Kobe.
Seventh, calm tactical execution at critical moments.
Lin Qi turned around. "These seven points are key to limiting the Lakers."
Lin Qi looked at everyone, then tapped the final score on the whiteboard: 91-89.
" The Trail Blazers executed their tactics flawlessly, so why did they only win by 2 points? Why did they almost get reversed?"
The video recording room fell silent.
Lin Qi wrote a few lines on the other side of the whiteboard.
The Trail Blazers' biggest problem: a lack of a clutch scorer to seal the victory in crucial moments.