One Year Left to Play

The Blazers fielded a lineup of Nash, Isaiah Rider, Stacey Augmon, Rashid Wallace, and Sabonis.

On the first day Nash started, he scored 9 points and made 8 assists in the first half. In the second half, PJ Callesimo directly benched Robert Parker. He knew that Robert Parker would definitely want to showcase himself when he played, and since Nash wasn’t looking particularly tired after playing the entire first half, he let Nash continue playing.

He wanted to promote Nash, so while Nash was playing so well today, he gave Nash more opportunities, allowing him to play a game that would convince the management and Blazers fans of Nash’s talent.

Rashid Wallace scored 20 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, made 2 assists, and stole 1 ball in the first half, performing excellently. The trade with the Bullets was a steal, and it seems Rashid Wallace’s future definitely won’t be worse than Juwan Howard’s.

The Lakers sent out a lineup of James Robinson, Byron Scott, Brian Shaw, Magician, and Zhang Hao.

The reason for rushing to widen the gap in the third quarter against the Timberwolves yesterday was to give the core players better stamina for this back-to-back game.

However, O’Neal played 16 minutes in the first half and needed rest, and Barkley, who only plays about 20 minutes a game, was also resting to be able to play full in the fourth quarter.

Del Harris is now relying on the offense to get through. At the beginning of the season, he didn’t expect that even with such a lineup and with O’Neal back, they would still have to rely on offense...

The second half began, and the Blazers attacked first.

Nash excitedly advanced to the frontcourt. Facing James Robinson’s defense, he resisted the urge to go one-on-one and tried to calm himself down.

The second half had just started, and he got many opportunities today, so he needed to conserve energy and see it through.

With a pick-and-roll from Rashid Wallace, he got past Magician and penetrated inside. As Zhang Hao moved up from the other side of the three-second area, Nash stepped towards the basket with his right foot and made a fake pass with his right hand... Zhang Hao immediately guarded the passing route to Sabonis, but Nash, in a continuous motion of the same hand and foot, stepped up and nailed a layup!

Zhang Hao knew Nash’s move, but he couldn’t help it. Even if he pressed on and knocked Nash over, Nash would probably still manage to pass the ball to Sabonis on the way down. He could only hope Nash would miss, but Nash nailed it.

Switching from defense to offense, Zhang Hao received the inbound pass and pushed towards the frontcourt. James Robinson disgruntedly ran to the frontcourt, thinking, "Not even a chance to dribble, huh!"

But what could he do? He ran to position himself, hoping to find an opportunity to receive the ball and shoot.

When Magician reached the front, he moved inside to maintain a close-range threat, showcasing perfect tactical awareness.

Sabonis stayed at the basket. For close-range shots, Magician’s build could be covered. If he went mid-range, Sabonis would abandon defending Magician and let him shoot, creating fewer chances for better shots for the Lakers.

Rashid Wallace stood at the top of the arc, ready and focused on defending Zhang Hao.

In other games, Rashid Wallace didn’t like to defend, but against Zhang Hao, he intended to defend well!

Celesital Venerable currently has 20 points, Zhang Hao 25 points—it would be challenging to outscore Zhang Hao, but he was confident in keeping the score differential within 10 points!

Moreover, he wanted to win!

Zhang Hao observed Rashid Wallace’s excellent positioning and had already felt the defensive potential of this future under-basket guard in the first half. But it didn’t matter now.

Zhang Hao dribbled with ease and flair. The feel of top-notch dribbling versus good dribbling was entirely different; it felt like the ball was an extension of his hand!

Rashid Wallace desperately wanted to reach out and snatch the ball but held back.

Not falling for it, Zhang Hao felt a tinge of regret but didn’t show it. Remaining calm, he tilted his head back and said to Rashid Wallace, "Rashid, your happy time ends here; I’m going to shoot from here, right where I’m standing. Are you ready?"

His voice was loud enough that all the players on the court heard it, and even the Lakers’ bench did...

This guy, is he crazy?

Even his teammates thought Zhang Hao was insane! Because Zhang Hao actually picked up the ball!

Rashid Wallace immediately stepped up to defend, regardless of whether Zhang Hao’s words were true, as long as Zhang Hao stopped dribbling, he could press up.

Magician and Brian Shaw quickly ran out to support. As they reached mid-range, they rushed back inside, attempting to grab the rebound... This kid really forced a shot while being tightly marked by Rashid Wallace!

Furthermore, after Zhang Hao took the shot, he immediately pivoted and ran back to his own court!

Magician and Brian Shaw had just run under the basket and saw Sabonis turning with open arms, blocking the two charging players. Then, the ball plunged straight into the hoop...

Claiming he’d shoot from the top arc, forcing the opponent to stick the defense, he really took the shot, pivoted, and walked away afterward. And it actually went in!

Forget the Blazers’ players; even the Lakers felt a thousand alpacas stampeding through their minds...

The feeling was too complex! Whether an opponent or a teammate, everyone felt a little choked!

But the live audience was wildly cheering, facing such tight defense and still making the contested shot! What could be more thrilling in shooting than hitting such a shot?

The Lakers players snapped back, returning to their court, feeling only slightly uneasy in their hearts, but the overall mood was positive. They were just startled by what Zhang Hao had just done.