"Dude, I'm counting on you." Bynum said under his breath.
The Lakers had Zeng Zhen's best outside shot in this game.
With the Magic's inside defensive big man being Howard, it's now all about trying to get Zeng Zhen to look for opportunities on the outside.
"Give me more cover."
"No problem, just run the point."
"Andrew, in addition to covering, you're going to have to go for the rebound and hustle for the offensive rebound if you get the chance." The Zen master laid out.
Bynum nodded, his role now changing from the primary point of tactical attack to a secondary offense.
It didn't help that Bynum was stifled on the offensive end tonight against Howard.
Howard is more talented than he is, which has led to Bynum's ineffectiveness.
Soon after, the Zen master reshuffled the lineup: zeng zhen, vujacic, Walton, Odom, Bynum.
Zen Master has replaced Smash Parker, who wasn't really looking to pass the ball, and has Zeng Zhen coming in to hold the ball.
This lineup is also the strongest the Lakers can come up with right now.
The Magic side of the ball remains the starting lineup to deal with it.
Laker offense.
Zeng Zhen dribbled across the half court before giving the ball to Odom.
Zeng Zhen didn't take on an organizational role, but continued to play without the ball, giving it out and then making a quick run of his own.
The defense of Zeng Zhen turned into Hill, Hill's defensive awareness and experience are good, he will also go to defend the opponent's key players in critical moments.
Bynum is wide and his cover is of high quality, and Zeng Zhen uses his frame to avoid Hill's pursuit.
Whether it is Odom or Walton, although the lack of superb individual scoring ability, their ball quotient is very high, Walton received a pass from Odom after seeing Zeng Zhen open, immediately sent the ball over.
Zeng Zhen received the ball on the right side of the 60-degree three-point line position, he barely made too many adjustments, catching the ball three dry shots.
After Hill was delayed, Howard still couldn't get out inside, which gave Zeng Zhen some openings.
Zeng Zhen's rhythm is great.
The pushed basketball also made a gorgeous arc.
"Swish!"
Through the heart into the net.
85 to 83
Familiar rhythm, familiar running three, Zeng Zhen came up and scored.
The fans at Staples Arena cheered.
On the field, the Magic offense came back.
Zeng Zhen is trying very hard to wind Nielsen up.
Although Zeng Zhen was still a bit unable to keep up with the intensity of the defense, there was absolutely no problem with his attitude, and it was difficult for Nelson to easily single him out.
The key to Zeng Zhen's defense is to go to pester, and Nelson's individual desire to attack is not strong, and he was also pestered by Zeng Zhen after he got to the frontcourt did not have a good chance, he gave the ball to Hill.
Hill tries a step to the right of the free throw line against Walton's defense.
Walton's defense didn't lose its place as Hill hoisted the ball back inside to Howard.
After Howard got the ball, the experience is still a bit insufficient, he first time down the ball, the results of Zeng Zhen rushed to clip, Howard's rhythm was destroyed under, Bynum took the opportunity to underhand cut the ball.
"Pop!"
Bynum taps the ball out and Stevenson gets it.
Stevenson takes a somewhat hurried shot at one from mid-range.
"Frame!"
The basketball hit the basket hard and bounced up.
Bynum takes the rebound.
At this time, Vujacic and Zeng Zhen and fast down again, Zeng Zhen held the defender, Magic players dare not put him, Bynum will give the ball to Vujacic.
Vujacic rebounded and singled out Nelson for a flying layup to put the ball in the back of the net.
85 to 85.
"Pause!!!"
This time it was Magic's turn to call a halt to the game.
The atmosphere instantly climaxed with Bynum celebrating with Zeng Zhen's high five.
CCTV studio.
"The Lakers sent in Zeng Zhen in the late quarter with the score down, and it quickly changed the Magic's tempo, and the two teams tied the score," Zhang said.
Xu Jicheng said, "The Lakers used only two rounds to tie the score, you know, they were playing with Magic in Kobe's absence, and now the pressure came to Magic's side."
Zhang Weiping said, "Zeng Zhen's performance in this period is also remarkable, in addition to hitting a three-pointer, he is also very active on the defensive end, which are not reflected in the data."
Xu Jicheng said, "Yes, Zeng Zhen went over to clip Howard, causing Howard's rhythm to be disrupted, and eventually made a mistake, down the counterattack, Zeng Zhen fast down is also very fast, in fact, this ball he and Vujacic can end."
Zhang Weiping laughed, "Zeng Zhen's win/loss value came to +20, the highest in the match."
The messages in the online live bar are also much more harmonized.
Fans who had previously questioned Zeng Zhen pretty much disappeared as Zeng Zhen became the Laker's thumper on this night.
In the dugout.
Zeng Zhen sat on the bench and continued to wipe his sweat with a towel.
Although the individual performance is still outstanding, Zeng Zhen still has a serious expression, the team is not yet ahead on the scoreboard, and it is not that easy to win the game.
The timeout ended quickly.
Magic's offense.
Nelson received the ball from the backcourt and prepared to dribble across half court.
Zeng Zhen went straight up and stalked him, constantly harassing him while also trying to give a physical confrontation.
Nielsen was annoyed even though he wasn't afraid of Zeng Zhen's winding defense.
Nelson threw the ball to Hill before he even crossed half court.
Hill used Howard's coverage to jolt a step to his right and followed it up by staggering Bynum's rhythm and hustling to mid-range.
"Swish!"
87 to 85.
Dry hits.
Laker offense.
After Zeng Zhen dribbled across half-court, he gave the ball to Walton at the three-point line.
And then proceeded to make a frantic run of his own.
Walton gives the ball to Odom at the free throw line.
Odom's eyes looked at Zeng Zhen's position, and the Magic players were all frantically chasing Zeng Zhen, switching defenses when they had cover.
When Zeng Zhen ran to the side of Odom, in everyone thought Odom again to give Zeng Zhen hand, but Odom suddenly came to a turn to wipe in, under the basket of Howard to assist the slow defense, Odom flying layup will be the ball into the stable.
87 to 87.
The next few minutes were very tight between the two teams.
The Lakers' side of the court has blossomed in many ways, and Odom, Walton, and Vujacic have all continued to play pretty well by utilizing Zeng Zhen's hold-ups in the paint.
On the Magic side, it is Hill and Howard continue to explode, one is the mid-range continue to power, one is the interior frequently caused by killing the free throw line.
On Zeng Zhen's side, he didn't have many chances, he didn't have as many openings as he did when he came up at the beginning.
It's not like the rest of the Lakers are going to be able to completely play around him.
Even if Zeng Zhen's performance is great, he's just a rookie, a few rounds around the bottom of the lineup will do, it's unlikely that he'll enjoy the same treatment as Kobe.
Zeng Zhen hit a three-point shot in that time.
The clock is quickly coming down to the last 30 seconds.
The score was 104-103, with the host Lakers still trailing by one point in the final moments.
With possession on the Lakers' side, the Lakers called a timeout.
At this stage of the game, the fans in the arena along with those who have been watching the game on the internet are getting a little nervous.
Zhao Xue's three sisters were all watching the match on the field with excitement as well, and they were all sweating for Zeng Zhen.
The scene of the big screen constantly to the court suits Kobe, Kobe is the boss of the Lakers, the league is known as Mr. Key, in the past, the last attack will be given to Kobe.
But now that he's not on the field, the camera then goes back to Zeng Zhen.
Zeng Zhen has been the Lakers' best player tonight, hitting nine threes on the floor already, and he's the leading scorer on the Lakers tonight.
Is it just a rookie who can carry the last down?
CCTV studio.
Zhang Weiping said, "Exciting, to the critical moment, the next Lakers offense is very important, if scored, then they have a chance to win the game, on the contrary, if not scored, they will be very passive."
Xu Jicheng said, "In the absence of Kobe, the Lakers are actually difficult to make a choice, Zeng Zhen scoring looked more, but he is not the type of Kobe's strong offensive player, but the other points of the Lakers do not look so reliable."
Zhang Weiping said, "It's also a huge test for Zeng Zhen if he's given the key ball to him, knowing that he hasn't been on the field in such a crucial final moment before, and the pressure to score this kind of offense is huge."
Seo Je-sung said, "Let's wait and see how the Zen master will make his final setup."
"Hey, it's a shame Kobe didn't make an appearance, or we could have watched the shutout again."
"The Lakers are missing the one-two punch at key moments without Kobe."
"Is Zeng Zhen's ability to make key plays OK?"
"Zeng Zhen is still a rookie, I wonder what the Zen master will arrange."
"A tense and exciting regular season game."
"Counting the last game, for the second game in a row Zeng Zhen played great."
The atmosphere of the scene are very heavy, the Lakers players are listening to the Zen master's setup.
The Zen master's setup was for Odom to hold the ball and steer, others to either cover or cut, and Zeng Zhen to run open for the shot.
The Zen master put the last play in Zeng Zhen's hands.
It can't be helped that Bynum is an interior lineman whose movements look a little slow at this point in the game, and while Odom is a nimble big man, he doesn't have a lot of ways to choose his offensive skill set, and it's easy to judge his offensive choices at key moments.
Not to mention Walton and Vujacic, who are nowhere near as good at scoring as Zeng Zhen.
Zeng Zhen was both nervous and excited after he heard the Zen Master give the ball to himself for the final possession.
Excited hearts and trembling hands speak of this time of year.
This was the pivotal moment he had dreamed of.
Although he didn't play this kind of key shot in the NBA, he was the first option on his team in games before the NBA.
"NBA players are the Jordan of those around him during their formative years," and that holds true for Zeng Zhen as well.
Upon entering the NBA, Zeng Zhen's talent couldn't keep up, resulting in a lack of regular minutes, not to mention shutouts.
But after getting the extras, Zeng Zhen's talent kept up with his ability, which in turn gave him a chance to stay on the field at the last minute.
It's a natural and familiar feeling.
Zeng Zhen is eager to score this crucial goal.
After setting up the play, Zen Master came over to Zeng Zhen and said, "Zeng, do you feel the pressure?"
Although Zeng Zhen played well in these two games, but after all, just a rookie, such a ball to him, the Zen master does not know if it is okay.
Zeng Zhen said frankly, "There will be pressure, but I feel more excited."
The Zen master nodded, "Well, go ahead."
Although Zeng Zhen is not the same type of player as Jordan and Kobe, and is completely different in personality, the Zen master can all sense that they have one thing in common.
That's paranoia about winning!
Soon.
Back from a timeout.
Laker offense.
Walton serves to Zeng Zhen.
Zeng Zhen dribbled upcourt and then proceeded to give the ball to Odom at the free throw line position.
Down by one, the Lakers had the option of going for two points or a three-pointer.
Zeng Zhen is still running wild after giving the ball out.
Zeng Zhen is not the type of player to stand and ask for the ball, he knows that his talent isn't enough to crush his opponents and that he needs to be more active to create space.
The Magic side is also laying out more of a defense against Odom, and none of them really believe that the Zen Master would deliberately set up the rookie for a shutout.
"Watch out for his ball-carrying impact."
"Don't let him charge up."
Howard is constantly setting up the defense on the inside.
Although only a sophomore, Howard now has the look of a defensive centerpiece.
It was Hill who was defending Odom at this point, and Odom chose to put the ball in play after a wave of observation.
After a crossover dribble, resisted Hill going inside for a break.
Odom's breakout caused the Magic defense to contract, and Stevenson, who was defending Zeng Zhen, tried to go for the pin.
Zeng Zhen got away from Stevenson with a reverse run.
Odom saw that Zeng Zhen was open at the diagonal three-point line and slammed the ball straight through.
Stevenson also quickly adjusted his center of gravity when he saw the ball and turned to fly at Zeng Zhen.
It's just that Zeng Zhen did a good job of fronting the ball before catching it.
Catch the ball, stomp the ground.
Lift your arm and push to shoot.
The whole movement is very silky smooth.
The basketball made a wonderful arc.
All eyes were fixed on the basketball.
"Frame!"
The basketball bounced heavily off the rim.
The ball didn't go in.
Except, the offense isn't over yet.
The basket was a mess, and several of the interior linemen were playing for jams.
Odom and Hill both went down, but the referee didn't blow.
Zeng Zhen didn't freeze after making his three-point shot; his secondary reaction was quick and he quickly sprinted toward the basket.
Halfway through the drive, the basketball ball bounced out and was back under Zeng Zhen's control.
"Whoops, Zeng Zhen missed the three, but he grabbed his own rebound."
"There's an opening for Walton on the outside, it's time to give it."
"Let's see how Tsang-jin will come to deal with it."
The local Los Angeles commentator shouted with unbridled excitement and exuberance.
The clock is ticking down on the field.
Zeng Zhen was as nimble as a swimming fish in the lane after getting the rebound.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
With Stevenson and Howard defending, Zeng Zhen dodged and weaved his way through.
Coming into position in the paint, Zeng Zhen found an opening in the rhythm, and he sidestepped and jumped on one foot for a super high throw.
Howard jumped with all his might, but still came up short.
The basketball sliced through Howard's fingertips.
The fans were nervous with the Laker players staring at the ball.
The basketball seemed to cut through the sky, coming out of a bizarrely high throw.
Instead, the basketball fell into the middle of the net with precision.
"Swish!"
An arrow through the heart!
104 to 105
"Bang!"
"Beep!!!"
Zeng Zhen was also knocked down by Hill, who dove sideways.
The referee blew an extra point.
"WOW!!!"
Staples Arena erupted in deafening cheers.
DJ also shouted out, "Zeng,,, Zhen!!!"
The entire dugout seemed to have turned into a sea of cheers.
"It's so cool."
"It's all there."
"Nice job."
"Extinction, quasi-extinction!"
"Missed a three-point attempt and threw himself in to complete a super-high throw for a quasi-kill."
In the CCTV studio, Zhang Weiping shouted with emotion.
Although he needed to be as neutral as possible as a commentator, this was the moment when Zhang Weiping's emotions erupted in the first place.
Seo Je-sung said, "Zeng Zhen should have scored on his first shot, he didn't capitalize on the opportunity, but he made a quick redemption and finished the finish with a super throw, he has a big heart."
Fans on the internet have been excited as well.
"66666."
"Bull's-eye, quasi-jackpot!"
"This super high throw reflects the hand."
"Throw yourself in and grab it, no pun intended."
"And extra penalties, haha!"
"Zeng Zhen is going to seal the deal tonight."
Fans have been leaving messages.
On the field, Odom and Bynum pulled Zeng Zhen up.
"Dude, good job." Bynum slapped Zeng Zhen's ass.
Odom's expression was also agitated.
Zeng Zhen nodded at the two men and then stepped up to the free throw line.
At this point in time there are 8 seconds left on the clock.
The pressure was completely off Zeng Zhen at the free throw line.
Adjust your breathing and take a steady hand.
"Swish!"
104 to 106.
Magic chose to take a timeout!
Zeng Zhen waves and celebrates as he makes his way back to the bench.
The constant cheering of the fans in the arena also put tremendous pressure on the Magic up and down the court.
When the Zen Master set up his defense, the emphasis was on not putting up three-pointers; two-pointers, if scored, would be overtime at best.
Back from a timeout.
Magic's offense.
Turkoglu came up to serve and he gave the ball to Hill.
Hill faces off against Wharton's defenses, and Nelson is constantly trying to run away from Zeng Zhen, but it's not working.
With time running out on offense, Hill took a step off the dribble on the right side and moved across the floor, forcing a dry two with no room to spare.
The ball was interfered with by Walton.
"Frame!"
"Buzz!!!"
It was all game time as the basketball slammed into the basket and bounced out.
The full game ended with the score set at 104-106.
The Lakers won the game by two points.
The fans at Staples Arena all continued to cheer as well, and the Lakers celebrated wildly up and down the court.