Chapter 854 The Terrifying Ninth Consecutive Away Game

The first game day is over.

The new season is officially on track, but it's only the beginning of the season... There are too many unknowable variables in a season, so no matter which team it is, there is no way to predict the playoff opponents that everyone cares about most. They can only work hard to play a good game. A beautiful team report card.

The same goes for the Lakers.

Compared with the changes last season, the main power forward has become Samaki.

Although Samaki's offense is a bit worse, the problem is not big. The Lakers do not lack offensive points. The key is that Samaki's rebounding ability is stronger and more active than Grant, who is getting old and frail, but his endurance is poor. It's okay at all. The Lakers still have Mark Madsen in the paint who can make up time, and Crotty obviously had enough training before leaving the team. Madsen's defense in the paint is quite passionate.

As for Crotty leaving the team.

Li Shengli was happy to see this situation, because Crotty finally got a big contract, and from the perspective of West's lineup... Fisher is already a starting guard who scores in double figures, and the guard adds a 300 off the bench. Wan's players are too strenuous, so they can only make choices, but in any case, there are still sufficient personnel on the back line.

If we really talk about the overall strength, it won’t fluctuate much even if the core is not moved.

What West is really worried about is that the Lakers are staying put, while a few teams in the Western Conference and perhaps even the entire league are strengthening. However, after the Lakers won the first game and won a small five-game winning streak... they immediately ushered in a nine-game winning streak. Away.

…

Nine consecutive away games?

To be honest, the fifth company can still be seen, and the sixth company is already long enough.

But the problem is that this is a schedule of nine consecutive away games, and this cheating arrangement is driving West crazy. You know... the game is no problem, but the consumption of consecutive away games is a bit too much.

Flying back and forth across the United States for half a month?

Especially for two games that are only one day apart, most of the time is spent on the road. Even one day of buffer time is not enough. When there is no way to take a good rest, you have to train and then play high-intensity games. Normally, I was exhausted physically and mentally after playing five consecutive games, let alone nine consecutive games.

Because of this, West complained a lot and even publicly protested this rubbish schedule, but it was obviously of no use. The Lakers still had to play what they should play, and after five consecutive wins in nine away games... Li Shengli and Kobe Bryant were both fast. Vomited.

…

The first five games were against the Hawks, Bulls, Cavaliers, Magic, and Heat.

There is nothing wrong with these five games. We won the first four games and lost the last one. But then the 76ers, Celtics, Kings, and Mavericks became increasingly difficult to beat. Not only are these teams strong, but the key is the Lakers. I was so exhausted from playing that I was flying back and forth in the sky. Before I could even sleep well after landing, training and competitions came one after another.

Although the home and away games are all rationed, no one can stand it if it is too concentrated.

In this situation, Phil Jackson has nothing to do. He can only decide according to the game situation. If the play goes well, he will play, if the play does not go well, he will give up. He will try his best to suppress the playing time of Li Shengli and Kobe. But the problem is... it is not just Li Shengli. As tired as Kobe is, so is everyone else.

As a result, the next four games were straight up, and after nine consecutive wins, there were five consecutive losses.

Compared to the defeat, what is even more unacceptable to the Lakers is... In this horrific wave of nine consecutive away games, including major and minor injuries, three were injured.

In the fifth game, main power forward Samaki injured his right ankle and needed to recuperate.

In Game 7, Artest dislocated his shoulder joint and was in pain for several days, unable to move, and he was unable to play for the time being.

Although the two injuries were not serious, the problem was that the pressure of the Lakers' game was more concentrated. In the eighth game, Kobe also suffered an ankle injury on his right foot. He had even injured it once in mid-February of the year before, so this time it was better than Sam's. The base is a bit more serious.

All three starting players are gone?

I don’t know how many games it will affect, but it is initially judged that Kobe Bryant, who has the longest injury period, will definitely need ten days and a half months, and the ninth game, the last game of nine consecutive games... The Lakers suffered terrible news, and the starting five from Los Angeles were injured. After three players were eliminated, only Li Shengli and Fisher were left. However, Fisher could not support the outside line alone, so the pressure of the game became more concentrated, which even made Phil Jackson panic.

The more tired you are, the easier it is to get injured, especially when you are physically and mentally exhausted after so many away games!

In this situation, Phil Jackson refused to let Li Shengli play more. In fact, he didn't let Kobe Bryant play more in the front, but no one would have thought that Kobe sprained his foot before the first half was over, so the last moment before going home The game was against the Mavericks... Li Shengli only played two quarters, and Nowitzki overwhelmed the Lakers' inside line.

…

Finally, the Lakers, who had fought hard so far and basically failed to win, returned, losing five games in a row.

Fans in Los Angeles cannot watch the current situation. Although every team cannot avoid injuries, just like the intensive away games, these injuries are also particularly concentrated. And in the upcoming schedule... Li Shengli may It would take ten days to half a month to wait for the return of the main army.

This is five consecutive losses!

Just returned to the Los Angeles base camp, the Lakers, whose morale was low and had not recovered yet, lost another game. This time they were beaten by the Golden State Warriors. The key is that the Warriors' current record is at the bottom of the Western Conference. The Lakers, this ending is really touching, and what comes to Staples next is the old rival, the seventh opponent in nine consecutive away games, the Celtics.

…

Given the current situation of the Lakers, O'Neal, Garnett and Pierce all laughed.

Because there are three Lakers in the starting lineup who are temporarily hibernating, only Li Shengli pulls Fisher, and the rest is matched with a group of substitutes, and those who serve as substitutes are naturally the water fountains. The lineup is extremely miserable.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. O'Neal and others are extremely excited about this. You must know that with the Lakers' condition, they can lose against the Warriors. So wouldn't the Celtics, who are in full condition and fully healthy, be... dying?

Right down to the warm-up before the game.

The Celtics' starting three will definitely not move, and they will be paired with two soy sauce teammates on the outside. And as soon as the Lakers' starting lineup was brought out... everyone in Staples was shaking their heads, because some of the faces even the Lakers fans Looks unfamiliar.

Li Shengli and Fisher did not move.

But Fisher previously only averaged more than two quarters per game, and had to come on as a substitute for the rest.

As for other positions...

The starting small forward is okay, and Fox can still play.

Starting power forward Robert Horry has too many injuries and illnesses to support him for a long time. He can only play mad dog Madsen in the back, but Madsen can't play for too long, and then he has to be a bench hero who averages five towels per game. Lani McCoy.

Finally, there is Brian Shaw, who replaces Kobe.

The problem here is that Bryant cannot compare with Kobe, regardless of offense and defense, so almost all the pressure is on Li Shengli. As the game begins, Li Shengli glances at O'Neal and others... Damn, the opening scene is as popular as a mascot. Dirty Dancing, celebrating in advance.