On May 13, Beijing time, the Lakers staged the myth of the strongest counterattack of the season. The team was once thirteenth in the West, but now has reached the Western Conference finals.
Let's take a look at how strong the Lakers' counterattack is? 1. They became only the second team in history to reach the divisional finals from the play-offs. 2. They became the second "Black Seven" team in history to reach the division finals, equaling the best record in the history of Black Seven. 3. Previously started with 2 wins and 10 losses, ranked thirteenth in the West, entered the playoffs with a probability of 0.3%, and reached the Western Finals. 4. The Lakers ranked last in the division in the regular season record (fifth in the Pacific Division), but finally reached the division finals, the first team in the history of the four major sports leagues in North America, MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL. 5. The fourth team in nearly 50 years to reach the divisional finals by at least 8 wins away from the five-percent winning percentage at any time in the season.
Why the Lakers can counterattack is due to the following five factors:
First, Pelinka God operates. After the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference finals, Magic Johnson congratulated his old club and said, "We all have to thank Pelinka for making a great deal to help the Lakers reach the Western Finals." "As we all know, before the trade deadline, Pelinka made successive shots and regrouped the lineup before the turnaround, when he purged Wilson, Nunn and Beverley and got the likes of Hachimura, Vanderbilt, Russell, Beasley and Bamba." Without these trades, no matter how strong James is, it will be difficult for the Lakers to make the playoffs.
Second, James continues the ageless myth. Pelinka praised James after the promotion, "I think we are all out of words about James. He is a timeless miracle to be able to play like this in the winning match against the defending champions. "In the promotion game, James played 43 minutes, shooting 10-of-14 from the field, 2-of-3 from three-point range, 8-of-11 from the free-throw line, 30 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.
Moreover, Zhan Mei was puzzled. The last time the Lakers won a championship was because they had the league's best duo, James and thick eyebrows, and now, the healthy duo is feeling the horror of their teaming up in the playoffs. According to statistics, James and Thick Eyebrows have a 26-11 record in the playoffs, and the two play 6-3 in the series finale at the same time! In this promotion game, thick eyebrows shot 5 of 9, 7 of 10 free throws, cut 17 points, 20 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, and did not miss a bit.
Fourth, Hamm strategizes. In the fight with the champion coach Cole, although he is a rookie coach, Hamm finally has the last laugh. In the crucial fourth game, Hamm suddenly activated Walker in the fourth quarter and named Curry, which received a miraculous effect and became a turning point in the series. In the promotion game, he took the lead in changing formations, letting Schroder start, playing three guards, removing Van Debiao, and the Lakers played a dream start, and finally he beat Kerr again. Cole served after the game, praising Hamm for being so calm and calm in his first year as manager.
Fifth, this Lakers role player can also show big heart in key moments. For example, in the promotion game, Reeves played 7-of-12 shooting in 39 minutes and 20.20 seconds, 4-of-5 from three-point range, 5-of-5 from the free throw line, scoring the second-highest 23 points on the team, as well as 5 rebounds and 6 assists, with a plus/minus of +24. Previously, Walker, Hachimura and Schroder also stepped up, and after advancing to the Western Conference finals, Reeves said the key reason, "A month before the playoffs, we were basically playing playoff basketball, and for a long time, we were in a desperate situation where we had to win. ”