One Year Left to Play

Chapter 574 - 176: Beating Them Down with Respect

Zhang Hao is at the free-throw line. Kevin Johnson does a step-back to just inside the top of the arc, shooting a long two. Isn’t he asking to get blocked?

If he had stepped back a bit more to shoot a three, Zhang Hao might not have been able to block it—at most he’d only manage to threaten or interfere. But Kevin Johnson’s career, into his 10th season now, has only seen him make 60 three-pointers in regular-season games with a 21% success rate.

Seeing Kevin Johnson’s step-back move, Barkley knew it was risky and rushed forward immediately. Sure enough, Kevin Johnson’s three-point shot was not just interfered with—Zhang Hao actually tipped it.

As George Lynch and Zhang Hao both rushed towards the ball, Barkley, with his heft, leapt high and knocked away the closer George Lynch to snatch up the offensive rebound that had been tipped and was falling in the middle!

After securing the rebound, Barkley took a step inside, bumped into Campbell, executed a beautiful spin to get behind Campbell, leaped high, and made a layup!

Watching Barkley, who passed by Doug Christie on his way back, Zhang Hao thought it was ridiculous!

"Did this guy say he’s 198 cm tall? Is Doug wearing stilts?"

After a bit of internal grumbling, Zhang Hao refocused on the game.

They almost stopped the Phoenix Suns just now... Zhang Hao was surprised himself.

The starting offense of the Suns is pretty fierce.

You can’t be careless; if the opponent gets going, they could even take down the Bulls.

Both teams’ power forwards scored their signature shots at the start, and the game turned into a scoring battle.

In the opening phase, the Lakers played tall for 4 minutes without gaining an advantage. Instead, Barkley’s flexible attacks led the Suns to suppress them. Despite AC Green being short, his mobility allowed Barkley enough space to operate under and near the basket.

Del Harris decisively changed players, moving Zhang Hao to the small forward position.

It’s not much of a difference; Zhang Hao plays off-ball on offense anyway, and on defense, he either guards point guards or centers. The Magician and Donyell Marshall were subbed in, with Van Exel and Anthony Piller managing the backcourt.

Abandoning defense was quite a resolute decision.

With the Magician conducting, Van Exel taking on isolation plays when there were no team opportunities, and Zhang Hao shouldering the responsibility, the Lakers’ offense took on a new level, unleashing the momentum of the league’s strongest offensive team.

By the end of the first quarter, the Lakers led the Suns by 4 points, 32-28, heading into the break.

Barkley played the whole quarter, scoring 11 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, and dishing out 1 assist. They were once leading by 3 points, but the Lakers’ quick adjustments and timely changes quickly turned the tide.

Perhaps paying too much attention to that rookie, Barkley felt that the rookie was too exceptional!

Compared to their match after the All-Star weekend, Zhang Hao had improved!

points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 blocks—his defensive strides were evident!

Offensively, Zhang Hao’s use of his limited skills, predictive movement... was the aspect that left the deepest impression on Barkley.

This time, Zhang Hao did even better than before!

So outstanding! So much so that it’s hard to believe he’s a rookie.

For a moment, Barkley couldn’t help but think—if three years ago I had a shooter like this...

Playing isn’t just about the star power—otherwise, Barkley being the best on the court could just declare himself the winner.

A team with good chemistry, well-matched lineup, and standout player characteristics... this compensates significantly for the Lakers’ lack of a superstar, at least in the regular season with different opponents daily. Barkley felt the Lakers’ great record was warranted.

But they’re still too young; Barkley’s slightly blurred gaze quickly regained its focus.

He wants to demonstrate his capability at the end of the regular season and display his superstar prowess even at 33 years old in the playoffs, aiming to embrace victory the next season!

...

As the game progressed, the depth advantage of the Lakers’ lineup started to show.

On the Suns’ side, their talented rookie, Michael Finley, played a bit too hastily tonight.

The main issue was his mid-range touch wasn’t great, and Michael Finley mistakenly opted for a style he’s not proficient in, charging inside.

Outside the game, he’s a nice guy, and in most games, he doesn’t have that drive; he’s a very stable player. But when he faces peers from the same draft, especially exceptional rookies like Zhang Hao, he wanted too much to compete with Zhang Hao, leading him to make wrong choices.

Midway through the second quarter, Zhang Hao came back and immediately blocked Finley and interfered with his subsequent drives down the lane.

During this period, the Lakers continuously launched fast breaks. In two sequences, Zhang Hao was seen disrupting a play under the basket and being the first to sprint up the court to catch a pass and dunk.

During this period, the Lakers had a 12-4 run!

Come the third quarter, under the leadership of Barkley and Kevin Johnson, the Suns and Lakers went head-to-head, with both teams scoring 26-25 in the quarter, and Suns led this quarter by 1 point, heading into the final quarter down by 8 points, 77-85.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Barkley’s fierce performance continued, much like after the All-Star weekend when he led the Suns from tenth in the West to secure a playoff spot.