In the midseason finals, the Lakers defeated the Pacers 123-109 to win the championship. Zhan Mei worked together to cut down 65+31+9 data, and Lao Zhan undoubtedly became a well-deserved MVP. Although many people say that the thick eyebrows are more explosive, he has 41 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks on 16-of-24 shooting. James had 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. But the MVP selection is not a game, but a whole series.
In the six games before this game, James, who is about to be 40 years old, averaged a terrifying 26 per game8 points 75 rebounds 82 assists 15 steals and 58 shooting percentages8 percent and a terrifying 62 percent three-point shooting5%。So in the voting, Lao Zhan was also far ahead. Of course, you need to praise the thick eyebrows, and he really broke the Pacers' interior line in this game. The impact of thick eyebrows and James allowed the Lakers to score in the paint to crush the Pacers 86-44.
The magical Haliburton did not continue his performance in this game, although he still cut down 20+11 data in the face of the Lakers, but there were 3 turnovers. For others, 11 assists and 3 turnovers are good. But against a passer like Haliburton, three of his 11 assists were out of the ordinary, and he didn't perform on the offensive end. In addition, the interior line really can't stop the Lakers' offense, and in fact, the Lakers dominate under the basket from the beginning. James cut inside with the ball, made another layup, and after two dunks, the Lakers quickly opened up the difference.
The Pacers could only rely on the bench to support themselves, and they were only five points short of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Pacers started with a minimum score difference of 1 point, but the Lakers were able to score inside, Lao Zhan hit four consecutive impacts, and also completed his own shooting and self-stealing under the basket, and the Lakers quickly led by 8 points. Coupled with Reaves' hot form, the Pacers don't see any hope. In the second half, as the Lakers continued to improve their defense, James played 2+1 on the offensive end, and Reaves' layup led by 11 points.
The Pacers leaned on Mathurin in the final quarter, with Toppin and McConnell closing the deficit to three points. The Lakers still play the inside with the old tactic, and the thick eyebrows completely dominate the basket. The Pacers couldn't pose a threat to the Lakers' basket, so they could only bet on the outside touch, and the defensive end couldn't stop Zhan Mei from connecting, and the Lakers led by 12 points again in repeated torture, and finally the Pacers surrendered. On the Lakers' side, in addition to Zhan Mei, you need to praise Reaves for scoring 28 points, and Reddish is also fragrant, he scored 9 points and 3 blocks and the defense is full.
Watching the Lakers rise to the top of the championship again, you'll feel a little sad. If after winning the championship in 20 years, the Lakers still focus on the Zhan Mei dual-core + a group of instant combat power, instead of risking the introduction of the third giant, and not betting on Westbrook. I don't think the Lakers will be the laughing stock of the league by missing the playoffs in '22. Nor will it be a slump in the first half of last season, and it wasn't until the trade for Willis to bring in a bunch of instant forces that he got back on track. Pelinka needs to apologize for bringing in Wei Shao to make the roster deformed, because after Wei Shao entered the Lakers, the team has been a team below the play-in tournament for the past two years.
To put it bluntly, the Lakers don't need any Big Three, which is why American netizens and fans unanimously disagreed when the Lakers intended to introduce the Big Three. Zhan Mei has proven that the duo can win the championship, and last season the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals despite being underdogs. With the Nuggets' weakness after defending their title this year, there is no team in the entire West that can stop the Lakers. And the effect of the Lakers' reinforcements and reinforcements is becoming more and more prominent. Reaves' recent uplift, Reddish's defensive attributes at the No. 3 position, and Vincent's return will make the Lakers' roster depth even more terrifying.