Chapter 89: Adjust Yourself, You Must Restrain
Alright, let's give this a more laid-back, casual vibe, perfect for some American web fiction.
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So, the Blazers' point guard Damon is still chillin' on the bench, while the other two main dudes are already out there hustlin'. On the Lakers' side, Shaq and Kobe are still taking it easy. If this keeps up, the home team’s gonna be gassed for sure.
Game's back on, and Greg Anthony dribbles past half-court, tosses it to Rasheed. He then slides over to the left baseline, hangs out for a sec, then bolts to the right corner, setting a pick for Shawn.
Outta nowhere, Rasheed throws a block, and even with Alaric's crazy agility, he can't get around fast enough. Greg Anthony snags the ball at the right corner and launches a three. Alaric's just a hair too slow, and bam, it’s in. Score's 37 to 29.
Shawn's stoked that Alaric didn’t switch, so he keeps running pick-and-rolls, but this time Rasheed's on him.
Alaric's not driving with the ball. Right then, Isaiah sprints along the baseline from left to right corner, and Horace sets a mean screen on Steve.
Shawn's chillin' near the paint, not even thinking about switching. Alaric zips a bounce pass to Isaiah, who's a solid shooter. He catches it, adjusts, and nails an open three.
40 to 29, and Alaric racks up an assist.
Shawn's defensive flaws are on full display. He’s not switching, so his perimeter buddies are scrambling, and Horace's screens are a nightmare to get around. Plus, Shawn's clogging up the paint, making it tough for his own guys.
On offense, Shawn finally makes a move. He runs a pick-and-roll with Bonzi, cuts to the middle, gets the pass, and muscles past Greg Foster for a layup. 40 to 31.
But instead of props, the commentator's roasting him.
Mark Woodson chuckles, "Man, Shawn's got no hops left. Looked like he barely got off the ground, maybe two inches tops."
Lakers' turn, and Alaric pulls the same trick, drawing Rasheed's D and dishing it to Isaiah at the baseline. Isaiah fakes, switches direction past Steve, and banks it in from a 45-degree angle. 42 to 31.
Shawn's still not switching, and Isaiah scores easy. Alaric's kinda salty though, wishing Isaiah would just shoot right away so he could get the assist.
Blazers' ball, Bonzi and Shawn run another pick-and-roll, but Shawn's floater bricks, and Horace snags the rebound, tossing it straight to Alaric. Alaric zooms down the left side, hits Devean in the middle.
Devean's 6'8" and 233 pounds, kinda like rookie LeBron. On the fast break, he’s up against Steve, who's 6'7" and only 200 pounds.
Steve's not into physical play; he avoids it on offense. Devean takes it strong, leans into him, and forces a layup. Steve doesn’t box out, doesn’t jump, doesn’t foul.
44 to 31, and Alaric gets his second assist.
The Lakers' bench is hyped, not just the players but the coaches too. Alaric's playing like an All-Star.
Blazers' offense kicks off from the side. After a pick-and-roll between Steve and Rasheed, they get a mismatch. Rasheed posts up Devean, takes a big step, and draws a foul, sinking both free throws. 44 to 33.
During the dead ball, the Blazers sub out Shawn and bring in Dale. Mike's finally had enough of Shawn's weak D. The Lakers also make three subs, bringing in the Shaq-Kobe duo and Rick for Devean, ready to run the triangle offense.
The rest of the game is Shaq's "show time." He scores with a low post spin move and a monster dunk. Without Shawn, the Blazers' interior D is toast against Shaq.
Alaric's job gets easy: bring the ball past half-court, pass it, and chill outside the three-point line, watching Shaq do his thing up close.
Not just Alaric, even Kobe's gotta hustle back and forth. The Blazers' interior is a weak spot, and not exploiting it would be just plain dumb.
Alright, let's give this a more laid-back, casual vibe, perfect for some American web fiction.
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Alaric's all about that D, sticking to Damon like glue. Damon’s having a rough time; his speed ain't doing much, and with Alaric all up in his grill, he’s got no choice but to dish it out. When he tries to force shots, his percentage tanks.
On offense, Alaric ain't just standing around. With 1:15 left, Horace bricks a mid-range shot, but Shaq snags the offensive board, draws a double team, and kicks it out to Alaric on the perimeter.
Damon's already sprinting for a fast break, and Alaric catches the ball at a 70-degree angle on the right, takes his time, and drains another open three.
Halftime rolls around, and the Lakers are up 61 to 44.
Alaric plays the whole second quarter, clocking 16 minutes, hitting all 7 of his shots, including 5 from downtown, racking up 19 points and 2 assists. He’s the second-highest scorer on the team, just behind Shaq.
Shaq’s a beast, dropping 24 points, grabbing 6 boards, dishing out 4 assists, and swatting 1 shot in the first half, owning the paint.
Kobe’s in foul trouble, picking up three in the first half, playing only 13 minutes, hitting 2 of 5 shots, scoring 5 points with 2 assists, but no boards.
Alaric’s feeling like this might be his breakout game, his shot’s on fire, but then Phil benches him for the entire third quarter.
He’s scratching his head, wondering what Phil’s thinking. The Lakers roll out the same starting lineup, and it’s a mess without any subs.
Shaq’s getting fronted, making it tough to get the ball. When he does, he’s double-teamed, managing only 6 points and 4 boards in the quarter.
Kobe’s in a funk, missing shots and turning it over, hitting just 2 of 6, scoring 4 points with no boards or assists, but racking up 4 turnovers.
The role players aren’t much help either. Ron’s running around, playing the whole quarter but missing his only shot. Rick bricks all 4 of his attempts. Horace, who only rested two minutes in the first quarter, plays the entire third, hitting 1 of 2 shots and 1 of 2 free throws, scoring 3 points with 3 boards and 1 assist.
The Lakers shoot 19 times in the quarter, making only 6, a sad 31.6% shooting percentage, missing all 3 three-point attempts, and hitting just 2 of 6 free throws, scoring a measly 14 points with 6 turnovers.
Mark Woodson breaks it down, saying Phil’s trying to beef up the defense, sticking to the strategy of winning with D. The Blazers score 23 points in the quarter, not great, but the Lakers’ offense is even worse.
The lead shrinks to single digits, with the Lakers up 75 to 67.
Phil looks like he’s napping on the sidelines, not making subs or calling timeouts, letting the players figure it out.
Alaric’s frustrated. His shot’s on fire, and any other coach would keep him in to ride the hot hand. But Phil’s more worried about Shaq and Kobe, keeping Kobe on the court even though he’s ice cold.
Phil’s got a different mindset. He likes to let the stars take charge and find their groove. That’s how you make superstars. Why call a timeout? The worse they play, the less he calls timeouts, making them sort it out themselves.
If a star plays bad and gets benched right away, their confidence takes a hit, and they might start relying on the coach’s adjustments. By letting players adjust themselves, even if it makes some games tougher or costs a win, the Lakers’ players will be mentally tougher come playoff time.
In Alaric’s past life, Phil’s teams had epic buzzer-beaters, with clutch players stepping up to create legendary moments. You gotta respect that.
As for Alaric, Phil’s still trying to mold his character.
During the break, Phil pulls Alaric aside and quietly says, "I’ll let you play in the final quarter, but you gotta keep it cool. Even if you’re killing it, don’t showboat. It’ll just rile up the other team. You think 'Portland Jail Blazers' is just a nickname? I don’t want anyone getting hurt in the first game."
"I get it," Alaric immediately realizes why he was benched the whole quarter.