Chapter 890: Season-End Reinforcements!

However, he thought that upgrading to Silver Level would extend the duration, but it actually enhanced the dunk success rate and even added a linkage effect.

Though it was different from what he had expected, each has its own advantages, and this isn’t bad either.

…

Atlanta, on the Appalachian Mountain, is one of the most livable cities in the United States; as for safety, let’s just say the people are simple and honest…

Atlanta hasn’t been stable these past two years because of many nouveau riche; there have been many robberies, all caused by the internet bubble, with too many people getting rich during this phase.

At this time, it’s actually safer for those who greedily refuse to cash out their stocks. Those who earn some money and then flaunt it are much more likely to be targeted.

It’s truly safe if you don’t wander outside at night, and avoid slums during the day. The ratio of population to police in the Atlanta metropolitan area ranks among the top in the nation.

These things aren’t important to Zhang Hao; he’s safe wherever he goes. He doesn’t wander around at night; for him, nightclubs are just places to drink cold water, better to stay in the hotel and play games—much happier.

After resting for a night, by the afternoon on February 25th, the game between the Lakers and Hawks began.

There’s talk that the Knicks and Heat may become the strongest teams after the Bulls, which is reasonable. Pippen, Jordan, Rodman are also getting on in age; this year, next year, even the year after, they might maintain ruling power, but Moning, Alan Houston, Larry Johnson, and Marion are just entering their peak.

Steel-hard toughness seems to have become the exclusive term for the Knicks and Heat in the East.

But when it comes to defense, besides the Knicks, Heat, Cavaliers, and Bulls, there’s another top defensive powerhouse in the East—the Hawks!

Averaging 95.5 points scored and 90.1 points allowed per game, with a record of 36 wins and 19 losses, they’re fourth in the East, ahead of the Pistons and Hornets.

But the Hawks have little presence. Zhang Hao only realized how well they were playing when researching them after arriving in Atlanta yesterday.

Moreover, the Hawks’ two scoring leaders, Steve Smith and Kristen Lightner, have just entered their career golden periods, their core guard Mookie Blaylock is turning 30 next month, and Mutombo also claims to be only 31… If the Hawks management doesn’t get erratic or face injury assaults, this team could become the future of the East!

Being part of this era, Zhang Hao understands there are many things from this time; it’s hard to preserve all basketball memories.

Mookie Blaylock, Tyrone Corbin, Henry James, Alan Henderson, Eldridge Recasner are all great defensive players, and though Steve Smith and Kristen Lightner aren’t top-notch defenders, they’re strong both offensively and defensively. Under Mutombo’s leadership, they’ve become a dark horse in the East this season.

Strong rhythm control, excellent pressing defense, fast defensive rotations…

In tonight’s full 48 minutes, the Lakers had only 74 shooting opportunities. The scariest part is besides Zhang Hao’s 29 points from shooting 10 out of 29, no one else on the Lakers scored in double digits! The Lakers managed just 83 points from 29 out of 74 field goals!

Barkley had 8 points and 14 rebounds, Jason Williams had 5 points and 13 rebounds; during their offensive rebounding and second shot attempts, they suffered five blocks from Mutombo, who tonight had 7 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 blocks.

83 to 105, the Lakers lost to the Hawks on the road by 22 points, ending their 9-game winning streak!

The core reason is the need for a sudden change in playstyle.

A couple of nights ago, looking back to the game just after the All-Star Weekend, the Lakers had already started a defense-oriented approach.

Players were joyful believing that this would be their upcoming strategy, extending the focus on defense while trying to maintain offensive efficiency, adjusting player roles, and team strategies towards this aspect.

Who knew O’Neal would suddenly get injured, making fast-paced play uncomfortable. Adjusting quickly was easier after resting for a week during the All-Star break, as being defensive resulted in better adaptation.

After just six stellar defensive games, suddenly switching to an offensive style led to frequent mistakes.

Their shooting opportunities were only 74 times, compared to the team’s season average of 86.1, a significant drop—aside from the Hawks’ excellent pacing, the Lakers’ own 19 turnovers were crucial.

This season, the Hawks only averaged 76 shots per game, yet relied on steals and forcing Lakers turnovers to shoot 86 times tonight.

It’s clear that the Lakers’ defense wasn’t particularly bad; it was high turnovers leading to an increase of 10 offensive opportunities for the Hawks.

There was nothing that could be done about the loss; Del Harris realized he was too aggressive, hoping to revert to the pre-All-Star break offensive approach after O’Neal got hurt.

From this game, he learned that after the six games post-All-Star break, the players had adjusted their mindset and rhythm, ready for defense.

During O’Neal’s injury, in order to maintain the record, offense had to lead, but defense… perhaps they can slowly keep adjusting for O’Neal’s return.

With the loss to the Hawks, the Lakers’ 9-game winning streak ended, and their record stands at 44 wins and 11 losses.