After Butler was substituted on the court again, not only the Suns were paying attention, but Kobe was also paying full attention.

His best friend has not had many opportunities to perform, and he also wants to see what difference this game will make.

At this time, the lineups on both sides of the field are:

Lakers: Farmar, Shannon Brown, Ariza, Gasol, Bynum

Phil Jackson used an 8-man rotation.

Suns: Barbosa, Richardson, Butler, Lin Ying, Ben.

The Suns have a rotation of 9 to 10 players. Because Bynum has to support him, Lopez's rotation position has been replaced by Ben.

The first possession was the Lakers' offense.

Gasol asked for the ball in the low post for a single.

In history, when the Suns beat the Lakers, Gasol was a point they could never solve, but now that Lin Ying can match up, the defensive pressure on the inside will be much less.

Bynum raised his hand high under the basket to ask for the ball, but Gasol did not dare to give it easily.

It's not that he's biased, it's that Bynum's positioning habits are so bad that he'll be intercepted by defenders every minute.

Gasol made the last two shots and chose to turn around and take the shot himself.

However, Lin Ying defended well, and his final shot missed the basket.

Ben performed a textbook blocking position under the basket, forcing Bynum out of the three-second zone, and then steadily collected the defensive rebound.

Although he is old, his skills cannot be replaced by others.

A little trivia, in the history of this season, he played the entire season with the Pistons, averaging 5.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.

A good start.

In the frontcourt, Lin Ying plays a pick-and-roll for Butler.

Phil Jackson was stunned when he saw this tactic.

But he soon knew it, because Butler received Barbosa's pass after the pick-and-roll and raised his hand to shoot.

"Dang!"

A very good opportunity, but it was a pity that the first shot failed.

Just like McDyess of the Spurs before, he was a little uncomfortable the first time he came up.

However, Ben grabbed the offensive rebound!

The ball was given to Lin Ying. Lin Ying tried to make a play, but instead passed the ball to Butler without looking at anyone.

Butler just moved to the high position on the right, and took a decisive shot from the mid-range after receiving the ball.

This time, his follow-up action after taking the shot was very beautiful, and his confidence after being trusted by his teammates allowed him to find his rhythm.

"Whoa!"

With a crisp sound, the basketball passed through the net!

Kobe Bryant resisted the urge to applaud his friend on the sidelines.

Phil Jackson on the side frowned slightly.

Butler hasn't played this point very well and he almost forgot about it. Unexpectedly, the Suns picked it up this time!

This is not good news for the Lakers.

Gasol went to the frontcourt and played a pick-and-roll with Farmar. After splitting the ball, he caught the ball and shot a mid-range shot that missed.

He hasn't had any rest during this quarter, and his decline in physical fitness has also reduced his efficiency.

It's not like Bynum grabbed the big deal...

And he was obviously a little impatient. He pushed Ben and was called for a foul.

The Lakers accumulated 4 fouls in this quarter, and they will have to take free throws if they do it again!

Lin Ying was more direct this time, standing directly at the three-point line to create space.

Like Gasol, he also consumes a lot of physical energy, and now he plays more of a containment role on the court.

Butler used Big Ben's pick-and-roll pocket to come out this time.

But the Lakers were also on guard and went to the weak side in advance to help defend. He didn't have a good chance when he caught the ball.

But he immediately started to show off his skills.

He's not really just a pitcher!

A fake shot deceived Brown, who was assisting the defense, to jump. Then he took a step to the mid-range and deceived Brown to retreat. Finally, he retreated back to the three-point line!

What is under All-Stars!

I want all the technology you want!

"Whoa!"

With a crisp sound, Butler hit this three-pointer!

He didn't perform much in the previous period, but now he has scored 5 points in a row!

Sure enough, he has this ability, but he has not been given a corresponding tactical position!

Butler was also very excited after making the shot, and did his signature "phone" celebration while retreating from defense.

The fans at the scene were elated, and everyone on the Suns' bench even stood up and made this move in unison.

I have to admit, this celebration is a bit pretentious and cool!

Farmar's mid-range hit after the pick-and-roll finally helped the Lakers continue to score.

Looking back, Butler caught the ball again and sent Ariza flying with a fake shot.

Butler's hands were too hot during this period and he couldn't fly without flying.

After hitting Ariza, Butler took the ball and rushed directly inside.

After Bynum saw it, he quickly returned to the basket to defend.

But Butler is a real tiger. When he saw Bynum, he didn't stop. He jumped into the air, slapped Bynum on the face with his left hand, and smashed the ball directly towards the basket with his right hand!

"Bang"

In the incredulous eyes of the fans, Butler dunked on Bynum!

The next second, the American Airlines Center was filled with cheers from Suns fans.

It turns out Butler is so strong!

Butler did not land immediately after dunking. Instead, he hung on the rim with one hand for a while and then stuck out his tongue.

This is also one of his signature celebrations.

Don't ask, asking is just to imitate that man.

And the action of hanging the frame with one hand is somewhat similar to that of Kobe Bryant.

He is really getting high!

Bynum got a little carried away at this time, and after Butler landed, he pushed him directly, almost causing a conflict.

Fortunately, Kobe stood up and yelled a few words, and the referee gave Bynum a technical foul to calm the incident.

With Butler's performance, at the end of the first quarter, the Suns ended the first quarter with a 7-point lead, 35-28.

The 7 points leading were exactly what Butler scored.

The goals of the players' meeting were successfully achieved.

This also further enhanced the Suns' confidence.

If this pace continues, the Suns have a great chance of winning tonight's game!

During the break between the first and second quarters, when the camera showed the Lakers bench, Kobe was there training Ariza.

He was obviously a little dissatisfied with Ariza's defense.

At the beginning of the second quarter, the two sides continued to rotate.

On the Lakers' side, Odom and Kobe replaced Gasol and Ariza, and on the Suns' side, Frye and Allen also replaced Lin Ying and Richardson.

When the Suns took the lead, Butler was stared at by Kobe Bryant.

This is Kobe's style. After training you, he will directly set an example for you.

However, Butler quickly adjusted his offense. He asked for the ball from behind in the high post, and then started to organize.

Yes, he can organize it too!

In the original Wizards trident, the other two were scorers, and his job was to organize the forwards.

In the past two seasons, his statistics have basically stabilized at the level of 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Barbosa's sudden burst showed his speed. Butler hit the ground quickly. Barbosa was almost flying close to the ground, throwing away the defense and scoring the ball.

"pretty!"

Lin Ying couldn't help shouting in the audience.

If Butler had played like this earlier, the Suns might be leading by a big score now!
To be continued...