basketball purple front

Chapter 582 He's Not Simple
With 3 minutes left in the second quarter, Gregg Popovich called a timeout.

Because of the poor score of the Spurs, they have been chased by their opponents to only one point left.

"Kawhi! Tony! What are you two doing? Didn't you have dinner tonight? Combined, you made 5 of 9 shots in 2 minutes? Is this the shooting percentage you should hand over?" No wonder Popovich is annoyed , just because the Spurs' shooting percentage is too low, especially after the Lakers played on the 29th, the entire inside breakthrough was paralyzed, how could Popovich bear it?

If there is no inside scoring, the Lakers' defense will expand outward, and it will also become difficult to shoot outside.

Such a situation is simply unthinkable!
Both Leonard and Parker lowered their heads slightly, because they did not do what they should do well on the court.

"We will play No. 17 tactics later, use Tony to break through the inside, make a containment, and then break through and score the ball..."

Popovich’s arrangement was fine, and Parker did the same after he came on the court, but except for 2 mid-range shots from the mid-range, the other 4 inside passes were all interfered, that is to say, the inside offense was completely wiped out. up.This allowed the Lakers to come from behind and overtake the score after the second quarter.

41-40, Los Angeles entered the locker room with a leading posture.

The Spurs' locker room was filled with depression.

"Tell me, what kind of ball is this? There is almost no inside offense in the second quarter. Are you allergic to the Lakers inside? Aaron? Matt? Corey? Tell me!" Popovich He is rarely so angry, because he can understand and tolerate normal losses, but he cannot agree to abnormal losses.Because the purpose of the Spurs is to play steadily, regardless of the opponent's firepower or state, they will always play at their own pace. In this way, the loss is also due to the opponent's explosion. Obviously, the probability of explosion and explosion is, It is much lower than the probability of normal performance.So the Spurs are close to 20+ winning percentage in 50 years, that's how it came about, you do yours, I do mine, basically they are not "brought into the rhythm" by others.

But starting from the middle of the second quarter tonight, it has deviated from the normal rhythm of the Spurs.

This is the source of Popovich's anger.

He couldn't tolerate the team he trained himself, the players he trained himself, playing abnormally and chaotically.

One of Popovich's game mottos is that you don't have to break out or explode, but you can't be abnormal or sluggish. The winning rate of normal performance is the highest and the most stable.The implication is that we do not seek the extraordinary, but only the normal.

Aaron Baines couldn't help but defend himself: "But sir, that No. 29's defense is too strong, we can hardly get in."

When Popovich heard this, he raised his eyebrows and said, "Too strong defense? If the defense is too strong, he is alone! Could it be that you can't even deal with one person? Do you think he is the pinnacle Howard?" After finishing this sentence , Aaron Baynes muttered a few words in a low voice, and said: "I don't know if it's the peak Howard, but he is definitely the strongest inside defender I have ever seen. I have never seen this kind of No. 5 before." bit..."

Aaron Baynes has just landed in the NBA this year, so he has no idea what the peak Howard is. Just watching videos and highlights, the error is too big, and it is far less profound than his own experience.But an "old man" stood up and said, "Sir, that kid tonight is not in a normal state, a bit supernormal." Seeing that the person who spoke was Parker, Popovich became a little more pleasant, and said, "Tony, you Does it mean that his state has exploded?"

"The state exploded?" Tony Parker said, "I'm afraid it's more than that simple. I think he's at least exploded."

Tang Qian scored 2 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks and 1 assist in the first half. Although the offensive end is not very good, the defensive end is the opposite, which is wonderful.This made Mike D'Antoni feel more and more that he made the right decision. A player who can awaken the team's fighting spirit is definitely not comparable to ordinary substitutes.

This kid, give him some time, give him some space, maybe he can really become the league's top blue-collar All-Star.

No kidding, the current quality of the league's inside players, a peak Mutombo, a peak Ben Wallace, and even a peak Camby, may be able to get a fat contract with the second maximum salary.And even if this is the case, I am afraid that the supply is still in short supply.

Now most of the teams are built by outside stars, so a top blue-collar who does not occupy the right to shoot and has a strong defense is extremely popular.Not to mention the top blue-collar All-Stars, if they really want to appear, they will definitely be snatched up in the free market.

It's just that the Lakers now... well, it's hard to say, after all, there is a man called "Warcraft".

If he really wants to recover from his injuries and return to his peak state during the magic period, then I'm afraid...

You must know that Dwight Howard is not only a top blue-collar star, but also a contributor who averages 20+ points per game. If you add it up, the advantage for No. 29 is too big.Pure blue-collar players, no matter what, still suffer.

It depends on how the Lakers' management will make decisions.

What I can do is to give opportunities to those who desperately need them, just like I did in New York last year.

And Mike D'Antoni probably never imagined that No. 29's performance in the second half was even stronger and more eye-catching.

The halftime break is over, the Spurs are on the full starting lineup, and the Lakers are PG Duhon, SG Meeks, SF Darius Morris, PF Paul Gasol, and C Tang Qian.Although Mike D'Antoni is not obsessed with winning, he will always give it a try if he has the opportunity.So...he chose to take away Howard and Jamison, two immediate combat powers.

why is it like this?Aren't Howard and Jamison the strongest lineup the Lakers can make right now?

Yes, but for the chemistry and unity of the lineup on the field, Mike D'Antoni chose to "go boldly."

A lineup that is not the strongest lineup on the book was discharged to challenge the "Starting Five Tigers" of the Spurs.

If you lose the game, don't think too much, the outside world will definitely scold Mike D'Antoni from beginning to end and ridicule him.

"Suppression of stars", "abuse of newcomers", "abuse of power", "no brains", "like to promote substitutes to show their extraordinaryness", etc., etc., a series of titles, Mike D'Antoni may have thought of them in advance .But this old man from West Virginia is extremely "stubborn", just like in the Knicks VS Raptors game in February 2012, he did not choose Stoudemire, he did not choose Chandler (currently shooting all shots) middle), but chose Jeremy Lin, who had 2 turnovers, to execute the final blow.

This old man with dual citizenship of Italy and the United States, this old man over 60 years old, has never been a head coach who "plays cards according to common sense".It was true last year in New York, and it is true this year in Los Angeles.No one can change what he decides, including the team management that pays him.

It is also in this way that things like "Lin Madness" and "Tang Storm" can appear in his hands, and other head coaches will definitely not do this.It doesn't matter if the substitute players play a good game, the team is still the main players, isn't it?This is the thinking of most NBA head coaches. They instinctively don't trust rookies and substitutes enough.

So both Jeremy Lin and Tang Qian should be thankful that they have met such a coach who "plays cards out of common sense", otherwise I dare not say that the former will not be able to play, but at least the performance will require a huge backward edge .And because of Jeremy Lin, Mike D'Antoni did not discriminate and reject yellow players as much as other head coaches. On the contrary... After the "Linsanity" last year, he always felt that he was not as good as yellow players. Have a subconscious "partiality".

It happened that the Lakers were number 29, and they didn't disappoint him or lose face. "Tang Storm" and a lot of honors made this "underworld feeling" even deeper.That's why he made the decision that ordinary head coaches seem to be "convulsed".

Temporarily abandon Howard and use No. 29 as the Lakers' No. 5 main force!

That's right, he started "jerking" again!Just like last year in New York!
But according to Mike D'Antoni's later autobiography:

They won't understand, most NBA head coaches won't understand, everything I do is something I have a premonition, it's like God gave me a sap at breakfast, let me know about Huang Skin athletes have inexplicable, or "mysterious affection".That's why Lin and Tang were chosen by me, and that's why I was chosen by them.

The third quarter began, and the Spurs wanted to get ahead. Parker intercepted Duhon's dribble, and then went straight to the basket in Los Angeles.

Du Hong wanted to chase Parker, but he tripped over his feet because he was too anxious, and fell down with a "plop".

This made Parker more confident about this ball. His original plan was to "take the lead" and help the team overtake the score as soon as he played.But now, this goal is close at hand, as if within reach.

"Tony Parker got rid of Duhon, there was no one in front of him, he was about to layup... oh~ someone, someone flew over! He is hot! He is hot! Chasing the big cap! Hot staged a chasing Big hat!!!" Under Bill McDonald's yelling, Parker was knocked into the air, but because he blocked the basketball first, it was not considered a personal foul.Tang Qian also hit the base of the basket because of the impact.However, No. 29 of the Lakers stood up quickly, and then rushed toward the Spurs' half without stopping.

This guy...is he so athletic? ? ?

Parker was still on the ground and could only watch as the Lakers turned into a 5-on-4 situation.

However, the Lakers missed an outside shot, and Meeks yelled in annoyance, because the ball was basically a wide open ball, and as a shooter, he should have made it.The inside players of the Spurs were about to grab the rebound, but at this moment, someone took the first step and vacated.

He is naturally number 29, Tang Qian.

The "demon" in this game was not weakened much, so Tang Qian's rebounding strength was much stronger than the previous game after "Half God".This suddenly caught the Spurs inside by surprise.

"Tang got the offensive rebound! He got the offensive rebound! Hot passed the ball to Paul on the other side of the paint, Paul turned around and moved, hooked... Yes!!! Hit!!!" Bill McDonald said: "43- 40, the Lakers lead by 3 points!!!”

No. 21 of the Spurs frowned, but didn't speak, just ran to the frontcourt, ready to attack.

Parker passed to Duncan, who was in the inside position. Duncan turned left and right, then feinted, and opened his matchup Gasol.Duncan hit the board with a small hook in the penalty area, and the basketball flew straight to the Lakers' basket.

But at the moment when it was almost touching the board, someone slapped the ball down.

The referee didn't blow the whistle, which is a good hat.

"Pay attention to grab the floor ball!!!" There is no need for Tang Qian to shout. After the last Jamison incident, everyone in the Lakers team was much more active and dispatched one after another to grab the floor ball before the Spurs. "Fast break! Go!!!" Tang Qian rushed straight to the frontcourt as soon as he landed. The strength and speed of his feet made the Spurs' insiders feel shocked.

This guy, is he still a big guy over 7 feet tall?Why are your legs so terrible? ? ?
Gasol shot the ball inside, Darius Morris made a shot, and the Lakers added 2 points.

45-40, the score difference expanded to a full 5 points.

Turning his head around, Ginobili made a top 3-pointer, which helped the Spurs temporarily stop the bleeding, and did not let the score difference be further widened.But soon, the Lakers scored another 2 points through consecutive shots, 47-43, still a 4-point gap.

Why is it called continuous shooting?Because the Lakers shot the ball 3 times before it was thrown into the Spurs' basket, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a "continuous shot".Among them, Tang Qian grabbed 2 offensive rebounds and played a vital role.

"Good job, Jodi! Keep up the good work! I'll handle the rebound!" Tang Qian pointed to Jodi Meeks after scoring a goal.The latter nodded involuntarily. After all, it was the first time he met such a powerful "blue-collar teammate" since playing basketball.How can we "live up" the good intentions of the former.

Meeks' mentality and state also gradually improved.

This is all because of the relationship of "rebounds have a bottom", so the extra pressure on shooting is very small, even a little easier than during the regular season.Under such circumstances, of course, Meeks will not be "relentless", and hit two consecutive three-pointers, directly causing the Spurs to fall into a timeout again.

53-43, the Lakers' lead further expanded to 10 points.

"Good job! Jodi! Just keep shooting!" Tang Qian ran over and patted Meeks on the shoulder as soon as he heard the pause, as a sign of encouragement.It was the first time for Meeks to play like a fish in water in the playoffs. You must know that before coming to the Lakers, although he also played in the playoffs twice in Philadelphia, all of them were soy sauce roles without exception. The statistics are very ugly. , the highest score is only 2 points in a single game.As for the playoffs this season, he not only scored a career-high 13 points, but also has the possibility of exceeding 29 points in this game.This is crucial for Jody Meeks whose contract is about to expire.

The better the playoff data, the easier it is to catch a big contract in the free market. As an old man who has played for 4 years, how could he not know the middle joint?Therefore, for the Eastern center in front of him, he is grateful from the bottom of his heart.

After all, such things as historical status are too far away and too extravagant for ordinary role players, and they generally value money more.This is not vulgarity, but nature, because the life span of professional players is too short, players have to make plans for their future.

"Hot, thank you, I will work hard!" Meeks said these words out of heart and sincerity.

Tang Qian also said: "We are a whole, we are a team, each performs its own duties, and there is nothing to thank. If you really want to thank me, just score a few more three-pointers later, and blow up San Antonio. Man, that's what I most want to do right now."

"Don't worry, I will, hot!" Meeks said loudly.

The Spurs on the bench.

"Tell me what's going on? Is this the game that the third-seeded team in the Western Conference's second league should play??? Tell me??? You!!!" Popovich was really angry because of this Abnormal performance is what he most wants to put an end to on weekdays.The Spurs are known for their stability, even if they are supernormal, how can abnormality be allowed?That's why he was so loud, with such a bad tone.

The Spurs were silent, and no one spoke immediately.

"Are you all dumb? Is this kind of ball you should play? Answer me???" Popovich asked again.

In the end, Tim Duncan, number 21 of the team soul, opened his mouth and said, "Sir, I think we underestimated the Lakers."

"This Lakers team looks vulnerable."

"How do you say it?" Seeing that it was Duncan who spoke, Popovich temporarily put away his anger and asked patiently.

"Because they are not stragglers without core bones now." Duncan looked at the Lakers' bench area and said, "It's a flock of sheep with leaders. So from the beginning, our battle plan was passive and wrong. Yes." Popovich said: "Leader, Tim, what do you mean?"

Duncan paused, and said in a low voice, "No. 29 of the Lakers, that Eastern kid, has become the new leader."

"Maybe it's just for a while, maybe it's just one game, but he is indeed in this state for the time being." After Duncan finished speaking, he took a sip of the sports drink in his hand and said, "This little guy... is not easy. .”

"Then Tim, you..." Before Popovich finished speaking, No. 21 of the Spurs opened his mouth and said:
"I'll take care of him, sir."

The voice was not passionate, but it faintly exuded unparalleled confidence and arrogance.

PS: May [-] has just ended, the company has a lot of things to do, so adjust it first, it will explode in the next few days~Big chapters~
(End of this chapter)