warrior godfather

Chapter 779 Fighting
While the players on the field were in a fierce battle, Zhang Yu and D'Antoni were also fighting fiercely off the field.

Both sides are the strongest opponents they have encountered since the playoffs. They didn't hold back at all, and they shortened their rotations by coincidentally, ruthless starting, and squeezed the players' combat power to the maximum.

Anderson, who was in the rotation in the first two rounds of the playoffs, has been sitting off the court today, and only played 4 minutes after the start of the second quarter.

In the playoffs last season and in the regular season games against the Warriors, Anderson was Curry's cash machine.

Before the Rockets had no one on the inside and needed Anderson's offense, D'Antoni had to use him. Now that the Rockets have strengthened the front line, they can play the five minors. When they meet the Warriors again, D'Antoni is very cautious in using Anderson.

When Curry isn't on the court, he'll bring Anderson in for a few minutes.

But that's it, Anderson will also be crazily targeted by the Warriors.

Like D'Antoni, Zhang Yu also shortened the rotation. Antetokounmpo no longer cuts the time into pieces like before. He only rested for 3 minutes at the end of the first quarter, and then played with a substitute in the second quarter.

Brogdon and Bogdan crazily targeted Anderson on the court, hitting a mid-range shot and a three-pointer respectively, but Anderson didn't show any performance, and couldn't even grab a rebound.

After Curry played the first quarter, he was replaced by Zhang Yu after only a 4-minute break in the second quarter, and D'Antoni was forced to replace Anderson.

Zhang Yu also DNP Markkanen, he can shoot three-pointers, can also cut, even in the playoffs, is a very good space insider.

However, he lacks experience on the defensive end, cannot switch defenses, and his ability to protect the frame is far inferior to Lopez. The role of the offensive end cannot make up for the shortcomings of the defensive end.

Covington took the No. [-] position, and Zhang Yu also activated Aminu, allowing him to take the No. [-] position when Wiggins was resting in the first quarter, and Wiggins was in the second quarter. Playing with Antetokounmpo to maintain the Warriors' defensive strength.

This is Zhang Yu's second change in the rotation arrangement. When Paul led the team, Zhang Yu replaced the five-small lineup, Antetokounmpo was the center forward, and Covington mentioned the fourth position to reduce misplaced points. Curb Paul's small fight big.

Lopez will only play when Harden is on the court. His role is very clear, that is, to guard against Harden's attack frame and Harden to feed Capela's lobs.

After Harden is off the court, Paul can use a mid-range shot to target Lopez. If he stays on the court, the negative effect will be too great.

Four minutes before the second quarter, facing the Warriors' five small lineups, it was difficult for Paul to find a mismatch, and he was a little powerless in singles. Brogdon, Bogdan, Wiggins, Covington, and Antetokounmpo all had singles. defense ability.

Compared with the first quarter, the Rockets' offensive efficiency has dropped a lot. The Warriors took the opportunity to rely on Brogdon and Bogdan's dislocation to target Anderson, as well as Antetokounmpo's strong attack inside, and opened the point difference to more than 10 points. .

Seeing that the situation was not good, D'Antoni immediately switched back to Harden, and Zhang Yu also switched back to Curry and Lopez to strengthen the offense and protect the frame.

D'Antoni paid close attention to Zhang Yu's every move, and immediately replaced Anderson, so as not to give Curry a chance to find a wrong position.

The two of them didn't dare to slack off and procrastinate, and the substitutions were in full swing. As long as the other party made adjustments, they would immediately catch up with the response, for fear that if they were a step too late, the opponent would catch a fleeting flaw and make one or two more The round may affect the final result of the game.

After Harden played, the Rockets immediately stabilized the situation and were not extended by the Warriors.

This season, Harden's offensive influence is almost as good as Curry's. The frequency of singles is far ahead of other players. The efficiency of singles is at the top of the league. Defenses can limit him.

Too much magic balling may be Harden's only weakness. Although he has specially practiced one-handed throwing for this purpose, it is still a means of finishing close to the frame after all, and cannot completely make up for the lack of medium and long-range offensive means.

This is why Zhang Yu knew that Lopez would be targeted by Paul and still put him on the court.

Breaking through the frame, making fouls, and feeding Capela are very important offensive methods for Harden, and having Lopez guarding the basket can greatly limit Harden's breakthrough scoring, allowing him to take more throws and retreats Step three.

Although Harden is also very good at these two aspects, in the magic ball offense, one end is restricted, which will still have a serious impact on Harden's offensive efficiency.

Moreover, Harden's hand feeling declined after the All-Star Game, and it continued until the playoffs. His three-point shooting percentage was only 34.4%, and his step-back three-point shooting percentage was only 30.4%, which was completely different from the 38.4% and 44.6% before the All-Star Game. And language.

Tonight, Harden felt pretty good. He scored 3 three-pointers in the first half, but he used 8 shots, and his shooting percentage was less than 40%, which was completely within the range that the Warriors could bear.

The Rockets were able to get closer to the score, relying on Paul to return to the court in the last 4 minutes after a break in the second quarter. In response to Lopez's pick-and-roll, he pulled the mid-range and narrowed the point difference to less than 10 points.

Lopez restricted Harden's attack frame, and even made Capela directly invisible, without any sense of presence on the court, but there was nothing he could do about Paul's pick-and-roll mid-range.

After the first half, Paul scored 22 points and Harden only had 11 points. The roles of the two were reversed. Paul became the main scorer and Harden became the organizer.

The same is true for the Warriors, who mainly focus on the inside. Curry, as the organizer, rarely takes shots. Detokounmpo's violent onslaught.

D'Antoni watched Antetokounmpo hit the inside again and again from the sidelines, and his expression became more and more dignified.

Antetokounmpo seems to have endless physical fitness, and he has been attacking the Rockets inside throughout the first half, completely exceeding D'Antoni's expectations.

Fortunately, Antetokounmpo's free throws were still not accurate enough. He was fouled several times and stood on the free throw line. Most of them made 2 of 1 free throws, and rarely made 2 free throws. He wasted a few good opportunities and only scored 18 points. .

But this was enough to maintain the Warriors' advantage. At the end of the second quarter, the Warriors led the Rockets by 59 points 52:7 and entered the intermission.

Mike Breen said:

"This is an unconventional Rockets game and an unconventional Warriors game. Neither Harden nor Curry scored many points. Instead, Paul and Antetokounmpo both scored high points. Both sides scored three points They didn’t shoot much, Paul shot a lot from the mid-range, the Warriors focused on the inside, grabbed a lot of offensive rebounds, scored 38 points in the penalty area...Mark, Jeff, what do you think of the second half of the game?”

Mark Jackson pondered for a moment and said:

"The Warriors will definitely make adjustments. Everyone can see that Paul's targeting of Lopez has a significant effect. Coach Z cannot remain indifferent. He will never sit back and watch Paul score 30+, 40+ and repeat the mistakes of the Jazz. "

"As for the Rockets, they have always played like this. Either Harden holds the ball, or Paul holds the ball. In the first half, Paul has a chance, so he will hold the ball and attack. D'Antoni has no need to adjust, and there is no room for adjustment."

Jeff Van Gundy said:
"Obviously, the first half was just the beginning. Coach Z and D'Antoni gave full play to their obvious advantages and were also testing each other's tactics. When the Rockets were only led by Paul in the second quarter, Coach Z replaced him. Five small lineups, it shows that he knows how to contain Paul's shooting, but he still chooses to play Lopez, just to defend the inside."

"The Rockets have few tactical changes, and there is no room for adjustment. D'Antoni can only passively wait for Coach Z to make a move, and then deal with it. Of course, the premise is that he has a way to deal with it..."

……

While the commentator was analyzing the situation of the game, D'Antoni was arranging tactics to the players in the visiting locker room of the Chase Center.

He did not passively wait for Zhang Yu to make moves as Jeff Van Gundy said, but took the lead in making adjustments:

"The Warriors will definitely launch a fierce attack in the third quarter. This is their consistent characteristic. We can't sit still. The third quarter is also very important to us. We must not only defend the Warriors' offensive, but also smooth the points difference!"

"Chris, as long as Lopez is on the court, you will continue to pick and roll and shoot mid-range shots as in the first half. No matter whether he squats or switches defenses, he can't guard you. If the Warriors pinch, you will give the ball to your teammates."

Paul sat on the seat, wiped the sweat that had been dripping down from his forehead, breathed quite rapidly, and said:
"No problem, huh... I feel pretty good, just a little tired, huh..."

In the first half, he took 16 shots, almost catching up with the total number of shots in the playoffs. Although most of them were pull-up mid-range shots after the pick-and-roll, the confrontation in this game was very intense. Can't live with Paul, but has been entangled with him from the frontcourt, seizing every opportunity to get up, and the offensive end is also running non-stop, forcing Paul to chase and defend.

After the first two quarters, Paul consumed a lot of physical energy, but the continuous shots also developed his touch, which has advantages and disadvantages.

D'Antoni nodded when he heard Paul's answer, and turned to Harden and said:

"James, you have to share some pressure for Chris in the second half. Since the breakthrough is limited, then find Curry in the pick-and-roll. His defense is the worst among the Warriors' starters. It can also consume his energy and reduce his offensive threat... "

Harden nodded and responded:
"no problem."

He didn't take many shots in the first half, and he mainly passed the ball. He didn't consume much energy and had a very calm demeanor.

D'Antoni nodded with satisfaction and continued:
"Guys, we are only 7 points behind, and we can recover with 2 three-pointers. As long as we play the second half well, we have a great chance to win a victory at the Warriors' home court and regain the home court advantage. I hope Do a good job of defending, don't give this the closest chance we have to the championship, never let it go!"

……

The 15-minute intermission passed quickly, players from both sides returned to the field, and the game continued.

Harden was already prepared to pick and roll trouble for Curry.

But the Warriors are still in the regular starting lineup. Lopez sits at the basket and gives Paul a chance to shoot in the pick-and-roll, so Harden has no room to play.

Although Paul consumes a lot of physical energy, his spirit is very excited and his hands are hot. It is the time when the desire to attack is high. When he sees a chance to score, he will do his part. He will not let go of the ball. Dreaming back to the peak of the Hornets and Clippers state.

Harden is used to the feeling of having the ball in his hands, and he is a little dissatisfied with Paul's possession of the ball, but he also knows that Paul is competitive, and his desire for the championship is even greater than him. If there is a chance to end the game with his own hands, of course he will not let go.

Moreover, Paul's attack with the ball is very effective. Harden can only suppress his dissatisfaction and hand over the ball to Paul, while he stands aside to open up space.

Although Harden's three-point shooting percentage in the playoffs is not high, his deterrence is still extremely high. Wiggins never leaves him, and dare not let him go.

The entire third quarter was spent in the midst of Paul's big kills. His high spirits made him feel no physical fatigue. He infinitely held the ball and instigated pick-and-rolls. to 11 points.

Like the first half, the Warriors still focused on the inside. Antetokounmpo was still the Warriors' number one attacker, scoring 9 points in a single quarter.

The difference is that Curry began to take more shots. He singled Capela and Tucker several times after the pick-and-roll, but the effect was not particularly good.

Capela is a very modern inside line. Frame protection is not his strong point, but he is very good at switching defenses and finishing inside lines, which just meets the Rockets' unlimited defense requirements.

Curry's military training for Capela is not as easy and comfortable as military training for Anderson, which gave the Rockets a chance to help defend.

D'Antoni also knows that the Rockets' unlimited defenses can restrain passes and cuts, but they can't restrain Curry. Even if they miss a three-pointer from the outside, they must help defend Curry and prevent him from easily scoring big points.

No matter how accurate the shots of Lopez, Wiggins, and Jaylen Brown are, they are not as good as Curry. Even letting them shoot open three-pointers is more cost-effective than letting Curry play alone.

D'Antoni's mathematics is very good, and he will not lose the big because of small things.

Moreover, the Rockets' five-small lineup has an extremely fast rotation speed, and even if they miss the bottom corner, they can fill up in time, leaving the Warriors with few open opportunities.

On the contrary, when Curry trained Tucker in the military, he was more handy. Tucker was heavy and moved slowly laterally.

Curry scored 10 points in a single quarter, plus Antetokounmpo's 9 points. The Warriors' offense was still sharp, but Paul scored even more fiercely. The Rockets successfully approached the point difference and trailed the Warriors by 86 points 89:3.

During the intermission, Jeff Van Gundy wondered:

"Paul's state in the third quarter was even better than in the first half. Coach Z really doesn't plan to adjust it and replace him with the fifth player? Paul's touch is so good, he can really kill the Warriors by himself!"

The camera is also repeatedly shown on Paul, who is in a hot state. He is sitting on the Rockets bench. Under the high-definition camera, his nose flutters rapidly, his breathing is short, his dark face is stained with sweat, and his bright red jersey , was also stained crimson by sweat, only a pair of eyes were still bright.

(End of this chapter)