Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

Chapter 289 Two rounds of sweep!Advance to the Eastern Conference Finals!The playoffs are unstoppable!
The regular season data kings have been released one after another.

Durant of the SuperSonics averaged 32 points per game and won the scoring title again. This year, the death scythe was unsheathed and sparks were flying, and he played the best performance of his career.

In addition, he also has 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals. His comprehensive personal data has made Adu extremely popular. Even though the Sonics have never reached the finals in recent years, they still attract a lot of fans' attention.

Anthony has been leading the scoring list in the first half of the season, but since the All-Star break, Lu Yong has begun to arrange rotations for the main players.

In addition, the Knicks are strong this season and often clock out in three quarters against weak teams. This has also led to Anthony's scoring average being pulled down, ranking second in the league with 29.6 points.

At first glance, the gap of 2.4 points per game is not too big, but Anthony has calculated it before. It is extremely difficult to overtake Durant in the last few games. He not only has to score 60+ points per game, but also has to score [-]+ points per game. Pray Durant gets beaten to a pulp.

In order to save his energy for the playoffs, Anthony voluntarily gave up the competition. Anyway, he had already booked the regular season MVP in advance, so there was no need to go to war for the scoring champion.

The only thing to blame is Durant's abnormal scoring ability. As the first super giant brought out by Lu Yong, Adu's career has been smooth sailing. Even Anthony, who is on the right track, is envious and regrets not being there sooner. Playing under Lu Yong.

The rebounding leader is Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, averaging 13.6 per game, 0.4 more than Drummond.

In the second half, Drummond went crazy on the board, but in the end he still lost to DeAndre Jordan, and unfortunately lost.

In the next few years, these two will become the top competitors for the rebounding title. One is more brutal than the other, and the other is more cruel than the other.

Of course, apart from grabbing rebounds, it really doesn't have much use.

With the rise of the small ball era, both of them have stepped into the abyss.

Chris Paul was once again elected as the assists leader, averaging 10.7 per game.

The rise of Jordan has made it easier for him to get assists than before. Unfortunately, Paul can't touch the floor of the conference finals this year.

No matter whether they played the Warriors in the first round or the SuperSonics in the second round, it was not easy to win. At least Lu Yong didn't see any championship appearance from the Clippers. The so-called champion coach Rivers is a joke and a fake coach.

The steal leader is Knicks guard Jimmy Butler, averaging 2.3 per game, 0.1 more than Paul.

Butler surprised many people by becoming the steal leader. This season, he averaged 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

The Knicks' unreasonable push made fans ignore Butler's defense. Now it seems that he is likely to be selected for the All-Defensive Team and has become an indispensable part of the Knicks' defense.

The leader in blocks is second-year No. 2.8 pick Anthony Davis, averaging [-] per game.

Davis' athletic talent has been perfectly demonstrated this year, averaging 20.8 points, 10 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.8 blocks per game. Give him another two years, Davis will have the opportunity to grow into the league's top insider.

On the 23rd, the first round of the playoffs started.

The Knicks and Nets will stage the New York Derby.

The two teams' arenas are only separated by a river. For New York fans, there is almost no distinction between home and away games, just drive across the bridge.

Of course, the Knicks benefited the most from the New York Derby.

Because almost all the people who came to the scene were Knicks fans, and only a minority supported the Nets to win. It was the same whether in New York or Brooklyn. It was just so fucked.

The Nets made epic reinforcements through trades and signings during the offseason. However, the two teams played three games in the regular season. The Knicks won 2 wins and 1 loss. Both wins were big wins, giving them an absolute advantage in terms of strength.

There are almost no outsiders who are optimistic about the Nets' advancement, but quite a few support the Knicks' 4-0 sweep.

This is indeed the case. In the first game, the Knicks made people see the gap between the two teams. Whether they were starters or substitutes, they all crushed them.

Pierce's average of 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game has significantly declined, and his data is not as good as that of New York teenager Butler.

To say that he is a star is entirely based on his career resume. In terms of data alone, Pierce is now an average starter.

Joe Johnson isn't doing much better, averaging 15.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He is a veteran with a big heart. He can't take any advantage against Butler, and he suffers a lot on both offense and defense.

In the first game, Joe Johnson only had 11 points and 4 rebounds, shooting less than 40% from the field.

Johnson's offense was all concentrated on the outside, and his turnaround jumpers on both sides of the free throw line were banging and messy.

On the defensive end, Joe Johnson suffered even more.

Although he has rich defensive experience, his increasing age has taken away his lateral speed. Not only does he suffer from footwork when defending Butler alone, but he also grits his teeth in physical confrontation, which perfectly explains what it means to be afraid of the young with punches.

The Nets' outside offensive shooting was poor, and the Knicks took the opportunity to widen the point difference to double digits.

Nets head coach Lionel Hollins looked helpless and could only sit on the sidelines and watch the team lose little by little.

After three quarters, the Knicks already led their opponents by 27 points.

The core players got off work early and it seemed no different from playing in the regular season.

In the final quarter, the two teams competed with the substitutes, and Green, J.R. Smith, and Bargnani continued to widen the point difference.

At the end, 128 to 91, the Knicks defeated the Nets at home by 37 points.

安东尼仅出战28分钟，17投10中，三分球7中3，罚球4中4，得到全场最高的27分5篮板2助攻，将老皮同志爆了个体无完肤。

巴特勒对位昔日鹰王也不甘示弱，12投7中，三分球3中1，罚球3中3，得到18分7篮板2助攻3抢断1盖帽，填满数据栏。

At the press conference, Lu Yong said to the camera with a relaxed face: "In order to prevent New York fans from running back and forth, I decided to resolve the battle within four games. I believe the Knicks have the strength."

It's not that Lu Yong is crazy, it's just that the Nets are too old.

Against the Knicks, they were overwhelmed by talent and had no chance of winning.

The Knicks also played quite easily in the next three games. In at least one game, they defeated the Nets by 14 points, sweeping the series 4-0 to advance.

In the final game, Deron Williams broke out against his old club, scoring a triple-double of 27 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.

Even so, the media still felt that the Knicks stars did not give their best and had obvious reservations against the Nets.

In other words, this Nets can't push the Knicks to their limit at all. At best, it can only be regarded as an appetizer for the playoffs.

Experts also analyzed that the Knicks can easily advance regardless of whether they face the Raptors or Bulls in the next round of the series.

Looking at the entire Eastern Conference, the only one that can threaten the Knicks is the Heat.

Of course, even the Heat can barely play, and they have no chance of winning against the Knicks.

In another series, the Raptors and Bulls played very fiercely.

If Derrick Rose hadn't been out for the season, the Bulls might have had a greater chance of winning, but now that Rose is sitting off the court in a suit, the Raptors have the upper hand on both offense. After taking a 3-2 lead, the Raptors continued to suppress the Bulls in a life-and-death battle, establishing a double-digit lead in the first half.

DeRozan defeated Snell one-on-one and scored 33 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

"Little Steel Cannon" Lowry also showed off his strength, scoring 21 points, 4 rebounds and 10 assists, with a shooting percentage of over 50%.

On the bench, second-year rookie Terrence Ross also gave a wonderful performance.

In 31 minutes of play, he made 15 of 8 shots, 8 of 4 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal. He was as unreasonable as J.R. Smith.

Noah had 14 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocks. He performed well, but he was unable to lead the team to win.

Noah has never been a leader, and his style of play is destined to be a top blue-collar job.

Without Derrick Rose scoring on the offensive end, it's useless no matter how well Noah plays, and he can't fight a tough battle.

In the end, 116 to 101, the Raptors won at home and advanced to the second round 4 to 2.

After the game, Raptors head coach Dwayne Casey said in an interview: "The Raptors are a very resilient team. It is exciting to return to the semifinals. It may be difficult to face the defending champion, but I believe in the Raptors." It can surprise the fans.”

As a result, instead of making Raptors fans excited, Casey's speech was ridiculed by many people online.

"I really want to see if this guy can still be so tough after being swept by the Knicks 4-0?"

"How dare cats and dogs touch the Knicks? Making it to the second round doesn't mean everyone is on the same starting line."

"As a Torontonian, I understand that Coach Casey wants to boost the team's morale, but what he said will obviously put more pressure on the players. I really hope DeRozan won't be depressed. This wave of hatred is entirely Coach Casey's fault. Pulled for him."

No one is optimistic about the Raptors advancing. The Knicks have rested for a week after sweeping them in the first round, and the physical fitness of both sides is not at the same level.

The most important thing is that the Knicks defeated the Raptors three times in the regular season and have absolute crushing strength. How will the Raptors beat the Raptors in the semifinals?
On May 5, the first game of the semifinals was held at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Lu Yong made a lineup adjustment and let Tyson Chandler start in order to deal with Lithuanian center Valanciunas.

Valanciunas is playing well this season, averaging 11.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1 block per game, while shooting 53.1% from the field.

In the first round against the Bulls, he even scored a double-double with 26 points and 22 rebounds. Jefferson has little advantage in low-post singles against Varan, so it is better to let Chandler, who is good at protecting the rim, strengthen the defense.

In the positional battle between the two teams, Novak, who was entrusted with an important task by Casey, became the Raptors' defensive loophole. No matter who he was guarding, he was singled out by the Knicks, and his face was full of depression.

Obviously, we were still teammates last season, and we won the championship trophy together in the finals.

As a result, Novak met his old club in the playoffs this year. The worst thing about meeting his old club was that he was wildly targeted. Even if he defended Butler, he couldn't keep up with the breakthrough speed.

Lu Yong didn't deliberately target him, but Novak's defense was already terrible. If Casey dared to reuse him in the playoffs, he had to accept the fact that Novak's defense was blown away.

安东尼这场天神下凡，上半场就16投11中，三分球6中3，罚球4中4，砍下29分4篮板2助攻。

Bargnani, who came off the bench, did not disappoint the coaching staff. He played hard against his old club. In the second quarter, he scored two three-pointers, one mid-range shot, and a dunk in a fast break counterattack. Scored 10 points and 3 rebounds.

The Knicks' meteor-like offense left the Raptors with nowhere to defend. They could only hold their noses and attack the Knicks, and were defeated early.

The same stars are mainly scoring jump shots. The Raptors are no different from the Nets, who were eliminated in the first round. At most, they have better athletic talent and a young core lineup.

The game entered garbage time in the third quarter. In the end, the Knicks won 129 to 98 and got off to a good start.

安东尼首战28投17中，三分球9中5，罚球7中7，狂砍46分9篮板4助2抢断，给年轻的德罗赞上了一课。

In the second game, the Knicks won 116-87, another big victory.

这次猛龙双枪集体哑火，德罗赞18投6中，三分2中0，罚球5中4，得到16分5篮板4助攻，还有全队最多的5次失误。

洛瑞15投5中，三分球7中2，罚球3中2，得到14分4篮板6助攻。

Novak is still weak on the defensive end. Even though he threw 4 three-pointers in the game, there was no splash, and his help to the team was very limited.

尼克斯替补JR-史密斯G2爆发，砍下31分4篮板1抢断，没有助攻。三分球8投6中，效率高到起飞。

Chandler's defensive effect on Valanciunas was also good. In the first two games, he limited his scoring to 8 points and 7 points respectively, with a shooting rate of less than 50%.

At this time, Valanciunas had not yet developed a long-range shot. He was a serious traditional inside man. Once he was blocked by Chandler in the penalty area, it would not be so easy for him to score.

Valanciunas can't take advantage inside, let alone others.

The biggest problem caused by the lack of advantage inside is that the outside attack is blocked. The pressure on DeRozan and Lowry increases in vain. It is more difficult to win against the Knicks than to reach the sky.

The Knicks also have an advantage in the role player competition. Bargnani led the bench and the Raptors attacked even more fiercely, and his statistics were better than those in the regular season.

He defeated Amir Johnson one-on-one easily and happily, shooting inside and outside like Nowitzki, which almost made Raptors fans angry to death.

When I was playing for the Raptors, I never saw this guy playing so brutally. But just one year after joining the Knicks, he turned into a bench gangster. Is this obviously an act?

In fact, Bargnani is really not to blame for this. In the Raptors, he is the core inside, and his ball-holding offense is strictly guarded by his opponents, so his efficiency is naturally not high.

But in the Knicks, he was just a substitute. There were many outstanding teammates around him to attract defense, and he got many open shots, so his efficiency naturally increased.

In the third game, everyone came to the Raptors home court.

Just when everyone thought there was going to be an outburst, someone did.

It's just that it wasn't the Raptors players who broke out, but Deron Williams.

他出战32分钟，18投12中，三分球6中4，罚球7中6，砍下34分6篮板11助攻2抢断，把洛瑞摁在地上疯狂摩擦。

All major media have given Deron Williams high praise. In addition to his stable performance and the second spring of his career, he also took a salary cut to join, leaving a lot of room for the Knicks to make subsequent reinforcements.

Deron Williams, who holds a player option this summer, has the right to opt out of his contract and sign a maximum salary of 5 million for up to 1.03 years with other teams.

However, no one knows whether Deron will break out of his contract. It depends on whether the championship or money is more important in Deron's heart.

In the fourth game, the Raptors no longer wanted to advance, they just wanted to steal a victory at home and defend their dignity.

As a result, the Knicks didn't give the Raptors a chance to breathe at all. In the third quarter, they went on a 16-4 run to close the game, and once again staged a 4-0 sweep.

安东尼38分7篮板6助攻，德隆18分4篮板9助攻2抢断，“小霸王”斯塔德迈尔17分8篮板1盖帽，“三叉戟”都有出色表现，率队打出季后赛8连胜！

(End of this chapter)