no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 180 Xu Yong, Xu Yong, it’s Xu Yong!

Thibodeau looked at the situation on the court with a serious expression.

Although expectations have been raised, the overall strength of the Mavericks is still stronger than he expected.

Especially on the defensive end.

The so-called expert sees the expert, and he will know whether it is there as soon as he makes a move.

The Mavericks were not a team good at defense in the past. The year they were beaten by the Warriors, Nowitzki was asked by "Little General" Johnson to play center and play with others in a one-on-one and four-on-one style.

Even after Carlisle arrived, the Mavericks averaged around 100 points per game all year round.

Changing the culture of a team does not happen overnight. Of course, more importantly, it is difficult to make a meal without rice. Dampier, the Mavericks' former starting center and self-proclaimed "second center in the league," is a real parallel import. He was once pushed to the bench by Diop. seats.

But the addition of Tyson Chandler changed everything.

This center, who was beaten down by Yao Ming before entering the league, has made significant progress in the league in recent years. He is excellent in individual defense, especially the rare ability to assist defense covering the three-point line, which directly caused a qualitative change in the Mavericks' interior defense.

Coupled with Kidd, Stevenson and Marion, Carlisle finally built an excellent defensive system.

In a sense, this is very similar to the defensive system of the Digital Man in 2001, which is "four guarantees and one".

It's just that the biggest difference is the "one" in the same system.

Although Nowitzki's defense is average, it is still much better than Iverson.

A little trivia: Nowitzki has averaged about 1 steal and block per game so far in his career.

In the 2004 playoffs against the Kings, he averaged 1.4 steals and 2.6 blocks per game.

The impression that he is not good at defense is mostly due to his lateral movement disadvantage when the defense is small. In the confrontation inside, he is much better than many people think.

Therefore, the entire defensive intensity of the Mavericks is a level higher than that of the numbers man back then.

The key for the Bulls now is to first try to break the scoring drought on the court.

Xu Yong continued to hold the ball in the position battle, but instead of playing singles like before, he signaled to pull away and let Yao Ming drop to the low post, and then fed the ball in.

The Mavericks' defense is so good, the simpler the game is, the better.

Facts also proved that this was the right choice. Yao Ming turned around and hit the hook directly after receiving the ball, breaking the scoring drought for the Bulls.

Chandler is excellent in confrontation and moves quickly. He is worthy of comparison with the current Howard and O'Neal. He is even a good hand at catching breakthrough players.

However, against Yao Ming's soft-to-conquer strength style of play, his effect will not be much better than Howard's.

Moreover, Yao Ming is now rich in experience, and his weight loss and flexibility have increased a lot. He doesn't wait for you to help defend and attack directly.

The Mavericks' offense finally led the ball to Nowitzki. Nowitzki faked a shot from the three-point line and suddenly passed O'Neal and reached the free throw line. He attracted Yao Ming's help and then directly pushed it to the baseline and borrowed Chandler's cover. Marion cut in, and the latter flew past the board and scored two more points.

This attack hit the ground with mercury, making it full of fun to watch.

And the Mavericks players really don't stick to the ball.

This is the style of European basketball played in the NBA.

This may be rarely noticed, but it is very similar to the Spurs in the 13-14 season, a serious team basketball.

The Bulls team members were a little panicked. Rose made another mistake in passing the ball and passed the ball out of bounds.

There was a commotion at the scene.

Playoff experience is a relatively abstract thing, but to describe it specifically, it means the ability to withstand pressure and the ability to adjust on the field.

The Bulls have a better lineup, but they are far inferior to the Mavericks in terms of playoff experience.

Not to mention the playoffs, the only person on the Bulls side who has experienced the finals is head coach Thibodeau, and he was an assistant coach.

As for the Mavericks, just on the court at this moment, Kidd and Nowitzki have experienced the baptism of the Finals.

They are clearly the more experienced side on this field.

8 to 2, and the Mavericks still have the ball.

The Bulls got off to a rough start.

Thibodeau stood up from the bench and shouted to remind his players to stay focused on the game.

But such a reminder did not work. In other words, the Mavericks, who had just finished their battle with the Thunder, were obviously in better shape than the Bulls, who had not played for nearly a week.

Nowitzki cut to the basket, received Kidd's pass and flew up the board for a layup.

But just before the ball reached its highest point, a figure suddenly shot out from the side and slapped the ball directly onto the backboard.

It's Xu Yong!
The person he was guarding tonight was Stevenson, who had the least defensive pressure tonight.

This allows him to help defend more on the court.

Of course, more importantly, although he has never played in the Finals, as shown in previous conversations with Thibodeau, he knows how strong the Mavericks are, so he is the most focused person on the Bulls side tonight. that.

After completing the block, Xu Yong directly used the lag in the air to collect the rebound, then turned around and threw the ball to Rose on the outside.

The Mavericks' perimeter trio has quick defensive awareness and speed, but Rose is faster.

After accelerating past Kidd, he faced Stevenson and made a fast break layup without slowing down.

This goal made up for the previous passing error.

And more importantly, with this offense and defense, the Bulls' momentum that had been suppressed finally came back.

"Defense! Defense!"

Even the fans at the scene started to get up and cheer for the home team in unison.

However, the Mavericks really came through the wind and waves, and they did not panic at all when faced with this situation.

Kidd continued to press Rose on the outside to control the court. After Nowitzki stepped outside the three-point line, he passed the ball directly.

Nowitzki faked a breakthrough and then shot directly from outside the three-point line.

"Shh!"

The parabola of this ball was very high, but it fell straight into the net bag like a meteorite.

Nowitzki's condition is absolutely fine.

11:4.

The Mavericks continued to hold on to their lead.

Thibodeau was a little restless at this time. Nowitzki did not play high and low singles in the opening as he expected, but kept floating on the outside looking for opportunities. O'Neal's footsteps and reactions were very disadvantaged.

This is the same situation as when playing against the Thunder. Ibaka and Perkins can't stop it, and it's also difficult for O'Neal.

The scene was also restless.

The pressure the Mavericks put on the Bulls was completely different from the previous Heat.

This is equivalent to playing a game. The first level has always been relaxed and enjoyable, and suddenly the next level becomes a hell difficulty. Not to mention whether you can pass it or not, you won't be able to adapt to it all of a sudden.

In the Bulls' offense, Xu Yong continued to hold the ball from the outside and continue to pass the ball in.

This time Yao Ming encountered Stevenson's pinch attack as soon as he caught the ball.

The Mavericks' defense reacts as quickly as a woman's emotions, very sensitively.

However, Yao Ming reacted quickly and quickly returned the ball to Xu Yong.

Xu Yong did not panic and took action. After Stevenson returned from defense, he accelerated the passing speed and inserted the ball.

After receiving the ball, Yao Ming made a turn-over jumper directly to the baseline.

The range of this movement is not large, but Chandler has no moves at all.

It is absolutely unprecedented for a big man of 2 meters to do this kind of action, and the key is so fast.

Of course, there is actually another very important point, shoulder width. Good shoulder width allows players to separate defenders well when turning to attack and avoid being interfered with.

Yao Ming's shoulders are so broad that O'Neal can look like a little shark from the sidelines.

Carlisle rubbed his chin vigorously with his hand at this time.

Although the Bulls are still behind in the score, Yao Ming's continuous scoring in the low post also puts pressure on him.

The Mavericks are slightly better in terms of state and experience, but the Bulls are undoubtedly dominant in terms of overall strength.

And the Bulls are slowly adapting to the Mavericks' intensity.

Marion's another layup was blocked by Yao Ming, and the Mavericks' offense was also stopped.

Fortunately, the Mavericks retreated quickly enough this time and did not allow the Bulls to hit another fast break.

The two sides continued to play in the frontcourt, and Xu Yong also continued to feed the ball.This time, Yao Ming took a shot against the help of defense, causing Chandler to get a defensive foul and go to the free throw line.

After steadily hitting two free throws, Yao Ming scored 6 points in a row, bringing the score on the court to 11-8.

The Mavericks' lead was eroded to one possession in the blink of an eye.

This is the importance of top insiders in this era.

This is not the era when Cole played five small balls in the World Cup.

In history, Chandler was indispensable for the Mavericks' victory over the Heat. At the Mavericks' championship celebration banquet, no one touched their chopsticks until he arrived.

Because of his presence, the defensive end can make the Mavericks' penalty area impregnable, and even force Spoelstra to make game strategies such as fouling Chandler at the beginning; offensively, he is also underestimated, and his follow-up after the pick-and-roll Cutting in to catch the ball can directly bomb the penalty area.

But the Bulls are not the Heat. The Bulls have an advantage because of Yao Ming inside.

"Defense! Defense!"

The fans cheered and cheered again.

Chicago is destined to be quiet tonight.

The Bulls' defensive intensity also continued to increase amidst the shouts. It was obviously not as easy for the Mavericks to score at the beginning.

Nowitzki continued to catch the ball from the outside. This time his shooting action forced O'Neal to rush forward. He collected the ball directly and went to the basket.

His movements were not fast, but he had a strong sense of rhythm. Facing the assisting defender, Yao Ming turned around and almost lost his balance and hit a lowhand layup.

It feels like King Silver Horn danced a tango at the entrance of the flat-top cave.

The shouts at the scene disappeared instantly, what is the away silencer.

Nowitzki's state is just like those in the martial arts world who have practiced martial arts to the next level. Second-rate masters like O'Neal are helpless.

During the transition between offense and defense, Carlisle stood up and waved to the sidelines. The Mavericks adjusted their defensive strategy, switching from man-to-man to 2-3 zone defense.

He recognized Yao Ming's advantage in the paint and used zone defense to protect the penalty area.

As an experienced user of zone defense, the Bulls naturally don't know how to break the zone defense. Yao Ming directly pulled to the free throw line to receive the ball and provide support.

The Mavericks' zone defense is very skillful. The Bulls did not get a chance to cut into the penalty area. At this time, they can only look at the shooting percentage from the outside.

The ball finally passed to Rose on the outside, and Rose attempted a three-pointer.

"when!"

Missed the basket.

Chandler protects the defensive rebound.

The Bulls' first wave of offensive zone defense was not successful.

Fortunately, the 2-3 zone defense was not easy to push for defensive counterattacks, and the Bulls quickly retreated to their defensive positions.

Rose was called for a foul when he tried to steal Kidd's ball.

Upon seeing this, Thibodeau turned around and called Hinrich and Battier, and they came on to replace Rose and O'Neal.

Rose looked a little frustrated when he came off the court. Except for that fast break layup, his performance tonight was overall struggling.

Although this is actually normal, after all, it is the first time for a third-year player to play in the finals.

As for O'Neal, who was replaced by the way, Thibodeau also adjusted his defensive strategy and prepared to use a smaller one to defend Nowitzki.

The game continued, Nowitzki reached for the ball directly from the high post with Battier behind his back.

This is the label of a mature star. If you use a big man to guard me, I will fly your kite. If you use a small man to guard me, I will hit you head-on.

Moreover, the rest of the Mavericks also quickly pulled away, and Kidd followed suit and fed the ball in.

Hinrich shrank to double-team Nowitzki, who turned toward the baseline and threw the ball back to Kidd.

Facing the rotating Artest, Kidd calmly passed the ball to Marion at the free throw line, and Marion hit the board from mid-range.

The Mavericks' offensive coordination is so tacit!

If you catch a weak link in your defense, you can break your entire defense system.

Chicago fans are restless. Their biggest feeling now is that the Eastern Conference is really too weak.

Going from the Eastern Conference Finals to the Finals is like going from Asian basketball to European basketball.

At this time, all the pressure is on the Bulls. If they cannot break the Mavericks' zone defense on the offensive end, the Mavericks' offense will widen the point difference again.

And Yao Ming was restricted by the zone defense, so it was not easy to catch up with the score again.

Yao Ming continued to support at the free throw line, and the ball was distributed to Hinrich. Hinrich took the ball but did not dare to throw it and passed it to Xu Yong. Xu Yong took the ball and shot directly.

The key to breaking the zone defense is the three-pointer. If you can't make the shot or dare not make the shot, the opponent will continue to defend the zone resolutely.

However, as Xu Yong is the key defender of the Mavericks, his shots will obviously not be so easy.

When Hinrich passed the ball, Marion had already let Artest pounce.

Xu Yong did not pass the ball. He decisively completed the shot before Marion jumped up.

The basketball flew past Marion and toward the basket.

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, the basketball passed directly through the net.gif.

At the critical moment, the person who stood up for the Bulls was Xu Yong again!
"God, are you telling me this is a second-year player?" Over the commentary box, Barkley, who had just tasted "tiger urine", exclaimed.

Nowitzki was blocked in front and now has a key three-pointer. Xu Yong, a sophomore, made a good debut on the finals stage.

Especially with Rose, the new MVP of the same team, as a comparison, it looks even more dazzling.

Returning to the defensive end, the Bulls continued to double-check Nowitzki. This time Kidd got the opportunity to take a direct shot from the outside.

"when!"

Accompanied by the sound of iron, Kidd failed to make a three-pointer in response.

Although the Mavericks are in good shape, they can't make every shot.

Yao Ming protected the defensive rebound, and Marion smartly chose to foul on the spot before he passed the ball.

The two sides continued to fight offensive and defensive positions.

In this round, the Mavericks' zone defense was faster than in the previous round. The Bulls did not have the same three-point opportunity as in the previous round.

Xu Yong made eye contact with Battier at this time, and then the two exchanged attacking positions, with him squatting in the bottom corner.

The Bulls had no chance from outside for a while, and the ball returned to Yao Ming's hands at the free throw line.

At this moment, Yao Ming noticed a white figure rushing in from the bottom line.

When he saw it was Xu Yong, he threw his hand and passed the ball.

After receiving the ball, Xu Yong took a big step and jumped into the air.

However, Chandler showed his top frame protection ability, quickly shrank back to the basket, and blocked the shot towards Xu Yong.

With Chandler's height of 2 meters and wingspan of 13 meters, coupled with his confrontation, it is basically impossible for even Xu Yong to dunk him head-on.

But what he didn't expect was that after Xu Yong saw his action, he directly made a large horizontal lever in the air, and only completed the shot after avoiding his block. gif!

Chandler just watched the ball fly past his eyes, trying hard to catch it but couldn't.

At this time, the scene was filled with exclamations.

The degree of difficulty of Xu Yong's ball is extremely high.

"boom!"

The basketball passed Chandler, hit the backboard, and then fell diagonally into the net.

Cheers instantly filled the United Center.

Xu Yong, Xu Yong, what the hell is Xu Yong!

15:13.

After Xu Yong scored 5 points in a row, the Bulls narrowed the point difference to one goal!

In the audience, this time Jordan reached out to applaud Xu Yong's performance.

White horse and spear, the Bulls' home jersey looks so suitable!
(End of this chapter)