When pride still matters

Chapter 418 Indescribable
Yu Fei wanted to find Reed's mismatch, but it was not easy.

Because it is part of the Celtics' game plan to avoid mismatching Yu Fei. As long as Yu Fei calls the pick-and-roll, Reed will not participate in defense changes or assisting defense. The only person he needs to keep an eye on is Roy. If Roy picks and rolls Yu Fei, he will double-team Yu Fei when necessary, but will not switch defenses.

This prevented Yu Fei from attacking Reed immediately.

The Celtics' offense seems to be showing signs of recovery under Cassel's control. Cassel is not like the young Rondo. He knows very well that although the team's inside line has advantages, if every point cannot be used, the offense will be in difficulty.

However, what the Celtics didn't expect was that their most reliable inside line was slowly starting to have problems.

Bill Simmons selects Kevin Garnett as this season's MVP in his annual column "Who's the MVP?" But in reality, Garnett didn't even rank among the top three MVPs. But this does not affect Simmons's point of view in any way.

Simmons said Garnett "plays every preseason game like it's Game 7 of the Finals," which is both a compliment and a disparagement to Garnett.

A person who only knows how to show off but never restrains himself is a dynamite when things don't go his way.

Yu Fei's so-called remarks a few days ago about the Celtics' loss in the away game seriously irritated the nerves of the Green Army soldiers. As the position where the Green Army has the largest book advantage, Garnett wants to take advantage in the interior.

But at the beginning, Marion's tough defense caused him to lose his accuracy in shooting. Although his hit rate was not low when he hit the basket hard, it was too expensive.

Garnett's energy began to turn negative. He was dissatisfied with his performance and wanted to save the situation, so he put more effort on the defensive end, which in turn increased his risk of fouling.

Marion rushed in and bumped into Garnett. The referee's whistle sounded. This was Garnett's second foul in a few minutes.

He looked so angry, and that face that read "I am the toughest guy in the world" gave his teammates endless confidence. Bill Simmons, who was at the scene, expected him to blow up the SuperSonics inside and then pass the ball to him. hands.

"Damn it, no! KG, don't shoot!"

The Celtics' performance continues to reinforce the impression that they won't play on the road.

Garnett missed the shot, but the rebound fell into the hands of David Lee, who completed the second attack.

Garnett, who was so brave at home, had no impact on the team in the away game, and in the second game he couldn't even hit the paint.

The Sonics are stronger than the last game.

Having said that, the score on the court has reached 22-9.

Brown was really full of confidence. He clenched his sexy little hands into fists and pounded his chest as hard as Garnett, shouting "You can't stop me."

"Just fight like this!" Yu Fei loudly encouraged his good brother.

Just over halfway through the first quarter, Garnett's foul count forced the Celtics to replace him.

He should know that if he wants to crush his opponent's confidence, he needs to get to the basket, but his choice is to resist and then turn over and shoot a jumper.

Simmons yelled.

He came to Brown angrily and turned his back to claim the position, but the result was ironic.

"Kevin!" Rivers patted Garnett on the shoulder and drank chicken soup. "Never doubt yourself!"

Yu Fei, who couldn't find Reid to settle the score, had to continue to stimulate the Celtics' defense. He suddenly launched an attack from the high post, but passed the ball to Marion in the paint area.

Garnett gritted his teeth reluctantly and nodded vigorously.

Garnett was furious. It's okay to just say this. Why should Kwame Brown?
There is no other player in the league who plays the way Garnett does. He not only treats the preseason games as the finals, but even when he is sitting off the court during garbage time, he will excitedly encourage his teammates on the sidelines, as if it is An anxious game. From this point of view, Garnett really fits the Celtics' culture, but it is this energy that has nowhere to place that makes him an unstable force when he doesn't perform well.

Yu Fei took the ball high to attract the defense, and then suddenly passed the ball across the ball to Kwame Brown. Brown attacked the basket, causing Garnett to foul.

What Garnett didn't expect was that the weak SuperSonics insider would take the initiative to attack him.

The Celtics replaced Garnett with Kendrick Perkins. The strength of the inside line suddenly dropped, and the Celtics had to rely on the outside line.

Pierce turned around with difficulty under Yu Fei's defense, straightened his back, and scored while off-balance.

He was very frustrated because Yu Fei is a player who doesn't like to jump up to defend. He is almost not easily fooled and has advantages in height, wingspan and physical fitness. If he wants to score on the opponent, he must use his body to block Yu Fei, and then find a chance to attack the basket. Otherwise, even if he successfully gets rid of the opponent, he is likely to be blocked by the opponent.

"Is this how you want me to eat my words?"

Not long after Pierce scored the goal, Yu Fei dribbled in front of him, made a fierce change of direction, shook Pierce away, rushed into the basket and dunked over Perkins' head, causing the opponent to foul.

It's a disadvantage familiar to Bostonians in front of the television.

Back in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics would not play away games.

Whether it is against the Hawks in the first round or the Magic in the semifinals, as long as they go to the away game, these people seem to be possessed by a machine. Their fighting spirit, fighting ability, and desire are far less than when they play at home.

This is the time to test the coaching staff.

But unfortunately, the Celtics' head coach is Rivers.

The Celtics' defense is guided by a detail maniac like Thibodeau. On the offensive end, they have two outstanding point guards in Rondo and Cassell to guide a group of veterans. Rivers usually only needs to stabilize their mentality to be successful. .

But there are too many variables in the playoffs.

Especially tonight, Garnett blew himself up first, and then Pierce was firmly suppressed by Yu Fei. It seemed that Reed, who was in good condition, couldn't get the ball on the offensive end, and had to avoid Yu Fei on the defensive end.

This is a lot weaker in terms of momentum.

After the first quarter, the Supersonics led the Celtics 35-21.

"We have to calm down and continue fighting!" Rivers said loudly during the break. "You are all veterans for many years. You are more experienced than the Sonics. Forget what happened in the first quarter, think about what we did in the first quarter." How to play at home!"

Finally, he looked at Garnett. The strongest player on the team must cheer up: "KG, you know, I will always stand with you!" If the opponent was someone else, George Karl would be worried that the Celtics would suddenly change. For example, let Cassel take charge, match up with three shooters, and then let Garnett play center.

This would fit perfectly into the three-point whirlwind the Bucks are creating around the league.

But the opponent is the Celtics, and their head coach is Rivers. This person has been looked down upon by Karl since his debut. He has completely demonstrated a weakness caused by never receiving any professional coaching training.

He has problems with his judgment of the situation and lacks grasp of details. Even if he has a comprehensive lineup depth, he does not have the courage to make major changes on the spot.

In Karl's eyes, Rivers does not have the qualities of a professional coach, but he is a great motivator. He can make players work for him with just a few words. But if you ask him to solve a problem, all he can do is "I stand with you." together".

Therefore, Karl's determination is not only to win his three home games, but the most important thing is to complete the internal psychological construction within the three home games. The hearts of young players must grow within a few games. They must not only realize that they are playing in the finals, but also believe that they can play a role in the finals.

Don't be Frye's vassal, but become Frye's support. This is something they must understand.

And the home court is the best place to awaken this awareness.

But for them to wake up, they still need Yu Fei's guidance.

Karl looked at Yu Fei and asked, "Do you need a rest?"

"KG is coming back, I can't rest." Yu Fei said, "Besides, the advantage is not big enough."

Karl nodded, and the Sonics' lineup at the start of the second quarter was clear: Yu Fei, Durant, Childress, Posey and Brown.

It belongs to the lineup of three veterans and two newcomers.

The Celtics are much more stable. Garnett returns, Reid continues to play, and the other three positions are Rondo, Matt Barnes and PJ Brown.

Yu Fei plays point guard in this lineup, but it is impossible for the Celtics to let Rondo play against him.

Barnes came to the top of the arc and opened his hands, but Yu Fei was not interested in him and directly called Durant for a pick-and-roll.

Durant's low shooting percentage in the finals made Reid think this was an opportunity to double-team Yu Fei.

He and Barnes made a move tacitly, and suddenly stepped forward to force Yu Fei to stop.

As a result, Yu Fei passed the ball decisively.

Durant took an open shot and hit.

Now Durant has no psychological burden. The team is leading by a big score. Yu Fei has also attracted defensive pressure. This is his best comfort zone.

And Yu Fei did not forget to taunt Reed: "Why do you ignore our rookie like a bastard? Don't you know he was last year's No. 1 pick?"

"So what?" Reed asked coldly.

"It may not be a big deal now." Yu Fei never looked at Durant, but his words made the latter tremble with excitement, "But in a few years, you may not even be qualified to stand in front of him."

The point difference has reached 16 points, and the Celtics coaching staff cannot ignore this gap.

Then, Rondo broke through Childress's defense and passed the ball to the outside according to his tactical habits.

Normally, Reed would be right there.

But suddenly, Rondo's eyes widened. He saw a long arm suddenly blocking the passing route.

In an instant, the ball fell into the opponent's hands.

"Great pass!"

Yu Fei left a sarcastic remark and moved forward at full speed.

Reed rushed to catch up, trying to stop Yu Fei halfway. He forgot about the physical gap between the two. Although his speed was okay, his body could not withstand a collision.

Thinking of the humiliation he suffered because of Yu Fei and what Yu Fei said just now pointing at Durant, he became furious.

Reed's glass heart was broken, and he wanted to kill the glass-heart arsonist in front of him.

However, when Reed blocks Yu Fei, his defense will be shattered. Yu Fei quickly stepped into his defensive position. In the blink of an eye, the inertial impact of his elbow and the natural collision of his body caused Reid to be knocked away. He felt a sharp pain that made it difficult to breathe, and then lost his defense. Ability, and soon a piercing sound of a dunk was heard.

"!#@￥@#!%￥"

Key Arena became extremely noisy, and the 18-point difference made the Celtics coaching staff in chaos. The only thing they could do was call a timeout.

Reed struggled to get up, the area where he was hit still hurting.

"I suddenly feel that trading you back then was the right decision." When Reed decided to become Yu Fei's enemy, Yu Fei no longer had any old feelings for him. "So maybe I should thank you, because because of your departure, we completed four championships in five years."

Reed said angrily: "Shut up, I don't want to have anything to do with this at all!"

"No, no, you must play your role well." Yu Fei walked past Reed, "Whether I can win five championships in six years depends on you, Michael."

Michael Reed has a great name.

Whenever Yu Fei calls him Michael, his hostility towards Reed becomes even more intense.

This is wonderful.

(End of this chapter)