Countercurrent and become a superstar

Chapter 118: Three-point range is the only one, no wonder it can hit - against anyone!

At the end of the Eastern Conference, the Mavericks achieved a record of 2 wins and 1 loss.

Therefore, in the first 2004 games of the January 1 schedule, the Mavericks only achieved a record of 6 wins and 4 losses. Sure enough, this month's schedule was too devilish.

You know, in the first two months of the schedule, the Mavericks, who were still in the running-in period, only lost 6 games, including 3 consecutive losses due to injuries.

In the following schedule, the Lakers and Kings, who are competing for the top spot, will also have to compete.

too difficult! !

In other words, the NBA has arranged a devilish schedule for three consecutive months. This NBA league is not a son of man!
January 1, Pepsi Center.

Bang-dang——!
Standing on the free throw line, Anthony missed the first free throw amid the regretful sounds of the fans.

This means that the Nuggets have lost hope of relying on free throws to tie the Mavericks.

At this time, there were 3.1 seconds left before the end of the game, and the score was 96 to 94.

The Nuggets had no choice. They had only one way at the moment. They replaced Camby and Chris Anderson in succession. Then, Anthony copied Yao Ming's work and deliberately missed the second free throw.

Bang-dang——!
“Rebound grab!!
It was the Nuggets who grabbed the rebound, and the Mavericks couldn't predict their tricks.

This ball was aimed at a missed free throw.

It was Nene Hilario who got the rebound, and he was swarmed by the defense.

After the ball was distributed, Mo Wenwei Miller took the ball and there was no time to hesitate. He resisted Tan Yang's block and shot a three-pointer at the buzzer.

Did Qin Yang touch the basketball when he blocked the shot? Will there be three points..."

The basketball drew a high arc in the air. After all, to avoid Tan Yang's block, Andre Miller could only avoid shooting as much as possible.

Om-!
Bang-dang——!
With the sound of iron after the buzzer, players on and off the court of the Mavericks cheered to celebrate, while the players of the Nuggets were left feeling lonely.

Sure enough, people's joys and sorrows are different, some are responsible for being happy, and some are responsible for being sad!

The Mavericks had the last laugh. After the Nuggets failed to score a free throw, they attempted a buzzer-beating three-pointer but missed.

At the end of the game, the score was fixed at 96 to 94. The Mavericks narrowly defeated the Nuggets by two points, extending their winning streak to three games.

The exhausted Mavericks encountered the test of the Nuggets' plateau home court, and finally survived, showing the resilience of an elite team.

At this moment, the Mavericks have the attributes of a strong team.

Immediately afterwards, the Mavericks ushered in a wave of winning streak. They lost to the Trail Blazers on the 14th, beat the Cavaliers on the 16th, beat the Bulls on the 17th, beat the Nets on the 20th, and slaughtered the Lakers by 22 points on the 22nd...

You call this a devil's schedule?
Pooh!
The Mavericks are the real devil.

Of course, it all depends on the opponent to give you face.

For example, on the 22nd, we played against the Lakers.

As a result, Kobe, O'Neal, Payton and Malone, none of them were in the so-called F4.

In fact, entering the first month of the 2004 schedule, the Lakers were having a hard time.

They played 11 games and only got a record of 4 wins and 7 losses. In this state, what can they do to win against the Mavericks? It's easier than surrendering.

Therefore, the Zen Master actually used a full substitute lineup to play against the Mavericks, and it was very reasonable for him to be slaughtered.

The question is that evil will be punished.

Karl Malone has been playing basketball for 20 years and has done many evil things. He must pay for it if he comes out to mess around.

In the first 19 years of his stay with the Jazz, Postman Malone played almost full time and only missed 11 games, including 6 games injured and 5 games suspended. He was a perfect uninjured iron man in the league.

As a result, just before Christmas in 2003, on December 12, in a game against the Suns, Karl Malone only played 23 minutes in the first quarter when he suffered a knee injury, which required him to be sidelined for at least 4 weeks. It will probably take a lot of time to return to the state.

Although Malone optimistically stated that there is a first time for everything, the Lakers laid the foundation for losing the championship in the 03/04 season.

In addition, O'Neal was overweight, suffered minor injuries from time to time, and missed many games.

The Lakers' F4 combination only leaves F2. However, Kobe occasionally has to rush to court.

Good guy, no one in F4 has peace of mind.

You know, Payton was not successful in adapting to the triangle offensive tactics. Playing in a system that he is not adapted to, he will only struggle more and more.

In this way, the Lakers have basically bid farewell to the competition for the top spot in the regular season.

At this time, the Mavericks only lost 8 games, the Kings lost 10 games, the Pacers 11 games, the Timberwolves 12 games, the Spurs 15 games...

The leading advantage gradually emerged.

January 1, Key Arena.

Night falls.

At this time, the SuperSonics' home court ushered in a regular game against the Mavericks. The lights were bright and there was a sea of ​​people.

During the warm-up, Nowitzki and Ray Allen chatted for a few cents.

Lewis also joined in the fun, after all, he is one of the Sonics' twin stars.

Moreover, I went to school with Nowitzki and both made their debut in 98.

The golden generation who debuted in 96 also got together for a chat. Nash, Ray Allen and Walker also chatted for a while.

At present, the 96 golden generation has become the main force in the NBA league, so there will naturally be no shortage of such chat games.

At this time, the starting lineups of both sides for tonight's match were also displayed on the big screen in the arena.

The SuperSonics' starting five are Vitali Potapenko, Lewis, Vladimir Radmanovic, Ray Allen, and Brent Barry.

The Mavericks' starting five are Nowitzki, Walker, Finley, Tan Yang and Nash.

This game will be broadcast live on TNT radio, with Mike Breen and Kenny Smith providing commentary.

“Rounding up the regular season, almost half of the schedule has been played.

With the Mavericks' card strength and the lineup adjustment.

If we don't trade for reinforcements now, the only team that can compete with this ball is the Pacers in the East, and the West is likely to have the only Spurs who pretended to be dead in the regular season. "

"The Lakers, Kings and Timberwolves, these three teams are all suffering from injuries. As long as the lineup is not neat, they are simply not qualified to participate in the top conference with the Mavericks."

The groom Albert nodded, took over the topic and said.

"Indeed!
The Kings injured Webber, the Lakers injured Malone, and the Timberwolves' main core players were not injured, but the bench depth is not enough. Without Szebilia, the once-all-star shooter, it is indeed possible to defeat the Mavericks who are on the right path.

But having said that, if I have to pick an opponent, I feel that the Sonics can compete with the Mavericks.

The problem is that the Sonics are 50-50 open to everyone they beat. When they feel good about shooting, there is no big problem in beating any elite team.

Not to mention, the Mavericks are playing back-to-back away games, so their combat effectiveness will definitely be damaged..."

The Sonics are at home, and the basket must be their own, so the shooting touch is easy to explode.

No matter how good the Mavericks are, facing a home court against a shooting-oriented team will still be tough.

The game started.

Beep——!
When the whistle sounded, the referee threw the basketball high in the air. Vitali Potapenko defeated Nowitzki and won the first possession of the ball for the Sonics.

……

“Brent Barry took the ball upfield and Nash led the defense.

Ray Allen moved over and made a screen with Barry.

The basketball fell into Ray Allen's hands and faced Nash's defense..."

Brent Barry's three-point shooting percentage this season is 45% per game, which is more aggressive than Nash. He averages 4.3 hits in 2 shots per game. Tan Yang does not dare to let go and can only switch defenses.

This person is 1 meters tall, the same height as Ray Allen. In fact, whoever hits Nash is out of position.

Of course, Ray Allen's fighting ability is more courageous.

"Nash's defense was tight, and Ray Allen broke through.

Nash was about to lose his defense, and Finley and Nowitzki came to help defend. Oh, Ray Allen pulled it out, he shot, oh no, he jumped up and passed the ball, and it was Lewis's card in the left corner.

After catching the ball and lifting it up, Lewis raised his hand and took a three-point jump shot..."

This is an evacuation shooter, and Nowitzki can only bet that Lewis's three-point pistol has no bullets.

Bang-dang——!
You guessed it, there were no bullets in Lewis's three-point pistol.

“No hit!!

Lewis's three-point shooting is also very brave, averaging 37% shooting per game and averaging 5 hits in 2 shots per game. The statistics are very beautiful.

It's just a pity that his hands are a little cold and the basket is not good for him.

Alas, the SuperSonics' offense was not over yet. Potapenko under the basket regained the basketball missed by Lewis.

After landing, he was surrounded by the defense and immediately threw the ball out of the outside line to find Radmanovic.

Oh, he pulled it out, and he raised his hand to hit a three-point jumper, will it be possible..."

Finley was busy wiping Nash's butt and rushing for rebounds, but he couldn't care about Radmanovic outside the three-point line. He tried his best to save it, but it was too late and he could only listen to the gunshot.

Swish-!
The knife falls and the ball goes in.

Radmanovic showed no mercy, and with one move, he killed Finley, giving the Sonics the lead.

0 to 3! !
On the commentary table, Mike Breen shook his head after watching this scene.

“The Mavericks’ defense was bombarded by three-point shooting.

Put it this way!

Radmanovic averages 38% three-point shooting per game and can hit 5 out of 2 shots per game.

If you also include Ray Allen’s field goal percentage of 40 per game, averaged 7 shots per game, and rounded off 3 field goal percentages, I wonder if you are afraid of this three-point shooting firepower..."

Collect four shooters who average 40% three-point shooting percentage per game and average 5 hits in 2 attempts per game. The SuperSonics three-point shooting ability can be said to be second. No team dares to be said to be first. And the future team The Warriors' three-point ability has the same status in the league. Fifteen years later, it can be said that they will be a championship-level team.

On the sidelines, Nelson looked calm.

The problem is that in the Sonics, there are no stars who are the boss, but only supporting talents who are the second or third boss.

Moreover, the star quality is not enough, although he has the only three-point shooting ability in the league.

But in this era, three-point shooting is just a sideshow, and mid-range shooting is the king and justice of this era.

On the court, Nash controlled the ball to the frontcourt and faced Brent Barry. He did not mess around and chose to distribute the ball to Tan Yang who immediately raised the ball to the high post. Then, he cut to the right side of the 45-degree three-point line without the ball.

"Qin Yang held the ball and moved to the top arc, and Finley also moved to the right.

Oh, Tan Yang passed a long pass and handed that damn basketball into the hands of Nowitzki in the low post on the left. Nowitzki was holding the ball in singles to break the game from Lewis's defense..."

In the Western Theater, this was routine operation.

Internal duels often determine the outcome of the game.

Lewis is an open power forward with strong offense and weak defense. In front of the same type of Nowitzki, he is like a younger brother.

In a word, the advantage of single combat is too obvious.

Turning to face the basket and exploring with the ball, Lewis did not dare to give space for shooting, especially with his height of 2 meters and lack of physical confrontation. He could only use his speed and enthusiasm to engage in interference defense.

Feinting left and right, Nowitzki stepped sideways, then turned around and dribbled the ball inward to break through.

"Going in, Nowitzki will fight to the end.

Well, Potapenko on the right came to help defend, and Radmanovic on the left also released Finley and retreated to defend. It seemed that he had planned in advance how to defend Nowitzki's one-on-one.

Facing a double attack, Nowitzki didn't shoot. He sent players out, found Finley who came in from the air, and immediately took the ball and rushed to the basket..."

Bang-dang——!
Opportunity is out.

Finley went for a layup, but it bounced out of the basket.

“It’s such a pity not to hit.

Oh, it's Finley again. He got the missed basketball back.

The Mavericks' offense was not over. Finley fell behind and was blocked. He passed the ball to the right three-point corner. Walker had an open three-point opportunity in the bottom corner. He shot it. Will there be..."

Vitali Potapenko, the 96th overall pick of the 12 golden generation, did not save Walker's three-point shot.

Bang-dang——!
A three-pointer missed.

Walker's love for three-point shooting does not mean that his three-point shooting ability is very strong.

Just because he averaged 20 points per game last season doesn't mean his offense is very lethal.

This season, Walker only averaged 26.5% of his three-point shots per game and averaged only 14 points per game.

Seeing this scene, the groom Albert shook his head.

"Walker, an All-Star shooter, was let go.

You read that right, the Sonics maintained a zone defense strategy, and they still let Walker's 5-defense 4 strategy go.

It’s clear that Walker’s three-point shooting attack power, which is not enough to feed a cat, is not considered alive..."

Right!

Among the Sonics' starting five, four shooters have a three-point shooting percentage close to 4%. Walker's combat effectiveness is only 40%, and the gap is not even a little bit.

Naturally, people are not afraid of the Mavericks letting Walker shoot three-pointers, and they even want to let Walker take more shots.

When it comes to three-point shooting, the advantage lies with the Sonics.

The basketball was picked off by Lewis and immediately passed the ball to Barry to advance with the ball.

“The Sonics offense is also very fast-paced.

They also played run-and-gun, and were not afraid of competing with the Mavericks.

Barry controlled the ball to the frontcourt and passed it to Ray Allen. When faced with Nash, he made a simple change of direction and went in.

Then, against Nash's block, he pulled out, raised his hand and made a two-pointer, then stopped and shot a pull-up jumper..."

Nash defended very actively, but it was a pity that his physical talent was crushed. No matter how active he was, it was of no use. He could only listen to the gunshot.

Bang-dang——!
Ray Allen had an obvious matchup advantage, but failed to put the damn basketball into the basket.

“The iron doesn’t hit the mark.

Nash defended it, but oh, Potapenko rushed for the rebound again and chose to hit the basketball out, and Barry got the basketball again.

He took control of the court, redistributed the ball to Ray Allen, and continued to face Nash.

He asked for a tactic.

Played a pick-and-roll tactic with Lewis who mentioned the high post.

Lewis caught the ball, faced Nash's block, and chose to shoot a three-point pull-up jumper..."

This is a proper roll call tactic. Neither Tan Yang nor Finley on the wings can help Nash.

We can only bet that Lewis will shoot again and just stay outside.

Swish-!
He raised the knife and lowered it, and Lewis shot it in.

There was no mercy in the three-pointer and he hit the basket accurately.

0 to 6! !
At the beginning of the game, the Sonics called on Nash. Although the efficiency was not good, they were still able to rain three-pointers with the help of the second attack.

At this moment, the Sonics are fully demonstrating their "one shot, four shots" offensive style.

It's no wonder that this Sonics team has the ability to compete 50-50 with anyone. This three-point shooting ability is indeed very good!
……

(End of this chapter)