Legendary star

Chapter 627
"Tony, you did a great job!" At the end of the three quarters, the sweaty Tony Allen had just stepped off the court. Standing on the sidelines, the head coach Rick Carlisle personally handed Tony Allen a towel, and then clapped Looking at Tony Allen's shoulder, he praised his performance on the court just now.

"Thank you coach!" Flattered to accept the towel handed over by Rick Carlisle, Tony Allen wiped the sweat from his head while saying words of thanks to Rick Carlisle.It is very rare for the head coach to personally hand the towel to the player who is off the court, whether it is in the Pacers or other teams. This kind of treatment, Tony Allen is the first time after joining the Pacers.

Tony Allen is very satisfied to be able to join a powerhouse like the Pacers at the beginning of entering the league, because it means that he may be earlier than the rookies of the same class, and it will be easier to wear the gold medal that makes everyone The championship ring that everyone dreams of and flocks to.But after entering the Pacers, Tony Allen was not satisfied with the team's positioning of himself and his status in the team. Any ambitious player would not be willing to sit on the bench forever. So after joining the Pacers, Tony Allen has always been one of the most diligent players in the team's training, because Tony Allen hopes to change, and hopes to use his own efforts to change his status in the Pacers.

It’s just that Sarunas Jaskovicius, who has an excellent overall view and is proficient in scoring organizations, and Chris Duhon, who has a balanced offense and defense, and Tony Allen, who is positioned as a combo guard by Rick Carlisle , the shortcomings are too obvious, so throughout the season, Tony Allen played very little time, and spent most of the time silently on the bench, but this situation is different from what he imagined. , It didn't make Tony Allen lament, but it aroused Tony Allen's competitiveness even more, making him put more effort and energy into training.

Although Tony Allen played the No. 2 position in college, he also led Oklahoma State University to the NCAA Tournament Final Four and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year (Big 1), But in terms of scoring ability, Tony Allen is far inferior to Sarunas Jascovicius, not to mention the passing that Sarunas Jascovicius is good at. Round pick Chris Duhon is also better than Tony Allen in these two aspects, but in comparison with these two, Tony Allen is not useless, with a height of 93 meters, more than 2 meters With a wingspan of 10, Tony Allen is an excellent defender by nature. Tony Allen, who knows that he cannot compete with Sarunas Jascovicius on the offensive end, puts all his efforts In terms of improving and strengthening his own defense, under the joint guidance of Meng Xu, James Posey, and Tayshaun Prince, Tony Allen's defensive ability has improved by leaps and bounds, and he has played countless times in team training games. In the middle, Sarunas Jaskovicius was defended in a panic.

So Tony Allen has been waiting for an opportunity, a chance to prove himself, a chance to be in the top position, and in today's playoffs against the Wizards, Tony Allen seized the opportunity. In the second quarter, Arenas, as the starter of the Eastern Conference All-Star, under Tony Allen's spared no effort to defend, only made 6 of 1 shots in a single quarter. The data of 2 points, 2 points, 1 steal, and 1 rebound seem to be very mediocre, but anyone who has watched the third quarter of this game is undoubtedly very clear about the role of Tony Allen on the court. It was because of Tony Allen's excellent defense against Arenas, which completely disrupted the Wizards' counterattack plan. At the same time, after Tony Allen replaced Sarunas Jascovitius, the Pacers' shortcomings on the defensive end It was also completely made up for.

Tony Allen, Tyshawn Prince, and Meng Xu teamed up to completely seal the Wizards' proud perimeter trio in the third quarter. The Wizards scored 56 points in the first half. Only scored 12 points in the third quarter.Relying on excellent defense, the Pacers beat the Wizards 25 to 12 in the third quarter, so after the end of the third quarter, the game completely lost its suspense. The Wizards, who were already 22 points behind, had nothing to lose in this game. Here's the chance.

On the Wizards' bench, Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison, who sat directly on the seat after leaving the game, stared blankly at the scoreboard in the distance. The score of 68 to 90 made them feel like they were in an ice cave. The proud and arrogant Wizards Three Musketeers were ready to beat the previous Wizards again before the start of the series. A stick.

The outstanding performance in the last round has made the Wizards high-spirited. The two home and away wins against the Pacers in the second half of the season have doubled the confidence of the Wizards team. His fighting spirit and confidence have almost dissipated. Looking at the bloody score on the scoreboard and the cruel situation on the court just now, the current Wizards are on the verge of collapse.

"Did Eddie Jordan just give up the game?" After the start of the fourth quarter, looking at the Wizards' lineup that was appearing one after another, Michaels said with doubts on his face.Although the Wizards are already behind by 22 points, this game is the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Even if you are behind by a big score, you have to pretend to save it. If you are given a big score by your opponent in the first game The massacre, it will definitely deal a heavy blow to the confidence of the team, especially for a young team like the Wizards who lacks experience in the playoffs, a disastrous defeat in one game is likely to be completely devastated.

"Eddie Jordan's move should be preparing for the next game in advance, but his move is still a bit ill-considered. The Wizards are not the Pacers. For a rookie who lacks playoff experience Heart is very important.” Obviously, Magic Johnson also disapproved of Wizards coach Eddie Jordan’s move, the playoffs and the regular season are not the same, if you lose, you have no chance.

Because the Wizards had voluntarily given up, the Pacers did not send out the main lineup in the fourth quarter. Instead, they played the entire fourth quarter with a substitute lineup, 92 to 111. With a 19-point advantage at home, they won the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

(End of this chapter)