The Whip of the God of Basketball

Isiah Thomas’ recent days with the Pacers are not bad. This is his third year in Indiana. According to the three-year theory of his immediate boss and former rival Larry Bird, this is very likely. It's his last year with the Pacers-if he can't lead the team to a point. However, judging from the current situation of the team, he is doing pretty well. The Pacers have gained momentum since the beginning of the season, second only to the Boston Celtics.

In December and January, when the Celtics fell into small fluctuations, the Pacers remained stable. Especially in January, they achieved an exciting 12-game winning streak and jumped past the Nets. , Pistons and Celtics leaped to No. 1 in the East. For a while, many people admired them. In just three years, the Pacers have returned to the ranks of the top teams, with both Bird’s credit and Thomas’s ability. Also got affirmation.

In particular, the close relationship between him and the team's head star, Jermaine O'Neal, who shined after coming to the Pacers, gave him full confidence in his ability to remain as the Pacers. So in the first quarter, when O'Neal was forced to sit on the bench and watch the Celtics overtake the score, Thomas still believed that his Pacers could gain an advantage in the next game. The Pacers were still there a week ago. The Celtics beat the Celtics in an away game.

Only in that game, Michael Reid missed due to injury. The Pacers' best player was O'Neal, the outside player Reggie Miller. He made two key three in the last few minutes of that game. The score completely extinguished the Celtics' hopes of counterattack. Tonight, in the first quarter after Reid's return, at least so far, Reggie Miller has not made a three-pointer. His inseparable marking from the outside has led to Tinsley getting several points on Arenas. , But not letting Miller open his hand is one of Leon's basic strategies in this game.

Isiah Thomas is a very smart coach, born on the streets of Chicago, and brilliant in the Detroit Bad Boys. It made him very, very good at getting along with those players with unreliable personality, which is why O'Neal called him a "coach" until many years later when he called Thomas. But Thomas' coaching style is very different from his growth and basketball experience.

The Pacers have averaged 97.9 points per game so far. Although there is a gap with the 104 points of their opponent Boston Celtics, they were already in the top eight of the league in the 2003 season. There is no doubt that Thomas is an offensive coach, and He loves those complicated and sophisticated tactics very much. As a point guard, he is proficient in various offensive tactics and is very familiar with it. He hopes his players can apply these tactics to the game just like him.

So far, he has done pretty well in nearly three seasons. The Pacers’ players have very good tactical qualities. They are often able to play pleasing offenses, but Thomas has not been very satisfied, especially their starting point guard Tinsley, a point guard who is born on the street like Thomas, has never been able to Meet Thomas' requirements.

This may be a common problem shared by superstar coaches. They all believe that their players should discover every opportunity like themselves and seize them well, but in fact there is only one Isiah Thomas on the basketball court.

When O'Neal had to sit on the bench to watch the game at the beginning of the second quarter, and Reggie Miller couldn't get rid of Michael Reid. The Pacers began to fall into a leeward, a full leeward.

When the Boston Celtics pitchers have a good touch this season, they are almost unstoppable-this seems like a nonsense, but in fact. The Celtics' tactical system can maximize the effect of shooting feel. Their simple and fast offense will make the scores expand like a snowball when the players have a good shooting feel.

Arenas scrupulously abide by Leon's short-term, fast passing guidelines. With incomparable confidence, he continuously forced shots from outside the three-point line, and then was able to make a hit-Jamal Tinsley's virtual defense. Let Arenas shoot as easily as shooting training.

"Post it, post it, defend like a man! How can you watch him shoot like this on your head!" Watching Arenas score consecutive goals on Tinsley's head, Thomas finally couldn't bear it. Lila scolded aside. Tinsley lowered his head and akimbo. He also wanted to guard Arenas, but his defensive pace was completely inadequate when he came from the street. Once he sticks to the defense, the consequences will only be worse. net.

With the outbreak of Arenas, the difference between the two sides opened up again in the second quarter. At this time, Thomas called a timeout and replaced O'Neal again, which immediately stabilized the situation. O'Neal faced Celtic. The man was not hard enough inside, and once again scored consecutively. He grabbed two offensive rebounds in a row and stopped the Pacers' decline.

The competition is getting more and more intense, and the conseco arena began to diffuse the steaming heat, which is formed by the cooperation of the sweat of the players, the heat emitted by tens of thousands of fans and the heating and air conditioning of the arena. A cloud formed in the sky. Leon was standing on the sidelines and wearing a formal suit. He began to feel sweat constantly coming out. The loud noise at the scene was undoubtedly annoying, and the hot air affected not only the coach but also the players.

The anger on both sides began to grow. Starting from the collision foul between Pierce and O'Neal in the first quarter, the action on both sides was not small. By the second half of the second quarter, Artest entangled Pierce, and pj-Brown became more and more involved. Talking directly with O'Neal in many places, Tinsley also began to show a fierce side in the face of Arenas. The Celtics players began to be tipped, fouled, and topped more and more.

Leon paced eagerly from the sidelines and yelled at the referee.

In the last offense that was about to end in the first half, Paul Pierce broke through again with the ball. In the first half, he was the Celtics with the worst shooting touch, but he knew how to adjust and constantly used the breakthrough to cause damage. With two fouls on his back, O'Neal did not dare to defend with all his strength, he made multiple breakthroughs. In the first half, the Celtics maintained a double-digit lead over the Pacers by the performance of him and Arenas.

Facing Pierce’s breakthrough, Artest chased after him, and it was not O’Neal, but Brad Miller, who came up on defense this time. He did not jump, but held his arms high and then his whole body slammed. Up. An obvious blocking foul, but Pierce fell heavily to the ground. This is not the first time Pierce fell like this in the first half, not even the second time.

The referee's whistle sounded, but the scene did not calm down. Paul Pierce jumped up from the ground and used Miller's action against him just now to push Miller forcefully.

The two sides suddenly exploded, Artest behind Pierce immediately rushed into the middle of the two, Brad Miller looked greasy, Reggie Miller had already stepped forward to persuade loudly. . Antoine Walker lived with Paul Pierce. But Arenas was not afraid of Artest facing him and glared at him, but Tinsley was not to be outdone, and stood beside Artest.

The fans on the scene booed at the Celtics players like crazy, and the referee's whistle kept ringing, trying to separate the players on both sides. At this time, Pj-Brown was out. He pulled Paul Pierce away and walked to the front, staring at everyone on the Pacers, and the Celtics' momentum immediately overwhelmed.

It's Reggie Miller. He was old enough to come forward to comfort Pj-Brown, and the two discussed a few words before the two sides dispersed.

Of course, Pierce ate a technical foul. Reggie Miller made a free throw, and Pierce immediately made two free throws. The Celtics ended the first half with a 62:52 advantage.

This skirmish at halftime. Heralds a more intense second half will come after 15 minutes.

……………………

During the intermission, the locker rooms on both sides presented completely different scenes, in the away locker room. Fox-Leon tried to calm the players down. After all, this is the away game, and it is almost impossible to get into conflict with the home team here.

"This is their strategy. Use more intense physical confrontation to disrupt us. We will not be afraid of confrontation. We must fight forward bravely, but we must also protect ourselves. Paul, you can no longer have technical fouls... and Gilber. Particularly, focus your attention on maintaining the shooting touch. In the first half, our goal hit area was somewhat concentrated, which is not a good thing..." Leon comforted the players while analyzing the situation in the first half.

Celtics players have long been accustomed to Leon’s own computer brains, things like shooting distribution that can't be seen without video support, as long as he stares at the sidelines, he can form a shooting distribution map in his mind. , Can also draw pictures on the tactical board.

In the first half, the Celtics' scoring was concentrated on the three-point line and the three-second zone. Once the second half feels poor and the Pacers shrink the defense, they may fall into a scoring shortage.

On the other hand, in the home team's locker room, Isaiah Thomas is yelling at the players. He rarely treats players like this, but today he feels it is necessary for the Pacers' players to know how to deal with the game harder.

"Take down their impact on the basket, hinder their breakthrough, stick to their three-pointers, if they dare to rush in, make them look good! It is very important to give them something to eat at all costs. One point, let them be afraid, let them be afraid, and let them lose the confidence to win!" Thomas took out the same set in the Bad Boys team that year. He has regarded the Celtics as a playoff competitor. Determined to establish a psychological advantage over the Celtics from the start of this game.

In his opinion ~www.readwn.com~ Although there is a pj-Brown stubble on the opposite side, but Arenas is still too young, Walker has never been very temperamental, Pierce is not easy to deal with, and nothing else. Up.

On the Pacers’ side, Brad Miller had beaten O’Neal. O’Neal was a straightforward boy who dared to fight and punch. Not to mention Artest, who broke Jordan’s ribs with a head, and Foss. Te and Tinsley are both ugly guys. Coupled with home court advantage, Thomas decided to give the Celtics a taste of the Pistons in the second half.

As for their coach? A rookie coach with no qualifications, no background, no experience, maybe he is a genius in coaching technical ability, but the basketball coach circle never wins with technology.

Of course he didn't know. At this time, Leon advised the players to calm down and explain the tactics carefully in the locker room. However, in the first half of the game, Leon had already pinched two pens for drawing tactics.

He didn't want to see his players being rammed and falling to the ground, but because of the identity of a coach, he couldn't come forward and argue with the opposing players, so he had to blow air to the referee.

But human patience always has its limits. (To be continued.)