Chapter 140 Do you think the Pistons dare to cut him?

On the Pistons bench, Rick Carlisle looked extremely serious.

Before, he thought that even if Wolverine attacked alone, he could not beat the Pistons. After a lot of physical energy was consumed, it was the Pistons' chance.

But Wolverine's performance in the first quarter made him extremely wary. The Pistons were now trailing by a large margin, and he even thought it was time to double-team them in advance.

In the previous G1G2 battle, he only flanked the opponent but did not do so in advance.

Double-teaming will only leave small gaps on the Knicks' perimeter, and the Pistons' defensive system can fill those small gaps well.

But early double-teaming is a double-edged sword. There will be large open spaces in other positions of the Knicks, and no matter how strong the Pistons' defense is, it will be difficult to fill them.

This is ridiculous. In today's league, O'Neal is the only one who enjoys the treatment of early double-teaming. Even the other three super centers and top inside players like Duncan and Garnett have never enjoyed it. Is a rookie center qualified?
In terms of low-post strength and dominance, he really doesn't think Wolverine is qualified, and is far from being qualified to be double-teamed in advance.

However, Ben Wallace is at a big disadvantage against Wolverine, especially when Wolverine gets close to the basket. That talent disadvantage is enough for Wolverine to have his way with Ben Wallace, absolutely using the big to beat the smaller, and the high to beat the low.

But he hesitated again and again and still couldn't make the decision to double-team in advance. In the end, he only asked to strengthen the backup defense and assist defense to prevent the Knicks from getting wide open spaces.

After the timeout, both teams played with half main players and half substitutes.

On the Knicks side, Harrington and Doleac were on the inside, the madman continued to play, and Charlie Ward and Witherspoon were on the inside.

For the Pistons, Big Ben continues to play, with power forward Mehmet Okur, forward Collis Williams, small forward Prince, and guard Jon Barry.

At 17:30 at the end of the first quarter, the Knicks led by 13 points.

After the start of the second quarter, He Zhongqiu did not play, and Don Cheney asked him to continue resting.

The Madman took a break and put in edge defender Lavo Puster.

On the Pistons side, Ben Wallace, who played the entire first quarter, did not play, but was replaced by Billups.

Zhang Heli looked at Puster's information and shook his head, saying, "Although the Knicks' bench lineup is not bad, it is definitely not good. Now there is no one to replace the back line."

Sure enough, after only two minutes of the second quarter, the Pistons scored 8 points in a row, leaving the Knicks without a single point, and the Knicks were stopped at 25:30.

"Look, the Knicks don't have an advantage in any position among the substitute lineup. After the madman left the court, the team collapsed." Zhang Heli said.

Xu Jicheng nodded and said, "We should put a main player in the substitute lineup. Although Charlie Ward is one of the leaders in the locker room, he is old and can no longer support the team on the court."

Sun Zhenping turned around and looked at the Knicks' bench and said, "This is the head coach's problem. He didn't consider the staffing enough."

At this time, the timeout ended and both teams were still half main players and half substitutes.

The Knicks replaced He Zhongqiu, Kurt Thomas, Witherspoon, Puster, and Charlie Ward.

On the Pistons side, Big Ben came on the court, along with Okur, Prince, Jon Barry, and Billups.

Zhang Heli quickly explained: "Kurt Thomas still pulled out of the penalty area, creating an opportunity for Zhongqiu to single out Ben Wallace."

Xu Jicheng added: "The Pistons still use a two-one-two zone."

Sun Zhenping frowned and said, "This lineup has no firepower on the outside. The Pistons will definitely shrink their defense, which will be bad for Zhongqiu's offense!"

On the court, Ben Wallace was guarding one step outside the free throw line, Okur was in the low post on the right wing, and Prince was in the low post on the left wing.

Unlike the three-two zone defense, this zone defense formation strengthens the defense in the restricted area and weakens the defense against outside shots.

This is a targeted defensive tactical arrangement made by Rick Carlisle, which is just right for the Knicks' current lineup.

The Knicks lack outside attack power, and Puster is a marginal player. Although the 198-centimeter forward Weatherspoon is on the outside, more than % of his offense is in the restricted area and his shooting ability is poor.

These two people don't need to invest too much defensive strength at all. Just having Billups and Jon Barry on the line is enough. Ben Wallace's main task is to defend the penalty area and prevent the Knicks' outside players from breaking into the penalty area.

Ben Wallace's positioning allows him to assist in double-teaming at any time against outside players who try to break into the restricted area from any direction.

When He Zhongqiu saw that Ben Wallace was not around, he decided to be polite and ran straight to the basket.

Prince had no intention of blocking and immediately went around to defend.

He is 206 cm tall, has a wingspan of 218 cm, has very good mobility and jumping ability, and is always good at circling the ball.

But he has a weakness when he goes around the front, which is that his strength and tonnage are seriously insufficient.

Weighing 98 kilograms and with a frail body as thin as a bamboo pole, He Zhongqiu had only one arm, but he pushed him away and occupied the reasonable collision zone.

Charlie Ward, who was in control of the ball, kept wandering outside the three-point line, not getting close to it, and not giving Billups a chance to get close, just to ensure that he could pass the ball in at any time.

At this time, he pulled to the right wing and saw Wolverine quickly enter the basket. Regardless of how the Pistons defended, he immediately lobbed the ball in.

The next moment, while the ball was still flying in the air, Ben Wallace, who was one step away from the free throw line, turned around and went back to defend under the basket.

But He Zhongqiu turned sideways, facing the right wing, and used his right elbow to push Ben Wallace out of the reasonable collision zone. At the same time, he trapped Prince behind him and raised his left hand to catch the ball.

"Stuck in place."

Zhang Heli stared at the basket and shouted loudly.

On the court, above the penalty area, the basketball fell like a meteor.

The next moment, He Zhongqiu suddenly jumped up, grabbed the basketball with both hands, then turned slightly in the air and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands.

"boom!"

"Oh ho!"

When the heavy sound of the ball hitting the basket was heard, the Knicks fans who had been prepared for a long time immediately cheered and shouted.

"An aerial relay, another aerial relay, from Charlie Ward and He Zhongqiu." Xu Jicheng shouted excitedly.

"The Pistons' defensive tactics seem to have miscalculated. Ben Wallace took the initiative to leave Zhongqiu. Without his defense, Zhongqiu had no obstacles in entering the basket!" Sun Zhenping said excitedly.

Zhang Heli laughed and said, "The Knicks' bench lineup has a big flaw. They don't have enough outside shooting ability...

But it has breakthroughs. Witherspoon can break through, Charlie Ward can also break through, and the other Sputel is only 25 years old. As a shooting guard, he can probably break through as well.

So in order to prevent the Knicks' outside breakthrough, the Pistons played a 2-1-2 zone defense.

But even the wisest man can make mistakes. Indeed, without Ben Wallace's defense, Zhongqiu can enter the basket at will.

Once Zhongqiu reached the basket, even if Ben Wallace returned to defense, he could not stop Zhongqiu's attack under the basket.

The only way he defends Zhongqiu is to prevent Zhongqiu from getting close to the basket."

Sun Zhenping smiled and said, "We can play the 2-1-2 zone defense, but Ben Wallace's defensive position cannot be moved. He must continue to defend against Zhongqiu."

On the sidelines, Rick Carlisle realized that the tactical arrangement was wrong and immediately yelled, "Switch, Ben, you go to the low post and continue to push him, Prince stays in the middle."

25:32, Pistons attack.

"The Knicks still use a three-two zone to defend outside shots," said Zhang Heli.

Billups took the ball to the right wing, and Witherspoon, who was guarding the free throw line, went over to double-team Charlie Ward. Billups quickly passed the ball to shooting guard Jon Barry at the top of the arc.

Witherspoon quickly returned to defend the top of the arc, and Sputl on the left wing also immediately rushed to the top of the arc.

The space was not big enough, so Jonbari did not make a hasty shot. Instead, he passed the ball quickly again to Prince on the left wing.

Sputnik failed to return to defense in time, leaving a small space for Prince.

But Prince didn't shoot, because he saw a ferocious guy rushing towards him from the penalty area. It was He Zhongqiu, who was guarding the free throw line. When Jonbari passed the ball to Prince, he decisively chose to make a tip-off.

Prince opted for a lob because Ben Wallace was open under the basket.

When He Zhongqiu saw it, he turned around and ran away.

At the same time, Kurt Thomas on the right waist also rushed to the basket. He was closer and could defend faster, and he returned to defense two steps earlier than He Zhongqiu.

Big Ben received the ball, but was blocked by Kurt Thomas from behind. With his limited offensive skills, he dared not shoot, so he could only pass the ball. However, He Zhongqiu had already pounced on him and double-teamed him.

"Pretty!"

Zhang Heli shouted excitedly.

"Di!"

Seeing Ben Wallace holding the ball in his arms, He Zhongqiu also grabbed it with both hands, starting a fight for the ball. Soon the referee blew the whistle and both sides fought for the ball.

"The Knicks played a successful defensive game, which was the result of everyone's efforts," Sun Zhenping said happily.

There was no suspense in the fight for the ball. He Zhongqiu had absolute height and jumping advantages, and the Knicks attacked.

In the low post on the left wing, Ben Wallace once again pressed inside He Zhongqiu, preventing him from entering the paint area.

Prince stands one step below the free throw line, ready to double-team any outside player who tries to break into the restricted area, or double-team the low post in time.

Witherspoon was operating on the left wing, just on the edge of the paint.

In this way, Qiongbali, who was defending on the left wing, was only two meters away from He Zhongqiu and could reach him in one step.

On the right, the same thing happened with Puster.

Although he is a guard, his ability is not good. He was a second-round pick in 00. He has some scoring ability after breaking into the penalty area, but he is not a threat outside the penalty area.

This way, Billups followed Charlie Ward and no one was left to take care of Postel.

But even when he was open, Charlie Ward didn’t pass the ball to him.

They don't trust him at all, he's just there to make up the numbers. After this season, the Knicks are not planning to renew his contract.

He Zhongqiu did not confront Ben Wallace. He went around and used his speed advantage to get into the upper half of the paint area.

At this time, Ben Wallace was squeezed together with Prince in that position. With this remaining opportunity, he immediately entered the basket from the other side of Prince.

"Using the opponent's body to set up a pick-and-roll, great!" Barkley praised.

Two steps outside the three-point line at the top of the arc, Charlie Ward kept his eyes on the basket, ready to pass the ball at any time. When he saw the opportunity, he immediately lobbed the ball in.

Billups was a little annoyed because Charlie Ward had no intention of attacking at all. He was focused on passing the ball to the Wolverines and didn't give him a chance to defend closely.

He Zhongqiu was facing the left wing, staring at the incoming ball. He saw Big Ben rushing down from the corner of his eye. He quickly turned around, facing the right wing, and blocked Ben Wallace with his back. He swung his right elbow to block Prince outside. At this time, the ball arrived.

The next moment, he jumped up.

"boom!"

He caught the ball in the air with both hands and smashed it hard, and the Pistons' basket was hit again.

"Oh!"

The whole audience burst into cheers.

"Beautiful, another aerial relay! Look, as long as Zhongqiu enters the basket, Ben Wallace can't do anything to him." Zhang Heli laughed excitedly.

"Without the advantage of home court, Ben Wallace really can't defend Zhongqiu. Today his defensive movements were much smaller. He even hugged and embraced Zhongqiu at home, and Zhongqiu didn't have any strength to use them." Xu Jicheng said with a smile.

Sun Zhenping calmly analyzed: "The current lineup is still not as good as the Pistons. Before, they could still hold on and the main players played more time. Now that the mid-range shooting king can't play, the substitute lineup is immediately stretched."

"It all depends on hard work and the right tactics. We still have a chance. It would be even better if some substitutes could step up and perform well," said Zhang Heli.

25:34, Pistons attack.

"Di!"

When Billups broke through with the ball, the referee called a pulling foul on Charlie Ward.

The Pistons took the opportunity to make substitutions, replacing Jon Barry with Hamilton, and the main lineup was still missing Clifford Robinson.

On the Knicks side, Madman came on and replaced Puster.

Hamilton made a contribution as soon as he came on the court and hit a mid-range shot.

27:34, Pistons attack.

The madman was attacking with the ball on the right wing, while He Zhongqiu was positioning himself in the low post on the left wing. The two of them attracted most of the Pistons' defensive attention.

At this time, small forward Witherspoon took advantage of Hamilton's unpreparedness and immediately cut into the penalty area from the left wing. The madman saw an opportunity and immediately passed the ball.

Ben Wallace returned to the basket and Witherspoon made a layup and scored a goal.

"That's right, let's play like this. After Zhongqiu and Kuangren attract the defense, the others will definitely have a chance." Sun Zhenping praised.

"Now we have the home advantage. As long as someone stands up, and Zhongqiu played very well today, we have a chance to win. We can win two games in a row, so let's tie first." Zhang Heli said excitedly.

Next, Witherspoon actually stood up.

While He Zhongqiu and Kuang Ren attracted the defense, he frequently cut into the penalty area to look for opportunities. His cuts shared the defense burden with He Zhongqiu, giving He Zhongqiu the opportunity to play one-on-one, and the two formed a good cooperation.

After the second quarter, the score was 39:48 and the Knicks still led by 9 points.

"Yes, although the Pistons' offense came out in the second half of the second quarter, they still couldn't defend against the Knicks' offense. The 9-point advantage is not small, and we have a chance to win today," said Barkley.

Larry Bird said: "Witherspoon made 5 of 3 shots in the second quarter and scored 6 points. He was the key to the Knicks maintaining the point difference."

Kenny Smith said: “Wolverine made 5 of 4 shots and 2 of 2 free throws in the second quarter, scoring 10 points and blocking another shot.

半场20分钟上场时间，一共13投11中，5罚4中，轰下了26分6篮板1助攻2抢断3盖帽1失误1犯规的数据，半场打出超级表现。”

Barkley said: "Except for the start of the first quarter, the Wolverines played more flexibly today, and Ben Wallace didn't seem to be used to this style of play."

"Movement-wise, Wolverine is obviously a little bit more agile, which is shocking because he's bigger," Larry Bird said.

This gave the Wolverines an advantage in terms of positioning. Ben Wallace was indeed a bit passive and his defensive effect was not good, allowing the Wolverines to enter the basket repeatedly. ”

Kenny Smith pulled out the stat sheet and said, "Of the Wolverines' 13 shots, 12 were at the basket, one dunk missed, and only one shot hit the backboard at close range and missed."

"12 basket attacks ended up being 11?!"

Barkley shook his head in admiration and said with a smile: "The player with the highest percentage of offensive plays under the basket this season is Wolverine, who has more offensive plays under the basket than O'Neal. If they continue to play like this today, the Pistons will be in danger."

Kenny Smith said: "The key is that today, Wolverine relied on flirtatious movement to get into the basket several times, which reduced his physical energy consumption.

In addition, with his style of play, the Pistons have no chance of using foul tactics."

"Hack-a-Shark tactics?"

Larry Bird said disdainfully: "Wolverine's free throws in the first round were indeed not good, but in the first two games of the second round, he made 15 of 11 free throws, with a hit rate of over %. Do you think the Pistons dare to cut him?"

(End of this chapter)