Chapter 212: Bold Tactics Against Ji Bu Gong
On the evening of May 5nd, Madison Square Garden.

At 7:30, both sides announced their starting lineups.

Brooklyn Nets: Jason Collins, Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, Corey Kidds, Jason Kidd.

Knicks: Mutombo, He Zhongqiu, Shane Battier, Bonzi Wells, Nash
ESPN broadcast the series live across the country, with commentators Michael Breen, Bill Walton, and Tom Howard.

"The Nets' main lineup is the same as last season, but this team has lost its edge," commented Michael Breen.

"Most media currently predict that the Knicks have a higher chance of advancing," said Tom Howard.

Bill Walton said: "The Nets can no longer lock down the Knicks' No. 1 position like they did in last year's Eastern Conference Finals. Nash even has a certain advantage over Kidd.

In the interior, even if Mutombo only averages 15 minutes per game, the Wolverines will have an advantage with any backup center."

Michael Breen nodded and said, "The key is that the Nets' inside line will be blown up by the Wolverines, and the Knicks have an absolute advantage in the low post. The Nets can't have an absolute advantage at the No. 1 position like they did last season, so all in all, the Knicks have a greater chance of winning."

Madison Square Garden, David Stern arrived with the MVP trophy.

"Oh oh oh……"

When He Zhongqiu took the trophy and held it high, the whole audience cheered.

"It's been 34 years since the last Knicks player won the MVP award, which was won by Willis Reed in the 69/70 season," Bill Walton said.

"Congratulations to Wolverine, congratulations to the Knicks," Michael Breen exclaimed.

Tom Howard said: "Wolverine won the MVP in his second season of his career, which is really outstanding!
None of the four super centers could win this honor in their second season. In this respect, he has surpassed the four super centers. "

On the sidelines, Ewing's eyes were full of envy.

He has the least hard honors among the four super centers. The other three have won MVP and championship, but he has none.

Now, he is looking forward to the Knicks reaching the finals.

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

He Zhongqiu and Jason Collins jump ball and the Knicks attack.

In the first round of the series, He Zhongqiu did not take many mid-range shots except for Game 1, and his main offense still took place in the penalty area.

And this is also his plan for the second round series.

His number of shots was also kept below 20, basically the same as in the regular season.

According to Rick Carlisle, if there are more than 20 shots, the extra shots should be focused on mid-range shots.

When he came to the low post on the left wing, he did not actively seek position.

The Nets arranged for the more mobile Kenyon Martin to defend him, and center Jason Collins to defend Mutombo.

At this time, Nash began to break through with the ball, using his faster speed to not give Kidd the opportunity to defend him closely. He quickly changed direction, broke through Kidd, and rushed into the penalty area from the right wing.

"Nash's offense is excellent and Kidd can't defend it." Michael Breen said quickly.

Nash's dribbling breakthrough attracted the Nets' defense, and He Zhongqiu took the opportunity to cut in. The former passed the ball quickly and the latter took off.

"Oh ho!"

With an alley-oop slam dunk and the sound of the rim bursting, tens of thousands of people cheered and Madison Square Garden instantly turned into a boiling ocean.

"Strong side breakthrough + weak side back cut, the attack is too easy!"

Tom Howard said: "With the cooperation of Wolverine + Nash, the core inside and outside, New York has become a real alley-oop city this season."

Bill Walton said: "If Kidd can't defend Nash, then the Nets have no hope of defeating the Knicks."

Michael Breen nodded and said, "Kidd's point is the Nets' only chance to beat the Knicks."

Bill Walton praised: "As a point guard, Nash's defense is too bad, but his offensive efficiency is too high.

Facing a top defender like Kidd, he can hit more than 41.5% of his shots and % of his three-pointers. "

Tom Howard analyzed: "Kidd is called Kidd because he can't shoot well and his hit rate is not high.

Nash's defensive pace can keep up with Kidd. His poor defense is mainly due to his poor confrontation ability, not his speed.

Therefore, a point guard like Kidd, who is not good at shooting, will not have a high shooting percentage even when facing Nash's defense.

In this case, if the Nets want to win, they can't rely on Kidd's offense. His efficiency is not as good as Nash's. No matter how much he attacks, he can't win. "

Bill Walton nodded and said, "That's true. Nash can score more points than Kidd with higher efficiency. So Kidd can only have a chance to win if he lets his teammates score.

However, the Knicks are not the Knicks of last season. After adding Battier, the Knicks' defensive system has been very good.

Battier, Bonzi Wells, Wolverine, Mutombo, Josh Howard and Charlie Ward on the bench.

These guys who are good at defense are not vegetarians. They are not going to let Kidds and Jefferson score.”

Tom Howard laughed and said, “So the more you analyze it, the smaller the Nets’ chances of winning.”

Michael Breen smiled and said, “Basically, as long as the two inside and outside core players, Wolverine and Nash, can play well, the Knicks can ensure victory.”

"So, now I really want to know, does Kidd regret choosing to stay in the Nets?" Tom Howard suddenly said.

"Ha ha!"

Bill Walton laughed and said, "Kidd rejected the Spurs and the Knicks. If this series fails, I think he will regret it."

Michael Breen laughed and said, "He is 31 years old and is in his prime, but he signed a long-term contract with the Nets. If the Nets do nothing in the next few years, I think he may be very painful that his prime years were wasted in the Nets."

"But he was actually successful with the Nets. Reaching the finals twice in a row is enough to be proud of," Bill Walton said.

On the court, Kidd was a little confused.

In just 5 minutes, the score was 5:12, with the Nets trailing by 7 points.

The Knicks played man-to-man defense, and the Nets couldn't launch their inside offense. The restricted area defense guarded by Mutombo and the Wolverines was too tight, and they couldn't break through at all.

On the outside, Battier and Wells also kept a close eye on Jefferson and Kidders.

There is only one defensive loophole left, Nash, and there is no help defense.

So during these 5 minutes, his teammates had no chance at all, and he had no choice but to take the shot himself.

In his opinion, the Knicks' failure to arrange help defense for Nash was forcing him to attack without attacking.

Facing Nash's defense, he had a lot of opportunities. He could find opportunities to shoot by simply pushing Nash away, making 5 of 2 shots.

But how can his offensive efficiency withstand the Knicks' offense?
"boom!"

He Zhongqiu backed up in the low post on the left wing, used a magical step to shake Kenyon Martin, then cut in from the bottom and dunked, not only dunking over Jason Collins who was returning to defend the basket, but also causing him to commit a foul.

"Di!"

Before the free throws, the Nets called a timeout.

“5：14，9分了。金刚狼3投3中，加上2罚2中，连得8分。”迈克尔布林说道。

Tom Howard said: "The Knicks' defensive tactics today were very powerful and very targeted. Rick Carlisle's tactics were very bold."

Bill Walton said: "Yes, he didn't even arrange help defense for Nash, locked down the other four guys, and let Kidd attack.

With Kidd's offensive efficiency and ability, if he scores 30 points, Nash can score 40 points, and the Nets have no chance of winning."

Tom Howard said: "This was the Pistons' ultimate defensive tactic against Jordan back then. They defended everyone else and let Jordan score alone."

"Yes, the play was very bold and Rick Carlisle showed his ability and determination," Michael Breen said.

"Coach, your tactics are good."

On the Knicks bench, He Zhongqiu gave a thumbs up to Rick Carlisle.

Rick Carlisle's defensive tactics, to put it bluntly, is to keep an eye on the others and let Kidd attack alone, which is a gamble on whether Kidd's offense alone can beat the Knicks. In fact, there is no need to gamble. If the other four are really locked, even if Kidd turns into Jordan, he can't beat the Knicks.

What's more, Kidd's offense is far inferior to Nash's. Even if the two of them fight against each other, Kidd can't beat Nash.

After the timeout, Mutombo did not go back and was replaced by Doriak.

Without Mutombo on the court, the Knicks' defensive quality in the restricted area immediately dropped a lot.

But Rick Carlisle still sticks to the established defensive tactics. The reason is very simple, because Jason Collins is just a blue-collar center, Doriak is enough, and if it is not enough, it won’t make much difference.

Sure enough, the Nets' offense began to improve.

Jason Collins has a certain mid-range shooting ability. He pulled Doria out, and Kenyon Martin also pulled He Zhongqiu out, so that the penalty area was empty, and then he broke through and cut in from the outside.

But even so, the points scored on the offensive end were not enough to make up for the points lost on the defensive end.

Because Kidders and Jefferson were still limited by Wells and Battier's defense, their efficiency was not high.

After the first quarter, at 14:30, the Knicks led by 16 points.

He Zhongqiu's attack under the basket was so advantageous that no one on the Nets could defend him, so they could only use foul tactics in the next few minutes.

他全节打了9分钟，5投5中，7罚6中，轰下了16分。

纳什面对基德，10分钟之内7投4中，拿到8分3助攻。

Kidd faced Nash and made 10 of 12 shots in 5 minutes, with a hit rate of 41.7%. His efficiency was normal, but compared with the efficiency of Nash and He Zhongqiu, it was too low.

"The Nets can't attack and can't defend, so they're bound to lose," said Tom Howard.

"It's not that the Nets are too weak, it's that the Knicks are too strong," said Michael Breen.

"Michael, the Knicks may not be happy with what you said," Bill Walton said.

"Why?" Brin asked quickly.

Bill Walton smiled and said: "In this playoffs, the real opponent of the Knicks in the East is no longer the Nets, but the Pistons.

The Pistons' defense is too strong, and it will be very difficult for the Knicks to beat their opponents in the series. If the Knicks are too strong, it will only make the Pistons more prepared. "

Michael Breen laughed and said, "But I don't think the Pistons will make the mistake of underestimating their opponents. Larry Brown is not that kind of person."

The first quarter was a microcosm of the entire game. The Nets ultimately failed to beat the Knicks away from home, losing Game 79 105:1.

He Zhongqiu played 32 minutes in the game and scored 33 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Kidd attacked continuously throughout the game and scored 29 points, but the Nets lost by 26 points. It can be said that the more points they scored, the more they lost.

In another game, the Timberwolves lost at home, 104:98, to the Kings.

Garnett's iron-blooded jump shot did not perform well, he made 21 of 6 shots, with a hit rate of only 28.6%, and scored 16 points inefficiently.

The madman, one of the three-headed monster, made only 14 of 2 shots, with an appallingly low hit rate of only 14.3%, and scored only 5 points in the whole game.

On the 3rd, the other two groups of matches started.

As a result, the Pistons beat the Pacers at home, and the Spurs beat the Lakers at home.

The Pistons are the Knicks' main rival in the Eastern Conference, and the Spurs and Lakers are the teams most likely to reach the finals in the Western Conference, so it's worth watching both games together to celebrate Zhongqiu.

The Pistons beat the Pacers quite easily, just by relying on defense.

Rasheed Wallace's defense was so bad that he made only 10 of 1 shots, and Ben Wallace also prevented O'Neal from getting to the basket. Both of their inside offenses were inefficient.

The two of them assisted in defense even better, preventing the Pacers from breaking into the restricted area and they could only shoot from the outside. The loss was not a foregone conclusion.

Judging from this game, He Zhongqiu basically concluded that the Pistons would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Lakers lost the game against the Spurs mainly because of the position of O'Neal and Tim Duncan.

Duncan, with 30 points and a shooting percentage of 72.2%, performed a level better than O'Neal, who had 19 points and a shooting percentage of 57.1%.

In the four sets of games, only the Timberwolves lost at home, which received major criticism from the media.

Both the madman and Garnett were severely criticized, while the alien who scored 60 points with a hit rate of 40% was praised.

"The Great Shark is old!"

The New York Times published an article with this title on its front page the next day.

"Shaq is old, he has lost his strength as the best player in the league, and the NBA has entered a new era.

After Magic Johnson came Michael Jordan, and after Michael Jordan came Shaquille O'Neal. So now, who will replace Shaquille O'Neal and become the new No. 1 player in active service? "

This article was widely reprinted by New York media, and New York fans also gave it thumbs up.

However, the Los Angeles Times immediately responded by publishing an article on its official website, saying:
"New Yorkers just want Wolverine to become the new No. 1 player, but unfortunately, this wish will have to wait until Wolverine wins the championship.

Without a championship, even if he won the MVP and the scoring title, the topic of Wolverine becoming the new No. 1 player in active service is a false proposition, because the No. 1 player in active service without a championship is a joke. "

The Los Angeles Sports Daily also hit back: "After O'Neal, we still have Kobe who has just entered his prime. When the Wolverines win three consecutive championships, we can talk about the topic of the best player in active service."

Next, the second round series continues.

The Knicks and Spurs won two consecutive home games, the Timberwolves won one game at home and tied with the Kings, and the Pistons lost their second home game and tied with the Pacers.

On the 6th, the G3 battle continues.

The Knicks lost to the Nets in an away game, with the score tied at 2-1.

On the same night, the Timberwolves defeated the Kings on the road, winning by 1 point and achieving a record of to .

On the 7th, the Lakers fought back after returning to their home court and defeated the Spurs with an 81:105 advantage, a big score of one to two.

Duncan played poorly, shooting 14-for-4 and scoring only 10 points.

That same night, the Pistons defeated the Pacers on the road and took a 2-1 lead.

On the 8th, the Knicks defeated the Nets away from home and got the match point in the series.

In another group, the Kings defeated the Timberwolves at home, and the two teams tied 2-2.

On the 9th, the Lakers and Spurs played Game 4.

On this day, Blade 3 was released in North America and ultimately grossed $8410 million.

Early in the morning, Kobe boarded a plane to Eagle County for a court appearance, and returned to Los Angeles in the evening.

According to media analysis, the Lakers are bound to lose this game, the Spurs will get the match point, and the finals are in sight.

Once the Spurs make it to the finals, media analysis shows that they will have more than a 70% chance of defending their title.

Although the Spurs have won two championships, they have never defended the title, so Tim Duncan also attaches great importance to the evening game.

He hopes to defend his title, and even more so, he hopes to have a three-peat dynasty.

Kobe is embroiled in lawsuits, which is a huge benefit for him.

In He Zhongqiu's villa in New York, the cinema was filled with food and drinks again.

"I bet our finals opponent is the Spurs," he said.

Zhang Heli nodded and said, "The Lakers are basically out. Kobe's energy is completely distracted. How can they play against the Spurs?"

Xu Jicheng said: "Zhongqiu, are you sure to play against the Spurs?"

He Zhongqiu grumbled, "Yes, there is."

Zhang Heli and Xu Jicheng looked at each other, smiled, and didn't ask any more questions.

(End of this chapter)