Chapter 214 Larry Brown's Roar

"Wolverine, I hope you can lead the Knicks to the finals."

"Does the Alliance think so?"

"of course."

"Haha, Luo Sihua, we will not let you and the alliance down."

"that would be great."

At this time, the starting lineups came on the field and the head coaches of both teams shook hands on the sidelines, with hostility in their eyes.

Zhang Heli said with a smile: "The American media summarized several highlights of this Eastern Conference Finals. The first one is the highlights of the two head coaches."

Xu Jicheng smiled and said, "They say Larry Brown picked up the fruits of Rick Carlisle's labor. If the Pistons win this time, it will be true."

Yang Jian said: "The second highlight is that the Knicks eliminated the Pistons in the second round last year, and this year the Pistons will definitely want revenge."

Zhang Heli said: "The third point to watch is that the Pistons have a civilian lineup, without a superstar, and they play a defensive style. If they can successfully make it to the finals, it means that this lineup configuration is also acceptable."

Xu Jicheng said: “The fourth point to watch is that Zhongqiu once told the media on media day that his luck is better than Ewing’s because there is no Michael Jordan in the East now.

This statement is actually not good for him, because if he always fails to make it to the finals and win the championship, the media's evaluation of him may be lower than that of Ewing. "

"Yes, that's possible. But that day is still a long way off, as it's only the second season." Zhang Heli nodded.

Before the warm-up, there was an award ceremony for the best team. Loshua Daley chatted with He Zhongqiu for a few words, and then presented him with the trophy for the best team.

"Clap clap clap..."

There was prolonged applause in Madison Square Garden.

At 8:30, the game started and the Knicks attacked after the jump ball.

"It's indeed Rasheed Wallace who is defending Mid-Autumn." Yang Jian said.

"Ben Wallace defended Mutombo, and neither of them attacked." Zhang Heli said.

"It was man-to-man defense, and the Pistons didn't play a zone defense," said Xu Jicheng.

The noise level in the stadium, which seats more than 20,000 people, is very loud. They wear headsets and the commentators have to turn up the volume to keep the sound clear.

Rick Carlisle had long anticipated that the Pistons might let Rasheed Wallace defend the Wolverines, so he arranged corresponding offensive tactics.

The Knicks have not played against the Pistons since the Pistons strengthened their team with Rasheed Wallace, but he worked out a result based on the game between the two Wallaces.

That is, if the two Wallaces are separated, the defensive effect will be reduced to a level, because both of them have their weaknesses in defense and neither of them can be considered a top defender.

Ben Wallace is too short and his one-on-one defense is not top-notch.

Rasheed Wallace weighs only 105 kilograms. When facing a power-type inside player, he is not strong enough and cannot reach the top defensive level.

According to his analysis, the strongest defense of these two players is not their individual defense, but their assisting defense ability.

Whenever these two people are together, they can achieve a defensive effect of 1+1>2 and become a top defensive combination.

His way of dealing with it was to separate the two men, prevent them from coming together, and increase the distance between their joint defenses.

It just so happens that Wolverine can now make good use of his mid-range shot, and his close-range shot is even better, so he can execute his offensive tactics.

He Zhongqiu entered the frontcourt and took a position one step outside the left waist according to the tactics.

Rasheed Wallace was in the left waist position, with a distance of 1.5 meters between the two players, and his arms were still a long way from being able to be straightened.

At this time, Nash broke through from the right wing with the ball, Bonzi Wells set a pick and roll, and Hamilton immediately switched defense.

"Nash changed direction and rushed in." Xu Jicheng shouted.

Seeing Nash get rid of Billups and then break through Hamilton, He Zhongqiu immediately approached the penalty area, while Rasheed Wallace immediately took a step back.

At the same time, Ben Wallace under the basket moved to the right waist position for defense.

Hamilton caught up with Nash and was about to succeed in double-teaming him.

At this moment, he stopped suddenly, dribbled the ball between his legs, pulled up his left hand and suddenly pushed forward, and the ball flew past Ben Wallace's right side in an instant.

When He Zhongqiu received the ball at the left waist position, Rasheed Wallace, who was one step away, hurried forward, but how could his movement speed be as fast as He Zhongqiu's shooting speed?
The next moment, He Zhongqiu jumped.

He threw the ball with his right arm very quickly, so fast that Rasheed Wallace didn't have time to react. The basketball flew over his head, hit the backboard, and bounced into the basket.

"Clap clap clap..."

Madison Square Garden immediately erupted in warm applause.

"Beautiful! Zhongqiu scored a goal easily by hitting the ball at a 45-degree angle." Yang Jian said happily.

On the sidelines, Larry Brown roared: "Rashid, fight, I want to see your fight, don't let him catch the ball easily, I don't want to see him take an open shot."

Zhang Heli said: "It's understandable that the Knicks don't play a zone defense, because the Pistons' offense is really average, so man-to-man defense is enough.

The Pistons don't play a zone defense. They probably think that the outside defense can limit Nash's dribbling breakthroughs, and the inside defense can limit Mid-Autumn."

"That's definitely what I think." Yang Jian said.

0:2, Pistons attack.

"Follow them closely."

Rick Carlisle yelled.

Hamilton ran as fast as he could and Wells chased as hard as he could, but they were somewhat unable to catch up.

Mutombo guarded the low post, He Zhongqiu guarded Rasheed Wallace on the right wing, and Battier guarded Prince on the left wing.

At the same time, He Zhongqiu and Battier also have a defensive assistance mission.

But they were not helping to defend the basket. Mutombo was more than capable of defending Ben Wallace. Their target of help defense was Hamilton who was running around. Wells could not keep up and could only rely on their help defense.

Hamilton ran a few laps, saw that he had gotten rid of Wells, and ran back to the left wing, making a pick-and-roll with Prince.

When Prince took the opportunity to get an open position, Billups passed the ball to him.

"brush!"

Battier failed to return to defense in time and Prince made a three-pointer.

"You fight so patiently." Xu Jicheng praised.

"Wells is a little fat. He can't run for long before he runs out of energy. I think we'll have to play a zone defense," said Yang Jian.

3:2, Knicks attack.

He Zhongqiu still took position one step outside the left wing, and Nash prepared to launch an attack with the ball on the right wing.

The two core inside and outside teams form synergy on both sides of the strength and weakness, attract each other's defense, and create opportunities for the opponent. This is Carlisle's tactical thinking.

This time, Rasheed Wallace, as requested by Larry Brown, wanted to confront He Zhongqiu.

However, when he was about to engage in close combat, He Zhongqiu gave him a direct warning.

He Zhongqiu's chaotic divine steps started immediately, and his irregular steps like a whirlwind of flowers made Roaring Tianzun a little dizzy.

The next moment, He Zhongqiu bypassed Rasheed Wallace, entered the penalty area, turned around to block the defender Rasheed Wallace outside.

"Damn it!"

When Larry Brown saw it, he immediately started cursing in dissatisfaction.

Nash saw it and thought, is it necessary to break through with the ball? Save some energy and just throw it in.

The basketball flew high into the air to the left side of the basket. Ben Wallace under the basket knew it was bad, but he could only rush forward and jump as high as he could to intercept the pass.

Unfortunately, Nash's pass was top-notch, but after estimating his interception height, he failed to reach the ball.

"boom!"

The next moment, He Zhongqiu caught the ball with both hands and dunked it.

An aerial relay slam dunk sent Madison Square Garden into a frenzy.

"Zhongqiu's magical step is really comparable to Dameng's dream step. It can be used not only when holding the ball, but also when positioning without the ball." Yang Jian said excitedly.

"It is said that the basic steps of Xingyiquan were borrowed, haha!" Zhang Heli laughed.

Xu Jicheng said: "Looking at the Knicks' two attacks, Zhongqiu didn't go directly to the basket to take position. There was no physical confrontation, and the physical consumption was reduced, which is beneficial to the series."

"Reducing physical confrontation will lead to fewer injuries in the future," said Zhang Heli.

3:4, Pistons attack.

At the top of the arc, Billups shot over Nash's head and hit another three-pointer.

6:4, Knicks attack.

"Oh, another three-pointer. Are the Pistons in such good form today?" Xu Jicheng exclaimed.

"I think we still need a double team defense. Nash needs help defense. The Pistons are not the Nets. Hamilton and Prince's baskets are much more accurate than Jefferson and Kidders." Yang Jian said.

"Let's wait and see, there's no rush." ​​Zhang Heli said.

Xu Jicheng said: "In fact, we can switch defense and let Nash guard Hamilton. The masked man's ball-holding offense is not good.

Although Nash's speed can keep up with Hamilton, his physical fitness is not good enough, so I'm afraid he won't be able to keep watch for long. "

At this time, Nash broke through with the ball on the right wing and was double-teamed by Ben Wallace and Hamilton outside the right waist position. He Zhongqiu's position was blocked by Rasheed Wallace who was coming forward. Others were also closely watched and had to make a quick stop and jump shot in a hurry.

"Bang!"

But the feel was a bit poor and I missed the target.

Rasheed Wallace was defending in front of the basket, positioned outside. When the basketball hit the rim and bounced back, he was pushed outside by He Zhongqiu and lost the opportunity to grab the backcourt rebound.

"boom!"

He Zhongqiu grabbed the offensive rebound with both hands, jumped a second time, and slammed the ball with both hands, causing the cheers in the stadium to ring out again.

"Great! Three hits out of three. Zhongqiu is in good shape today." Yang Jian said excitedly.

Zhang Heli said: "Nash's offense is very good, but his offensive ability when facing defense is average, and his offense in double-teams is even worse. He is good at getting rid of the defender before shooting."

"Others need to keep moving and cannot stand and play. If they run into open space, Nash will definitely pass the ball," said Yang Jian.

Zhang Heli said: "Nash dribbled the ball on the strong side, and whenever he completed the breakthrough, Ben Wallace would make up for it every time.

This kind of help defense is indeed effective for Nash, but Ben Wallace has no chance to help defend the Mid-Autumn point again, so there is no problem with the Knicks' offensive tactics.

The problem now is defense. The Pistons' offense is not strong, but they let him shoot two three-pointers in a row. We have to find a way."

6:6, the Pistons attacked and called a timeout after serving.

"The Pistons called a timeout, probably to solve the problem on the defensive end," said Zhang Heli.

"Yes, they failed to defend against Nash's breakthrough from the outside and lost the defensive rebound inside, allowing the Knicks to make 4 of 3 shots. Their defense is no better than the Knicks," said Yang Jian.

Xu Jicheng said: "The key is that Ben Wallace did not provide any help defense for Zhongqiu, and Rasheed Wallace could not defend Zhongqiu alone. This is their defensive problem."

In front of the Pistons bench, Larry Brown sternly said to Billups and Hamilton: "Chauncey, Richard, you disappoint me so much. Your defense is a mess. Nash has already turned you into a sieve."

The two men lowered their heads and endured Larry Brown's rain of spit.

Larry Brown said: "Nash didn't fight. I want to see your toughness and your fight. Slow him down, put pressure on him, and be sure to stop him from getting close to the restricted area from the outside. Remember, don't let Ben clean up your mess every time."

On the Knicks bench next to him, Rick Carlisle was arranging defensive tactics.

The Pistons made two consecutive three-pointers, which shows that the Pistons' outside shooting was pretty good today, so they must be careful with three-pointers. If man-to-man defense doesn't work, then they can play a zone defense.

He arranged a three-two zone defense, focusing on defending outside breakthroughs and shots.

Nash guarded the high position and had no assisting defense task, so he asked Battier and Bonzi Wells on the two wings to strengthen the defense in the middle.

"When you help defend, pay attention to Hamilton's position. If he goes to the left wing, Wells will help defend Nash. If he goes to the right wing, Battier will be responsible for helping defend."

"When assisting in defense, you must be careful to cut off their passing angles, and the double team attack must be quick, decisive, and fierce."

"Steve, try to entangle Billups and create a chance for your teammates to double-team him, even if it's only for half a second."

On the offensive end, he asked Nash to pay attention that the Pistons would definitely intensify their double-teaming and blocking of him, so he asked him to strengthen the pick-and-roll tactics with Battier.

After the timeout, the Pistons attacked.

"Well, the Knicks have changed to a 3-2 zone defense, so Wells doesn't have to follow Hamilton anymore," Yang Jian said.

Larry Brown did not arrange any offensive tactics, and Billups liked this point about the head coach, as he could play offense according to his own ideas on the court.

He was holding the ball near the top of the arc when Hamilton ran into the restricted area from the left wing. Wells immediately began to double-team the top of the arc, and Nash also pressed towards him.

Seeing Wolverine guarding outside the right waist position, two or three meters away from Rasheed Wallace, he passed the ball over immediately.

The next moment, Billups had just shot the ball, and his reaction speed was faster than before. He Zhongqiu, who was at level 91, turned around and rushed over.

When Rasheed Wallace received the ball, he found that Wolverine had pounced in front of him, so he quickly held the ball with both hands and shook it upwards, making a fake stand-up and kick-off motion.

In his mind, this fake move should be able to shake Wolverine into the air, and then he can stand up a second time and jump shot, or he can dribble one step forward and then jump shot.

However, the person he met was He Zhongqiu.

When Rasheed Wallace kicked the ball upwards and the ball just reached his face, He Zhongqiu stretched out his arms, and his eagle claws were like hooks, instantly grabbed the ball and snatched it away.

"Oh ho!"

Madison Square Garden immediately erupted in cheers.

"Oh, steal! Zhongqiu directly snatched the ball." Zhang Heli shouted excitedly.

Billups is experienced and quick to react. When he saw Wolverine steal the ball, he immediately entangled Nash to prevent the Knicks from making a fast break.

"Damn it!"

Rasheed Wallace wanted to counterattack on the spot, but He Zhongqiu didn't give him a chance.

He Zhongqiu saw that Nash was entangled, so he simply took the ball and went for a fast break.

His dribbling is level 74, which is very good for a center. If he is facing a smaller player, there is a possibility of being intercepted, but when facing a tall player like Rasheed Wallace, he is not worried about being intercepted at all.

Because in terms of speed, agility, strength, and confrontation, Rasheed Wallace is not as good as him.

"Okay, Zhongqiu will lead the fast break and pass the midfield." Xu Jicheng shouted excitedly.

He Zhongqiu strode across the center line. Rasheed Wallace chased him on the left side, but was blocked by his left arm and could not pose any substantial threat to him.

Nash ran down the middle to the left wing and reached out his hand to He Zhongqiu, with Billups chasing after him.

Wells, who also ran down the middle, rushed straight to the basket with no one guarding him.

Both Prince who was returning to defense from the right wing and Hamilton who was returning to defense from the penalty area were at least two meters away from him.

"Whoosh!"

He Zhongqiu passed the ball.

After receiving the ball, Wellston took two steps to make a layup and scored a goal.

"Beautiful! Zhongqiu got an assist." Yang Jian praised.

Zhang Heli laughed and said: "Hamilton was running around in the frontcourt, so during the transition between offense and defense, especially when the offense failed, he couldn't keep a close eye on his own players."

Xu Jicheng nodded and said, "Wells initiated the fast break from the top of the arc. Except for Billups, the others didn't have time to switch defense."

"The Knicks made 5 of 4 shots. The Pistons' defense tonight was not very effective for the time being. Let's see how they defend next time," said Yang Jian.

(End of this chapter)