Chapter 298 A Shocking Goal

0:3, Pistons attack.

The Knicks set up a three-two zone defense, with Battier guarding the high post, Josh Howard guarding the left side, Nash guarding the right side, and He Zhongqiu and Karl Malone guarding the left and right waist positions.

Billups held the ball and advanced from the right.

As he approached the three-point line, the Knicks' defensive formation moved to the right wing, and Battier, who was in a high position, moved to the right elbow area, forming a double-team on him.

At this time, Hamilton crossed the penalty area from the right wing and ran to the left wing, drawing some of the Knicks' defensive attention.

Prince on the left three-point line took the opportunity to run quickly to the top of the arc and reached out for the ball.

Josh Howard followed, but did not follow to the top of the arc. His defensive area was the upper line of the left wing, where Hamilton was.

At this time, Billups passed the ball to Prince, then double-teamed Battier on the right wing and quickly returned to the top of the arc. At the same time, Josh Howard also immediately double-teamed the top of the arc.

Prince received the ball. The double-teaming from both sides only left him with a small space, but he still chose to shoot.

Battier and Josh Howard jumped from the left and right sides almost at the same time to block the shot, but Prince's shot was very determined.

"brush!"

A splash appeared and a three-pointer was made.

"Oh, the ball went in. Actually, Battier and his team defended very well." Yu Jia said with some surprise.

Zhang Heli smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. This kind of ball is unlikely to go in all the time. Unless they have a great touch, it's impossible to beat the Knicks with this kind of ball."

3:3, Knicks attack.

He Zhongqiu was still two meters outside the left waist position, parallel to the baseline, two meters away from the defender Prince above.

Nash passed the ball to Battier first, and Battier then passed it to He Zhongqiu.

The Knicks' offense was exactly the same as last time, and so was Prince's defense. He immediately turned around and double-teamed He Zhongqiu.

Prince's turnaround double-team was very quick and resolute, not giving He Zhongqiu the opportunity to single out Rasheed Wallace after receiving the ball.

However, because He Zhongqiu passed the ball last time, he also had a trick up his sleeve for this double-team and was mentally prepared to defend Battier.

Precisely because of this trick, his double-attack speed was not as fast as last time, and this left He Zhongqiu with an opportunity.

When He Zhongqiu's right hand received the ball, Prince's hand had not yet touched him, and was still one foot away.

The next moment, he suddenly turned right, passed the ball to his left hand, and then threw it to the floor as he turned around and dribbled through.

Prince instinctively reached out and grabbed a handful, but He Zhongqiu turned too quickly and his hand grabbed his back, making it useless.

Rasheed Wallace reacted quickly, moving his body to the right and sticking to He Zhongqiu's right hand side, while exerting resistance in an attempt to slow down He Zhongqiu.

But He Zhongqiu's explosive power was too strong. He turned around in the first step and exerted force with his feet in the second step and rushed forward. Rasheed Wallace tried to pull him with his hands but failed to hold him back.

Roaring Tianzun was horrified, he felt like he was competing with a lion.

He Zhongqiu took the third step into the penalty area. After receiving the ball, he held the ball high in his right hand and flew towards Ben Wallace who was returning to defend the basket.

The next moment, he flew high into the sky and dived towards Ben Wallace like a heavy bomber.

"Oh!"

Like Mars hitting the Earth, Ben Wallace suddenly flipped backwards with the sound of heavy bodies impacting.

The extremely brutal and violent mid-air collision created an extremely stimulating visual impact, which instantly made all the fans' eyes shrink and the adrenaline in their bodies instantly explode.

"boom!"

Almost at the same time, an extremely violent explosion sound was heard.

The invisible shock wave resounded throughout Madison Square Garden and was heard by countless fans around the world who were watching the game.

"Oh!"

"Oh ho!"

Ben Wallace flew backwards more than two meters and fell heavily to the ground. Thousands of people in Madison Square Garden raised their arms and shouted extremely loudly like a tsunami. Everyone's adrenaline was burning wildly.

He Zhongqiu made the pose of a golden rooster standing on one leg and an eagle spreading its wings under the basket. As his arms vibrated up and down, the cheers from the audience became even crazier.

"Hoohoo!"

On the sidelines, Jordan and Spike Lee were yelling.

Yu Jia shouted excitedly: "Zhongqiu's confrontation ability is terrible! He knocked down Ben Wallace, the best defender of the season, and completed the most exciting dunk."

Zhang Heli shouted excitedly, "This is the most morale-boosting dunk! This is the most demoralizing dunk for the opponent!"

Ben Wallace climbed to his feet, breathless, with the help of Rasheed Wallace.

His entire chest felt as if it had been hit by a truck, breaking into pieces, and both rows of ribs were groaning in pain. If it weren't for the protection of his strong pectoralis major muscles, they would have definitely been broken.

He was extremely angry, the sharp light in his eyes almost burst out, his fists clenched in front of his chest, and he roared angrily:
"Defense!"

"Idiot! It's your turn to attack now."

He Zhongqiu said something and ran to the backcourt.

Ben Wallace was startled, then quickly lowered his head and followed.

"Ha ha……"

The media reporters, Knicks cheerleaders and fans behind the baseline all burst into laughter.

3:5, Pistons attack.

Hamilton ran and caught the ball in the left blocking area.

That place belonged to He Zhongqiu's defensive area. He took two steps and three meters away and jumped up to block the shot.

"Jump so high?"

Hamilton was startled and had to significantly increase the angle of his shot.

"Bang!"

After missing the shot, the Postman grabbed the backcourt rebound.

"Oh!"

He still used his old habit of protecting the ball. After grabbing the rebound, he swept his elbows left and right, forcing back Rasheed Wallace who wanted to steal the ball.

Rasheed Wallace's main purpose is to prevent the postman from passing the ball quickly, and other defenders take the opportunity to return to defense.

Nash received the ball and advanced to the frontcourt, where his teammates were already in position.

The first two attacks were the cooperation of Battier and He Zhongqiu on the left wing. He did not attack with the ball. This time he moved to the right wing and started attacking with the ball.

Facing Billups' defense, he was not careless, and Rick Carlisle also asked him to use more pick-and-roll screens to break through.

When it came to the Pistons' choice of defending He Zhongqiu and Nash, Larry Brown chose to double-team Nash, the Knicks' offensive engine, to cut off the connection between him and He Zhongqiu.

But the double-team on Nash was not a direct double-team from the outside, because the Pistons did not play a zone defense, but man-to-man defense.

Instead, it is the layers of defense and help defense, which is the strongest point of the Pistons' defensive system.

Nash accelerated with the ball and changed direction, breaking through from the inside towards the right elbow area.

He chose to break through from the inside because the Pistons played man-to-man defense and had no zone defense.

At this time, He Zhongqiu pulled two meters outside the left waist position, and Rasheed Wallace defended outside the left waist position.

The Postman pulled to the right blocking area, with Ben Wallace guarding the low right wing, outside the right sideline of the penalty area.

In other words, the restricted area is empty. As long as he gets to the right elbow area and threatens the restricted area, one of the two Wallaces will definitely return to defend the basket, and then one of the Wolverines or the Mailman will have an open space.

Billups immediately moved to the right side, using his strong body to confront and squeeze Nash, slowing down Nash's breakthrough speed.

But he was faster and still beat Billups.

At the free throw line, Hamilton made timely backup defense, established a second line of defense, and blocked Nash.

Hamilton's vacant position was filled by Prince on the left wing.

At this moment, Nash suddenly jumped up and passed the ball horizontally, and the basketball flew to Battier who was in an open position on the left wing.

Outside the left waist position, Rasheed Wallace pounced on Battier, showing the fastest defensive speed.

And low on the right wing, Ben Wallace pounced on He Zhongqiu.

At this moment, the Pistons demonstrated their top-notch overall rotation and defensive capabilities.

On the left wing three-point line, Battier received the ball and saw Rasheed Wallace rushing two meters away, so he didn't dare to shoot. At this time, he saw Wolverine cutting to the basket and quickly lobbed the ball over.

He Zhongqiu entered the penalty area and was blocked by Ben Wallace two meters in front of the left side of the basket. He immediately turned around to block the position, and at this time Battier's ball arrived.

The next moment, he received the ball and dribbled backwards.

"Oh!"

Under the huge explosive force, Ben Wallace was uprooted and his feet were off the ground.

"Oh!"

The moment Ben Wallace flew backwards, the screams in Madison Square Garden rose like a whirlwind.

"Here we go again!" Jordan shouted excitedly.

"boom!"

After knocking the defender away, He Zhongqiu turned around and received the ball. He took a step forward and dunked the ball with both hands, sinking the basket two feet.

"Oh ho!"

The shouting was like a volcanic eruption.

"Oh my God!"

Zhang Heli laughed and said, "Ben Wallace was pushed away. Zhongqiu's explosive power is even stronger now. It's ridiculous!"

Yu Jia said excitedly: "That's how O'Neal plays in the low post. Now it's Zhongqiu's turn." Zhang Heli said with a smile: "Big Ben definitely can't defend Zhongqiu alone, otherwise it wouldn't be Rasheed Wallace who's mainly defending Zhongqiu."

Yu Jia laughed and said, "Even Rasheed Wallace couldn't defend against him. He is taller than Wallace, but not as strong as Wallace. Wallace was pushed away. If it was Rasheed, he would have flown farther."

Zhang Heli laughed and said, "Big Ben is unlucky. He was knocked down twice at the beginning. If he keeps fighting like this, even if his body is strong, it is not made of iron after all. He might get hurt."

Far away in San Antonio, a group of Spurs players, organized by Popovich, were watching the game at the training base.

Seeing this, Popovich's heart became heavy.

He said to Duncan, who was sitting next to him, "Tim, he's stronger now. You might get hurt if you defend like this. Don't defend him like Ben Wallace did."

"How do we defend it?" Duncan asked.

"How to prevent it?"

Popovich turned around and looked at Rasu behind him.

Lasu was shocked and couldn't help but complain, "I am a marginal character, you won't let me defend Wolverine?"

Popovich said: "Rasu will be the main defender, Tim, you double-team him, and we will double-team him in advance."

"Fortunately."

Although he was still the main defender, it was not a one-on-one defense, and it was a double-team in advance. Lasu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Double-team in advance?"

Duncan took a deep breath. This defensive tactic made him feel extremely pressured.

Even during the Lakers' OK combination's three consecutive championships, when playing against O'Neal in his prime, Popovich did not arrange a double-team tactic in advance, at most only a double-team under the basket.

In other words, in Popovich's mind, Wolverine is more threatening than the Shaq in his prime.

"In the post and around the basket?" he asked.

Popovich nodded and said, “After leaving the restricted area, there is no need for double-teaming, as we don’t have that much defensive strength.

How many points he can score from outside depends on his ability. After all, his mid-range shooting percentage is only over 40%, which is not as efficient as his low-post and under-the-rim offenses.”

When he said this, he glanced at the TV and said thoughtfully:
"The Pistons can't defend the Wolverines by single defense and double-teaming after catching the ball, as was proven in last year's Eastern Conference Finals.

The Wolverines are stronger and harder to defend than last year, comparable to O'Neal in his prime. I think Larry Brown will change his defensive tactics soon."

At Madison Square Garden, the score was 5:11, then Larry Brown called a timeout and changed the defensive tactics.

"Double-team the Wolverines in advance, and use three-on-four defenses at other positions. Don't leave them with wide open space." He said sternly to Ben Wallace and others.

"Yes."

Ben Wallace and others responded in a deep voice.

"The Pistons made 6 of 2 shots, Hamilton made a mid-range shot, and Prince made a three-pointer." Yu Jia said.

Zhang Heli continued: "The Knicks made 7 of 5 shots, with an amazing success rate. Among them, Battier made a three-pointer, Zhongqiu made 3 of 3 shots, the Postman missed a mid-range shot, and Nash made 2 of 1 shots."

Yu Jia asked: "Coach Zhang, how do you think the Pistons will defend next? Zhongqiu's offensive power is too strong, and ordinary double-teaming can't defend him at all."

Zhang Heli said: "I have been thinking about this problem, and there is no solution. The only way is to double-team in advance and there is still a chance.

The core of the early double-team is to prevent the ball from being received, which fundamentally limits the offense of Zhongqiu. "

Yu Jia nodded and said, "When the Rockets played against the Mavericks, Yao Ming suffered from the front defense, and Dampier defended his receiving the ball. The least number of attacks in one game was only 7."

The timeout ended and the Pistons attacked.

Hamilton ran a few circles and pulled to the left corner to receive the pass from Prince.

This off-ball running tactic was intended to attract the Wolverines and create opportunities for his teammate Rasheed Wallace.

He Zhongqiu rushed over, and Rasheed Wallace, who was wandering outside the left waist position, immediately cut into the penalty area and asked Hamilton for the ball.

Hamilton immediately moved one step to the right and passed the ball.

But at this moment, He Zhongqiu made the fastest defensive response.

He quickly moved a small step to the left, grabbed with his left claw, and with the precise eagle claw skill, he caught the basketball that Hamilton had just passed, then turned around and started to run fast.

"what?"

Hamilton was surprised and immediately turned around to chase.

But he started later, and by the time he took the first step, He Zhongqiu, who had terrifying explosive power, had already taken the third step.

"Oh, the ball is intercepted! Zhongqiu intercepts the ball, come on!" Yu Jia shouted excitedly.

"Oh oh oh……"

As He Zhongqiu was dribbling the ball, huge cheers rang out in Madison Square Garden, with each wave getting louder than the last.

"Wolverine, dunk!"

Spike Lee was so excited that he was shouting, yelling, and dancing on the sidelines.

Jordan continued to applaud and had already stood up from his seat.

He Zhongqiu crossed the center line in a few steps and headed diagonally to the basket.

The powerful explosive force made his feet seem to be equipped with motors, and his whole body was full of impact, like a heavy truck with the accelerator fully stepped on.

"Click, click..." Flash lights went on one after another in the media seats behind the baseline.

"Why so fast? Faster than last year!"

Hamilton behind tried his best to accelerate, but he couldn't shorten the distance by even one centimeter, and even fell further and further behind.

The other Pistons players fell behind, and Prince started to defend at the three-point line, in front of He Zhongqiu, and he also ran ahead of He Zhongqiu.

However, under this terrifying impact force visible to the naked eye, he did not dare to stop He Zhongqiu from rushing to the basket.

He Zhongqiu swept from the backcourt to the frontcourt like a gust of wind, broke into the penalty area from the right elbow area in one step, and then soared into the air.

At this moment, he seemed to have broken free from the earth's gravity and was flying freely in the sky like an eagle spreading its wings.

In the air, his body was pulled back into a bow, stretched to the full length, and then bounced back instantly. With infinite explosive power, his right arm held the ball and chopped down, like a god's battle axe that could split the sky.

"Crack, click, click..."

At this moment, the shutter sounds in the media seats suddenly became ten times more frequent.

"boom!"

Under the terrifying explosive force, the basket was smashed down instantly, the links fixed on the basket stand broke instantly, and then the entire backboard blew away in an instant, turning into particles all over the sky.

"boom!"

The scene was silent for a second, and then turned into a boiling ocean.

The earth-shaking shouts and cheers instantly flooded Madison Square Garden, flooded the hearts of everyone present, flooded New York, and swept across the world.

"The backboard exploded! Exploded! Zhongqiu smashed the basket! He smashed the basket! He exploded the backboard!" Yu Jia roared madly.

"Hahahaha..." Zhang Heli laughed excitedly.

"This is the first backboard he smashed after signing the rebounding endorsement contract." Yu Jia said excitedly.

Zhang Heli said excitedly: "The basketball hoop nowadays is different from before. The transmission of power is buffered. Zhongqiu directly smashed the basket and the backboard. It's incredible. His explosive power is really terrifying."

At the baseline, He Zhongqiu looked at the basket in his hand, chuckled, and felt that it was a nice collectible.

"Crack, click, click..."

The flash lights kept flashing.

Jordan shouted from the sidelines: "Wolverine, give it to me. I just need a basketball hoop at home. I will exchange it with you for a set of fine baseball clubs."

Owner James Dolan looked excited and shouted, "Wolverine, according to the rules this is the property of the arena, give it to me quickly."

"Ha ha……"

A group of Hollywood stars couldn't help laughing when they heard what they said.

He Zhongqiu looked at the two of them with a strange expression and asked, "Do you think I'm stupid?"

The game was interrupted, and the stadium staff rushed to the warehouse to get the backboard and basket, while other staff began to dismantle the basketball stand.

The Pistons bench was a bit dull.

At the beginning of the game, the team leader Ben Wallace was knocked down repeatedly by Wolverine, and now the basket was smashed and the backboard was broken.

It was a huge blow to the Pistons' morale.

Even though the Pistons are a tough and iron-blooded team, they can't withstand such repeated torment.

Ben Wallace was gasping for breath, his chest ached, and as the captain and leader, he was also under the greatest psychological pressure.

If he has a history of defeating Wolverine, then he has the confidence to assure his teammates that he will deal with Wolverine next.

But he didn't, and he's been getting beaten since his rookie season with the Wolverines.

In the 02/03 season, the Pistons he led were eliminated in the second round by the Knicks of the Wolverines, and were eliminated by the Knicks again in the Eastern Conference Finals last year.

Moreover, he has never been a person who motivates his teammates with words. He only relies on tough defense to motivate his teammates' morale.

So now he has no way to boost the morale of the team, which has always been his responsibility, and when he can't step up, there's no one to take over and motivate the team.

Rasheed Wallace doesn't have this ability. He has never been a qualified team leader. That's why he was traded by the Trail Blazers.

Others were even more helpless, including head coach Larry Brown.

Larry Brown has not achieved any results with the Pistons. Even the Dream Team he coached lost to the Huaxia team led by He Zhongqiu. He is not qualified to motivate the team's morale.

Even when the rebounds were replaced and the game resumed, the Pistons' morale was still dead low, with no improvement at all.

(End of this chapter)