One Thousand Five Hundred and Eighty-Two. Hit-Me, a 7,000-Word Chapter, Please Vote!
What do the Pelicans fear most?
It must have been the last time they played against each other, when Sun Ce and Klay Thompson scored 23 points in 5 minutes.
Irving and Anthony Davis were used to being bullied by Sun Ce in various ways. As the No. 1 picks in 2011 and 2012, they were bullied by Sun Ce in various ways since they entered the NBA. Over time, I have become numb...
Just like today, Sun Ce played 20 minutes in the half, scoring 17 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks. If Sun Ce had encountered such a performance before, Irving and Anthony Davis would definitely have collapsed.
Especially the big shot at the beginning. In the last match, Anthony Davis was blocked and dunked by Sun Ce, which made him doubt his life.
But winning can boost confidence. The Pelicans' record has improved significantly this season. Although they are not guaranteed to make the playoffs, they at least have the ability to compete for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
Half a season later, Irving and Anthony Davis are completely different. Facing Sun Ce's strength, the two worked hard to perform better!
Irving had 18 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists in the half, and Anthony Davis had 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocks in the half!
The second half started with the Grizzlies attacking first.
Sun Ce received the serve and advanced towards the frontcourt. Everyone faces different pressures when facing the same thing, and it is even more different when they are on opposite sides.
The amazing cooperation between Irving and Anthony Davis in this game made Sun Ce feel huge pressure.
Aside from being a bit brittle, these two match up so well.
In the frontcourt, Sun Ce encountered the guard of Nigeria's Crown Prince Aminu, who was very passionate tonight. Klay Thompson came up to help Sun Ce block Aminu. As soon as Sun Ce moved to the right, Irving came up.
Sun Ce, who took a shot of stamina potion at halftime, returned to his physical condition at the beginning of the game. He hit a three-pointer at the last moment of the first half and felt great!
Ignoring Irving's defense, Sun Ce ran two steps along the three-point line, dribbled behind his back and suddenly opened the distance, turned around and took off, and shot a three-pointer within two seconds of the pick-and-roll...hit!
The ball-handling pick-and-roll expert's level 5 three-point bonus plays an important role!
As Sun Ce hit a three-pointer, "Splash Level 3" was triggered, and Sun Ce received a reminder that Klay Thompson would get a confidence bonus and find it easier to find his touch!
The Grizzlies retreated quickly.
It doesn't matter whether you can defend or not. What matters is your attitude. It's better to defend hard than not to defend at all.
Irving received the ball and advanced with a brisk pace. When he reached the frontcourt and encountered Sun Ce's defense, he continued to break through with cross steps. He reached the mid-range without dribbling behind his back and directly hoisted the ball toward the basket. It turned out that the inside line on the other side of the three-second zone was In the pick-and-roll, Anthony Davis cut into the paint and leaned on Paul George, who was changing defense, to smash the ball into the basket!
It’s really impossible to guard against it! Paul George's defensive ability and enthusiasm are already very good and cannot be better. In other words, the Grizzlies' defense has been pushed to the extreme on the outside. Paul George has a good grasp of the relationship between Aminu and Irving. There is no chance to pass and receive the ball. If you shrink back, you still can't defend it.
The defensive effect of Richard Jefferson and Yi Jianlian is not as good as Stoudemire and Yi Jianlian. The two brothers are big men after all.
In this case, we can only change the defensive strategy, and to implement this defensive strategy, the focus is on offense!
These thoughts happened in a moment. Sun Ce had already discussed it with the coaching staff during the halftime break. After receiving Paul George's serve, Sun Ce quickly advanced towards the frontcourt.
The defense of this lineup is not good, but the offense is really good. The strongest offense in the league in the first half of the season mainly relied on this five-man group.
Sun Ce continued to pick and roll with Klay Thompson. Richard Jefferson and Yi Jianlian inside were immediately ready to rush for the rebound. After Sun Ce picked and rolled, he was directly sandwiched by Aminu and Irving. Sun Ce broke into the mid-range and doubled under the opponent's basket. The tower was caught between Richard Jefferson and Yi Jianlian who were rushing to grab him. Aminu and Irving could only attack Sun Ce in the middle distance. They didn't want Sun Ce to throw away!
Sun Ce passed back the top arc, and Klay Thompson had a big gap!
What Irving is most worried about is the three-point connection between Sun Ce and Klay Thompson, but flanking defense and defensive tactics are inherently gambling, and gambling is always afraid of what will come... Klay Thompson caught the ball and hit a three-pointer!
66 to 69, the Grizzlies hit a wave of 6 to 2, narrowing the point difference to 3 points!
I really want to curse! Irving saw that the backcourt combination of Sun Ce and Klay Thompson was simply a swindle! After all, the Warriors only have one super three-point shooter in Curry... As for Harden, people regard him more as a new Mesozoic all-around superstar.
Irving advanced to the frontcourt and passed the ball to Anthony Davis who was pulled up to the high post. When Anthony Davis broke through and attracted Sun Ce to shrink, Irving moved to his good position and received Anthony Davis' return. Passing the ball, Irving hit a three-pointer, helping the Pelicans breathe a sigh of relief.
But as soon as Irving scored a three-pointer, the Grizzlies team, which had already picked up speed, Richard Jefferson immediately picked up the ball and sent it out. Sun Ce grabbed the ball and ran towards the frontcourt. Because Sun Ce and Klay Thompson Already connected, Sun Ce rushed up and startled the opponent. Klay Thompson judged the situation and ran quickly. Sun Ce rushed inside, Klay Thompson was restrained by the left sideline, and Sun Ce passed back the top arc. Paul George caught the ball and shot a three-pointer... and scored!
69 to 72, the Grizzlies will once again narrow the point difference to 3 points!
I don’t know when it started, but a 5-point difference was considered a hurdle in the past. But this season, a 5-point difference has become negligible for the NBA, where three-pointers are becoming more and more popular. A 5-7-point difference may be tied in three rounds!
For example, now, if Irving and Anthony Davis hadn’t scored 5 points in a row, the Grizzlies could have tied or even surpassed the score with this three-pointer just now!
It was really a bit anxious. Irving’s speed of advancing after receiving the serve was obviously much faster. When Irving advanced to the frontcourt, he found that the opponent’s defense had changed, and Paul George came to the outside defense!
And it was not a simple switch between Paul George and Sun Ce. Richard Jefferson went to defend Aminu’s cut and three-pointer, and Sun Ce went to defend Anthony Davis!
There is no way. Let Richard Jefferson defend Anthony Davis. The Pelicans’ inside line always has a huge threat and can always contain Sun Ce or Paul George’s defense. Irving played for 21 minutes and got 21 points and 6 assists. This can’t go on.
Sun Ce defended Anthony Davis. Although he was at a disadvantage in terms of strength, at least his height and wingspan disadvantages were much smaller. Moreover, Sun Ce was much faster than Richard Jefferson now, so he could definitely defend better. After all, Anthony Davis was not a strong inside player.
But threats can always be used. Irving asked Anthony Davis to screen and roll, forcing Sun Ce and Paul George to switch defense. After Irving screened and rolled, he broke through under Sun Ce's switch defense!
Breaking through to the mid-range, Irving faked a straight shot... It was a good idea. He used Anthony Davis' threat and Sun Ce's "obsession" to block Anthony Davis, so that Sun Ce and Paul George would double-team Anthony Davis. However, in a flash, when Irving broke through to the mid-range, turned around and jumped to fake a straight shot, he found that Sun Ce only accelerated a step to defend the dribble behind his back, and he made up for it in the first time!
Because Irving was jumping to fake a straight shot, the height of the shooting point was short, and the action was old, so he couldn't change it anymore. When the ball flew out, he was poked by Sun Ce!
The bonus effect of Olajuwon's wrist bandage played a key role again!
Sun Ce, who was pressing forward, jumped up again before Irving and grabbed the ball, one rebound and one block! After grabbing the ball, Sun Ce immediately advanced quickly, and Irving followed Sun Ce closely and caught up, but after retreating to the three-point line, Irving looked at Sun Ce's three-pointer... He didn't even want to reach out, how to defend this?
Klay Thompson and Paul George followed Sun Ce's fast-down route and fast-down along the sidelines on both sides to contain the defense. Yi Jianlian cut into the basket, the league's famous red-haired monster, dunked over Duncan, dunked over Howard's head, received the ball under the basket and turned around to dunk Griffin... Although there were not many times, those classic scenes of Yi Jianlian left a deep impression on the opponent. Anthony Davis dribbled into the basket, and Lopez Jr. hadn't caught up yet!
Sun Ce faced Irving's desperate face and shot a three-pointer... and it went in!
This ball had a great opportunity and a good touch. If it didn't go in, it would be a shame for Irving's desperate expression.
72-all!
The Grizzlies' three outside players scored 12 to 5 and tied the score.
Unlike in the past, the Pelicans did not give up when they saw the excellent performance of the opponent's three-man outside team, whose talents exploded and whose offensive performance gradually exploded!
Irving tried not to panic and look for better scoring and passing opportunities. The Pelicans' two rounds of chaotic offense stabilized in the next round.
However, the Grizzlies have already started to gain momentum. The huge threat of the three-man outside team gave Richard Jefferson and Yi Jianlian a lot of cutting opportunities in the next 4 minutes. In turn, Klay Thompson, the off-ball shooter, also got two shooting opportunities and scored one of them. At 6 minutes and 51 seconds in the third quarter, with Irving's layup, the Grizzlies called a timeout first. It was not that they were overtaken, but that it was time for the running inside team to rest.
89 to 82, Irving scored the last goal before the official timeout, but the Grizzlies were still leading by 7 points, so they called a timeout. Taking advantage of the longer timeout time, Coach Hollins prepared to arrange a round of tactics. When the official timeout came back, the score difference was widened to 10 points, locking in the victory!
…
Sometimes, it’s not that the opponent wants to compete with the Grizzlies in offense, just like the opponents in the past few years were unwilling to compete with the Grizzlies in defense… Who is willing to compete with the opponent’s strongest style?
But there is no way, the Grizzlies used to have too strong defense. At that time, the Grizzlies had a defensive combination of Sun Ce, Tony Allen, Paul George, Battier, and Gasol… Who can’t help but compete in defense?
Now, the three young stars on the outside of the Grizzlies are too strong in offense! Paul George averages 15.2 points per game, Klay Thompson averages 18.2 points per game, and Sun Ce averages nearly 33 points per game… These three people averaged almost 66 points per game, and many teams’ entire starting lineup averaged this number!
The only teams that can compare with the Grizzlies in terms of the average score of the trio are the Lakers and the Warriors. There is no other team. So far in the new season, there are only 20 players who average 20+ points per game, less than one per team on average; there are only 7 players who average 25+ points per game, and there is really no fourth trio that averages 60+ points per game.
When these three brothers play with two cutting forwards, the opponent can only take advantage of the opponent's two cutting forwards' poor defense to attack, otherwise they can't keep up with the firepower of these three brothers, and then let the rest of the Grizzlies score 53 points per game.
Kidd is under great pressure now. Some media and fans have said that he can only train rookies and coach in the early season. He will give up when he meets a strong team in the middle of the season.
But there is really no good way!
The main ones are Sun Ce and Klay Thompson. In the first half, these two had no three-point opportunities for most of the time. In the last three minutes of the first half, Sun Ce made a three-pointer to open the situation. He and Klay Thompson made three three-pointers together. At the beginning of the third quarter, the two each made two three-pointers. Without saying a word, they joined hands to make 7 three-pointers. The second three-point combination in the league, the Splash combination, has only averaged 6.8 three-pointers per game so far. The Splash Brothers have not finished the three quarters!
As long as one of Sun Ce and Klay Thompson opens the pot, the other is likely to continue. This is the most devastating point for the opponent.
No matter what, Kidd replaced Irving and Anthony Davis with Morrow, Babbitt, and Ryan Anderson.
Kidd is ready to fight and rush with offense!
And this time, Kidd made the right bet!
After the timeout, the Grizzlies sent out a combination of Sun Ce, Klay Thompson, Livingston, Amir Johnson, and Valanciunas.
The cooperation between Amir Johnson and Valanciunas is much better than that between Larry Sanders and Valanciunas. Although he wants to cultivate the latter's tacit understanding, Coach Hollins is ready to use it this way first.
In the first attack of the Grizzlies, Sun Ce cut into the basket and received a pass from Livingston and scored a layup, raising his personal score to 30 points, 13 points in a single quarter.
But looking back, Ryan Anderson's strong three-pointer helped the Pelicans kick off the counterattack!
The Grizzlies also continued to attack, and Amir Johnson received Sun Ce's pass and dunked to score two points.
However, the Pelicans' three-point shooting was crazy!
Today, the Pelicans were able to maintain their lead for a long time. In addition to the strong cooperation between Irving and Anthony Davis and the occasional high efficiency of Eric Gordon's singles, more importantly, the outside shooting was accurate and the cutting was sharp!
The Pelicans really tried their best and were in good shape to face the Grizzlies, who had a good rotation and good shape today, in the first half.
And now, Kidd used the dual core of Irving and Anthony Davis, coupled with three pure shooters, and shot like crazy!
In the offensive battle between the two teams, the Pelicans made crazy three-pointers. At the end of the third quarter, the number of three-pointers made by the Pelicans in three quarters increased to 16!
In the second half of the third quarter, the Pelicans stunned the Grizzlies!
In 5 minutes and 9 seconds, the Pelicans made 5 three-pointers, plus sharp cuts and scored, and beat the Grizzlies 21 to 12!
The Grizzlies scored 12 points in 5 minutes, which is no problem. The key is that the Pelicans scored 21 points!
103 to 101, the Pelicans surpassed the Grizzlies by two points to end the third quarter!
...
I thought it was going to be stable, but the opponent's three-pointer exploded again!
Just like the Splash Brothers occasionally made the opponent doubt their lives, and the opponent was pulled away or overtaken before they could react, Sun Ce did not react to the Pelicans' explosive three-point offensive.
These things are relative. If you walk on the road often, you will get your shoes wet.
Sun Ce looked at the statistics on the big screen. The Pelicans made 16 three-pointers in the first three quarters!
What does 16 three-pointers mean? Almost half of the Pelicans' 103 points were three-pointers!
In NBA history, the only three-pointers that performed better than the Pelicans in the first three quarters today were the Suns in the 2009-2010 season, which made 17 three-pointers in the first three quarters in the game against the Lakers, the Magic in the 2008-2009 season, which made 18 three-pointers in the first three quarters with one star and four shots, the Warriors in the 2012-2013 season, which made 18 three-pointers in the three quarters when they humiliated the Houston team 140-108 away, and the Grizzlies in the last season. 18 three-pointers in the first three quarters of the game against the Warriors!
In these four games, the four teams with explosive three-point shooting all made more than 20 three-pointers in a single game, among which the Magic and the Grizzlies made 23 three-pointers in a single game, the first in history.
When Sun Ce was suspended in the third quarter, he thought that he would rely on the offensive in the first half of the third quarter to lock in the victory. Unexpectedly, the opponent threw three-pointers regardless of the consequences, and really made 7 three-pointers in 5 shots. The three-pointer score alone was more than the score the Grizzlies got in the last 5 minutes of the third quarter!
The situation suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse, and the opponent, who was once in a slump in the third quarter, is now restless again! Because they also led for a long time in the first half with 9 three-pointers in the first half.
After 32 minutes in the third quarter, Sun Ce had 33 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 blocks, 1 steal, 3 fouls and 2 turnovers.
But on the other side, Irving and Anthony Davis really gritted their teeth and fought hard. After three quarters, Irving scored 34 points, 3 rebounds and 9 assists, Anthony Davis scored 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 blocks. In the last 5 minutes of the third quarter, the Pelicans made 5 three-pointers, two of which were made by Irving!
Originally, Sun Ce didn't expect things to develop like this, so he shouldn't blindly believe in offense and should change to a defensive lineup.
But this idea is purely hindsight. The situation has become like this, and he can only think of a way to play well in the fourth quarter. Sun Ce tried hard to adjust his mentality, listen to the coaching staff's tactical arrangements, and be prepared for the fourth quarter.
However, Kidd did not expect this situation on the Pelicans side. If he had known that these players would fight so hard and dare to shoot, Anthony Davis blocked Livingston in a single defense, and several shooters played so well, he should have replaced them in advance in the first half of the third quarter and started to wave.
The touch was so good tonight, and they could not limit the opponent's offense. They should have played like this a long time ago.
Both teams were dissatisfied, but now, both teams are ready to fight in the fourth quarter!
…
…
The situation suddenly changed. Seeing that the lead was 10 points, the opponent suddenly scored 21 to 12 in the first half of the quarter. The fans at the scene felt that their hearts could not bear the pressure again.
This is more exciting than riding a roller coaster. After a half-time silence, the team finally hit an offensive climax in the third quarter. At one point, they scored a crazy score of 29 to 15 in 7 minutes. The fans just got excited, and the opponent returned a wave of 21 to 12...
But the fans in front of the TV in China were very excited. The two teams scored more than 100 points in three quarters. They had to fight in the last quarter!
After the intermission, the Grizzlies' Sun Ce, Beverley, Paul George, Amir Johnson, and Yi Jianlian played.
On the Pelicans' side, Irving, Eric Gordon, Aminu, Anthony Davis, and Lopez Jr. played.
Morrow, Babbitt, and Ryan Anderson played very well, and their physical strength was needed at the critical moment.
Now Kidd wants to fight the Grizzlies with the momentum of the starting lineup.
The three outside players of the Grizzlies can control the ball, and the turnover rate is much lower than the starting lineup against the Pelicans at the beginning of the game.
The Grizzlies played slowly and patiently, without rushing to follow the speed of the Pelicans and the success rate. Let Amir Johnson come up, strengthen the front line defense, and Beverley can let Klay Thompson rest and can also shoot three-pointers and control the ball.
The two teams played, and the rhythm was completely different. The Pelicans became crazy about speeding up, and the situation of the game became more and more tense!
As the game went on, the Grizzlies gradually changed their lineup back to the starting lineup. Klay Thompson and Richard Jefferson were replaced, and they were paired with Sun Ce, Yi Jianlian, and Paul George to form the strongest offensive combination.
Kidd also replaced Morrow, Babbitt, and Ryan Anderson one by one when the Grizzlies were rotating, and played with Irving and Anthony Davis in the last half of the quarter.
At 10 minutes and 53 seconds in the fourth quarter, the Pelicans relied on Irving's three-pointer. While Irving's personal score increased to 43 points, the Pelicans once again surpassed the Grizzlies by one point with 133 to 132, and the Grizzlies called a timeout!
After the timeout, Sun Ce took advantage of the opponent's weak defense under the basket, and after the pick-and-roll, he rushed into the inside and caused Ryan Anderson to foul and scored 2+1. He also made the free throw, raising his personal score to 45 points.
Looking back, the Pelicans continued to play fast break. With the three wing shooters holding the defense and Anthony Davis cutting in to take away Sun Ce, Irving dribbled behind his back outside the three-point line, got rid of Paul George's pursuit, and jumped up to shoot...
Hit!
Irving scored 46 points and 13 assists! Although he had two fewer assists than Sun Ce, he was one point ahead of Sun Ce! Moreover, the Pelicans overtook again with 136 to 135, and Irving hit the key shot!
However, some referees had objections. The baseline referee thought Irving stepped on the line, and the referee was not sure, so he went to watch the replay.
Sun Ce watched the score tie with 29 seconds left, and hurried back to the bench to call his teammates to discuss tactics.
The effect of "Death Coming" has been triggered, and Sun Ce's physical strength, which was almost collapsing, was fully revived in the last 30 seconds!
At the same time, "Havlicek's Hand" may be triggered. If Irving's ball is two points, then it is possible, but no matter what, if you want to win, you have to shoot the next ball.
But now, there is no good tactic! The coaching staff is not good at arranging specific tactics at critical moments. They are responsible for the overall situation, and most of the details depend on the players.
It was too quick to confirm whether the line was stepped on or not. There was a camera that directly captured that it was not stepped on. As soon as Sun Ce thought of the tactic, the referee had already signaled the game to continue.
The key is that they did not have a timeout! In the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies actually had a slight advantage against the Pelicans. Obviously, they were stronger than the Pelicans. The Pelicans were purely hanging on by a breath, and that breath was their violent 20 three-pointers in a single game tonight... Irving's three-pointer just now did not step on the line, and he had 21 three-pointers in a single game.
In this case, although the Grizzlies have an advantage in theory, they still
saw that they did not use the extra "timeout time" given by the referee this time, which means that they had to attack immediately after Irving scored, and now they are 1 point behind... Sun Ce is under great pressure! Really great pressure!
However, there was no timeout, so Sun Ce could only blame the camera for being too accurate. The referee watched the replay from two angles and found a shot that confirmed that Irving's toes were about one centimeter away from the three-point line when he jumped.
Since it was not a dead ball and there was no timeout, Sun Ce could only clap his hands to encourage his teammates and take Klay Thompson, Paul George, Richard Jefferson, and Yi Jianlian to the court.
At this time, Sun Ce saw the ball boy who had just handed him a sip of Gatorade and was about to leave the sidelines. He suddenly had an idea and growled, "Boy, hit me... Kang Mang!"
The caddy was stunned for a moment, but this Brazilian kid played football when he was young, so he reacted immediately and tried to give Sun Ce another sip of water before tripping over his foot. He splashed half a cup of water towards Sun Ce, but Sun Ce reacted quickly and dodged in time, spilling the water all over the floor!