One Thousand Six Hundred and Sixty-Three. This Is the Most Difficult Road
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Entering the second quarter, Sun Ce, Tony Allen, Paul George, Larry Sanders, and Gobert stepped up to defend, mainly trying. With a lead of nearly 10 points, Coach Hollins prepared Give defense a try.
Compared with the previous two games where fouls continued once the intensity increased, the Grizzlies made a significant change tonight. They followed the Mavericks' example, switching defenses to keep defenders in front of the defensive targets, and ensuring sufficient confrontation before the opponent made a shooting move. ...Many fans and experts have overlooked a problem. They only see that the Grizzlies have a lot of troubles to solve, but they ignore that the Grizzlies can be regarded as overflowing with two extremely talented players in Paul George and Larry Sanders. As an all-around point forward and defensive center, Sun Ce felt that his teammates adapted faster than he imagined!
The combination of Gobert and Larry Sanders can be regarded as having no offensive ability, but they are terrible on the defensive end!
The combination of Larry Sanders and Randolph is definitely stronger, both offensive and defensive, and can also play fast breaks, but in terms of defense alone, Larry Sanders and Gobert adapted quickly to the new rules. - Sanders has good defensive talent. He used to like stalking confrontations, but now he restrains it. He mainly switches defenses to keep the opponent's players with defenders in front of him. He has a guard at the basket who can prevent impact and protect the frame much better than Randolph. Bell, coupled with Sun Ce's assisting defense, locked down the mid-range and short-range!
The Mavericks' combination of Barea, Harris, Ellis, Nowitzki, and Bosh, who were sent in at the beginning of the second quarter, wanted to attack, but found that they could only go for three-pointers!
But even for Nowitzki, three-pointers are not the most commonly used offensive weapon. He can shoot three-pointers accurately, but shooting three-pointers all the time is not in line with his playing style.
The Mavericks can indeed find opportunities outside the three-point line. After all, Gobert cannot expand, but the problem is that their entire team is not the kind of player who can always score goals when they have the opportunity, and their condition is not at its best.
The Grizzlies defended for just 5 minutes and 8 seconds in the second quarter. In this short period of time, the Grizzlies only relied on Sun Ce and Paul George to score 9 points in isolation, but the Mavericks only scored 8 points!
Only Nowitzki and Harris each scored a three-pointer. Bosh had a three-pointer and was fouled and made two of 3 free throws. No one else scored!
47 to 37,
The Grizzlies' lead extends to 10 points!
In the second half of the second quarter, Sun Ce led the combination of Klay Thompson, Paul George, Richard Jefferson, and Yi Jianlian to play for nearly 7 minutes. The Mavericks were tormented by the Grizzlies for half a quarter. , finally found an opportunity. Nowitzki and Chandler partnered on the inside, and Conley partnered with Aminu and Harris on the outside. They scored 17 points in the first half of the quarter. The Grizzlies' running and gunning lineup was average today. Sun Ce and Klay Thompson didn't take any shots and mainly relied on switching offense and defense to score 14 points.
After halftime, the Grizzlies entered the intermission with a 7-point lead of 61 to 54.
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Sun Ce played less than 18 minutes in the half and scored 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Both blocks were obtained in the first half of the second quarter.
After returning from the halftime break, Sun Ce was put on the bench to rest for a while. Coach Hollins asked the combination of Livingston, Klay Thompson, Pierce, Aldridge, and Yi Jianlian to support the offense, and by the way, he ran in with the multi-minute inside partner. style of play.
Coach Hollins also saw that they were in better shape than their opponent and had a strength advantage. Moreover, they were still leading. It happened that the Mavericks were a strong enough opponent. Even if they were beaten like that in the first half of the second quarter, they shot 2 of 9 from the field. , he was able to shoot 6 of 13 in the next 7 minutes. His stability and tactical execution are not comparable to ordinary teams, and are even better than the Grizzlies.
Such an opponent is excellent for training and honing the lineup.
Isn't that what the early season is for?
It is good to create a lead in terms of record in the early stages of the season, but more important is to grind in order to meet the challenges in the middle of the season.
However, no one could have imagined that Aldridge rested for the entire second quarter and continued to surge in the third quarter!
The coaching staff and teammates seemed to have seen the Aldridge who scored 45 points on them last season to help the Trail Blazers kill them. In the third quarter, Aldridge was still feeling hot in the third quarter!
In the third quarter, the Mavericks played very well, scoring 31 points in the quarter, but Aldridge scored 15 points in the quarter, helping the team score 33 points in the quarter! Bosh, who has been suppressing Aldridge in the past, scored 13 points in the third quarter and performed very well, helping Conley and Chandler activate the entire team's offense, but tonight Aldridge turned him around. Pressed one end.
94 to 85, the Grizzlies almost extended their lead back to double digits.
By the fourth quarter, the lineup of Livingston, Klay Thompson, Paul George, Aldridge, and Gobert came on stage.
The Mavericks sent a combination of Conley, Ellis, Aminu, Nowitzki, and Chandler.
The Mavericks wanted to put up a fight, but in the third quarter they followed Bosh and still failed to narrow the score. Instead, they were widened. The Mavericks' momentum was gone, and the Grizzlies In the first half of the fourth quarter, they shot a 17-5 wave!
The Mavericks called a timeout, but it was useless, they just couldn't make a shot. The Grizzlies, with Aldridge's 9-point performance in the second half, won by 12 points in the second half, extending the lead to 21 points in one fell swoop! Leading the Mavericks 111 to 90!
Facing the Grizzlies, who belatedly discovered that their team was in good shape and began to do whatever they wanted, Carlisle announced his surrender.
The Mavericks replaced the core players and sent in pure substitutes. The Grizzlies also let the combination of Livingston, Blake, Pierce, Yi Jianlian, and Stoudemire play out the remaining time.
In the end, the Grizzlies easily defeated the Mavericks 126-107, starting their third consecutive victory!
Sun Ce watched Aldridge make 17 of 25 shots, 8 of 8 free throws, and a surge of 42 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists. Although Sun Ce did not play in the second half, he sat and watched the whole process and only scored 12+7+3. Data, but he doesn’t care!
Aldridge's performance far exceeded Sun Ce's imagination. Sun Ce originally thought that Aldridge scored 30 points, the highest score in the game, and just pissed off the Mavericks fans.
Unexpectedly, Aldridge was so aggressive. He played a total of 30 minutes, took 25 shots, and scored 17 goals, which is basically two goals for every three!
The Mavericks' offense and defense are not doing well?
They have always done well in the first three quarters and have great stability. They were 9 points behind in the first quarter. After a half of the first quarter, they were 10 points behind. They were still able to ensure tactical execution and firm team play, and finally won before halftime. Reduce the score difference to 7 points.
In the third quarter, the Mavericks also played key goals very well. Bosh scored 13 points in a single quarter.
But Aldridge used an extremely efficient performance to defeat the Mavericks. The Mavericks collapsed in the fourth quarter because they felt psychologically that they could not beat them.
Tonight, Sun Ce felt that he had a deeper understanding of the current situation of his team and his new teammates. It was not a loss to exchange two first-rounders and five rotation players for Aldridge!
Especially the inside combination of Aldridge and Gobert, both offensive and defensive, Aldridge also fed Gobert twice. He is really good at cooperating with such a tall man, because he doesn't like to attack inside that much.
After the final whistle sounded, Sun Ce was about to leave the court. The person being interviewed today must be Aldridge, who was scolded by his hometown fans.
But Sun Ce didn't expect that a reporter would still come to interview him. A reporter from Time Warner Cable Sports asked Sun Ce: "Lord, what do you think of Aldridge revealing that he wanted to leave the Trail Blazers last season?"
Sun Ce didn't expect that he would also be asked here. Don't answer. People are making things up. Answer, but it's hard to answer... Suddenly, Sun Ce had an idea: "Radmarkus is in a very difficult period now. He's here." When he comes to our team, everyone will hope that we win the championship, and we have won the championship before he came. If we do not win the championship next, many people will definitely put the responsibility on him, which is very important to him. He is a kind of pressure, instead of coming to our team to play easily, he has to bear more than you think.
And he needs to adjust his playing style. In the Trail Blazers, he is the leading scorer and has the most shot rights. But after becoming teammates with the likes of us, he doesn't have so much freedom. He needs to adapt to this.
It has not become easier for him. On the contrary, the troubles he is about to go through and is going through are more difficult than you think.
In my opinion, Radmarkus was already prepared when he was traded to our team, and he is taking the most difficult road. "
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Watching Sun Ce's interview video on the Sports Illustrated website, Aldridge was really moved.
In the game against the Mavericks, Aldridge was in good shape, but he didn't play in the second quarter. He was worried that he had taken too many shots. After all, he threw 10 times in the first quarter, but the team replaced Sun Ce in the third quarter. Let Aldridge play the entire third quarter, constantly creating scoring opportunities for him with good touch.
He still played in the fourth quarter, and Sun Ce sat on the bench for the entire second half!
This was regarded by Aldridge as Sun Ce sincerely wanting him to have a good time in front of his hometown fans.
What makes Aldridge depressed is that he feels aggrieved. He has a contract and it is not up to him to decide which team he will switch to. The Trail Blazers did not even notify him in advance of this transaction. When they informed him, he It has been determined that he will be sent away.
Although he was happy to come to the Grizzlies, he felt aggrieved to be called "betrayed" by his hometown fans.
Also, whether he actively applies for a trade to the Grizzlies or is traded, as time goes by, he will definitely be burdened with the reputation of "abandoning his home team to compete for the championship."
Because he joined a top team with the best basketball player in the world, Sun Ce.
This Aldridge is ready to accept it, and there is no way to defend it.
At this time, Sun Ce stood up and spoke for him, and every word he spoke spoke to his heart!
When he came to the Grizzlies, Aldridge was ready to score more than 10 points in every game. He was ready to rank behind Randolph in the main attack power inside. He was even ready to follow the Grizzlies' team of the past two years. The whole team is prepared to help Sun Ce score like his style of play. For example, in the opening game, when Sun Ce has a chance, Aldridge will pass the ball immediately, regardless of whether there is an assist or not, and regardless of whether his position is the shooting area he is accustomed to.
As Sun Ce said, after Aldridge joined the Grizzlies, the Grizzlies were once again regarded as the favorites to win the championship. The Grizzlies had won the championship before. Aldridge knew that if he joined the Grizzlies, the Grizzlies would not be able to win the championship. If he wins the championship, he will definitely take the blame.
Aldridge feels that Sun Ce's phrase "he is taking the most difficult road" is very suitable for his current situation.
Also, in the game against the Mavericks, I agreed to feed him the ball before the game, and I really kept creating shooting opportunities for him. Klay Thompson and Yi Jianlian were in control of their movements, and Paul George and Livingston were all there. Pass the ball to him and the whole team is helping him!
"Third brother is still pretty good, but he's a bit too talkative. You must restrain yourself from hitting others..."
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Aldridge's sense of belonging to the team suddenly increased, but he is a boring gourd and will not take the initiative to become more enthusiastic. He is still the same. If someone asks him to chat, he will chat. No one will pay attention to him. He will just sit and read a book. Swipe the pad.
He's not a loner, he just likes to be quiet. He doesn't refuse to make friends with others, he just doesn't take the initiative.
The morning after the game against the Mavericks, the Grizzlies returned to Memphis and had two days of rest. They started playing five consecutive home games on the 24th. There are only 10 days left in this month and only 4 games. Although they are not used to this rhythm, the players are very happy. The regular season started half a month early and they really have more rest time.
It seems that there are only two to three more days of rest in each competition month, but the schedule is obviously much looser.
On the 22nd, when I returned to Memphis, coach Hollins did not arrange any training tasks today, so he simply rested, but asked several core players to attend a meeting in the arena.
After the first three games, many people in the Grizzlies team have already understood their current advantage - they are in better shape than other teams!
Then the strategy at the beginning of the season must be changed based on the actual situation.
Originally, Coach Hollins felt that his team's start was not particularly good. Except for Sun Ce, Klay Thompson, Gobert, and Yi Jianlian, they were in top form almost from the beginning. Due to factors such as the unaccustomed pace of the schedule, not enough preseason games, etc., the game was not as good as the start of the season in previous years.
Therefore, coach Hollins' strategy at the beginning of the season is to focus on stability in every game, work hard to run in, and strive for victory.
But now it's so easy to beat the Mavericks. Although Aldridge broke out... but Randolph also rested!
Look at the Spurs, who have won three consecutive games at the beginning, and the Mavericks can fight the Spurs until the last moment in the opening game... The key is that Coach Hollins feels that the state shown by the Mavericks in last night's game is not as good as the opening game. Not much worse, maybe slightly better, with more changes on the defensive end.
Then the next strategy must be carefully adjusted...
The five major players, Sun Ce, Paul George, Aldridge, Randolph, and Klay Thompson, discussed with the coaching staff all day long and clarified the changes in the style of play for the next period of time.
Regarding the current situation, Sun Ce, who was the first to discover the status problem, was pleasantly surprised from the beginning. After detailed discussions, Sun Ce felt that they were very hopeful that they would enter the best condition earlier than other teams this season and establish their advantage in the regular season earlier. , and prepare for the playoffs earlier!
You have to take this step to take the lead!
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"Aldridge is walking the hardest road"
This sentence is popular!
Some fans joked that in the future, hugging thighs will have a reasonable excuse.
When players hear this and fans hear this, they feel different. Even if fans hear the same sentence, they feel very different.
Neither Sun Ce, who said this, nor Aldridge, who felt better about Sun Ce because of these words, paid attention to the ridicule in public opinion.
Preparing for the game is still the same as usual, adjusting the details of the defensive end and strengthening offensive coordination training, which is to practice the basics. Their players are strong, and the tactical foundation is the most important.
On October 24th, the Grizzlies' first opponent in five consecutive games, the Rockets, came, playing against a team in the same division for the fourth consecutive game.
There is no suspense. The Grizzlies easily slaughtered the Rockets 119-95 to get their first four consecutive victories.
Sun Ce made 14 of 24 shots tonight, including 4 of 6 three-pointers. He scored 40 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks. By the way, Klay Thompson made 5 of 5 three-pointers tonight. There was no other score, so I took 15 points and went to rest.
Klay Thompson touches the ball less now than last season. He played 26 minutes tonight. The ball was in his hands for a total of 26 seconds. When he receives the ball, there is a high probability that he will either pass it to the second pass or shoot it directly. Just once I tried to dribble and cut after receiving the ball, but my left foot mixed with my right foot and I fell down...
Aldridge played well in the last game, but he didn't deliberately take more shots in this game. He opened up when he needed to, passed when he needed to, and shot again when he had a good opportunity.
In this game, the Grizzlies have a clear difference from the previous games - confidence!
Role players actually don't have that many thoughts. They just go up and play as hard as they can. The main focus is on the five stars. They are the support of their teammates. They have more things to think about, such as worrying about this and that.
When they find that their side seems to be in better shape than other teams, the psychological burden is gone and they play more confidently. This confidence that spreads from the core to the role players makes the temperament of their entire team improve. Changes have occurred.
Furthermore, whether they are stars or role players, they are more decisive in their actions and play better!
After taking a day off after playing the Rockets, the Grizzlies faced a team from the same division, the Mavericks, for the fifth consecutive game.
This time, the Grizzlies played more resolutely and confidently, turning the problems of the Mavericks found in the previous game, such as some players not being in such good shape, the opponent's fear of Aldridge, etc., into favorable conditions for the Grizzlies, and established a leading advantage from the beginning!