Six Hundred and Seventy-Five. The Opponent You Least Want to Face in the Playoffs

The situation of the game is obviously more favorable for the Grizzlies. Coach Hollins is very good at clinging to his opponents when they are lagging behind and looking for opportunities to overtake. As long as he overtakes, the opponent will have nothing to lose. He can wear the opponent down with defense. Death, and the Grizzlies have such strength.

Originally, Gasol didn't play, but Coach Hollins felt that he might fall behind at the stage, not to mention falling behind by a lot, but he should fall behind. As long as he didn't fall behind too much in the first quarter, he felt he had a chance to win, and he just had to hold off. .

Who knew that when the opponent scored 31 points in the first quarter, the Grizzlies were still 1 point ahead. Coach Hollins clearly took the initiative, and the opponent's head coach Carlisle made a mistake in predicting the rotation at the beginning of the second quarter. The defensive lineup sent by Coach Lins made the opponent hit the iron continuously. In the iron fight, the Grizzlies were obviously better than the Mavericks!

In the fifth minute of the second quarter, the Grizzlies tied the score at 40-35, widening the gap to 5 points.

This is because the Mavericks relied on Kidd, an experienced playmaker, to judge that the situation was not right and worked hard to speed up the game, so that they did not fall into the quagmire of a defensive battle.

However, Carlisle is worthy of being a top coach who won the Coach of the Year award in his rookie coaching season. He did not panic. He did not rush to replace the strongest player when he encountered trouble like some head coaches. He saw that Kidd did not panic. He waited patiently.

In the first 5 minutes, the two teams played a lot of iron and rebounded a lot. Sun Ce got 4 rebounds in 5 minutes, and the opponent only got 4 points in 5 minutes. Sun Ce's 4 rebounds were all defensive rebounds, and the total was already scored. To 6 rebounds.

Kidd grabbed 1 offensive rebound and 2 defensive rebounds, totaling 4 rebounds.

It wasn't until 5 minutes later that Jason Terry was supposed to be replaced, and he took advantage of the dead ball to replace DeShawn Stevenson, Marion, Nowitzki, Chandler, and Kidd, ready to play the remaining 7 minutes of the first half.

For the Grizzlies, coach Hollins reached the official timeout. When the score was 43 to 39 and still leading by 4 points, he replaced Sun Ce, Morrow, Paul George, Battier, and DeAndre Jordan in the lineup.

After playing for more than a quarter, the players from both teams understood each other's status today and how their overall tactics would be played. The point difference between the two teams was not big. The Grizzlies had the initiative in the score, but this advantage It's not very big. Now if the Grizzlies want to maintain the advantage until halftime, it depends on coach Hollins' control of rotation and defense.

Looking at the lineup, it is obvious that the Mavericks have a better defense!

After the official timeout came back, Sun Ce, Battier, and Paul George, three players whose heights didn't look very different to the naked eye, followed Coach Hollins' instructions and worked hard to guard and flank Nowitzki.

This is a defensive judgment made by Coach Hollins.

This judgment is correct!

Coach Hollins was not confused by Nowitzki's role player style at the beginning of the game, and decisively judged that the opponent would play singles tactics.

The Grizzlies, with one senior, four juniors, and DeAndre Jordan, moved very quickly and did a very good job of flanking Nowitzki after receiving the ball and cutting off the passing route. Nowitzki made two consecutive attacks.

In turn, the Grizzlies lineup counterattacked quickly!

First, Morrow caught the ball and scored his second three-pointer of the game. Then Jordan used the outside threat to cut in and dunk to score two points. The Grizzlies suddenly opened the point difference to 9 points.

Coach Carlisle also adjusted quickly and gave Kidd instructions on tactical changes. Kidd began to link the team to play pick-and-roll + team offense, gradually narrowing the point difference. Although the Grizzlies worked hard in the next few minutes, Sun Ce played very happily and also Very focused, but the gap in the lineup is there, so it will be good if we can hold on.

At the end of the half, the Grizzlies entered the intermission with a 5-point lead at 56-51.

…

Back in the locker room, Sun Ce sat on a stool and gasped.

At this time, coach Hollins handed a clean jersey and clean towel to Sun Ce and said, "Quickly change the jersey."

Sun Ce was a little surprised: "Coach, how did you know I wanted to change my jersey?"

"Stop pretending. I know you're just panting to show your opponents. If you weren't in good physical condition, you wouldn't have played so hard in the second quarter. I wouldn't have guessed your little tricks?" Coach Hollins asked. I saw right through your tone.

With a thought in mind, Sun Ce used the recharged version of the physical potion that he had unexpectedly left unused in the last game. Three seconds later, his physical strength returned to full value. He stopped breathing. He stood up, took the jersey, and walked to the bathroom.

Sun Ce was a little sad and didn't want to talk to anyone. Coach Hollins could tell that his physical strength was fine in the second half, and his opponents must have noticed it too. He also said that he was pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger. He had done this so many times, but no one believed him. .

Seeing Sun Ce's sad look, Coach Hollins smiled proudly. He guessed it right!

The second half is exciting!

Sun Ce played 19 minutes in the half. The game was fine at the beginning. In the second quarter, Sun Ce played very hard. He had to help defend Nowitzki, defend Chandler in the pick-and-roll, and also had to play in a certain position. Sometimes it shrinks and then expands to maintain the team's high-speed defensive rotation... Such a defense cannot be maintained even by Chandler, the purely defensive center on the opposite side. If Chandler is not in a very advantageous position when the opponent cuts in, He will not pounce on him in any position to avoid fouls and unnecessary physical exertion.

But Sun Ce's two fouls in the second quarter were enough to prove how hard he defended.

The team was able to lead by 5 points after halftime, all thanks to Sun Ce helping Battier double-team Nowitzki and grab two defensive rebounds to counterattack and score a 5-0 wave, otherwise the situation would be hard to say now.

However, Sun Ce's efforts paid off. Not only did he help the team get a 5-point lead at halftime, but his personal performance was also good.

While wiping the sweat off his body in the bathroom, Sun Ce read the detailed description of tonight's events. In 19 minutes of playing time, he made 2 of 5 shots, plus 3 of 4 free throws, and scored 7 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. His 7 rebounds in the second quarter were the last link of the Grizzlies' defense!

Jordan played for a long time in the first half, 17 minutes, and scored 14 points in the first half, 10 of which were directly assisted by Sun Ce. Jordan received 4 direct shots after receiving Sun Ce's pass, and once he received a pass from Sun Ce and caused Marion, who was defending, to foul and made two free throws, which was also counted as Sun Ce helping him score.

Sun Ce has a big advantage. Chandler's physical strength is much worse than Jordan. Chandler has only scored 6 points so far. Although all of them were passed by Kidd, Kidd only helped Chandler get 6 points.

Kidd also played for 19 minutes in the first half and got 4 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

After changing his jersey, tidying up his arm guard and wrist straps, Sun Ce looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't help but praise "This kid is so handsome..."

Just when Sun Ce was narcissistic, several teammates also took their jerseys into the bathroom...

...

After the halftime break, the second half of the game is about to start.

The third quarter is very important, especially when the strong teams are facing each other.

After the halftime break, the players' physical strength will be more or less better than after the second quarter, but they can't send the main players to fight like in the first half. Of course, if there are stars like Kobe, James, and Iverson, it doesn't matter.

But neither team has such players. Carlisle sent out Barea, Jason Terry, Brewer, Peja, and Ratliff.

He felt that this lineup was enough. If the opponent used Conley to lead the rotation lineup, their lineup would not be much worse.

However, after the players of both teams came on the court, Carlisle saw that the opponent did send Conley, but Sun Ce and Randolph also came on!

Carlisle could expect Randolph to come on. Randolph only played for 12 minutes in the first half, but Sun Ce...

Sun Ce's prediction was wrong. Carlisle did not expect that he still had "physical strength"!

Because he had a chance to tip in the last attack in the first half, he jumped up but did not touch the ball. It didn't look like he was pretending at all!

By watching the game video and studying, and getting along with him day and night, the difference must be very big! No matter how much Carlisle studied, he would not know that Sun Ce was so buggy!

Coach Hollins sent out a lineup of Sun Ce, Conley, Morrow, Randolph, and Yi Jianlian in the third quarter!

When Sun Ce and others came on the court, they caused cheers from the fans on the scene.

All five of them changed into clean jerseys just like at the beginning of the game!

Sun Ce was speechless to this group of teammates. This is plagiarism!

Especially the red-haired guy, who actually followed the trend and went to the commercial area of ​​the stadium to buy a hand strap during the halftime break!

After asking around, Sun Ce felt that he had lost a lot and should have started the hand strap business earlier!

While waiting to receive the serve, looking at Peja who was at the power forward position of the opponent, and then looking at Randolph on his side, Sun Ce mourned for Peja.

According to the scout report, Peja's weight soared to 106 kilograms because of the previous "strike" forcing the Hornets to trade or buy out. He was not a muscular player to begin with. He gained 20 pounds of meat and was over 30 years old. He did not train much during the strike and looked bloated. He went to play power forward.

After receiving the serve, Sun Ce advanced to the frontcourt and decisively handed the ball to Conley, and then ran to the right baseline to maintain the threat of rushing.

Seeing Randolph receiving Conley's pass in the low post and ravaging Peja, Ratliff did not dare to completely double-team him, Carlisle on the sidelines was in a heavy mood.

One wrong move, step by step behind!

Sun Ce's dunks over Howard last night put too much pressure on the Mavericks' inside line. The reason why Conley was able to organize the offense so well in the first quarter was that Sun Ce could contain the inside line by standing in the mid-range or low post.

Howard was beaten like that, who dared to let Sun Ce go! Sun Ce had a five or six consecutive games in the middle of last season!

At the beginning of the third quarter, they fell behind again. Even though Carlisle had a strong ability to adjust, he felt exhausted!

"Can't meet them so early in the playoffs!".