Chapter 688 [Hidden Dangers, a Difficult Start]

Nowitzki showed his value as a leader. He pulled outside the three-point line to cover Terry, received a return pass, and hit Tony Allen on the right side for a three-pointer.

This was his 13th point in the final quarter, 128 to 126.

Yang Rui did not dare to relax his defense at the last moment and let Curry rest off the court, but he still failed to defend. He didn't call a timeout, allowing the players to adjust freely on the court, and Paul would control the rhythm.

The Clippers' home court became very quiet, and the home fans held their breath. The staff stopped shouting slogans, fearing that the noise would affect the performance of the players on the court.

The players all spread out, and Paul held the ball in the middle to press time and singled out Terry.

In the last 5 seconds, Paul held the ball and started dribbling to the left. Terry was not shaken away, and retreated in front of him to cause interference. Paul pulled the ball in the corner, stepped back to the middle, and shot a jumper.

Paul's control and judgment are fine, but as a short guard, his scoring ability is not top-notch. He dodged the block, the ball bounced out of the frame, and Marion grabbed the backcourt rebound.

The Mavericks called a timeout, and Carlisle arranged tactics to prepare for success. Time was running out, and every ball could determine the final outcome.

Carlisle paid more attention to defense. Although Gasol's appearance would make the team's offense better, Carlisle did not use him. Instead, he arranged small ball tactics, with Nowitzki at center, Prince and Marion at forward, and Kidd on the outside. , Terry.

Yang Rui sent Griffin to play center, Gay at No. 4, and Korver, Tony Allen, and Paul on the outside.

At this time, playing small ball and protecting rebounds were not good enough, but Yang Rui did not dare to use Jordan to strengthen defense because he was so bad at free throws. If the opponent immediately used the "shark-killing tactic" after grabbing the rebound, Yang Rui would be angry to death.

Although Griffin is poor defensively as a center, he protects backcourt rebounds and has a greater chance of being fouled and making free throws. Moreover, he has an excellent offense, making it easier for the Clippers to score on the next offense.

The game continues, the Clippers are man-to-man. At this time, they cannot let the Mavericks shoot three-pointers, and the defense must be switched quickly. After passing the ball several times, Kidd gave the ball to Terry, who failed to get rid of it in a pick-and-roll with Nowitzki.

The Clippers' defense worked. Gay switched defenses to keep up with Terry, and Tony Allen entangled Nowitzki closely.

Seeing that 24 seconds had run out, Nowitzki caught the ball on the right side and faced Tony Allen far away from the basket and turned around for a mid-range shot.

Tony Allen made good use of the home court advantage, knowing that the referee would not easily call a foul in such a critical round, so he looked for a confrontation. His small movements disrupted Nowitzki's rhythm, and the ball deflected.

Griffin grabbed a backcourt rebound and passed it to Paul, who was receiving the ball. The fans applauded and cheered together.

Paul controls the ball and presses time, protecting the ball from beyond the three-point line and delaying it. The most important thing at this time is not to make mistakes. Even if 24 seconds are used up without a shot, the lead is 2 points, and the pressure is on the opponent's side.

In the last five seconds, Paul called Griffin to cover, took the ball to the left and got rid of Terry, attracted Nowitzki to switch defense and distributed the ball to the center.

Griffin took the ball and rushed to the basket, preparing for a three-step dunk. Terry was experienced and hugged Griffin with all his strength.

The Mavericks had committed four fouls in a single quarter. They could not foul anyone without the ball in the last two minutes. Terry could not prevent Griffin from attacking, but he could give him free throws.

Griffin's weakness of poor mental quality was revealed. He missed two free throws at the critical moment and the rebound was grabbed by Marion.

Barkley sighed: "If Griffin makes these two goals, the Clippers may have sealed the victory. In the regular season, he missed two free throws at the last moment twice. He couldn't make the shot when he needed it most. .”

Kenny Smith said: "He is a rookie after all, even the best rookie, there are times when he is soft."

With only 21.2 seconds left, Carlisle called a timeout to arrange tactics and replaced Marion with Gasol to add a supporting attack point.

As long as the ball misses, the Mavericks will have to use foul tactics, and the Clippers players will definitely press the pace. Gasol doesn't have to worry about being counterattacked by his opponent.

A good coach needs to calculate every detail accurately.

Using these details to create opportunities, Carlisle also has the strength to win the best coach award.

The timeout ended and the Mavericks players quickly completed an attack.

Nowitzki and Gasol double-covered in the middle, helping Terry, who was running back, to receive Kidd's pass. The two of them moved to the middle, blocking both Griffin and Paul.

This combination was actually the "elevator door pick-and-roll" invented by Yang Rui when he was with the Raptors. When he was with the Lakers, Yang Rui rarely used this kind of pick-and-roll, and it was easy for the referee to call a screen foul.

On the critical attack, the Mavericks were behind. If the referee called a screen foul, it would directly determine the outcome. There would definitely be a lot of controversy after the game, so he hesitated and did not call it.

Terry half-turned and shot a three-pointer. The opportunity was very good. He used a little more force and the ball hit the back edge of the basket and bounced out.

Griffin got stuck and grabbed a backcourt rebound. Just when he was about to find Paul, Gasol fouled him and sent him to the free throw line.

Griffin listened to the cheers of the fans, took a deep breath to adjust his rhythm, made the first free throw, and missed the basket again with the second free throw. The rebound was grabbed by Gasol. 129 to 126.

Yang Rui's heart was in his throat. The Mavericks still had a chance to tie the score. The Clippers didn't play well in the final quarter. If it entered overtime, the pressure on the young players would be even greater, and the consequences would be disastrous.

Griffin's performance disappointed him. As long as one more free throw was scored, the Clippers would definitely win.

In Yang Rui's previous life, Griffin disappointed Clippers fans every year. He usually killed everyone in the regular season but failed in the playoffs. On the offensive end, his efficiency in the low post is average, and occasionally he can't kill anyone with two shots from mid-to-long range.

What's even worse is that Griffin was injured in various ways in the playoffs in his previous life, and the injuries were different each time. Yang Rui could only pray that he would be more reliable and not be as unlucky as in his previous life.

The Mavericks made a substitution when the ball was dead, and Stojakovic replaced Prince.

The players all spread out, Nowitzki covered Terry, and Gay changed defense quickly. He had no chance to take a shot, and passed the ball to Peja who was 50 degrees on the right.

The purpose of Carlisle's substitution this time was to execute a key shot. Peja used his height advantage to face Korver and made a strong shot. It missed the basket due to interference. Griffin once again grabbed the rebound and was sent by Marion. Got to the free throw line.

The Mavericks truly fought for every ball. They had a chance to overtake, but they were unlucky. This time Griffin finally found the feeling and made two free throws.

Kidd missed a three-pointer and the rebound was grabbed by Gay. The Mavericks gave up the foul. The final score was 131 to 126. The Clippers struggled to get off to a good start.

At the post-match press conference, many reporters interviewed Yang Rui and asked him to evaluate the game.

Yang Rui rarely kept a low profile for a while. "I am very happy to win the first game. I will ask the players to concentrate on every game and strive to advance to the finals."

Yang Rui didn't dare to say that the Mavericks would be eliminated.

In this game, the two Clippers guards played to their highest level. Paul had 35 points, 4 rebounds and 16 assists, and Curry had 30 points and 4 assists. However, it was still difficult for the Clippers to win, and they were at a disadvantage inside.

Griffin made 8 of 17 shots, 0 of 1 three-pointers, 5 of 10 free throws, and scored 21 points, 14 rebounds and 2 assists. Except for him, everyone else's statistics were average. Gay only scored 11 points and was defended a bit ugly.

The Mavericks' frontcourt lineup is better than that of the Clippers. Nowitzki is evenly matched with Griffin in the regular season. Entering the playoffs, he has become an advantageous position. Others are very organized on defense and offense, and their personal abilities are average. The better is not messing around.

The Clippers' passion is not stable enough, which is a hidden danger.