Chapter 839 [Stable as a Dog, Real Thighs]
The offensive tactics arranged by Yang Rui were players one-on-one again. The three of them opened up to catch the ball and shoot three-pointers. Tyson Chandler attracted the defense in the low post and was responsible for grabbing offensive rebounds. Livingston held the ball to attack.
In Yang Rui's previous life, Livingston played very well after joining the Warriors and was dubbed by Chinese fans as "the mid-range shot is as steady as a dog and the posture is as beautiful as a picture."
Livingston's biggest advantage is his stability. He rarely makes mistakes on both offense and defense. He has never averaged double figures in points per game in his career, but when the team needs him to perform, he can also deliver satisfactory answers.
He broke out in the playoffs, averaging 24 minutes per game, scoring 9.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists, and shooting 51.2% from the field. His presence has enriched the Clippers' tactics, and he can play three positions. During the regular season against the Thunder, Yang Rui even asked him to guard Durant, and the effect was pretty good.
In contrast, the Nets' backup point guard Watson has too many problems. He is only 188cm tall but tends to score individually, shoots well and is not good at organization. On the defensive end, he likes to gamble and steal. He lacks athletic ability and height, and his defensive level is below the league average.
Livingston singled out Watson and soon scored 6 points and sent an assist.
In three and a half minutes, the Nets did not score in a sports battle where the substitutes were defended. Only Kirilenko made a cut and forced a layup to cause Parsons to foul. He made one of two free throws and scored 1 point.
The Clippers' offense was much better. Livingston scored 6 points, Parsons hit a three-pointer, Tyson Chandler cut to the basket and drew a foul, made two free throws, and made a direct dunk with both hands on a cut to win. 13 points.
The Clippers led 45-35 and Stevens was forced to request a timeout.
The Nets' five substitutes all performed very poorly. If they don't make adjustments, they will be defeated.
During the regular season, Thornton played 26 games for the Nets, scoring 12.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists. He shot 41.4% from the field, 38% from three-point range, and 80% from the free throw line. He seemed to be a super sixth man.
Unfortunately, once entering the playoffs, Thornton performed like a different person, scoring only 8.1 points, his shooting percentage dropped to 38.6%, his three-point shooting percentage dropped to 23.8%, and he averaged only 0.3 assists per game. When Thornton catches the ball, he only has eyes for the basket. He makes very few breakthroughs and only makes jump shots that are not accurate. On the defensive end, his height of 193cm is at a disadvantage for the No. 2 position.
There was a reason why Thornton was selected with the 13th pick in the second round of the 2009 draft. His defense has always been very poor. This was the first time in his career that he played in the playoffs. In the finals, he was a little overwhelmed and his mentality was terrible. .
Substitute center Blatche averaged 11.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in the regular season, and shot 47.6% from the field. He is an excellent substitute. He can attack the thin inside line, and can also be pulled out for pick-and-rolls and catch the ball for mid-range shots.
Against Chandler, a famous blue-collar insider, Blatche couldn't beat him. The Clippers players are very active in switching defenses and are not afraid of mismatches in any position. Danny Green, the shortest player, is 198cm tall, and Blatche is not easy to shoot against defenders.
Kirilenko's condition has declined too much. He averaged 15 minutes per game in the playoffs and only averaged 2.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1 assist per game. Those who were angry at the Nets for their shady recruitment now feel mentally balanced.
Watson and Telitovic usually have good offense, but they couldn't perform well today when they were heavily guarded.
The reason why the Nets' substitutes performed well in the first three rounds was because their opponents were poor. As soon as Yang Rui strengthened his defense, the Nets' offense was weak.
Stevens made a substitution, and Joe Johnson, who had rested for 5 minutes, came on and replaced Thornton, who was having a brain attack.
This substitution was effective immediately. Joe Johnson hit Green twice to score a mid-range shot, broke through Parsons, and passed the ball to Telitovich for a three-pointer. The Nets' tactics changed to one-on-one, which opened up the situation.
Entering the playoffs, Joe Johnson's playing time increased to 39 minutes, scoring 21.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3 assists, shooting 53.3% from the field, 41.5% from the three-point range, and 83.7% from the free throw line. An absolute star performance.
Chinese fans like to call Joe Johnson "True Thigh".
This is indeed the case. He originally joined the Nets because he wanted to embrace Yao Ming and Deron. Unexpectedly, in the playoffs in the past two years, he has always been the most stable person on the team. Although he has not won a championship, he has always been highly rated.
6 minutes later, the Clippers gradually changed to the starting lineup. Parsons and Griffin teamed up inside to play small-ball tactics. They used the same tactics as playing against the Spurs. They organized forwards in the middle, opened up the three-point shooters and waited for opportunities. Griffin gave Curry Screen without the ball from the side to help Curry create mismatch opportunities, and then cut inside.
Stevens also attaches great importance to defense. He did not let Yao Ming play for the entire quarter. He also replaced Blatche, who was slow in lateral movement and poor in pick-and-roll defense. Favors served as center, and Telitovic played power forward with the Clippers. Using small ball tactics, he did a good job of defending Curry's three-pointer, but his defense inside became worse. Griffin began to show off his power, forcing layups and foul shots several times due to mismatches.
At halftime, relying on the combination of inside and outside, the Clippers led 67 to 60.
At halftime, many Chinese fans online were dissatisfied with Stevens' employment. Yao Ming only played 8 minutes in the first quarter before resting. Even though he was not in foul trouble, the coach did not let him play. This made fans who supported him Feeling very unhappy.
In fact, it was precisely because Stevens decisively hid Yao Ming that the half-time point difference was not widened to the point where it was impossible to catch up. When the Clippers mainly play small-ball tactics, Yao Ming's current mobility makes it impossible to switch defenders, and a side screen will give him an opportunity.
When Yao Ming stands far away from the penalty area, it is easy for defenders to pass him. If you can't pass the defender, you can still find space to pass the ball, allowing your teammates to miss the position and attack the basket.
In the second half, Stevens started the game, with Telitovic playing small forward, Joe Johnson taking a break, and Butler playing shooting guard.
Yang Rui arranged small ball tactics again, Curry, Danny Green, Parsons, Draymond Green, and Griffin.
The Clippers' formation is completely open, with Draymond playing as a point forward in the middle, and Parsons and Griffin on both sides to provide off-ball coverage for their teammates. Parsons' body is similar to that of a power forward, and his screen quality is not too bad. He only needs to block the opponent a little to pass.
The Clippers' screening tactics have only one purpose, which is to remove Yao Ming from the penalty area. If Yao Ming does not guard him, the two defenders will take action after receiving the ball from the outside without taking an extra step. When Yao Ming came out of defense, he rushed him with the ball and passed it to his teammate who was cutting through the air.
Like many teams, the Nets used zone defense to guard Curry and relaxed their defense on Danny Green. Even if Green is accurate with three-pointers this season, everyone still has to deal with the regular season MVP first.
Stevens was Yang Rui's assistant coach. He still remembers many of Yang Rui's theories. Guard against the stars in the finals. If the stars want to compete for honors, they have to take more shots. This is a time when selflessness is tested. If you are lucky, guard against them. .
Curry can't be selfless. Yang Rui's organizer is Draymond. The tactic he arranges is to play on Yao Ming's side and pass it to the defender Yao Ming wants to switch to. If Blatche is on the field, he will hit Blatche's side and attack the weak point of poor mobility inside.
Danny Green did not disappoint Yang Rui. He is in great form this season, and his shooting percentage after catching the ball is ridiculously high. In the playoffs, it reached 44.3%, and it will increase after this game. In the third quarter, he hit consecutive three-pointers, making 5 of 6 three-pointers in a single quarter and scoring 15 points.
Zhang Lili exclaimed: "Danny Green is going to compete for MVP!"
Stevens wanted to rely on Yao Ming to attack at the beginning and let him play for 5 minutes. During this time, the Nets' defense had a big problem and no adjustment was in use. After Yao Ming came off the court, the Clippers were still able to attack the penalty area. Favors could not guard against him alone and continued to be suppressed in the second half.
102 to 81, the Clippers led by 21 points entering the final quarter, basically sealing the victory.