Chapter 1128

The referee was on high alert today, concentrating all his attention to avoid any accidents. He came to the center circle and signaled the players near the center line of the two teams not to make too big a blocking action. He blew the whistle to start the game and threw the ball into the air.

The two centers jumped up quickly!

O'Neal is really talented. He will be 34 next month. After losing weight in the past two years, he can still jump better than most centers in the league.

However, Kwame Brown can jump better! With his fingers shorter, he was the first to touch the ball and hit it to the back.

Liu Mang received the ball, and the Hawks attacked first!

The Heat's perimeter defense is probably second only to the Hawks in the East. Posey and Wade, two best defensive team-level perimeter players, are very powerful.

In terms of the league's starting perimeter defense efficiency this season, the Heat ranks higher than the Hawks!

The Heat's perimeter defense efficiency ranks third in the league, and the Hawks rank seventh.

Defensive efficiency does not mean that the Hawks' starting three perimeter players are all defensive experts, which is better, because most teams have only one All-Star player on the perimeter. In most cases, two perimeter defensive experts are completely sufficient. On the Hawks side, they often encounter speed-type perimeter star Liu Mang, physical perimeter star McGrady, and technical star Prince. In summary, the defensive efficiency of the three is not that high.

The Hawks often play garbage time, with a fast pace, and often have pure substitutes in the fourth quarter. The defensive efficiency drops all of a sudden, and it is good to be seventh in the league.

Moreover, just like in today's game, Wade and Posey, dealing with Liu Mang and McGrady, just happened to be in the upper position, and Jason Williams was completely sufficient to defend Prince.

The Hawks are hated by other teams for a reason, it's too extravagant.

After Liu Mang advanced to the frontcourt, he encountered Wade's defense and gave the ball to McGrady first.

Liu Mang did not make the first attack himself!

Liu Mang saw it when he got to the frontcourt. The Heat wanted to defend like the Spurs. After Liu Mang pushed through half court, Wade pressed him physically like Sprewell, forcing Liu Mang to attack with the ball in an uncomfortable position. Liu Mang decisively chose to let McGrady hold the ball.

After McGrady received the ball, Posey didn't dare to get too close.

McGrady looked at Posey's excellent small steps. He was two meters tall and weighed ninety-eight kilograms. He was a defensive stalwart with speed and strength. McGrady should not be too happy to play against such an opponent. He met a defensive master who could fight!

The highest loop pioneer of the Atlanta Loop Team used one of the signature moves of the two starting outside players of the Hawks. The big loop created space, grabbed the ball with one hand and swung it around. Posey didn't stick close to him, so he leaned back and retracted his arm to avoid being fouled.

McGrady just turned the ball around and took it off his head. He quickly shot it to the right front and strode forward!

Posey retreated quickly, but couldn't keep up!

McGrady's first three steps were too fast!

Fortunately, Haslem had already blocked the ball at the baseline.

McGrady passed the ball to Rasheed Wallace in the right corner while moving, and Posey quickly rushed towards Rasheed Wallace.

Rasheed Wallace received the ball and shook it, Posey flew towards the bottom corner, Rasheed Wallace took the ball back, and broke through the baseline!

Although Rasheed Wallace has no offensive power with the ball, such a big man, if he really rushed in, O'Neal would only foul, and Haslem would immediately go and block it back.

Rasheed Wallace passed the ball to the mid-range at this time!

Just now, McGrady ran to the top arc after passing the ball, helping Liu Mang block Wade. With two teammates holding the defense, Liu Mang took advantage of McGrady's pick-and-roll to receive the ball and made a one-step jump shot inside the free throw line!

O'Neal and Kwame Brown were fighting under the basket. If they were to defend Liu Mang, they would not be able to defend Liu Mang from hanging inside the paint when the Hawks' tactics opened up so much space. O'Neal could only hope that Liu Mang's lob shot would not go in.

However, O'Neal's expectations were dashed. Liu Mang made a close-range lob shot one step inside the free throw line.

Liu Mang was very comfortable shooting. It felt great to be a full starter. He could play complex tactics so smoothly.

In Pat Riley's iron-blooded field, the Heat's defense was very disciplined. Simple tactics did not work well. After all, Josh Smith and Iguodala were still young. When Liu Mang cooperated with them, they all played relatively simple and rough tactics. With Rasheed Wallace, the tactics were a little more complicated, and Rasheed Wallace would not make too many mistakes. The cooperation was very good.

After scoring, Liu Mang quickly retreated.

Liu Mang waited for Jason Williams to advance. After Jason Williams received the serve and advanced to the front court, he saw that it was Liu Mang who was defending, so he immediately handed the ball to Wade and ran to the bottom corner.

Liu Mang saw that Jason Williams did not hold the ball to organize the offense when he met him, which was a bit regretful. He also missed Jason Williams when he first met him.

Liu Mang followed Jason Williams to the bottom corner. McGrady waited for Wade to come over, retreated a big step inside the three-point line, and defended Wade alone.

Liu Mang's trick to irritate O'Neal today did not work. O'Neal did not ask for the ball to play one-on-one right after the start. Liu Mang's trick did not work. Originally, Liu Mang expected that after irritating O'Neal, O'Neal would be angry and want to beat Kwame Brown to play one-on-one, and wanted to use this to consume O'Neal, but O'Neal chose to "retaliate" against Kwame Brown before the game, and he was very calm during the game.

Liu Mang was not disappointed. He did not have high expectations for this. He just used it by the way. If it didn't work, it didn't work.

Wade received the ball outside the three-point line. Seeing such a big gap, he still didn't shoot and chose to break through!

Even if he was one meter away, Wade's explosive speed amazed McGrady!

The strongest first step in the league!

McGrady knew that Wade was going to break through from the right, and he was ready to move sideways quickly, but he still couldn't keep up! The Flash rushed forward like a flash of lightning, and was in a position parallel to the backboard with McGrady in the first step. McGrady wanted to use his body to pressure Wade, but failed to do so, and was squeezed away by Wade and rushed to the free throw line!

At this time, Rasheed Wallace quickly made up for the defense and blocked Wade. Wade passed the ball to Haslem who retreated to the middle distance of the right baseline. Haslem received the ball and shot from the middle distance...

Didn't go in!

But!

O'Neal under the basket used his big belly to push Kwame Brown, touched the ball in the air, and pointed the ball towards the basket, but still didn't go in. O'Neal jumped again against Kwame Brown, grabbed the ball, and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands!

The shark is still fierce!

Even at the age of 34, O'Neal is still the league's top center, fat, strong and flexible!

Liu Mang ran to the edge of the three-second zone, but didn't dare to reach out. O'Neal's posture was too fierce!

Liu Mang compared the situation when he played against Yao Ming before, and understood why O'Neal's performance this season was not as good as Yao Ming's, but he was still regarded as the first center.

What limited O'Neal was physical fitness and the way the coach used him. With O'Neal's body and offensive means, Yao Ming did not have the kind of deterrence that destroyed the basket on the offensive end.

If it was Yao Ming, even if he grabbed the offensive rebound, he would probably just let it go directly, and would not do such "redundant" things like O'Neal did.

But in the game, this kind of "redundant" thing from the perspective of efficiency and energy saving is needed. O'Neal's two consecutive offensive rebound dunks cooled down the originally enthusiastic atmosphere at the scene, and the Heat's morale, which was originally suppressed in the Hawks' devil's home court, immediately soared!

When O'Neal retreated, he used his huge butt to bump with Wade to celebrate.

Liu Mang watched Wade being bounced away by O'Neal, and was really worried that Wade was injured by O'Neal.

Liu Mang thought that O'Neal might have been good at grabbing offensive rebounds for eight years, so he took the initiative to help himself with a rebound.

The Heat also played in an organized and positive manner!

At the beginning of the game, both teams played their own characteristics.

Liu Mang received the serve from Kwame Brown, who looked unyielding, and slowly advanced to the front court. After halftime, he saw Kwame Brown continue to fight with O'Neal to consume the opponent, which was not a big surprise.

No one could defend O'Neal before the 06-07 season. Even in the finals of the 94-95 season, Olajuwon only fought with O'Neal. The Magic did not lose much in every game. They were swept because they did not grasp the key ball as well as the Rockets led by Olajuwon.

Of course, this is the difference in strength.

From the perspective of defending O'Neal, before O'Neal's strength avalanche in the 06-07 season, no one could defend him, so all they could do was consume him!

However, this time, after Liu Mang pushed through half court, he saw Wade defending on the three-point line, and Wade did not go up to press in the half court.

In terms of perimeter defense, the Heat is stronger than the Spurs, but in terms of overall defense, the Heat is not as good as the Spurs. Just now, they imitated the Spurs' defense, but the Hawks easily scored with overall cooperation. The Heat immediately resumed normal defense this time.

Wade watched Liu Mang slowly approach the top arc. His leg muscles were ready to exert force and move sideways quickly. Unlike Liu Mang, who could only rely on skills to have such explosive speed on the offensive end, Wade had such explosive speed due to his physical fitness, and both offense and defense could have the same effect.

Wade was waiting for Liu Mang to break through, and suddenly, Wade saw a mocking smile on Liu Mang's mouth!

Not good!

Wade immediately raised his center of gravity and rushed forward, but he was ready to move sideways and retreat to lower his center of gravity, which made him slow down when he rushed forward!

Liu Mang slowly advanced to the outside of the three-point line. When he was two or three steps away from the three-point line, he suddenly accelerated, took a big step to the outside of the three-point line, and pulled up a three-point shot!

Extremely ugly and handsome, right between stepping back and shooting directly, there is a world of difference in visual effects.

Liu Mang's beautiful standard posture of pulling up for a three-pointer!