Chapter 1428 1427. I Am Very Good at Low Positions (Asking for Monthly Tickets)
"Special edition Kobe Bryant's peak star card, validity: full game, fit: 100%, are you sure you want to use it?"
"Use!"
"Ding... Host uses Kobe Bryant's 2005-2006 season star card special edition, matching bonus in progress..."
"Ding... Bonus completed, host's temporary ability rating 103, three-pointer 97, mid-range shot 97, layup 99, speed 94, strength 91, bounce 97... Talent skills: left and right fighting level 3; talent skills: continuous killing level 2; temporary talent skills: Black Mamba's bite level 5..."
"Damn!"
When Liu Mang saw the ability rating after the bonus, his first reaction was not "so cool", but... pain!
It was this opponent, because they had players with excellent perimeter defense such as Hinrich, Duhon, Sefrosa, Luol Deng, Adrian Griffin, etc., Garnett, the league's top assist defense expert who dominated the mid-range, and Ben Wallace, Big Z, PJ Brown, the centers stationed under the basket to prevent breakthroughs. They had to use the perimeter low post as their offensive method to have a chance to break through the defense, so he was forced to use this special edition star card that he had treasured for more than a year!
…
On the Hawks side, a cold and resentful atmosphere was spreading. Seeing Liu Mang staring at the Bulls with a "death stare", the kind of pupil dilated, the sight was not focused but the hatred was visible in the eyes...
The Hawks players felt creepy.
The Bulls hate them, and the Hawks players can understand it. The media has publicized it countless times. In the two seasons before this season, the Bulls lost five games in a row to the Hawks in the regular season and were swept once in the playoffs. Chicago fans were beaten to the point of turning against Liu Mang and cheering for him. Now that they have Garnett, it is natural for the Bulls players to hate Liu Mang and the Hawks.
The Hawks players don't feel much about the hatred of the Bulls. After all, there are many teams that hate the Hawks in addition to the Bulls. The only difference is that those teams are weak and the Bulls are strong. There is no substantial difference in hatred.
But Liu Mang, the winner, is so angry with the Bulls...
Just because the record of 19 consecutive first wins in the series has been ended?
If it is not a hard record like the data king or a real winning streak, most players will not take it to heart, especially this kind of record that relies on luck.
But the Hawks players couldn't think of any other reason why Liu Mang could hate the Bulls. It was still the same reason. Liu Mang always won. The Bulls only won once in the regular season in the past two seasons. If they wanted to hate, they should have lost once in the playoffs.
In this case...
"What a stingy boss!"
Liu Mang's teammates felt that the media was right!
"Ding... Temporary characteristics: The hidden effect of the desperate battle is triggered. The host's unique temperament will force teammates to move forward. The pressure on the host's teammates will increase, and the enthusiasm will increase."
Liu Mang, who was staring at the opponent stingily, heard the system prompt and suddenly got rid of that rather uncontrollable emotion.
"Damn! He suddenly became a person like the little blacksmith. This 100% matching star card is too what. Before, I became more extravagant with Curry's star card. The effect of the little blacksmith's star card is that the whole person becomes darker? But the effect is quite good..."
Liu Mang complained a few words in his heart. The referee saw that the time was almost up and signaled others to leave the court. The starting lineups of both sides appeared.
Because Liu Mang asked to arrange his low-post offensive tactics, the Hawks' starting lineup changed again today. Rondo was still put on the bench, and Battier, who was better at three-point shooting and had a height that would not be too bad for switching to power forward, was promoted to the starting position.
The Hawks sent out Liu Mang, McGrady, Battier, Marion, and Kwame Brown as the starting lineup.
There was no change on the Bulls side. Stable defense was the foundation of their existence. The starting lineup of Hinrich, Sefrosa, Luol Deng, Garnett, and Ben Wallace appeared.
Kwame Brown came to the center circle. Thinking of Liu Mang's evil eyes just now, Kwame Brown was very focused now. He had to win the jump ball!
Must win!
Garnett did not take it easy because he won the first game. Even if Liu Mang had not said what he said after the last game, Garnett was not the kind of person who would take it easy.
Jump ball!
At 7:30, the referee blew the whistle to start the game and threw the ball into the air.
Kwame Brown jumped up with all his strength. This time, Kwame Brown, who was extremely sensitive, used a faster bounce speed to push the ball back with a slight advantage!
The other four players of the Bulls quickly retreated, and Garnett also made a move to block McGrady's fast run after landing.
However, Liu Mang did not force the ball after receiving it, and McGrady did not go down to shoot the three-pointer directly, but waited at the half court near the Hawks. After Liu Mang received the ball from Kwame Brown, he did not dribble the ball himself, but passed it to McGrady.
Liu Mang ran to the front court without the ball. The Bulls players were paying attention to how Liu Mang would get into position, and then adjusted their defensive positions.
The Bulls' first defensive target was of course Liu Mang. McGrady was also very strong, but compared with Liu Mang in terms of threat, there was obviously a clear gap.
In other words, all the players in the entire league were not as threatening as Liu Mang. Liu Mang was just like O'Neal in the first three years of the new century. Liu Mang, who had two double MVPs and three consecutive finals MVPs, was the strongest player in the league now.
When Liu Mang was one step outside the three-point line, Sefrosa had already stuck to Liu Mang. Garnett took a step up from the left baseline. With his mobility, he retreated to defend Marion's three-pointer and cut to the bottom corner, expanded to defend Liu Mang's mid-range jump shot, and switched to Sefrosa to defend Marion in the bottom corner... He could do it!
However, Liu Mang avoided Sefrosa and ran inside.
The Bulls' defensive position was adjusted again. They thought Liu Mang was going to post up. Garnett did not move. Ben Wallace took two steps to the high position and went around Kwame Brown. Garnett and Ben Wallace could shrink to the basket or expand and switch defense at the same time. Hinrich was also ready to block McGrady's breakthrough. The Bulls' defensive formation has always maintained a good mobility of fast rotation defense.
After Liu Mang took a step around, he ran to the right.
Off-ball movement? The Bulls players immediately switched to a zone defense. Except for Sefrosa who followed Liu Mang, the other four players stood in an inverted trapezoid. Kwame Brown came out just in three seconds. Even if McGrady passed the ball inside, Garnett and Ben Wallace could pull it back. Whether Liu Mang ran to the right or ran to the left around the baseline, Ben Wallace and Garnett could delay him.
The Bulls, like the last game, mainly defended Liu Mang and secondarily defended other players. Even if other players had a chance to score in the first attack, they didn't care. Anyway, they could rely on strengthening the confrontation to wear down the opponent's touch.
Only Liu Mang had this point. The Bulls planned to wear him down from the beginning and not let him have the opportunity to build up his touch.
However, this time Liu Mang was not a running shooter, but squeezed Sefrosa to the low post on the right side of the basket!
This position... made the Bulls' position movement a little confused!
The Bulls never thought that Liu Mang would face Sefrosa in the low post to ask for the ball!
Sefrosa's 2.01-meter height and excellent physical fitness are the key to limiting Liu Mang's outside shooting. Garnett and Ben Wallace's mid-range defense ability is the key to defending Liu Mang's mid-range shooting. Similarly, Sefrosa's height advantage can also play a good role in Liu Mang's low-post singles.
Liu Mang did not go to the high position on the left side of the free throw line, which is his best back-to-the-basket position, and did not go to the top arc to play the pick-and-roll he is good at, but fell to the low post!
McGrady moved to the right 45-degree angle and lobbed the ball to Liu Mang who was leaning against Sefrosa.
At this time, Battier went to the right corner, Kwame Brown pulled out and came to the free throw line, looking like he was ready to rush to the basket at any time. On the weak side, Marion was motionless in the bottom corner.
Sefrosa tried desperately to push Liu Mang out, and started pushing before Liu Mang received the ball, but Liu Mang's 91 strength, plus the second-level iron foot skill, was like piercing into the floor, and Sefrosa couldn't push him at all!
Sefrosa couldn't push, but he didn't get discouraged. His height advantage and mobility were there, and he was confident that he could defend Liu Mang, a point guard who was eight centimeters shorter than him.
However, at this time, Sefrosa heard a very gentle word: "Rookie, I'm coming. Are you ready? I'm very good at low-post singles!"
This gentle but frivolous tone not only did not distract Sefrosa, but made Sefrosa more alert!
"What does this bad guy want to do?"
Sefrosa only had this thought, and he didn't dare to relax at all.
"What a determined rookie." Liu Mang didn't continue to speak. He had seen his teammates standing just now. Hinrich was in the closest bottom corner, but he didn't shrink back. Ben Wallace went to the free throw line to block Kwame Brown from rushing straight to the basket to avoid fouls when he blocked Kwame Brown after he rushed up. Garnett also stopped Marion from receiving the ball and cutting in at the other bottom corner. Luol Deng didn't dare to let go of McGrady who was standing like this.
Liu Mang was in an excellent position for singles...
Liu Mang pushed back, and Sefrosa retreated a little bit, but stuck out her butt and pushed forward with her chest, without lowering her shoulders, and her arms were horizontally pressed against Liu Mang's back, without using her elbows to exert force...
A very good habit of defending against low-position impacts, without making useless small movements in such a space.
Liu Mang really couldn't crush in. Sefrosa was 2.01 meters tall, weighed 96 kilograms, and now weighed 95 kilograms. Liu Mang's 91 strength and 93 kilograms of weight really couldn't crush her, but! Liu Mang had the ability to move freely when his strength was rated 90, and this was even more true when his strength was rated 91!
Liu Mang pushed Sefrosa again, suddenly turned right, and stepped into the three-second zone!
A very skilled turning and exerting force, fast and fierce!