Chapter 908 907. Another Steve
At 7:40 in the evening, after the Eagles finished their pre-match warm-up, they entered the KeyArena.
When the Eagles players came out, they were all booed, especially Liu Mang, who was the public enemy of Seattle, who ignited the scene with boos everywhere!
Liu Mang despised the fans here. In a few years, this team will abandon you! If you still help them boo, you will soon have no home team!
Looking at Liu Mang's disdainful expression, the fans at the scene booed even more.
When the players appear on the court, the court TV often does not broadcast, but a bunch of advertisements will not be cut to the game screen until the jump ball, but the advertisements here in the United States are a little different. They use technology to replace the advertisements on the billboards on the sidelines with the advertisements they receive. There will be much fewer advertisements before the game, and the focus is on the advertisements during the timeout.
This is also the reason why the billboards at the home court of the NBA stadium are not valuable, because usually only the fans at the scene can see them.
In order to give fans a better viewing experience, American TV stations have started live broadcasting of the live scenes half an hour before the game starts. Cheerleading dances and some pre-match performances are also very interesting.
Therefore, Liu Mang was very excited from the beginning and was immersed in the game. As the leader of the team, he wanted to be as cool as possible. He wanted to tell his parents in this life through the TV screen that he was doing well in the United States and they didn't have to worry about him.
Francis and Yao Ming were no longer teammates, so they didn't have to give Liu Mang face. Similarly, Liu Mang didn't give Francis face in the first place, and he wouldn't give him face now.
The two had so many grievances, but they still gave each other face. It was too unfair to themselves. Competing with each other was what they wanted to do most.
In the last preparation time before the game, Liu Mang looked at the current situation of the Supersonics.
Without Ray Allen, the strongest player of the Supersonics was undoubtedly Francis.
"Steve Francis, ability rating 88 (peak), offense 92, defense 75, three-pointer 68, mid-range shot 73, layup 95, speed 91, strength 89, rebound 78, pass 84..."
Francis is a model of people who can stay at their peak longer when they go to the right team. If he went to the Magic, he would have been ruined. He competed with Hill for the ball in the first year and delayed both of them. But when he came to the Supersonics, he maximized his strength and played in the top ten of the MVP rankings.
Averaging 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game, he ranked third among point guards in rebounds, second only to Liu Mang and James, and ranked third in assists in the league, second only to Nash and McGrady. He has long been ranked between six and ten in the MVP rankings, more times than McGrady has entered the top ten of the MVP weekly rankings, and has won three weekly best players.
Another first-class star is Rashard Lewis.
"Rashard Lewis, ability rating 85 (peak), offense 90, defense 75, three-pointer 89, mid-range shot 87, layup 88...averaging 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals..."
Mr. Billion Dollar didn't get the billion dollar contract for nothing. At the age of 26, Mr. Billion Dollar, who has entered his peak period, has no dead angle in mid-range and long-range shooting!
The sixth man of the Supersonics, Luke Ridnour, a rookie in 2003, has an ability rating of 76, averaging 10 points, 4 assists, and 1.2 three-pointers per game.
And the former Spurs player activated by Francis, Antonio Daniels, the No. 4 pick in 1997, has an ability rating of 79, averaging double-digit points for the first time in his career, averaging 12 points and 5 rebounds per game.
Except for center Jerome James, almost all the Supersonics players have benefited from the team's acquisition of Francis.
After directly observing the opponent's current ability rating and adding the scout report, Liu Mang has a deeper understanding of the Supersonics' current strength.
Very similar to the Suns, this team is strong in offense but weak in defense. It averages 102 points per game and loses 99 points per game. Its net score is the lowest among the top five teams in the league.
They win not by killing the opponent with a single shot or defending the opponent, but by relying on the stability of a group of shooters, dragging the game to the end, relying on accurate shooting, and using the key ball ability of Ray Allen, Lewis and others at critical moments to defeat the opponent.
The rhythm is not very fast, but accurate! Sometimes, a burst of accuracy can defeat the top teams.
Just like the last time the Hawks lost to the Supersonics, they also scored 118 points, but the opponent exploded with ridiculous accuracy and scored 122 points.
In this case, Liu Mang’s goal is clear, just make the opponent inaccurate!
…
Liu Mang sprinkled magnesium powder in the air and went on the court with his starting teammates.
Liu Mang, McGrady, Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Kwame Brown started.
In yesterday's game, Rasheed Wallace and Kwame Brown played only 24 minutes yesterday, and there is no problem with physical fitness today.
On the Sonics side, Francis, Ridnour, Antonio Daniels, Lewis, and Jerome James started.
Kwame Brown and Jerome James, nicknamed Donut because of his love for donuts, came to the center circle for a jump ball.
For the loss to Swift in the jump ball yesterday and the dunk by Swift at the beginning, Kwame Brown did not dare to underestimate any opponent in at least the second game in 24 hours. The referee blew the whistle to start the game and threw the ball into the air. Kwame Brown jumped with all his strength, touched the ball first, and passed the ball to the back.
After receiving the ball, Liu Mang immediately passed it to McGrady and wanted to play a fast break, but the Sonics retreated very quickly. Jerome James is a center with physical fitness. In addition to Jerome James, the Sonics actually have no inside players. Lewis played as a small forward last season and only switched to power forward this season.
After Liu Mang ran to the frontcourt, he saw the opponent quickly fall into a defensive position. Francis came towards him. Liu Mang cut from the middle to the inside with his bare hands. Francis used his strong body to suppress Liu Mang. His movements were very fierce. Liu Mang tried his best but still couldn't squeeze. He was pressed from the middle to the right side of the three-second zone.
Francis, this bastard, is really strong!
Francis was very proud of suppressing Liu Mang's speed cut. His physical fitness is the foundation of his foothold. At the age of 28, he is at his best.
At this time, Rasheed Wallace came over to help Liu Mang block Francis. Liu Mang was planning to go directly to the bottom corner to open up space. With the help of Rasheed Wallace, he immediately bypassed Rasheed Wallace and cut inside.
Francis was too impressed by Liu Mang's explosive power after the pick-and-roll. The Sonics were also very vigilant about this. Francis and Lewis ignored Rasheed Wallace because they saw McGrady's lob. Francis bypassed Rasheed Wallace to chase Liu Mang, and Lewis also chased Liu Mang.
Liu Mang went around from the three-second zone to the other side of the three-second zone. Francis and Lewis both went to block Liu Mang to receive the ball. The two were ready to grab the ball. When Liu Mang came out from the left side of the three-second zone, they were stunned. Did the Sonics also play the same trick as the Bulls?
Liu Mang was about to run from the left side of the three-second zone to the left corner to catch the ball and shoot, but he didn't expect the opponent to double-team him. He didn't see McGrady pass the ball in, nor did he think that McGrady would pass the ball to a point guard deep into the basket outside the 45-degree three-point line. It was too dangerous.
Moreover, McGrady's pass was not to Liu Mang!
Rasheed Wallace saw the ball fall and realized that it was passed to him. He took the ball, turned around, took two steps and rushed to the basket, and jumped!
This happened in more than a second. Jerome James was still watching whether Lewis and Francis could steal the ball from Liu Mang, and suddenly heard the exclamation of the fans at the scene.
Jerome James turned his head, and a scary face was getting closer and closer to him...
Rasheed Wallace smashed the ball into the basket through Jerome James!
This scene is so familiar to Seattle fans! Not many people were surprised by Rasheed Wallace's dunk. Rasheed Wallace played like this back then. As a Western team, Seattle fans could see it twice a year.
Kwame Brown thought to himself that it was a good thing that he was agile and retreated quickly, otherwise he would have been dunked by his teammates.
"Huh..." Rasheed Wallace ran back excitedly, and bumped his butt with McGrady in the middle circle.
Although Liu Mang did not score, it was good that his teammates scored, and he was running around alone and attracted two people to block him. He felt proud when he thought about it.
Francis and Lewis felt that they were slapped in the face. They were like blind. When they saw Liu Mang's pick-and-roll, they chased Liu Mang.
This has a lot to do with the difference in their defensive awareness.
However, the Supersonics did not rely on defense to win. Francis received the ball and pushed forward, and he wanted to return one!
When Francis came to the frontcourt, sure enough, that scene appeared again!
Liu Mang almost retreated to the free throw line!
"Do you dare to shoot?" Liu Mang clapped his hands provocatively at Francis.
Francis wanted to throw it out with his backhand, but at least he restrained himself and waved Lewis to come out.
Liu Mang looked at Francis and asked him if he was going to do a pick-and-roll?
What the hell, a pick-and-roll when he was 1 vs. 0 outside the three-point line?
Lewis came out with Rasheed Wallace's defense, Francis passed the ball to Lewis, and then went up to block Rasheed Wallace!
Not good!
Liu Mang then understood the opponent's intention and rushed up to make up for the defense.
But Lewis took advantage of Francis's perfect blocking of Rasheed Wallace, received the ball and moved sideways, and quickly shot a three-pointer!
"Shua"
Hit!
Liu Mang's rush did not work. He watched Francis and Lewis retreat and celebrate with high fives, with a bright smile on their faces. Liu Mang really didn't expect that the opponent would play more and more recklessly!
Both sides caught the other side by surprise!
Although the Sonics lost a top star Ray Allen, they still had many three-point shooters, which opened up a lot of space. Unlike the Suns, who had counterattack dunks and whose team's scoring leader was Stoudemire, the Sonics relied on shooting to make a living, averaging 9.8 three-pointers per game, more than the Suns, and opened up a lot of space, giving Francis and Lewis the opportunity to play at the top of the arc.
In the past few years, Francis had always been a fool to defend Liu Mang like this, but this season he has a brain! He started to play with his brain, averaging 9.2 assists per game, not just relying on breakthroughs!
After a round of attack and probing, Liu Mang got a better understanding of the Sonics. What is called "a turtle looking at a green bean"? It's about them. A point guard who declined significantly last season and the Sonics, who were fourth from the bottom in the West, have jumped to second in the West. If it weren't for the perfect combination of the Suns and Nash, Francis might have been the one to compete with him for the MVP.
After probing, they started to fight for real!
The Eagles began to speed up the offensive rhythm. Liu Mang and McGrady began to speed up. Every position in the Eagles' lineup was better than their opponents. McGrady held the ball, and the other four people headed by Liu Mang began to intersperse their movements. McGrady used Liu Mang's help. With a reckless defense, he accelerated in three steps to get rid of Antonio Daniels, the No. 4 pick in the same class who was guarding him, and rushed to the basket. Jerome James saw McGrady rushing in in front of him, and Kwame Brown behind him was eager to make a move. Cutting to the reception, Jerome James starts to think about life in this situation...
McGrady easily dunked and scored two points, and Jerome James just watched McGrady dunk in.
What else can be done? The other party has already charged!
McGrady almost caught the ball and pushed it into the frontcourt, walked directly to the free throw line, and dunked the ball in one jump. The Eagles' offense was like a fast break, and it only took 8 seconds.
Francis was eager to try and asked Jerome James to serve faster. As the speed increased, he couldn't restrain his urge to play faster.
Coach Nate McMillan did not remind the players not to let the opponent lead them into rhythm this time. In the last game they played against the Eagles, they just relied on the rhythm. They shot whenever they had the chance and had a high shooting percentage. They defeated the Eagles. This time he wants to replicate the success of the last fight! Wave to the players and ask the Sonics players to keep up the pace.
Francis was encouraged and quickly dribbled toward the frontcourt.
This time Liu Mang didn't give Francis so much space, but pressed directly forward!
When Francis saw Liu Mang pressing up, he immediately squeezed Liu Mang and blocked Liu Mang. As soon as he passed Liu Mang and entered the three-point line, Francis saw McGrady make up for it, which meant that Ridnaugh was empty. Got it!
Francis glanced at his teammates, found Ridnour, and immediately passed the ball over. After one glance, he slowed down a beat. Francis is also the type of player who breaks through and distributes the ball. This season's style of play can be regarded as a poor man's version of James. What he said is Ability, awareness of breakthrough points, is the consciousness of breakthrough points of James at his peak.
When Ridnour received the ball, Prince had already switched defense. Ridnour immediately found Antonio Daniels and passed the ball.
However, when McGrady switched to guard Francis, Liu Mang did not switch to guard the person McGrady was guarding. Instead, he went directly to block Antonio Daniels from receiving the ball!
The offense has offensive anticipation, and the defense also has defensive anticipation!
The Eagles' perimeter trio predicted the opponent's passing route from the very beginning once they successfully broke through!
Liu Mang stole the ball passed by Ridnour to Antonio Daniels! Counterattack immediately after grabbing the ball!
"Ding... level 5 trigger when riding alone..."
Liu Mang's speed increased sharply during the counterattack, and he rushed outside the opponent's three-point line. He stopped suddenly and Liu Mang chased for a three-pointer...
After a false shot, Francis is waiting to catch up!
When Francis saw Liu Mang about to pursue him, he immediately jumped up and rushed towards Liu Mang. Liu Mang stepped back...
"Fuck! *##...#￥..." Liu Mang was knocked forward and flew forward. Fortunately, he still remembered that he was going to commit a foul and pushed the ball towards the basket!
"Ding... King of Ganpu is triggered at level 5..."
You can't stop luck when it comes! Liu Mang made an emergency stop outside the three-point line without adjusting, waiting for the opponent to hit him and directly took off to shoot, which happened to trigger the King of Pull-ups!
Liu Mang's body was knocked crooked, but his shooting posture was stable! And because he defeated all his opponents on his own, his strength was improved in this counterattack. Liu Mang's jump height was high enough after being hit by Francis! Enough power!
The ball went straight into the basket!
Liu Mang looked at his hands with a surprised expression as if thinking to himself: "It turns out that winning with three-pointers is so easy! No wonder it's so easy for Steve to win with these teammates, he doesn't even need to do anything. If you throw the ball to your teammates to shoot three-pointers, you will score. No matter whether your teammates score or not, if you pass the ball a few times, you will always get assists, right?”
Seeing Liu Mang's shaky look, Francis barely held back. He was already strong enough to resist Liu Mang's provocation.
And Liu Mang was talking about "Steve". This season, there are two people named Steve who rely on their teammates to win games as a three-point team. Francis can't find fault even if he wants to find fault.
Francis raised his hand to the referee who blew the whistle. The referee blew the whistle when Liu Mang was hit by Francis. Liu Mang's three-point goal was valid and an additional penalty was required!
…
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