inspire-indiana Chapter 173 To Cleveland
Chapter 173 To Cleveland
Chapter 173 Back to Cleveland
Game [-] of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Cavaliers regular starting lineup.
Bucks regular starting lineup.
Big Z jumped off the first wave of possession and the game began.
Maurice Williams advanced with the ball, and after the Cavaliers players landed on the field, he immediately wanted to try a wave of singles.
It's just that after dribbling back and forth for a full 10 seconds, he still couldn't find the possibility of breaking through Westbrook's defense. Maurice Williams could only return the ball to James on the center line.
Barkley exhaled and was extremely annoyed when he saw this scene, "What is Maurice Williams doing on the court? He dribbled outside for half a day so that there were 6 seconds left in the attack time of this round before returning the ball to James?"
"Isn't this dumping the pot?"
Kenny Smith smiled gloatingly, then looked at James and said, "This ball is a test of personal ability."
on the field.
James singles with the ball.
Artest chose to defend sideways, giving James the most unaccustomed left-hand breakthrough space.
Li Lai was quite satisfied off the court. After being cut by James in the last game with such horrible statistics, he has been trying to limit the opponent as much as possible, and giving the left breakthrough space is what he can currently get. best defensive option.
James in this period is far from developing the ability to shoot from a long distance, so he can only choose to go left to the basket for this ball.
Artest has always put great defensive pressure on James and pushed him to the left far away from the basket.
Seeing that he was getting farther and farther away from the basket, James knew that if he continued to break through, he would only come to a negative angle on the court, so he chose a mid-range shot with an emergency stop.
Duang!
Hard work!
Kenny Smith applauded at the commentary stand and said: "The Bucks' defense is smart. When James breaks through and goes to the non-dominant hand, most of them will choose to shoot to end the game. Compared with his right-handed breakthrough, the offensive shooting rate in this direction is actually lower. It will go down a lot.”
"Of course, even if it drops a little, James still leads most forwards and guards in shooting percentage. This is also a very good defensive strategy."
Barkley agrees with his old partner's point of view. What he wants to say is that Artest has already restricted some of James' shooting percentages. Now that he can restrict another wave after such a defense, James may find it difficult to carry the game.
This is the second time the Bucks' performance on the defensive end has refreshed Barkley's perception of the team. In terms of round defense, they are definitely one in the league.
The Bucks attack.
Yi Jianlian dealt the cards at a high position, Curry slid the bottom line and ran back, and then continued to use the pick-and-rolls of Artest and Rasheed Wallace to get opportunities at a 45° angle on the right.
Swish!
Curry made a steady three-pointer.
Mike Brown, the coach of the Cavaliers, looked at this wave of offense and felt nothing in his heart, and even wanted to laugh a little bit.
"I XXXX you boy, run like your sister, shoot fast, and shoot accurately, so how do I arrange defensive tactics?"
It's not that Mike Brown has no skills on the defensive end. He knows that letting players cling to Curry like dog skin plasters or using pick-and-rolls to switch defenses can greatly limit Curry's shots from outside the three-point line, but the key is that the Cavaliers don't have that The plate of green onions can't be fried in this dish.
At this time, Mike Brown couldn't help but look at his two players in the backcourt, Maurice Williams and Anthony Parker.
Although Anthony Parker only has one-handed fixed-point three-pointers on the offensive end, he does his best on the defensive end. Even if he is not the top perimeter defensive player in the league, such as Tony Allen, Rajon Rondo or Wade, but No matter what, the average level of the starting lineup is even higher than this level.
"Anthony Parker is very tight when he is chasing Curry, and he is very focused. There are very few pictures that allow Curry to get rid of it easily."
"His defense is good, but the Bucks have too many off-ball screens on the court, and they are too continuous. It is impossible for Anthony Parker to always cover in front of Curry."
"So, there are always a lot of times when other players need to cover Curry."
"It would be best for James to make up the defense, and Jamison or Big Z wouldn't be too bad, but when it's Maurice Williams' turn to defend, it's a bit too eye-catching."
Mike Brown has seen Mo lose his position when defending Curry more than once. The key is that the Bucks seem to have recognized this point and let Curry take the initiative to eat Morris Williams to end the offense many times.
Mike Brown still remembers Curry's two murderous three-pointers against Mo Yan in the last game. If it weren't for those two magical goals, how could the Cavaliers lose the last game?
The unbearable Mike Brown finally made a substitution adjustment in the middle of the first quarter after Curry once again shot Xiao Mo on the court.
Take Maurice Williams, push Anthony Parker to point guard, then take the more aggressive Delonte West to go after Curry.
Li Lai, who saw this scene, was very surprised. They all said that Mike Brown's on-the-spot scheduling ability was rubbish, and now it seems that the rumors are not all true.
No, didn't Mike Brown react when he was 6 minutes into a game?
Tyronn Lue couldn't help but smiled from the sidelines and said: "After playing a game, I realized that Morris Williams' defense was almost free for the Bucks' perimeter. Isn't it too late? "
"If the substitutions and adjustments can be made early, how could Russell play such a brilliant performance in the last game, and how could Stephen hit 5 three-pointers in a single game."
"The head coach of the Cavaliers might as well let me be the head coach."
Marshall said: "It's not too late to react now, but I don't know if the backcourt defense combined by Anthony Parker and Delonte West can limit us."
Of course Li Lai knew absolutely not.
Because Anthony Parker and Delonte West are not Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen.
Especially after experiencing the Celtics' desperate suffocating defense in the last round, and now facing the Cavaliers, whether it is Curry or Westbrook, the entire Bucks feel that they are playing offensively. Very easy.
on the field.
Cavaliers offensive round.
This time James took the initiative to ask for the ball from the outside. Facing Artest's top defense, he still went to the basket without hesitation.
This time James decided to go to the right, and Artest kept his body in front of the opponent. He would never let James fly up and play in the sky.
It's just that James was tougher than Artest on this ball, and he jumped near the penalty area and forced to take off.
Artest was forced to take a step back and lost his favorable defensive position. Seeing that James had already taken off, he knew the defensive task assigned by the team, so he could only take off to intercept.
Snapped!
James was pulled down severely in the air, and the basketball bounced out of the frame.
The referee blows the whistle.
Artest took the initiative to signal that the ball was his foul.
"No way, Artest can only defend in this way. After all, James has already flown up. Except for pulling the opponent down, you can only watch the basketball enter the basket."
This is also the choice that most players are forced to be rogues when defending James.
All experienced defensive players know very well that you either don’t foul James and watch him score easily, or you can only foul harder, otherwise the kind of understatement foul is completely useless to James, and it is extremely easy to be beaten by the opponent Into 2+1.
It's just that Barkley looked at James who was pulled to the ground, and always felt that the lonely figure of the other party looked a little distressed.
"If James intends to single out Artest in this way every ball, it will be a bit tiring."
"However, he did play very proactively as he said in the interview after the last game."
"James is preparing to carry the Cavaliers forward alone!"
The game continues.
James continued to hit the basket.
Artest was annoyed by the beating.
After all, he is also the top defensive player in the league. It is an insult to be beaten like pinching persimmons one after another by James.
Therefore, Artest's defensive intensity gradually increased, and he used his body to fight against James many times, and even used push, pull, bump, and top to fight against huge body collisions.
James didn't score the first goal and didn't get fouled. He spread his hands to the referee to express his dissatisfaction.
Even if he is an iron man and doesn't blow such an obvious foul, isn't it still a bit too much?
On the second ball, James scored a successful layup against Artest's defense, and then responded by showing Artest his biceps.
On the third ball, James went to the basket again and Artest flew off the court like revenge. The referee blew his whistle and James walked to the free throw line.
On the fourth ball, James was well defended by Artest, so he could only choose a mid-range shot, and this time he scored!
Westbrook and Curry always felt a little admiration for the man wearing the No. 23 jersey on the court as he crazily drove the ball to the basket time and time again.
"Ron's defense and body are not something ordinary people can withstand. James rushes to the basket like this every time, but he is not afraid of his own body injury."
"He's really a tough player."
Curry couldn't bear to say it.
Westbrook understood James' actions on the court very well at this time, and he said seriously: "What else can he do except rushing to the basket like crazy?"
Curry was taken aback, then nodded in agreement.
Compared with the terrible defense of the Celtics and the battle of wits and courage of the head coaches on both sides, it is really much easier to play against the Cavaliers. Even players like them know that as long as James is restricted, they can definitely win the game .
"The point is, can James be restrained?"
The first quarter is over.
The Bucks took a slight lead with 30:29.
Barkley sighed and said: "The Cavaliers' ability to keep up with the Bucks' offense in this quarter is entirely due to James' crazy rush to the basket."
“詹姆斯也在第一节比赛8投4中，罚球6罚4中，拿下了12分4篮板1助攻的数据。”
"This is really a tough guy."
Kenny Smith said: "James can only rely on breakthroughs to help the team establish a lead. Otherwise, with the offensive firepower of the Bucks, as long as the Cavaliers can't keep up with such an attack for 1 or 2 minutes, the score on the court will be lost." was pulled away."
The second game.
Li Lai saw James talking to Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown in the dugout, and then took off his coat. He was shocked and said, "He still wants to play?"
Tyronn Lue looked at James who had already walked on the court, took a deep breath and said: "He didn't rest for a minute in the first quarter, and now he has to play, is he still human?"
In the last game, Li Lai witnessed James' explosive scoring in the second quarter, so he knew that the opponent might attack even more frantically in this game.
Seeing this scene, Artest left the player's bench decisively, walked up to Li Lai and asked to play, but was severely rejected by the latter.
"You have already committed two fouls. What are you doing now? When you restrict him later, let Rashid defend him in this quarter."
It's time for Rasheed Wallace to defend James alone, but compared with Artest, his defensive effect is weaker.
Originally, Li Lai thought that he had Artest and Rasheed Wallace in his hands, two defensive champions, but he was not afraid of James, but now it seems that only two are not enough.
James went to the basket again, and Rasheed Wallace suffered a disadvantage in his footsteps. He was passed by James in two steps, and then a tomahawk dunk was sent.
Li Lai was very annoyed off the court.
"Who can help me solve James, I am willing to give him a cent!"
I really can't prevent it!
Fortunately, Li Lai decisively allowed O'Neal to play during this period of time, and the Bucks' restricted area protection was thus improved to a higher level, so James chose shots near the basket for many of his offenses.
肯尼史密斯翻开本场比赛到目前为止的数据统计说道：“詹姆斯半场16投7中，罚球10罚7中，拿下了22分7篮板3助攻的数据。”
"Honestly speaking, with the inside defensive ability of the Bucks, James' shooting percentage can be limited to less than 50%, which is already very good."
"After all, when the Cavaliers faced the Magic in the last round, the opponent still had Howard, the top frame protector in the league, and James only shot 51% of his shots."
"Now the Bucks have done better. They are obviously more successful than the Magic in defending James."
Barkley was dumbfounded, and scored 16 points in 22 shots. Is this offensive efficiency considered a good defense?
However, the Bucks' defense is indeed very smart. They have never double-teamed James, but have used all their efforts to defend James alone or inside, which has prevented other Cavaliers players from getting easy scoring opportunities.
Of course, the players here have to be in addition to Jamison who can score independently.
Barkley was even thinking that if the Cavaliers didn't have Jamison to share part of James' offense and ball-handling rounds, James might be exhausted.
But James has already played like this, and looking at the score on the court, it is still 64:60, and the Bucks maintain the lead.
"The team that scored 22 points in the half is still behind. This is a very rare scene."
Second half of the game.
Tyronn Lue suggested again: "Coach, why don't we double-team James, 22 points in the half is really scary."
Marshall nodded aside, agreeing to the proposal as well.
After all, Artest and Rasheed Wallace each received three fouls in order to defend James. If James continues to play like this, I am afraid that one person will be able to beat the Bucks' two defensive champions to 6. offender.
Li Lai closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, and said stubbornly, "No! If the Cavaliers bloom more, we will have a harder time playing."
Tyronn Lu still did not give up and said: "We can speed up the rotation of players on the field. Even if other players of the Cavaliers are allowed to end the game, can their shooting percentage be higher than James?"
This is the reason, but Li Lai is still afraid of James' passing ability and basketball IQ. He believes that the experience of defending James obtained by countless coaches in his previous life has naturally gone through countless explorations and tests.
You can see Kobe being double-teamed, O'Neal being double-teamed, Durant being double-teamed, Kawhi being double-teamed, but it's hard to see James being double-teamed.
"Unless it is a last resort, James can never be easily double-teamed. His passing ability and brain are too smart. Once we change our defensive strategy, he may try to beat us in another way."
"So I'd rather watch James get exhausted than let other Cavaliers players ease his pressure."
The third quarter of the game.
Li Lai strengthened the Bucks' transition offense, because the two points of Big Z and Varejao are doomed that the Bucks will always play more and less on the field when pushing transitions.
Of course, James' extremely fast return to defense destroyed a lot of fast break opportunities for the Bucks. Originally, the Cavaliers still bit the score at 80:72 in the middle of the third quarter, only 8 points behind. Points difference.
But in the second half of the third quarter when the substitutions were adjusted, the Bucks' substitute players took the lead.
Dragic relied on his own speed to break through the basket and score layups. George Hill hit 2 three-pointers and sent 3 assists in a single quarter.
The two teamed up to direct a wave of 15:8 offensive high slots, extending the lead to 15 points at once.
95: 80.
The fans in the Bradley Arena couldn't help but let go of their tight hearts until this time, and the scene of cheering and celebrating broke out.
Kenny Smith said equally excitedly: "The Bucks are notorious for having a deep lineup and a thick bench. Their bench is not limited to Iverson and O'Neal. The two experienced veterans can help the team build a leading edge."
"Dragic and George Hill are also points that cannot be ignored."
Barkley couldn't help but sighed.
Originally, the starting lineup of the Bucks caused the Cavaliers to be overwhelmed in terms of offensive firepower, but now the substitute players suddenly broke out, how do you want the Cavaliers to win?
"Even if James is invincible all by himself, he can't beat a team that has flourished. The finals between the Cavaliers and the Spurs in 07 is a good proof of this."
On the bench, James saw this scene full of difficult emotions.
This period of time happened to be the time period when he was off the court to rest. As expected, as long as he was off the court, the team would collapse immediately.
Maurice Williams can't afford the team's offensive burden at this time, and he even needs his teammates to make up for it on the defensive end.
Jamison can do a top at this time, but what he can do is very limited, plus Rasheed Wallace is defending him, what he can do will be even more limited.
At this moment, James is looking at the court. He doesn't know if he still has the meaning of playing. With such a good overall offense of the Bucks, I am afraid that even if he plays, or even hits the basket like crazy, he will not be able to win the game. .
But he still has to play.
Still have to hit the basket like crazy.
He wants to make it to the finals.
Want 23vs24.
He wanted to tell Kobe: Brother, I have been catching up with you.
Game four.
Milwaukee fans watched the player wearing the No. 23 jersey hit the basket over and over again. Artest swears because he was defending him. Rasheed Wallace was knocked down and sat on the ground speechless. Spreading his hands, Li Lai angrily threw the tactical board on the ground many times and yelled at the court.
All because of him alone.
James nearly got the game back, until Westbrook scored a solid dunk and the game was settled again.
122:114, the Bucks defeated the Cavaliers 2:0!
Post-match interview.
This time James came late.
A reporter couldn't help but half-jokingly said: "Is it because this game is too tired, so I lay down in the locker room and rested for a while?"
James was amused by this sentence, but the disappointment soon appeared on his face.
0:2 behind, the Cavaliers are approaching the edge of the cliff.
The reporter continued: "Is 23vs24 still possible? The Lakers took a 2-0 lead as early as yesterday. Kobe seems to have great hope to reach the finals again."
James raised his head and said seriously: "Of course it's possible, we haven't lost yet."
The reporter couldn't help but reminded: "You have already scored 40 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists in this game. This should be the most dazzling data played by a player since the playoffs this season, but the Cavaliers still Lost the game."
Mike Brown was a little embarrassed to hear this sentence from the side. James played such a statistic that the Cavaliers can still lose the game. He, the head coach, may bear a large part of the responsibility.
James still didn't pass the blame to anyone, he took it all like a leader and said, "I'm not doing enough."
"I said at the end of the last game, if I want to win the Bucks, I have to work harder."
"After all, they are the team with the best record in the league in the regular season, and they also eliminated the Celtics, who are the favorites for the championship, 4:1."
"They have young players on the team, experienced veterans, and players who have won championships. This is a team with a very perfect structure. They are very strong."
Speaking of this, the reporters on the scene felt a little sad for James. If the Cavaliers could have another outstanding player, why would James be here.
At this time, James looked at all reporters and promised: "The next game is back in Cleveland, and I will play a more dominant game."
(End of this chapter)