At the referee's signal, Bai Qiang walked to the free throw line and executed two free throws.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
The two free throws were made steadily. As expected of a Chinese player, his shooting is so stable.
Why do you say that? A set of data will help you answer your questions.
Yao Ming, the strongest player in China, has an astonishing career free throw shooting rate of 83.3%. If you think this data is ordinary, then you are really blind.
During the same period, Shaquille O'Neal's career free throw shooting percentage was only 52.7%; while Howard's free throw shooting percentage was only 56.6%.
In addition, Yao Ming is the only player among all retired centers since the establishment of the NBA to have a field goal percentage of at least 50% and a free throw percentage of at least 80% (at least 2,000 shots, 1,200 free throws).
Therefore, Yao's ability to gain a foothold in the talented NBA is not only because of the huge market behind him, but also because of his hard training, day after day, year after year.
Back to the game, it is still the Nets' offense.
Bai Qiang served from the sideline, and Durant used Harris's pick-and-roll to get rid of the pursuit and then caught the ball in the middle circle.
The five players on the court for the Bucks are: Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Dante DiVincenzo, Bobby Portis, and Brook Lopez.
An NBA team usually consists of 15 players, but up to 12 players can participate in a game.
Generally, in such important games, eight players are rotated, and the head coach rarely sends out the players at the end of the bench, unless the game is no longer suspense and enters garbage time.
The Greek Monster was expelled from the field, and the responsibility of defending Death naturally fell on Portis's shoulders.
Portis's physical fitness is slightly inferior to that of the Greek Monster, but he has many more defensive tricks, such as eye pokes and shadowless kicks. He is proficient in them all.
This time, Bai Qiang did not stand at the top of the key to ask for the ball, but began to sit inside and face Lopez.
Durant started to single out Portis from 45 degrees on the right side, and the players all pulled away.
Death's indiscriminate singles are not afraid of any defensive player.
Even if you are Jesus, Durant can make you unable to find your home.
Durant lowered his center of gravity and used his signature double-change of death. Portis was inadvertently shaken away.
"Uh-huh!"
Death fell from the sky, and the mid-range shot was hit steadily.
Since Curry brought the NBA into the small ball era, more and more players have become obsessed with three-pointers, while mid-range shots seem to be forgotten.
Durant is one of the few players in the league today who regards mid-range shooting as his trump card.
In addition, the Bulls' classical shooting guard Delmar DeRozan is also a player who is keen on mid-range shooting.
Every move he makes is so addictive!
Under the continuous efforts of Death, the Nets launched a 25:9 offensive climax, ending the third quarter.
The expulsion of the Greek monster caused this Bucks team to lose its way in the jungle, and its morale plummeted.
Even if coach Budenholzer replaced a 3D player like Connaughton, it could not change the struggling performance of the players on the field, and the team fell into a scoring drought.
On the other hand, the Nets have stable output points such as Harden, Harris, Durant, and Jeff Green on the outside, and Bai Qiang dominates the inside. Scoring is as easy as poking around.
After three quarters, the Nets have achieved an 11-point lead. As long as they stabilize the situation in the fourth quarter, this anxious game will definitely end with their victory.
After the short pause, the players returned to the field one after another.
If you look carefully, you will find that the scenery on the court is so beautiful at this moment.
Players wearing white uniforms had smiles on their faces and even danced around the court.
The players in green uniforms looked downcast and listless, floating around like they had lost their souls.
In order to win the game in one fell swoop, Coach Nash did not let the core players take a rest. Harden, Durant, and Bai Qiang were all on the court.
To be kind to your enemies is to be cruel to yourself.
Budenholzer sent Holiday on, leaving Middleton on the bench.
He wants Holiday to lead the team through this difficult period. After Middleton is almost rested and his physical strength has recovered enough, he will be allowed to play to reverse the situation and make a comeback.
Old man, you are too whimsical after all.
When Middleton was almost rested, the suspense of the game was gone.
They all work for wages, and no one wants to work overtime. They need to get off work early and go to bed early. Durant and Harden have to go to bars at night!
The Nets attack.
Harden advanced with the ball, and the defensive player in front of him was DiVincenzo.
Due to Durant's explosion at the end of the third quarter, Budenholzer gave Holiday the task of guarding him.
Holiday's defense is relatively clean on this Bucks team. He makes fewer small moves. His defense mainly relies on accumulated experience and his own enthusiasm to limit the opponent's scoring.
After all, except for some players who are not good enough, most players do not want their opponents to be injured under their own defense.
The charm of competitive sports lies not only in winning the game, but also in being proud despite defeat.
Aquaman Adams is well-known in the league for his good ball skills. He will actively give up offensive opportunities in order to protect defensive players.
He has a fierce face, but he has such a kind heart. Sure enough, people cannot be judged by their appearance!
In sharp contrast, there is nothing more than the league's chief villain, Zaza Pachulia, who is also a white man. Why is there such a big gap in his behavior?
Pachulia definitely contributed to the Warriors winning the NBA championship in 2017. It can be said that he changed the fate of many stars with one kick.
In the 2017 Western Conference Finals, the Warriors faced the Spurs.
Leonard's iron-blooded defense limited the Death God, and the Spurs have been leading the score.
Until Leonard's jump shot, Zaza Pachulia extended the devil's foot to the former's foothold, and everything ushered in a change.
Leonard fell to the ground, clutching his ankle in pain, and was ended for the season.
That year, he averaged 27.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, and his shooting percentage was as high as 52.5%.
The ending was clear at a glance. The Warriors advanced to the finals, defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers led by Emperor James with a final score of 4:1, and won the championship. Death also won the championship trophy as he wished.
Back to the game.
Harden pulled all the players away and started playing singles with the ball.
Passing DiVincenzo puts no pressure on Harden.
Harden's isolation efficiency is one of the best in the league. When he was with the Rockets, he averaged between 8.5 and 9 isolations per game and his effective field goal percentage was around 57%.
Harden continued to dribble with his hips, disrupting DiVincenzo's defensive rhythm. Suddenly, one retreated to worship the Buddha, who jumped up.
Harden's shooting is so threatening that it is difficult for defenders not to be shaken up.
Harden seized the opportunity, went straight to the basket, and made a small floater at the end, making a steady hit.
The Nets' lead reached 13 points.
In fact, throwing shots is not difficult to prevent. As long as you have enough talent, you can put on a wonderful show of catching shots in the air.
However, Harden's throw is special. Harden is not only a crazy scorer, but also a super organizational master.
Because of this, when Harden attacks the basket, the defender is often confused as to whether he wants to finish by himself or assist his teammates.
The ball was transferred, Milwaukee's offensive cycle, Holiday received the ball from the backcourt and advanced.
On the court, Holiday is the Bucks' most consistent scorer and best organizer.
During the offseason, the Bucks management also paid a lot of money to pursue Holiday. They used George Hill, Eric Bledsoe, three future first-round picks and two future first-round swap rights to welcome Jrue Holiday.
Holiday is a player whose strength outweighs his fame. Because his scoring ability is not strong enough, he is often overlooked, but he is indeed a player with both offense and defense. When the team is in dire straits, he can always step forward and stabilize the situation.
Holiday called for a screen from the high post, and Lopez ran in to pick and roll.
Harden was blocked by Lopez's body, and Holiday bypassed the screen and shot a three-pointer.
"Uh-huh!"
The basketball hits the net!
Bai Qiang thought Holiday would attack the inside, so he didn't stand up to defend. This gave the latter the opportunity to suddenly launch a cold arrow.
The score difference reached ten points, and the suspense of the game did not disappear!
Budenholzer breathed a sigh of relief. Holiday did not let him down. He is indeed a qualified leader.
NBA coaches are brave enough to organize their teams. They will not be bound by the secular world and will constantly adjust their lineups based on the characteristics of the players and changes in the situation on the court.
The most successful lineup innovation in the NBA is the five-death lineup created by Coach Kerr of the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State's five small lineups of death won three championships in five years. In the 2015-2016 regular season, they achieved the best record in NBA history with 73 wins and 9 losses, breaking the record set by basketball god Michael Jordan in one fell swoop. .
