Mike Brown frowned at this time. He had already targeted Xu Yong tonight, but why did Xu Yong's performance seem not to be affected?
But don't underestimate this kind of shooting. In high-intensity games, you can maintain continuous hits, even from mid-range, it is enough to influence the situation of the game.
In a word, when Jordan turns around and leans back, it is also mid-range!
There was no way, Brown could only get up and call Varejao up and let him come on to replace O'Neal.
With this substitution adjustment, the Cavaliers have bad news and good news.
The bad news is that O'Neal is off. The good news is that O'Neal is off.
With O'Neal's move, there was room for a breakthrough on the court. James immediately sprinted near the logo, forcing the Bulls to shrink, and then assisted Jamison for a baseline layup and scored two points.
And looking back, after Xu Yong played a pick-and-roll with Noah again, the Cavaliers directly flanked him.
When O'Neal was there, he couldn't get out of the paint, but Varejao's flexibility is much greater.
After encountering a double attack, Xu Yong lobbed the ball to Noah, but the Cavaliers' rotation was in place and James had already helped defend.
Noah held the ball near the free throw line, and the Cavaliers' other positions were rotated. The Bulls' offense was killed.
but!
Just when everyone thought so, Noah directly chose to hold the ball and step into the layup!
James was shocked, but he reacted quickly, contracted to maintain his defensive position, and gave Noah a counterattack before he made a layup.
But the result of this confrontation was far beyond his expectation. Noah didn't move or say anything, and was so heavy that he couldn't jump up. He could only watch as Noah put the ball into the basket above his head!
The fans at the scene were dumbfounded. Are you sure this is Noah? Not Deng'a or Noken?
Compared with the last time they fought, this is completely different!
Noah also looked back excitedly to Xu Yong for a high-five.
Although gaining weight and muscle has caused him to temporarily lose his ability to shoot mid-range shots, the confrontation effect and increase in self-confidence it brings are really worth it!
Brown couldn't sit still at this time, got up and walked to the sidelines.
He is very sensitive to defense. Originally, Rose and Xu Yong were the only ones the Cavaliers needed to focus on, and Deng could not take it seriously even holding the ball.
But the Bulls tonight even Noah dared to attack like this, and the key was scored. This is a very dangerous signal.
Moreover, after the offensive and defensive transition, the Bulls switched defense. Just like in the regular season opener, Xu Yong switched to guard James!
The scene was agitated. Xu Yong did this to Evans and James. It was really a retro style from the 1990s.
James did not hesitate, and with a wave of his hand, he directly called Varejao for a pick-and-roll.
After taking it apart, he saw that Noah did not save it immediately, so he chose a mid-range shot.
"Dang!"
It is also a mid-range shot, and his shot is completely different from Xu Yong's in terms of beauty and result.
Including the three-pointer he missed earlier, it seems that his touch tonight is very average.
Noah turned around, grabbed the defensive rebound, and directly counterattacked with the ball.
The Bulls' fast break was fast, and the confrontation for more than half a quarter didn't seem to tire these young people at all.
In contrast, the old arms and legs of the Cavaliers are a little bit overwhelmed.
Except for James and Parker, no one else had time to step back.
In a three-on-two situation in the frontcourt, Noah passed the ball to Xu Yong. After Xu Yong broke through to the basket, he saw the opportunity and passed it to Hinrich who was following up on the other side.
The position where Hinrich received the ball was exactly at the three-point line. He chose to stop and saw that it was an open position and adjusted to take a three-point shot.
At this time, James and Parker were compressed into the free throw line and could not save themselves. They could only turn around and prepare to compete for rebounds.
"Uh-huh!"
But with a crisp sound of hitting the net, Hinrich also scored a three-pointer!
15 to 10!
The Bulls launched a wave of offense!
And just as Brown was worried, the Bulls no longer opened up at one or two points, but blossomed across the board.
"This is the power of a young team!" Even Reggie Miller couldn't help but sigh.
The lower limit of a young team can be very low, but the upper limit is immeasurable.
If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, it would be hard to believe that the Bulls could suppress the serious Cavaliers like this.
And what's even more terrible is that the Cavaliers themselves are in big trouble tonight, and that is James' touch.
In fact, even if O'Neal fails, the remaining lineup of the Cavaliers can stabilize the Bulls, with strength and experience suppressing them three-dimensionally.
But the biggest problem is James.
One thing you have to admit is that James is the real core player with the ball at this time, because most of the time he can crush the opponent players and force the opponent to flank him, so he can use his passing ability. , drive the team's offense and form an offensive system around him.
This is the legendary [bring your own system].
But there are two biggest problems with this style of play. One is what if you can't crush your opponent?
Pick and roll, mismatch.
So you see that James will play small players out of position from time to time in the game. It's not that he only plays that way, but that when he encounters the first situation, he plays that way to be able to use his offensive system.
But even so, he will encounter the second problem. What should the opponent do when encountering a pick-and-roll and shrinking defense?
At this time, James' biggest problem was exposed. Even if he trained his shooting, due to physical coordination, his shooting still could not "kill people".
To put it in a very cruel but realistic way: Do you dare to let Jordan, Kobe, Durant, or even DeRozan shoot all over the court? You don't dare, because they can really kill you.
But the same question, do you dare to let James shoot?
Especially when encountering a situation like now where the touch is not good, James' team has only two options left: either you have other strong enough offensive containment points to prevent opponents from flanking James and let him use breakthroughs to solve the problem. ; Or James needs to take a break first, let his teammates continue to play, and then continue playing when his hand feels recovered.
But it is obvious that this Cavaliers has neither Wade, nor Irving, nor even Anthony Davis.
So someone may ask, if you can't play with the ball, wouldn't it be better to play without the ball?
Sorry, when you can't score, it's much easier for the opponent to guard you without the ball. They can just guard you from cutting to the basket.
Not to mention, James' ability is very average due to his long-term playing with and without the ball.
And although this Cavaliers lineup is strong, they are basically functional teammates built around James. Even if you may not be when you first come here, you can just play it, such as Jamison standing in the bottom corner now.
The regular season has become functional, do you expect him to suddenly go back to playing with the ball in the playoffs? This is a bit overwhelming!
Therefore, the Cavaliers' offensive performance tonight was a sharp dive as O'Neal failed and James felt lost.
The Bulls really opened up on the offensive end. Everyone took the lead and used their actions to explain what "the three armies use their lives to win the commander-in-chief."
After three quarters, the Bulls had extended their lead to 14 points, 77-63.
During the break, the Cavaliers fans present could no longer sit still.
The opponent I picked was pushed to the ground and rubbed. It was a bullshit happy game. It was just looking for abuse!
If it weren't for the fact that it was a small city where everyone looked up but didn't look down, they would have greased their feet and left.
Mike Brown also felt that he was almost out of breath at this time.
He simply went all out and replaced the three main players of Williams, Parker and James at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
This is the last fight.
Denagro was not hesitant and immediately replaced Rose, Xu Yong and Noah.
We can't let go of the victory we've won right now.
The Cavaliers attacked first, and Williams took the lead with a mid-range jumper after a pick-and-roll.
James is out of form tonight. As an All-Star who is recognized as relying on James to get into the All-Star Game, he must step up.
And when they returned to the defensive end, the Cavaliers' entire defensive intensity was the strongest in the entire game because of Varejao and Hickson inside.
Obviously, what Brown fought for in this final wave was not the main force, but the defense.
When a person is in a desperate situation, the first thing he thinks of is his own special skills.
The Bulls' positional offense was still a bit raw. Seeing that there was not much offensive time left, the ball could only be handed over to Xu Yong.
Xu Yong reacted very quickly after holding the ball. He used his precise shooting threat tonight to dodge Parker at one point, then rushed directly into the paint and got up through Hickson, causing the latter's defensive foul and winning a free throw opportunity. .
His choice was very smart. Now he is leading by a big score, and O'Neal is not here. As long as he attacks the inside to create damage and maintain the point difference, the Cavaliers will soon face a situation: they don't have much time left!
Despite the interference from the Cavaliers fans at the scene, Xu Yong made both free throws.
There was still a 14-point difference. Williams' goal just now was almost a miss, and half a minute had passed.
Williams continued to pick and roll in the mid-range in the frontcourt, but this time his shot was interfered by Noah. After the basketball hit the front line, the rebound was collected by Miller.
The former King's center, now playing a vital role on the Bulls' bench and serving as Noah's inside technical mentor, immediately made a long throw across the court.
Rose finally found an opportunity, and after catching the ball, he ran all over the court and scored a layup on a fast break.
Well, this time the point difference not only did not narrow, but actually widened.
Brown reached up and slapped his forehead.
The Bulls were truly a herd charge tonight and couldn't be stopped.
In a desperate situation, James, who had been working hard all game, finally broke into the Bulls' interior and scored two points. This was his third sports goal tonight.
But before the fans could get excited, Xu Yong rushed into the paint with a bag of explosives, scored the ball, and at the same time overturned Varejao, causing the latter to commit a blocking foul.
After scoring the goal, Xu Yong raised his hands and clenched his fists in celebration.
This is in front of James, harvesting the game in James' way!
And the referee was really impartial tonight.
Brown closed his eyes tightly and raised his head to the sky, truly accepting his fate.
In the end, the Bulls withstood the Cavaliers' final counterattack in the final quarter, defeated the Cavaliers 98-85, and got a good start in the away series.
Statistics after the game, for the Cavaliers, Mo Williams scored a team-high 21 points on 7 of 20 shots, James only scored 15 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists on 3 of 14 shots, Parker 14 points, O'Neal and Jamison Each scored 9 points.
For the Bulls, Xu Yong scored a game-high 26 points on 11 of 18 shots, plus 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Rose had 17 points and 7 assists, Noah had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists, Deng had 13 points and 5 rebounds, and Hinrich had 10 Scored 3 assists, Gibson had 8 points and 8 rebounds.
At the end of the game, the Cavaliers fans at the scene were still in disbelief.
Their strongest feeling right now is, why does their team look so weak? !
James didn't feel good tonight, but he was working hard to organize the team, but why didn't any of his teammates step up and provide support?
What kind of rotten fish did the Cavaliers management find? What an old, weak and disabled soldier!
And complaining is just a way for them to vent their emotions. What really makes them uncomfortable is that they picked the Bulls, but they lost the first game!
Comparing the Warriors' black eight back then, one sentence immediately comes to mind: History is always surprisingly similar.
So an inevitable thought popped up in their minds: No way? They won't really be hacked, right? !
Compared to the fans, Brown is the really depressed one.
After the game, he was silent on the bench for a long time.
It would have been great if I had heard him pick the Bobcats earlier. I was eating hot pot, singing songs, and happily enjoying the next round, but I had to choose the difficulty for myself. Now, I really encountered a gangster.
The Bulls look like they're not easy to mess with, and they're really not easy to mess with when it comes to fighting.
And the most uncomfortable thing is that he can't even say anything. In this sensitive period, even if James doesn't play well, it's still his coaching staff's problem.
He could foresee the overwhelming reports after the game, and a super cauldron had been reserved in advance.
"Coach." At this moment, a team member came over to remind him that the post-game handshake ceremony was about to take place.
He adjusted his mood and stood up, only to notice that James had returned to the locker room early again.
With a wry smile, he could only go over and shake hands with De Nagro first.
Wolong and Fengxiao shook hands on the technical stage, and this round of the series was a good one.
…
"The Cavaliers underestimated their opponents and lost, they need to pay attention to their opponents"
"Brown's offensive system has stalled, he is the worst part of the Cavaliers"
"The Cavaliers have lost the defense they rely on to survive, and it is difficult to stop the five-star Bulls from blooming more."
…
"These media are really interesting." Robinson said with emotion after finishing training on social media during the offseason.
Since being disgusted by the league and not participating in the dunk contest, Robinson has almost instinctively paid attention to James.
Robinson was right next to Xu Yong. When he spoke, Xu Yong turned his head curiously.
"No one mentioned that guy's performance. Isn't it worth writing about the team boss scoring three goals in one game?" Robinson looked at Xu Yong and complained.
Xu Yong smiled and said nothing.
Don’t even look at which mainstream media is now.
The Nike Alliance is no joke.
If he hadn't signed with AJ, who was really Anta or something, he might not have gotten the Rookie of the Year Award.
"There is also the matter of black eight. When the Warriors beat the Mavericks, the score in the first game was exactly the same as ours." Robinson then complained.
Xu Yong was a little surprised when he heard this. He didn't expect such a coincidence.
"We will definitely be able to hack them." Robinson finally said in an aggravated tone with a hint of resentment.
"Yes, we can do it." Xu Yong replied with an affirmative tone.
Although, he knew they were still far away from that goal.
Winning the first game is just the beginning. The Cavaliers' adjustments, including James' touch, are uncertain.
But the coincidence Robinson mentioned would give them psychological confidence.
…
Two days later, the game between the Cavaliers and the Bulls continued. In this game, the Cavaliers' condition improved significantly, especially James.
Although the three-point touch is still not good, he has found his mid-range touch.
With his change, the Cavaliers' regular season offensive system has also been able to operate.
Facts have also proved that once James can perform, the lineup tailor-made for him by the Cavaliers is perfect.
Jamison and Parker perfectly opened up the space, Varejao moved down the pick-and-roll, and Williams took over on the weak side. After the Cavaliers machine started running, the strength of the Eastern Conference's No. 1 team was fully revealed.
The Bulls showed the instability of the young team. Although there was a stalemate at the beginning, the game became chaotic as the score gradually widened.
After all, the team is young, and there is no system at the key offensive and defensive ends.
In the end, the Bulls lost to the Cavaliers on the road with a score of 83 to 104, and the series score came to 1 to 1.
The next game in the series will continue in Chicago.
Every time the series is tied with a big score, it is crucial, and the next third game is the first key node.
On the plane back to Chicago, Ross took the initiative to sit next to Xu Yong.
"You come and take the baton." Ross took the initiative to speak to Xu Yong.
Because his shooting points were so obviously targeted, his overall performance in the past two games was not good.
In fact, he was targeted in the playoffs last season. Although he scored 36 points and 11 assists in his debut, his average dropped to 19 points per game thereafter.
This has been the case for two consecutive years. He is strongly aware of the importance of developing shooting, but this is obviously not something that can be done all at once.
This does not mean that he will give up his position as the team leader, but if he wants to reverse the situation now, he can only let Xu Yonglai lead the offense.
Although Xu Yong is a rookie, he has no obvious shortcomings in offense and will not be targeted.
Xu Yong nodded, but then said: "Without your performance, we still can't win."
Xu Yong's words are very straightforward. Facing Brown's defensive system, his control effect will indeed be better, but that is not enough to change the strength gap between the two sides.
The outcome of the past two games was more affected by James' state.
To win when the Cavaliers are on the line, each of them has to do more than before.
This of course includes Ross.
Rose nodded. Of course, he was not here to shirk the blame, but to discuss with Xu Yong how to play the next home game.
De Nagro is like a pendant during the game. If they want to win, they can only take the initiative.
Of course, as a scumbag, Rose mostly listened to Xu Yong's analysis.
As a reborn player, Xu Yong not only has rich experience in playing and commentating, but he was also influenced by Sandker in the NCAA.
Soon, a new set of feasible tactical plans appeared on paper.
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(End of chapter)
