The game situation was not optimistic, but George Karl was very calm.
This was within the scope of his expectations. The Mavericks' positional warfare ability is top-notch in the league.
Their players have been working together for many years. Although the Nuggets have talent, they will inevitably fall short.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Li Yan came on as a substitute.
In the first round of the game, Li Yan successfully intercepted the Mavericks' pass while assisting in defense.
The Mavericks retreated quickly. After Li Yan came to the frontcourt, he once again used his signature pass fake to "point east and hit west".
He looked at Nene Hilario under the basket, but passed the ball to J.R. Smith outside the three-point line on the wing.
JR-Smith raised the knife and dropped it, the basketball crossed a rainbow, and "swish!" went into the net.
30 to 30!
After scoring, JR Smith excitedly celebrated with a three-pointer.
There was jubilation at the Pepsi Center, in an era when fast-break three-pointers are rare.
In everyone's mind, the closer to the basket, the easier it is to score.
It's not surprising that J.R. Smith would take such a shot; his shot selection has always been terrible.
However, as a point guard, Li Yan dares to pass such a ball, which is really surprising. After all, although Nene is surrounded by defensive players at the basket, Nene still seems to have a higher probability of putting the ball into the basket than JR. higher.
JR Smith has a three-point shooting rate of up to 39% this season. Considering that there are many untimely forced shots, JR Smith's three-point ability is quite good.
Coupled with Li Yan's additional skill "Cake Master" that increases his hit rate by 20%, JR Smith is naturally a sure shot of this kind of open three-pointer.
The core of the Mavericks' second team is Jerry Stackhouse.
Stackhouse was a top student at North Carolina, a famous basketball school, and Jordan's younger brother. He was also a well-known figure known as one of the successors to the Flyers.
His basic skills are naturally very good, and his offensive ability and ability to draw fouls are very sophisticated.
The biggest advantage is undoubtedly that in the low post, with his own tonnage and height advantages, he can squeeze the defender close to the basket with his back to the basket, and with a simple back-up jump shot, he can basically eat up many weak shooting guards in the league.
Moreover, Stackhouse's three-point shooting rate should not be underestimated, supplemented by a strong enough breakthrough ability to blast through the opponent's peripheral defense.
But Stackhouse encountered a tough challenge today. Li Yan's height and weight are simply a monster among guards, and he is not weak even if he is placed at the small forward position.
Under Li Yan's defense, it was too difficult for Stackhouse to squeeze in.
Coupled with an excited J.R. Smith wandering around on the outside, the Mavericks' offense is simply "constipated."
Devin George forced a shot, Nene got stuck under the basket, and Li Yan collected the rebound.
The Nuggets' offense and defense transitioned quickly. Li Yan took the rebound and advanced directly to shorten the passing link in the middle.
After the game rhythm picked up, more offensive opportunities appeared.
Li Yan quickly came to the frontcourt. At this time, the Mavericks' inside line had just settled.
Nene stood at the top of the arc, played a pick-and-roll for Li Yan, and then went straight down.
Li Yan used the cover to break through, and this wave of "double ghost shots" directly penetrated the Mavericks.
Nene received Li Yan's pass and dunked easily.
The Mavericks fell into a scoring drought, but the Nuggets played smoothly.
In the next round, Li Yan attacked Greg Buckner with his back, and after attracting the Mavericks' defensive attention, he lightly threw the basketball into the penalty area.
Nene jumped up high and caught the basketball comfortably, "Boom!"
A two-handed dunk shocked everyone.
The Pepsi Center was buzzing with excitement. This kind of offense was so exciting.
Nenei and Li Yan high-fived in celebration.
Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby on the sidelines were full of envy, Mader, they also want such a pass.
On the other side of the bench, Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony were thoughtful.
After JR Smith once again received a pass from Li Yan and hit a precisely guided three-pointer, the Mavericks were stopped.
After a wave of 13 to 2, the Nuggets took an 8-point lead at home.
"Wow! The Nuggets' second lineup directly reversed the situation. J.R. Smith opened up space on the outside and was very intimidating inside and outside the basket." Barkley exclaimed:
"The most terrible thing is that Li Yan's ability to control the court is great. He is naturally good at pushing fast breaks. He can always find teammates who are in open spaces."
"Li Yan's playing style is very selfless, and it is a blessing to be his teammate."
"Why didn't the Nuggets play like this in the first quarter?" Barkley was a little confused.
"You have to let Carmelo Anthony cooperate." Smith's words were recognized by most fans.
Anthony is to the Nuggets what James is to the Cavaliers.
In the past three seasons, Anthony has become accustomed to a style of play centered on him.
If you want to change now, the best thing will be for "Melon" to actively cooperate; otherwise, friction will be very harmful to the Nuggets.
The game continued as Barkley and Smith analyzed the situation.
Both sides replaced their main players.
After Nowitzki attracted the defense, he assisted Jason Terry to hit a three-pointer, stabilizing the situation for the Mavericks.
After changing sides, people were surprised to find that "Melon" Anthony actually opened up space for Li Yan on one side.
Then, Li Yan passed the ball to Anthony with an acrobatic back pass.
At this time, Anthony's defender had long been taken away by Li Yan.
Big space!
Anthony was stunned for a moment, and then he took a smooth shot, and the basketball drew an arc, "Whoa!"
Hollow hit.
When Li Yan high-fived Anthony, Anthony was still thinking about the attack just now.
How did the ball get passed?
"The Nuggets' changes began. Cameron didn't ask for the ball as usual. He was pulling the Mavericks' formation from the sidelines."
"Oh my God! Li Yan was surrounded by the Mavericks, and he actually passed the ball from behind."
"Opportunity, Carmelo Anthony, wide open, no problem, very stable."
In the TNT studio, Smith stood up excitedly: "This shot is so difficult, very bold and imaginative."
"From a point guard's perspective, Li Yan's passing and controlling abilities are impeccable, and his court vision is fantastic."
"Kendy, can you pass such a ball?" Barkley asked with a smile.
"No, with my height there is no way I can find teammates in this position. Li Yan's height gives him a great advantage in terms of field vision." Smith exclaimed:
"Even if I knew Cameron was in that position, I would not use such a risky method. Li Yan is not a rigid academic defender. His passing is full of intelligence."
"Wow! Magician, such a pass is like magic, incredible!"
