After the first half, Min Congda followed the players back to the locker room.
Laoyu scored a three-pointer at the last moment, which ended the first half behind, which was very demoralizing.
In the first half, the Clippers players really tried their best. They were behind by a big margin at the beginning and did not panic to chase all the way.
Under the passionate leadership of PJ Tucker, everyone went all out to get the score back one goal after another.
They once overtook the lead and thought they could widen the point difference, but Kobe and Lao Yu's three-pointers destroyed the Clippers' morale time and time again.
This is the performance of a championship-level team on the court, and the playoffs will not be so easy.
As Min Congda's lifelong enemy, the old fish Fisher, Min Congda's evaluation of him also changed tonight.
"Why does this damn bald guy still want to go against me?"
The content of lifelong enemies has further increased.
Min Chongda rarely enters the team's locker room at midfield.
This time he could see that everyone was still a little frustrated.
Sometimes the only thing you need to play a game is your breath.
Once the team's morale slackens, everyone's concentration will decline.
Concentration will decline, defense will be lax, and offensive mistakes will increase.
Therefore, we must not underestimate the psychological factor of morale.
It often has a decisive impact on the game.
After all, sports competitions are sometimes wars.
Min Congda watched Lao Deng working hard to encourage the players.
Let everyone cheer up and continue fighting for victory.
But the effect can only be said to be average.
If it worked, the Clippers wouldn't be behind 0:3.
Min Congda called Lao Deng aside and asked him to stop pouring chicken soup.
He said, "Mike, make a tactical adjustment."
Dunleavy feels that he is more like an assistant coach now, and Min Congda is the head coach.
However, Min Congda's adjustments did work. Today's first half was their best half of the series.
"There is nothing wrong with what we are doing defensively, let's keep it up. Offensively, we have to make changes. We have to give up low-post offense, and Zach and Marc will all move to high-posts. More pick-and-rolls, more mid-range and three-point shooting. Try to attack from the outside. Just initiate it and let Zach and Xiaojia be more of the end points.”
Min Congda gave the instructions, leaving Dunleavy stunned.
Give up low position? Then isn't more than half of the Clippers' offense collapsed?
Zach Randolph's low-post offense has always been the core tactic of the Clippers.
Relying on Randolph's low-post offense during the regular season, the Clippers survived many tough battles.
As a result, in the playoffs, can you suddenly say no?
However, Dunleavy feels that Min Congda's suggestion actually makes sense.
In the previous few games, Randolph failed to show his regular season power.
The average points per game dropped from 20 points in the regular season to 14 points.
It's not that Randolph is in bad shape, but that the Lakers' three big men plus Artest are really too fierce.
Randolph couldn't do it on his own.
And Gasol is still too young to give Randolph enough support.
Don't talk about Randolph, just talk about Howard in last season's finals.
Howard averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds per game against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
It can be said that he single-handedly destroyed the Cavaliers inside.
In the finals, when they faced the Lakers' top three players, their scoring average dropped to 15 points per game.
He dropped a level directly, from a super center to a blue-collar inside man.
Howard has not changed, he is still the offensive rough guy, what has changed is the defense he faces.
Bynum, Gasol, Odom, and Howard simply cannot display their low-post strength.
Although Randolph has better skills, he does not have Howard's physical fitness.
Moreover, the Lakers' internal defense is not only high, but the outside pressing is also very fierce.
It is basically impossible to comfortably launch an attack in the low post, and you will inevitably encounter a fierce rush.
This kind of defense greatly disrupted Randolph's low-post offensive rhythm, causing the entire Clippers to play in a mess.
Under this situation, Randolph fought hard and still scored 15 points in each game, which was already very difficult.
But playing like this, the team's offensive efficiency was really not high, and it hit the Lakers' defensive steel plate.
Min Congda added: "We must learn from Howard's lesson. Also, Zach has a mid-range shot, so let him move around on the periphery, and he can still make scoring contributions."
Randolph is different from Howard. His skills are more delicate and he gives up the low post. His face to the basket can work just as well as the high post.
Perhaps with fewer shots, he can score similar points, which is a good thing for the Clippers.
It’s just that whether such a strategy will work will not be known until the game is played.
Dunleavy thought for a while, agreed to Min Congda's proposal, and then took the last five minutes to rearrange the players' tactics.
Fortunately, the Clippers practice many tactics and routines during the regular season, and they don't just follow one tactical routine to the end.
Otherwise, it will be difficult for you to make adjustments in the playoffs, and you will have to bite the bullet and keep doing it.
The Clippers are a small ship and can easily turn around. Everyone has practiced various routines. Let's change our thinking in the second half.
Min Congda thought that according to this idea, the Clippers' offense would be smoother.
The focused and tough confrontation in the first half was naturally exciting.
But after all, they still fell into the Lakers' familiar game rhythm and method.
Using a more agile style of play might be able to turn the situation around better.
But Min Congda never expected that this adjustment would not only change the situation in the second half.
The intermission ended and the third quarter began.
In the Clippers' first offense, Baron Davis cooperated with Randolph in the high post in a pick-and-roll.
Randolph didn't move in after the pick-and-roll like he did before, or sink into the low post and stick his butt out to get the ball.
Instead, he went outside to the top of the arc, and Balang accelerated and broke through inside.
Bynum followed up, and Baron Davis turned around and passed the ball to Randolph.
Randolph hit a mid-range jumper from the top of the arc and scored two points.
At 48:49, the Clippers took the lead.
An understatement of a pick-and-pop mid-range shot.
But it heralds a major change for the Clippers on the offensive end.
In fact, this kind of offensive routine has not happened in the first three games.
It’s just that the Clippers don’t use it much.
Randolph's mid-range can only be said to be good, but not to the point where he can kill people.
Occasionally, he can hit one or two goals and steal one, but that's it. Randolph is not that accurate.
Therefore, Min Congda made such an adjustment not in the hope that Randolph would kill the Lakers.
Instead, try to open up as much space as possible and give the Clippers more opportunities to attack the basket from the outside.
The Clippers then used a tough move to hinder the Lakers' inside attack.
Finally, the ball was given to Kobe, who broke through the basket and missed the throw.
The Clippers counterattacked, and Baron Davis broke through the basket with the ball.
The Lakers retreated quickly, and Davis had no chance to catch up with Gasol.
Gasol also received the ball at the top of the arc and shot directly from mid-range, and he hit!
The two Clippers insiders didn't take a single mid-range shot in the first half.
In the second half, they hit two consecutive goals to overtake the score.
Phil Jackson has already felt that the Clippers have made changes and adjustments.
I just don’t know what this fine-tuning will bring in the future.
(End of chapter)
