In the NBA, opportunities are always fleeting.
There are plenty of opportunities for talented players.
For example, Oden was injured one after another, but because of his potential, the Blazers were still willing to give him a chance.
For example, if some well-known veterans do not play well in one place, other teams are often willing to give them a chance if they want to move the dead and live.
The further down you go, the fewer the opportunities and the harder it is to seize them.
For players struggling on the fringes of the team.
Every minute and every second on stage is important.
Especially some coaches with strict personalities will give you one minute of playing time.
If you make a foul or make a mistake, then OK, come down.
This guy's NBA career may be over.
This minute is all the playing time in his entire NBA career.
One foul, one turnover, that's all his statistics.
To get such a minute of playing time, this player is already one of the best players in the world.
Some players took advantage of the opportunity, such as Rockets big man Chuck Hayes.
When the Rockets were short of players inside, they signed a ten-day short contract to put out the fire.
He seized the opportunity and performed well on the court and has since established himself in the league.
Just such an inconspicuous insider like a potato, a player who got opportunities with a short contract.
Before entering the NBA, he played for the famous Kentucky school. He didn't miss a game in four years. He ranked 35th in scoring and seventh in rebounding in school history.
Earlier, he was in a smaller high school. As a sophomore, he averaged 26 points, 19 rebounds and 7 assists per game, leading the school basketball team to 35 wins and 2 losses. He was a well-deserved state basketball superstar.
"Any NBA player is Michael Jordan in their story." This sentence is really not a joke.
The same is obviously true for Danny Green. He was a McDonald's All-Star in high school and a star in both football and basketball.
In college, he graduated from the prestigious North Carolina School and won the NCAA championship with the school in 2009!
Such a player with a glorious resume has to be homeless in the NBA and almost has no ball to play, which is enough to show how cruel this game is.
This time, Green finally has a good opportunity. Having experienced ups and downs, he must seize the opportunity.
After playing, Green didn't think much about anything else. He would shoot whenever he got the ball during the offense. If there was no chance, he would immediately hand it over to James and let James handle the ball.
On the defensive end, just keep an eye on Harden and don't give Harden a chance to easily break through the defense.
His marking is like candy. Whether Harden has the ball in his hand or not, Green has to stick to it.
He only has Harden in his eyes. On the court, Harden is closer than his girlfriend, and he wants to be closer to her than his girlfriend.
This troubles Harden a little. Because of his larger size, Harden is not as agile as Curry in dribbling.
He's not as oily as Baron Davis, who uses his back to squeeze out space.
Harden is not experienced enough and is obviously not used to this sudden brute defense.
After Green came on the scene, Harden made two consecutive mistakes, and the Cavaliers counterattacked.
James continuously hit the basket and dunked successfully.
In a short period of time, the Cavaliers once again widened the point difference.
The Clippers wanted to use one large player and four small players to open up space, but the opponent also had one large player and four small players.
Defense is man-to-man. The more space you open, the more space you can open.
At this time, it is an opportunity to challenge the masters one-on-one.
In Cole's view, if this situation is given to Jordan, he can beat his opponent's butt to death.
But Harden held the ball, was made uncomfortable by Green, and passed the ball to Curry. Curry also fell into a one-on-one dilemma and was difficult to get out of.
These two little guys are still too young. How can second-year rookies be compared with Jordan?
When the defensive intensity is average, 120% of the energy can be used. Once the defensive intensity increases and the referee does not whistle often, the player may only be able to use 70% of the energy.
Fortunately, the two offensive balls were given to Milicic inside, and Milicic still had an offensive hand.
The hook shot after the turn and the forced layup both scored points, helping the Clippers seize the score.
But Milicic's inside scoring is unsustainable and can only be done piecemeal once in a while.
Continuously giving the ball to him will only waste opportunities and prevent the team's offense from functioning.
Dunleavy looked a little anxious and wanted to call a timeout to adjust.
Cole hurriedly said: "Mike, let the players adjust themselves."
With that said, Dunleavy held back and let the players figure it out for themselves.
But Harden was obviously a little impatient, and after catching the ball, he broke through and knocked down Danny Green.
The referee called Harden an offensive foul. Harden was helpless and threw the ball to the referee and shook his head repeatedly.
Dunleavy shouted at him: "Stay calm, kid! Use your brain and think of a solution!"
What can you think of?
James broke through and passed the ball to Danny Green on the outside.
Green made a three-pointer and hit!
After causing an offensive foul, Green immediately hit a three-pointer!
This is his highlight moment, after hitting this three-pointer.
Green is certain that he can survive in the NBA.
The No. 3 flower show is nothing more than that. Although I am not as good as him, it does not mean that I am at the mercy of others.
Harden can't open this point, and the offensive pressure of one large and four small is on Curry's shoulders.
Curry caught the ball, used Milicic's pick-and-roll screen to get rid of the defense, and went straight to the basket.
After a lap, there was no chance. The pass was passed to Harden. Harden received the ball, but Green was still in front of him.
Harden dribbled continuously, and this time he chose to force a step back and shoot a mid-range jump shot, but missed.
Min Congda looked at it and thought: "No, this lineup has no offensive rhythm at all. Tucker's offensive effect is too small and he cannot exert force on the defensive end. This is a failed combination. Cole, stop it, otherwise he will die. It’s even worse.”
But Cole was very stubborn and still didn't call a timeout. As a result, he was charged again by James with the ball.
At the end of the third quarter, the score between the two sides reached 87:75, and the Cavaliers led the Clippers by 12 points!
Dunleavy couldn't stand it anymore. As the head coach, he still had the right to make the decision, so he called a long timeout.
The young man of the Clippers finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was beaten on defense just now and had no sense of offense at all.
The beating was a complete mess, almost like being tortured. Cole's set of one big and four small was not successful.
The offense relies too much on Harden and Curry. Although they are excellent, they are not enough to fully support a high-intensity offensive and defensive lineup.
Especially with James on the opposite side, and especially with Harden's targeted defense.
Dunleavy replaced the main players again, Randolph, Gasol, and Baron Davis.
But the Clippers have lost the rhythm of the game, their morale is a bit low, and their players are in poor condition.
Originally, if the senior team and the junior team could act as a surprise force and turn the situation around, there would still be hope for the game.
The result was predicted! He was suppressed by a surprise attack from the Cavaliers! That's it.
Cole shook his head repeatedly and thought to himself: "When did Mike Brown become so prophetic? He actually made a plan for my senior and four juniors. It's really amazing."
The regular season is often an encounter, not as targeted as the playoffs. Often everyone plays their own game, fighting for status and luck.
Cole felt quite surprised to be suddenly targeted in tactics and matchups like this, thinking that Brown hadn't been so smart before.
Before he could think about it, at the end of the third quarter, the Clippers were still about 10 points behind.
By the fourth quarter, the Clippers team no longer had the momentum to win, so they let the fourth quarter play out slowly.
James of the Cavaliers played better and better, unstoppably scoring a game-high 40 points, helping the Cavaliers maintain their advantage in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers easily defeated the Clippers 110:99.
They ended the Clippers' 12-game winning streak, and the Cavaliers rose to first place in the Eastern Conference.
When leaving the game at the end, Min Congda did not forget to ask Paul George, "George! How many points did you score tonight?"
George smiled awkwardly and said sheepishly: "James and I scored 42 points together."
(End of chapter)
