It's a head-to-head battle between Woody and Tim Duncan.
Duncan hit the hook, and when he returned to defense, he already had a cute expression on his face.
But in his heart he was counting the time:
The camera should have moved away, right?
The corners of his mouth raised slightly.
He even thought this goal was cool!
"Boy, are you snickering again?"
But before the smile was fully evoked, the image of a bald man suddenly flashed in his mind, and the smile disappeared instantly.
He can't laugh.
He was afraid that Crawford would suddenly come out of nowhere and hit him.
Although he knew that it was not Crawford's call today.
But there was no way, it made such a deep impression on him!
"Return one, return another, that idiot must be laughing at you in his heart!"
Shaquille O'Neal knows Tim Duncan very well. They have been fighting in the Western Conference playoffs for so many years. From 2000 to 2004, Shaquille O'Neal only lost once in the playoffs, which was to the Timberwolves. Tim Duncan.
He knew very well how boring this guy who looked so stern was.
Woody also had this plan. When Alston reached the frontcourt with the ball, he immediately caught the ball from outside the three-point line.
The first time he caught the ball, Tim Duncan was immediately in front of him.
This initiative and enthusiasm surprised even Popovich.
He really didn't expect that Tim Duncan would actually compete with Woody, a second-year rookie.
Woody held the ball and faced Tim Duncan with his back, but he quickly faced the frame and opened up the space.
After trying twice, he found that he couldn't hold up Tim Duncan.
Therefore, he decisively gave up his plan of playing from behind and hoisted the ball directly to the basket.
Muhammad was watching Woody post up Tim Duncan. He thought it was not his turn at this moment. He was about to get stuck under the basket with Shaquille O'Neal to grab a rebound. Who knew that the ball suddenly reached Shaq? hands.
The painful scene reappeared, just like before, he was pushed away directly.
There is absolutely no resistance at all.
"Bang!"
Shaq scored again.
Tim Duncan was a little surprised. He defended so aggressively just to provoke Woody to compete with him.
He was a little emotional because of the discussion in the outside media. He believed that it was impossible for this newcomer not to have such emotions.
If you beat him, the 19-year-old Woody will be the number one power forward in the league.
Can you not be tempted by this?
As long as Woody gets into singles with him, he is sure to restrain Woody. This is the confidence of a two-time regular season MVP and a two-time Finals MVP.
But who would have thought!
Woody didn't fall for his trick at all. He simply tried it. When he felt it was useless, he immediately hoisted the ball inside and handed it to Shaquille O'Neal.
A degree in psychology seems to be of little use in this series.
What's even more painful is that he has to stand in a high position again and help with defense at any time...
The Spurs' counterattack, this time Tony Parker immediately threw up from the free throw line after getting rid of the defense.
He has really improved significantly this season. He averaged 16.6 points per game in the regular season, 2 points more than last season. In the playoffs, so far, he has averaged 17.6 points per game.
His personal abilities have become more mature, and at the same time, his pick-and-roll cooperation with Tim Duncan has gradually gained greater understanding.
The small throw after the pick-and-roll breakthrough is even more unique.
The ball fell into the basket smoothly.
On the Heat's side, Alston continued to wait for Woody to stand outside the three-point line to catch the ball.
Tim Duncan obviously hesitated when he came out this time. Woody noticed this, took a step forward, and shot directly after two points.
This choice was something Tim Duncan didn't expect.
In less than a second, Tim Duncan gave up rushing forward and chose to defend inside to grab rebounds.
He bet that Woody couldn't make the shot.
But Woody shot the ball very resolutely, and he was in the rhythm of his shooting when he shot it, so the ball hit the frame.
Buckley also saw this determination: "Tonight Woody is more decisive than usual!"
In fact, facing a top defensive player like Tim Duncan who has not won the "Defensive Player of the Season Award", hesitation on the offensive end will lead to opportunities being seized.
Only by being more determined like Woody can he fall into passivity.
Of course, then again, if Woody doesn't score the goal, then the more passive person will become Woody. If he takes another two-point shot, he will have to weigh it.
Woody's shot was risky, but now he's reaping the rewards.
Tim Duncan didn't dare to let him go too far next. Although he still kept his distance, he could basically take a step forward and pounce on him.
Woody is not a top "mid-range shooter" yet. His shot has an obvious ball-joining action. Tim Duncan can keep this distance and can completely react.
When Woody saw this situation, he didn't hesitate and immediately gave the ball to Wade.
On the wing, Wade's breakthrough was somewhat limited due to the cooperation of Bruce Bowen and Ginobili.
Popovich has obviously studied Wade's breakthrough habits, and Bruce Bowen's cover defense is just right.
After all, he is only a second-year rookie and does not have that much experience. The most comfortable points are always blocked by the opponent, and Wade's overall breakthrough status is a bit fragmented.
But after Woody actively cooperated with him in the pick-and-roll, the Spurs' wing defense was no longer such a big threat to him.
Bruce Bowen has the ability to defend on the outside, but more needs Tim Duncan to wipe his ass for him.
Duncan was moved away from the inside by Woody's move, and Wade responded quickly. After the breakthrough, he immediately looked for Shaquille O'Neal.
Let him face Muhammad under the basket.
Popovich saw that the Heat caught Muhammad and hit him hard at this point, which was a bit ungrateful, and immediately signaled Muhammad to pay for the foul.
Every time Shaquille O'Neal just got the ball in his hand and headed it, Muhammad immediately followed up with the foul and interrupted his rhythm.
"Shark-killing tactics" are late but coming.
Shaquille O'Neal, who played quite well in the first two rounds, also ruined his feel. '
Why don't any shooters dunk?
There is a reason for this.
Shaquille O'Neal missed consecutive free throws and made 1 of 4 free throws. The Spurs scored consecutive goals during this period. At 6 minutes and 13 seconds in the first quarter, the Spurs led 19-16 on the road by 3 points.
To make matters worse, Stan Van Gundy had to replace Shaquille O'Neal.
"Shark" cursed as he left the field.
The "shark-killing tactic" really affects my mood.
The cheers at the scene also became heavier with his expression when he came off the field.
Miamians could tell that the Heat were in a bad situation.
When Shaq left the game, Jones also came on in Alston's place.
Next, the Heat will focus on the cooperation between the "03 generation".
Soon, the Heat had good news:
Jones was in good form tonight and hit a three-pointer as soon as he started.
The advantage of a veteran is that once he is in shape, his role on the court can continue.
Haslem also has mid-range, and the entire Heat's defense is completely stretched.
Tim Duncan originally thought that with Shaquille O'Neal off the court, he could focus more on defending Woody alone, but as a result, he still had to help with defense inside.
Muhammad couldn't stop the charging Wade by himself.
But if he and Wade get inside, Wade will immediately pass the ball to Woody.
In the first quarter, Woody controlled his desire to get under the basket and maintain his overall touch very well.
Wade passes the ball to him and he always makes a mid-range jumper.
At 8 minutes and 13 seconds of the first quarter, when the main players of the two teams were replaced, Woody's mid-range jump shot was 3 of 4.
This kind of shooting rate makes Tim Duncan even more difficult. His defense is no longer of high quality and quantity, and no longer so timely. Wade frequently attacks the frame.
When the starter was replaced in the first quarter, the Heat led by 4 points.
This was beyond everyone's expectation.
During the time when Shaquille O'Neal was not on the court, the Heat became easier to play.
But by the end of the first quarter, the Spurs and Heat were tied at 26-26.
The man who helped the Spurs tie the score was Manu Ginobili.
Tony Parker has improved very quickly this season, but the person who has improved even more is Manu Ginobili.
He already shined in the 2004 Olympics, and when he returned to the Spurs, he averaged 16.2 points per game and became the team's third attacker, only 0.6 points less than Tony Parker. point.
And when he entered the playoffs, he became the team's second offensive point.
Averaged 20.8 points per game.
The Spurs' offensive battle with the Suns mainly relied on the strength of Manu Ginobili.
At the beginning of the game, his condition was not very good, but after the main players on both sides came off the court, Ginobili suddenly broke out and scored two consecutive three-pointers, helping the team instantly tie the score.
At the end of the first quarter, it can be seen from the statistics of the main players who the Heat and Spurs rely on each other.
Here’s the Heat:
Shaquille O'Neal scored 7 points, Wade scored 6 points, and Woody scored 8 points. Together, the three scored 21 points for the Heat in the first quarter, and other players only scored 5 points. .
Of course, this is not just the case with the Heat.
On the Spurs' side, the "troika" also shouldered the heavy responsibility on the offensive end:
Duncan scored 6 points, Parker scored 7 points, and Ginobili scored 9 points.
The three of them picked it up and scored a total of 22 points!
One point more than the Heat's "3c"!
At the same time, the changes in the formations of both sides in the first game, as well as the changes in the game situation due to substitutions, made Barkley hooked.
"This is the finals, this is the finals!"
That's what basketball is like at the highest stage, you never know what will happen in the next second.
Shaquille O'Neal is a face-saving guy.
He walked off the court, but the Heat opened up the situation. In the second quarter, he took the initiative to play at the beginning of the second quarter.
When Popovich saw this situation, he immediately put Tim Duncan on the court.
When Tim Duncan came on the court, he specifically patted Tim Duncan on the shoulder. At this time, the silence was louder than the sound:
Go ahead, you’ve suffered a lot!
What can be foreseen in this game is that Tim Duncan will definitely not be too easy.
Especially with the Heat's current arrangement, they immediately picked up Shaquille O'Neal after 6 minutes of the first quarter, and now picked him up at the beginning of the second quarter to start the second quarter.
If Tim Duncan is not available, Muhammad alone will not be able to guard Shaq.
In the first quarter, he was able to contain Shaquille O'Neal a little bit, and it was entirely due to the help of Tim Duncan. Once he is gone, the three Muhammads will not be able to stop Shaquille O'Neal. The tonnage is not of the same magnitude. of.
But in this way, when Woody comes on later, Tim Duncan will not have to take a rest.
Playing the second quarter is almost a 100 percent sure thing.
He was substituted for nearly nine minutes in the first quarter, and now he has to play the entire second quarter.
Tim Duncan's time on the court is expected to be 21 points!
If the whole game follows this rhythm, then it will be 42 minutes.
An inside player is not an outside player. With such height and weight, you can let him score 42 points, and still with this intensity.
No wonder Popovich feels a little vague.
But what can he do?
There is really no other way besides beating up Tim Duncan!
Good things don't work, bad things work. Stan Van Gundy's subsequent substitution arrangements are really just to consume Tim Duncan's time.
He didn't replace Woody until 4 minutes and 35 seconds into the second quarter, so that Woody would have enough energy to play the rest of the time.
Then at 7 minutes and 43 seconds of the second quarter, Shaquille O'Neal was taken off the field.
With more than 4 minutes left in the second quarter, even if Popovich had the idea of letting Tim Duncan rest, he might not be able to find the right time.
Often at this time, the head coach will choose to play more resolutely until the last moment.
After all, if the entire team collapses because of Tim Duncan's dismissal, then Tim Duncan's long time on the court will be in vain.
This is the biggest taboo of a head coach when it comes to substitutions!
At the end of the first half, the Heat barely led by 2 points.
Kenny Smith looked at Tim Duncan leaving the visiting team's tunnel and couldn't help but sigh: "Shifo is so strong!"
At the end of the first half, his statistics were 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal.
The data doesn't look very explosive, but at most it's very versatile.
But there are many functions that cannot be reflected by simple basic data, such as his pick-and-roll coverage, his help defense, and his "small-to-large" performance against outside players after switching defenses. Tim Duncan can cope with these situations. Everything is done quite well.
The Spurs relied entirely on him and were only 2 points behind.
In the second quarter, both Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker struggled a bit.
Popovich noticed this, so he went back to the locker room and caught the two men and scolded them.
He must wake up these two people as soon as possible, otherwise the second half will be "slow death".
He can see that the Heat have not yet fully exerted their strength. They are slowly consuming Tim Duncan's physical energy. When he shows signs of decline, they will gain momentum.
Popovich can tell, because this is how the Spurs play all the time!
I didn’t expect that this year, others would start playing with them like this...
(End of chapter)
