4:6, the Pistons took the lead again, and the Knicks attacked.
"boom!"
Shooting guard Gerald Wilkins missed a pull-up jump shot. Rodman protected the backcourt rebound and handed it to Zhou Quan.
"Little Wilkins' pull-up jump shot is not as stable as his brother's." Robert Guida joked in the TNT commentary box.
Ringo Wilson also joked: "But his brother is not as lucky as him. The Hawks can't even make the playoffs this year. The best of human movies are really pitiful!"
Zhou Quan advanced to the frontcourt. This ball was not intended to come by himself. It had already been hit three times. It was time for his teammates to take action.
But he still pulled to the left wing and began to hit Mark Jackson with his back, breaking through in a crushing manner, pushing his left elbow against the opponent, and driving in step by step.
Mark Jackson mustered up all his strength, but he couldn't resist it. After all, even if he gained weight, Zhou Quan had reduced to 92 kilograms, but there was still a 7 kilogram gap.
For the No. 1 player, the 7 kilogram tonnage difference is still a very big gap.
When Zhou Quan moved one step away from the paint, the Knicks' defense was forced to shift to the left, leaving a gap on the right.
At this time, Joe Dumars took the opportunity to use a reverse run to get rid of Wilkins and cut inside to the basket.
At this time, Zhou Quan saw a passing route from his panoramic vision:
At a position of 45 degrees and 1.5 meters in front of the right, he then hit the ground and passed the ball, just enough to avoid all defenses. When the basketball rebounded, it happened to be passed one meter in front of Joe Dumas' inward cut.
However, this passing channel may disappear in half a second due to the frequent movement of several friendly and enemy players on the field.
In the past, he saw opportunities like this. Sometimes the nerve reaction speed was too slow and the body couldn't keep up with the reaction. Sometimes the athletic quality didn't keep up with the reaction. In short, the body couldn't keep up.
But now, his 96-level neural reaction speed allowed his body to react instinctively the moment he saw an opportunity.
"Bang!"
Moving, passing, the basketball hits the ground and rebounds, passing through the gaps in the paint area. The weird passing route instantly breaks through all defenses and crashes into the space in front of Joe Dumars.
At this time, Ewing under the basket and Oakley in front of the basket heard the sound of the basketball hitting the ground, but they were unable to react because they only saw Zhou Quan moving and heard the sound, but did not see it. The ball, not even the passing action was seen.
"coming!"
Joe Dumas, who was fully focused, was in high spirits and did not miss the opportunity. Passes like this were often made by Iron Fist in team training matches. He was used to this kind of weird passes.
He caught the ball with both hands, took a step forward and entered the basket. Before all the defenders could react, he jumped up and swung his arms for a dunk.
"boom!"
The basket roared violently, exploding into a pool of white water.
"What?"
Ewing and Oakley looked back in shock, and were shocked to find that the Pistons' offense had been completed. The ball had been passed behind them at some point, and they were hit by a back cut by Joe Dumars.
"ah!"
The bearded man and the bespectacled man were so excited that they stood up from the commentary box, pumping their fists and cheering.
"boom!"
The wonderful pass and the passionate shouts of the on-site commentator instantly ignited the enthusiasm of countless fans. Endless shouts echoed in the Palace of Auburn Hills.
"Elusive passing! This is Iron Fist's unique skill. His passing is enough to break through all the opponent's defenses. His passing can make all the opponent's defenses turn into nothingness. His passing is enough to strike with one blow. fatal!"
In the TNT commentary box, Robert Guida roared with excitement.
"Incredible pass!"
Chicago, Zhang Lili exclaimed.
"pity!"
He shook his head helplessly.
Last time, I recommended Zhou Quan to the country through private channels, but it is said that the superiors did not take a fancy to him.
He didn't know if his recommendation had been passed on to the higher authorities, because the provinces were so fiercely competing for the quota for the Olympic Games. He entrusted him to an acquaintance of the provincial team in the capital. Zhou Quan was from Hunan, so maybe he didn't pass it on at all. Going up, the basketball department may not even know that there is such a person as Zhou Quan.
Moreover, the current group of national players are very strong, especially the group of outside players are very good, but the inside line is a little worse, especially the center. There is no shortage of players like Zhou Quan.
He feels that Zhou Quan is very strong. Even if some of the current domestic guards are very strong, Zhou Quan should be stronger than them. He is the main point guard of the Pistons and the best rookie.
But the Olympics are too important. Maybe the people above don't dare to take risks. When there are a lot of excellent players, they don't trust a player they don't understand. This possibility is also very high.
Moreover, the NBA has no influence at all in China. The domestic basketball community has not yet realized how high the level of NBA players is. Naturally, they do not recognize Zhou Quan's strength.
In short, he is not sure now whether the basketball department knows about his recommendation and whether they know Zhou Quan.
The Palace of Auburn Hills, the game is on, and the Knicks are on offense.
Mark Jackson still used small forward McDaniel's pick-and-roll to get rid of Zhou Quan's defense.
This time Ulrich's defense was still not in place, but it was a little stronger than last time. At least he blocked it. When Zhou Quan chased after him, Jackson happened to take action. He made a blocking action, which affected the opponent's shot.
"boom!"
It was short, and the basketball bounced off the basket.
"mine!"
Rodman had already moved into position, jumped up at the same time as Ewing to grab the rebound, and tapped the ball, but the ball was snatched away by Oakley who rushed over.
"Shet!"
Rodman lamented that his knee was injured and he couldn't jump up during the second takeoff.
"Oops, I lost a defensive rebound." The bespectacled man Longer Lance said in a loss of voice.
"brush!"
Ewing took the ball from Oakley, hit a hook over Rodman's head, and hit another shot.
6:8, Pistons attack.
Outside the three-point line on the right wing, Joe Dumars holds the ball and attacks. Facing the crowded paint area, he does not have the ability to get through people like Zhou Quan, so he can only attack from the outside.
"boom!"
Although the fake shot was a real shot, Wilkins didn't seem to be fooled. He still made a move to block the shot and missed the three-pointer.
"rebound!"
Chuck Daly roared from the sidelines.
Rodman fought hard, but there were too many people in the paint, which affected his movement and he failed to gain position.
"Snapped!"
Ewing grabbed the backcourt rebound and the Knicks attacked.
"The Pistons' rebounding is a problem today! Rodman, the rebounding leader, seems a little weak. Could it be that there was a party last night?"
Robert Guida joked in the TNT commentary box.
Ringo Wilson said: "The Pistons' rebounding performance is indeed not as good as in the regular season, and Rodman has this problem.
But Tekken's performance today was eye-catching. You couldn't see the rookie's nervousness. He played very excitedly and proactively.
Mark Jackson seems unable to bite him. If he can hold the Knicks' No. 1 position and destroy the opponent's organizational function, the Pistons still have a chance. "
Robert Guida nodded and said: "In the regular season, Mark Jackson couldn't defeat Iron Fist. Today's performance of Iron Fist is indeed good, at least it is good now."
On the court, Mark Jackson advanced to the frontcourt.
This time Zhou Quan changed his defensive strategy. As soon as he passed the center line, he followed up and went directly to the half-court pressing tactic, raising the defensive intensity to a higher level.
Mark Jackson failed to get rid of Zhou Quan and was forced to the left sideline, unable to get close to the three-point line. McDaniel had to come out to pick and roll, and Ulrich also followed.
He used the wall to temporarily get rid of Zhou Quan, but he was still far away from the three-point line. Even if he got an open space, he could not take a shot and could only continue to hold the ball and hit the flank.
But Zhou Quan immediately caught up again and used a press at the three-point line to force him out of the three-point line.
McDaniel did a pick-and-roll for the second time, standing on the right side of Zhou Quan. Mark Jackson took the opportunity to break through from behind McDaniel, but was just blocked by Ulrich. He finally got through the gap between Ulrich and McDaniel. Forced through the middle, Zhou Quan was already waiting in front.
"Snapped!"
Putting the meat on the chopping block, Zhou Quan took the opportunity to steal the ball directly, and then started to play quickly.
"Second steal! Beautiful!" bearded John Lowes roared excitedly.
Joe Dumars immediately came down from the right wing and ran in front. When he entered the left elbow area, he received a pass from Zhou Quan, made a layup in three steps, and hit a goal.
6:10, Knicks attack.
The game continued. At the 6th minute of the first quarter, at 13:10, the Pistons led by 3 points. Chuck Daly called a timeout. Rodman, who only grabbed one rebound, took the initiative to request to leave.
In the TNT commentary box, Robert Guida said: "The Pistons really had a problem with their rebounding today. In half a quarter, they only grabbed 3 rebounds, while the Knicks had 6, and the rebounding leader Rodman only grabbed one.
In fact, the Pistons played very well offensively and defended very well, but they had problems with rebounding. "
Ringo Wilson analyzed: "There may be injuries. There were media reports on Rodman's injuries before the playoffs."
Robert Guida said: "If it weren't for the Iron Fist that choked Mark Jackson, allowing him to make 1 of 4 shots, and then he had an excellent performance, I'm afraid the Pistons would have fallen behind."
Ringo Wilson picked up the statistics table and read: "Tekken made 3 of 3 shots in the first six minutes and scored 6 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. His performance was indeed strong. This is not the performance of a rookie, this is the performance of a superstar.
But after three shots in the beginning, he stopped taking shots. I think if he feels good, he should take all the shots, and he should stand up bravely. "
Robert Guida laughed: "His three scores were breakthroughs. Although he didn't take any more shots later, every time he attacked with the ball, he made a crushing breakthrough. He pressed the opponent's defense before passing the ball to his teammates, so he consumed a lot of energy. Big, bigger than the average point guard, and it is necessary to control the shot.
Moreover, he is a point guard, not a shooting guard. Scoring is not his first task. Letting his teammates score is his main task.
In addition, his jump shooting ability is also average. Only his breakthrough scoring efficiency is good. Under normal circumstances, his overall offensive efficiency is not good enough.
In addition, don't forget that he is just a rookie. Although he has not hit the rookie wall, it does not mean that his physical ability has no limits. "
On the Pistons bench, Chuck Daley replaced Rodman with William Bedford.
He still hopes that Rodman can hold on. Although his rebounding status is not good today, he still plays a big role on the defensive end. Without Rodman, the interior defense will soon collapse in half.
"If we lose three rebounds in half a quarter, how many rebounds will we lose in the fourth quarter? Listen to me. I want rebounds. I want to rush in and grab those things. Rebounds are our lifeline. Without them, we will definitely lose. "
He roared at everyone in a low voice, word for word, and there seemed to be murderous intent in his voice.
"Iron Fist, I can't count. We lost three in the first half, so how many will we lose in the fourth quarter?" Rodman asked in a low voice.
"24." Zhou Quan said angrily.
He was a little annoyed. Neither Rodman nor Selley had much offense and couldn't get out. The paint area was full of people. Not to mention Joe Dumars couldn't break in. Even his breakthrough was difficult. A breakthrough consumes a lot of physical energy. This is why he stopped playing after three balls.
It is precisely because the paint area is full of long players that he can usually grab a few rebounds, but he didn't grab any in the first half of the quarter.
"Twenty-four?
Rodman was confused: "It's over, it's over, it's over for today."
Daley then replaced Joe Dumars and replaced the assassin to let him strengthen his breakthrough.
Finally, he warned: "When the outside line breaks through, the inside line must come out in time to do the pick-and-roll."
The timeout ends and the game begins.
"boom!"
The Assassin broke through with the ball. Although John Salley came out to do a pick-and-roll, Ewing blocked him in time, but still couldn't break through. He could only make a sudden jump shot, and he was almost blocked and missed.
Oakley grabbed the rebound and the Knicks attacked.
After six minutes in the second half of the quarter, the Assassins shot 0 for 4. Only one shot went in, but a layup was blocked by Oakley. The other three were all jump shots, but they felt cold.
Chuck Daly shook his head in disappointment, and countless Pistons fans were also disappointed. The assassin they expected had fallen and completely lost his edge.
At the end of the first quarter, at 18:22, the Pistons went from leading by three points to trailing by four points, and only scored 5 points in the next six minutes, completing a gorgeous turnaround.
In terms of rebounds, the Knicks grabbed 13 and the Pistons only had 7, a loss of 6 in one quarter.
Zhou Quan played another four minutes and was replaced in the tenth minute. He made 4 of 6 shots and 2 of 2 free throws in a single quarter. He scored 10 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 1 foul.
The Assassin controlled the ball from behind. He played as a shooting guard and took a lot of shots. The Assassin was willing to pass the ball to him, but he only made one of three shots, which was not very efficient. He only blocked Mark Jackson once.
In three attacks, two broke through through the inside cover, one was a score, and the other was almost blocked.
Chuck Daly regretted that he should not have allowed Zhou Quan and Thomas to be on the court together. Zhou Quan cannot play shooting guard at all now. He is not a threat when playing without the ball, so he can only play point guard.
He felt that it was very difficult. He had no shots inside and could only sit and watch the Knicks' insides stationed in the paint area. Not only did his own team have no way to break in, but the rebounding was also out of control.
He could only once again emphasize the pick-and-roll tactics of pulling out from the inside as a screen, rushing for rebounds, and breakthrough tactics.
On the Knicks' side, Pat Riley was in the same mood as Chuck Daly. He was not in a good mood and was constantly reprimanding his players.
The reason is simple. In addition to rebounding and defense, the offense and organization are a mess.
Mark Jackson's performance against Zhou Quan was not as good as normal and he was restricted.
The organizational function was destroyed, coupled with the Knicks' strong defense, the Knicks only led by 4 points despite getting so many rebounds. If the Pistons' rebounds come up, the Knicks' fate will be known.
He can only be thankful that the Pistons' inside lineup has inherent flaws. Otherwise, even with super center Ewing, the Knicks would never be able to compete with this team.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Zhou Quan played with the Assassin and Darnell Walker. The other two were interior substitutes. He served as the point guard, Walker played the third position, and Assassin played the shooting guard.
For the Knicks, Ewing and Oakley did not come up. John Starks, Vandeweghe, Anthony Mason, two small forwards and a guard were replaced on the outside.
After half a quarter, at 28:34, the Pistons were 6 points behind. The point difference widened a little, but they could still maintain a stalemate.
Zhou Quan was replaced and Joe Dumars came on.
But then, at the end of the second quarter, at 36:45, the Pistons trailed by 9 points at home.
In the TNT commentary box, Robert Guida said: "Tekken made 0 of 1 shots in the half quarter, 3 of 4 free throws, and scored 3 points, 2 assists and 1 rebound.
In 16 minutes of halftime, he made 4 of 7 shots and 5 of 6 free throws. He scored 13 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover and 1 foul. He was the Pistons' halftime scoring leader. "
Ringo Wilson said: "The defense of the Knicks' substitute lineup has not weakened. As substitutes, they did not hesitate to commit fouls and rushed in with an iron fist several times. They were directly knocked down twice, but they won four free throw opportunities.
The Assassins continued to feel sluggish in the second quarter. They played the full second quarter and made another 1 of 5 shots. In the first half, they made 1 of 9 shots. There were no free throws. They only had 2 points, 2 assists, 4 turnovers and 4 fouls. Their performance was the same as last season's playoffs. Far from it, no longer a star performer. "
Robert Guida sighed: "Everyone has a low point, and there should be some improvement later. This is not the assassin we are familiar with."
In the home team's locker room, the assassin covered his head with a towel. His performance today was too bad and he was too embarrassed to see anyone.
Zhou Quan sat next to Joe Dumars and was in no mood to count his own statistics. Anyway, if he continued playing like this, he would not be able to meet the system's task requirements for the first round of the series. He had to play harder in the second half.
Back in the locker room, Chuck Daly finally broke out, and the Thunder roared angrily: "We had 14 fewer rebounds in the half, we only had 11, and they had 25."
"Can't see me! Can't see me..."
When Rodman heard this, he quickly covered his face with a towel.
He only played 11 minutes in the first half and only grabbed two rebounds. His condition was extremely poor. Like the assassin, he was really shameless.
Daly glanced at Rodman and couldn't say anything about him. After all, it was the decline in form caused by injuries.
However, only two playing time in almost one quarter is too little, right?
He glanced at Zhou Quan again and didn't say anything. Iron Fist tried his best today and broke through with the ball. He was knocked down by the Knicks 6 times in the penalty area and scored 13 points. His shooting rate was very good. The Pistons The performance of Iron Fist is the most important reason for being able to bite the Knicks.
But he glared at Joe Dumas and said helplessly: "Qiao, you didn't rush in even once today. If we continue to fight like this, we will lose. You have to rush in and give Iron Fist a chance to rest. You guys can do it in a different way." .”
"I know, coach."
Joe Dumas lowered his head. It was full of people and he couldn't break in at all. That was not the fighting style he was good at. It was the fighting style of assassins and iron fists.
Daley took another look at the towel-covered assassin and sighed deeply in his heart.
"week……"
He still approached Zhou Quan and said, "You have to work harder in the second half. I need your breakthrough with the ball."
"clear."
Zhou Quan nodded.
Daly finally said: "Defense, strengthen defense. If we can't score points, we must make sure they can't score points."
This is the only trick he has. He can't rebound or attack, so he can only rely on defense.
(End of chapter)
