Mark Price adopted a defensive strategy of defending and retreating, and did not make any stealing moves easily. He only ensured that Zhou Quan would not be allowed to rush forward.
Of course he knows that Zhou Quan once broke the ribs of Bulls point guard John Paxson, so he must not let this opponent rush.
But he had to try to avoid physical contact with Zhou Quan because of his ability to fight.
However, he did not want to confront Zhou Quan, but Zhou Quan wanted to have a physical confrontation with him, so when he defended and retreated, Zhou Quan immediately began to accelerate.
As soon as Zhou Quan charged, Mark Price became passive and did not dare to block in front. He could only run along and flash to the right, trying to slow down the opponent's breakthrough speed by stealing the ball.
Zhou Quan immediately changed hands to control the ball, blocked the outside with his right elbow, and advanced faster and faster. As soon as he passed the center line, he went straight to the top of the arc. Mark Price completely lost his defensive position.
Elu was still responsible for assisting defense. He played in the third position and moved from the left wing to the free throw line. At this time, Ulrich took the opportunity to cut into the paint area and cut into the left midfielder in two steps.
Mark Price defended on the right side, and Elu came from the left wing to help defend. At the same time, power forward Larry Nance, who has excellent shot-blocking ability, stepped up from the basket. The left, right and front sides were blocked, and Zhou Quan was unable to enter the penalty area. The road to breakthrough is completely blocked.
He had no other choice at this time, either to stop for a jumper above the free throw line or to pass the ball.
But he saw Ulrich cutting inside, and at this time the opponent's center Doherty had already moved to the basket to defend Rodman, and John Salley also got the open space.
In other words, as he broke through with the ball, he created two openings for his teammates.
"boom!"
Push forward with your left hand and hit the ground to pass the ball.
The basketball bounced between Elu and Larry Nance and into the penalty area. The two stretched out to steal the ball at the same time, but neither succeeded and even touched each other, which was very embarrassing.
Ulrich, who was cutting from the air, cut into the paint in one step, and the basketball just bounced into his chest. After catching the ball, he immediately stopped and threw a ball two meters in front of Doherty.
Doherty is a center who is strong in offense and weak in defense. Whether it is defense or blocking ability, he is not as good as Larry Nance. The latter is the defensive gate of the Cavaliers. Facing Ulrich's throw, he failed Defend this ball.
"brush!"
The basketball is hollow and accurate.
"Larry, you guard the basket."
From the sidelines, Wilkens shouted.
Doherty and Larry Nance looked at each other and nodded.
The head coach meant to ask Doherty to come out to make up the defense, because Zhou Quan's shooting percentage in the past two points was very low, just over 30%. Doherty was fully capable of the job. Standing in front of Zhou Quan could reduce his shooting percentage. The most important thing is keeping the basket.
Of course Zhou Quan heard Wilkens's words, and from these words, he immediately read the opponent's defensive intentions.
This is to prevent his breakthrough, not his near-basket jumper.
"Look down on my last two points? Then I'll kill you with the last two points. If I really do that, Coach Daley will probably scold me to death."
He was in front of Mark Price again, in the backfield.
"This is the second time. Is Iron Fist determined to press Price all over the court? Can he physically handle it?" Howard asked in surprise.
"Perhaps you just want to overwhelm your opponent with momentum? A few hard shots first. Besides, he suffered a loss just now, and now he definitely hopes to prevent the next shot and boost his morale." Larry Winston speculated.
"Squeak!"
Mark Price wanted to go around, but Zhou Quan moved sideways in time and blocked the front again.
At this time, Elu's pick-and-roll screen came again, but this time, Zhou Quan first pressed Mark Price to delay the opponent's detour, and then bypassed Elu in time, blocking Mark Price again. , poked the ball, and almost stole the opponent's ball.
At this time, Ulrich followed Elu and rushed to Mark Price. Mark Price, who almost lost the ball, had no choice but to transfer the ball to Elu in order to avoid being double-teamed.
Zhou Quan got closer to Elu and immediately changed defense. When he was dribbling, when the basketball left his hand, he suddenly grabbed the ball and stabbed it.
With a strong sense of space, his right hand stabbed the basketball accurately, and forcefully squeezed away the 82 kg Elu, completed the steal, and then quickly went down.
"Oops, Elu lost the ball, Iron Fist stole the ball and then went down quickly..." Howard exclaimed in the ESPN commentary box.
"boom!"
After crossing the free throw line, Zhou Quan flew up and slashed with an ax in his right hand, blasting the Cavaliers' basket.
"Beautiful steal followed by a one-stop dunk! Iron Fist's defense is reflected, Mark Price should be more careful."
Larry Winston marveled.
Howard laughed and said: "He has practiced boxing, his strikes are very precise, he is also very accurate in stealing, and he also chooses the timing of the attack very well.
Coupled with his huge confrontation ability, he can squeeze away his opponents and finally complete the steal. Taken together, this is why he was able to average 3.5 steals per game in the first round series. You must know that Jordan only averaged three steals per game in the first round series. "
Winston smiled and said: "Dameng used to play handball, so his blocking and passing abilities are very strong. Tie Fist has practiced boxing, so fighting, not, so his stealing ability is very strong, which shows that he is trained in other sports." Ability can also be used in basketball."
"Be careful with his steals! Be more careful..." Wilkens shouted from the sidelines.
He averaged 2 steals per game in the regular season and 3.5 steals per game in the first round series. He has repeatedly emphasized Zhou Quan's steal ability during preparations.
The Cavaliers attacked again, and Mark Price was blocked by Zhou Quan again in the backcourt.
"Boy, are you fighting with me?" He said with a headache.
"Old bird, call the pick-and-roll." Zhou Quan said with a smile.
Mark Price laughed in anger, but he still called the pick and roll honestly.
Zhou Quan felt a little regretful that Price was not motivated. If he chose to fight one-on-one, he would definitely be able to lock down the All-Star point guard.
Elu covered, and Mark Price made a large-scale transfer this time. When Zhou Quan caught up with him again, he once again took the initiative to use the cover of his teammate Sanders to get rid of Zhou Quan again.
Joe Dumars immediately switched defense and followed Price.
The Pistons' perimeter defense is too strong. Mark Price has a headache. Joe Dumars has been selected to the All-Defensive Team three times, including once in the second team and twice in the first team. This is another guy with a very strong defense.
At this time, Larry Nance was in the low right wing with Rodman behind him asking for the ball, and he quickly passed it on.
Larry Nance is a shot-blocking maniac, averaging 2.2 blocks per game, and 3 per game this season. In the first round series, he averaged 17.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals per game, and shot 47.5% from the field.
He is also the first dunk champion in the NBA. In 1984, he defeated famous dunkers such as Dr. J and Wilkins and won the title of the league's first dunk champion.
His fast running, open attack, crazy blocking, flying birds in fast breaks, explosive dunks again and again, and his powerful impact on the basket are the fans' impression of him.
"Give the ball to Larry! Give it to Larry!"
When he was with the Suns, every time Larry Nance participated in a fast break, Suns fans would chant this sentence.
After being traded to the Cavaliers by the Suns, he couldn't stand the team's poor record, so he began to carry the team forward.
He is a true leader on this team.
He is good at low-post offensive skills, has excellent mid-range shooting, is good at both offense and defense, has a selfless style of play and is willing to defend, and is very team-oriented. Under his leadership, the current interior defense of the Cavaliers is comparable to that of the Pistons.
Even though he is thirty-three years old, he still has All-Star quality.
After catching the ball, Larry Nance immediately hit Rodman with his back. He only arched a little, letting Rodman's center of gravity loosen. He immediately used the force to turn over and shoot a jumper. The movements were very continuous and the technique was extremely proficient.
"brush!"
The water splashed and hit two points.
4:5, the Cavaliers took the lead at home and the Pistons attacked.
"boom!"
Joe Dumars held the ball and beat Sanders in isolation. After the breakthrough, he made a sudden stop in the three-point line and shot a jumper. Although he got a small opening, he was slightly unlucky and failed to hit the ball.
"Snapped!"
Larry Nance grabbed a backcourt rebound and the Cavaliers attacked.
Mark Price, like last time, got rid of Zhou Quan through the cover of his teammates.
Zhou Quan's stealing ability is too strong, and he doesn't want to face him. He has scruples. He would even rather face Joe Dumars.
The Cavaliers mainly attack in the low post. In the first round of the series, shots taken by the substitutes are not included, but only shots taken by the five main players. The two major insiders accounted for 51.2%, and Mark Price accounted for 25.9% of the shots. Second and third. The number positions together account for the remaining 22.9%.
Therefore, Markpus' organizational work is actually not too complicated. Most of the time it is just a matter of passing the ball.
Even if a defender as strong as Joe Dumars can limit his shots, it is difficult to limit his passing.
Larry Nance once again picked up the ball in the low post on the right wing and singled out Rodman.
This time, he swayed from side to side, then turned around and slid down to the basket. Facing John Salley's defense, he made a small floater.
"boom!"
Unfortunately, John Salley's arms are quite long, and his fierce defense affected his accuracy, and the ball was missed.
John Salley turned around and grabbed the rebound and passed it to Zhou Quan outside.
"Rodman seemed to be in average condition today. Larry Nance hit him, and this time he broke in easily." Rock Howard said.
"His injuries have been up and down, and his performance also determines the outcome of the Pistons. He is a very key person." Larry Winston said.
At this time Zhou Quan advanced to the frontcourt, and Elu followed him.
Elu is 198 centimeters tall, a swingman, white, and only 82 kilograms. In front of Zhou Quan's stature, he is like a thin bamboo pole.
"Bang!"
After approaching the three-point line, a three-in-one breakthrough was made. Zhou Quan changed direction and accelerated the breakthrough, directly knocking over Elu who was shaken.
"oh!"
There was an exclamation of surprise in Gund Arena.
At this time, Zhou Quan stopped one step inside the three-point line.
In the past, he would rush in and continue to pressure the opponent's defense, or get closer to the basket before shooting.
But this time, he took the shot right there, and there was no defender in front of him, so he didn't even need a pull-up jump shot, it was a completely open jump shot.
The basic shooting skills at level 94 are quite standard, and the technical movements have become instinctive. The orange basketball flew out of his hands and flew to the basket along a beautiful arc.
"brush!"
The water splashed and hit two points from far away.
"pretty!"
From the sidelines, Chuck Daly applauded.
For guards like Elu and Mark Price, Zhou Quan's confrontation advantage is too great. There is no need to rush in to face the Cavaliers' strong inside defense. It is the best option to knock away the opponent and shoot a jumper directly.
6:5, Cavaliers attack.
Mark Price once again used the pick-and-roll to temporarily get rid of Zhou Quan, but this time he did not run away, but immediately shot a three-pointer.
In the first round of the series, his three-point shooting rate was only 21.7%, which was far lower than in the regular season, but he still averaged 5.8 shots per game. This shot was very decisive.
Zhou Quan did not go around this time, but directly used his strength to force the thin Elu away and jumped in time to block the shot.
"boom!"
Under the influence of the block, this three-pointer failed to hit.
"Snapped!"
However, Rodman missed the backcourt rebound and failed to compete with Larry Nance.
"boom!"
Larry Nance grabbed the offensive rebound, turned around, swung his arms, and blasted an extremely fierce dunk.
"ah!"
The dunk after grabbing the offensive rebound greatly boosted morale. Just like Zhou Quan's counterattack dunk after the steal just now, the Gund Arena quickly erupted in joy.
"Good job, Larry."
"Larry's dunks always get the blood pumping."
The Cavaliers bosses, the Gund brothers, kept applauding this dunk in the exclusive VIP room.
6:7, Pistons attack.
"Let's fight one."
In order to boost morale, Zhou Quan shouted loudly.
He picked up the ball and advanced upfield to the left wing, made a tactical gesture, and then tripled past Mark Price.
This kind of breakthrough is unique to him and is also the most suitable breakthrough method for him.
In fact, if the shoulders are too wide, it is not conducive to breakthroughs with the ball, because the shoulders can easily catch people, so he rarely has the opportunity to pass people in one step.
This is just like when someone rushes into him, it is difficult to pass him in one step. The same is true in reverse. When he passes others, it is difficult to pass him in one step without physical contact.
But when he was in the NCAA, he combined his advantages in tonnage and strength very well. Since it is difficult to get ahead of others in one step, he simply used his advantages in shoulder width and confrontation ability to deliberately knock away his opponents. This is what he It is a unique three-in-one breakthrough. It does not pursue the effect of one step over the opponent, but the effect of getting rid of the defender is very powerful. Few people in the first position can guard against his breakthrough.
After knocking Mark Price away this time, he did not make a sudden stop for a jumper, but went straight to the paint area and went straight to the left waist.
Seeing Zhou Quan coming with the ball, Doherty immediately came up from the low post to cover the defense.
But at this time, John Selly followed the tactical requirements and made a pick-and-roll screen in time, standing under Doherty. Zhou Quan immediately changed direction downwards, from behind Selly, and drove into the paint area along the baseline.
At this moment, John Salley, who had just made a pick-and-roll, turned around and followed Zhou Quan into the paint area.
The next moment, Zhou Quan jumped in front of Larry Nance under the basket, but his left hand in control of the ball pushed the ball hard towards the floor.
"boom!"
Explode the ball and the basketball bounces high instantly.
"boom!"
Behind him, John Salley caught the ball with both hands, stood up, and smashed the ball into the basket with both hands through Zhou Quan and Larry Nance.
"damn it!"
"Oops, Larry got dunked!"
Gund Arena, the home fans immediately rang out with exclamations and curses.
"oh!"
In the ESPN commentary box, Howard praised: "Iron Fist sent a wonderful pass and assisted John Salley to complete a dunk on Larry Nance. They responded to Larry Nance's dunk just now."
Winston's attention was not on the dunk. He was more concerned about Zhou Quan's breakthrough with the ball.
He said: "For a season, Tekken has caused headaches for all opponents in the first position through his unique breakthrough technology. His tonnage and strength are a huge mismatch advantage in the first position.
Once his offensive skills mature and combined with his breakthrough skills, his threat with the ball will be even greater. "
Howard said: "Now he is threatening enough with the ball. In the first round series, he averaged 11.5 assists and 17 points per game. Even if his shooting percentage is not high, his assist ability alone is threatening enough. "
Winston nodded and said: "His tonnage and strength are equivalent to the height of the Magician at position one, and he has a very obvious dislocation advantage.
From a statistical point of view, Magic averaged 7.3 assists and 9.4 assists per game in the regular season and playoffs during his rookie season, while Iron Fist has averaged 9 and 11.5 assists so far.
Iron Fist's assist ability even exceeds Magic's. Only his rebounding and scoring ability and offensive efficiency are not as good as Magic's, and the gap is huge, but he is more like a point guard than Magic. "
Howard smiled: "Magic Johnson can play five positions, score, rebound, organize, everything.
Compared with Magic, Iron Fist can only play point guard. There is still no comparison between the two of them, at least not yet. "
Winston also nodded and said: "Of course, the greatness of the Magician created an era, and Iron Fist is indeed incomparable.
Magic was at his peak when he debuted. Although Iron Fist performed very well in his rookie season, it was not at his peak when he debuted. His shooting percentage seriously dragged down his performance.
But he also has a strong mismatch advantage at the No. 1 position. What I mean is that as long as he can take advantage of this mismatch advantage, as he grows, his ceiling should be very high.
In fact, I am looking forward to his growth in the Pistons. He is a true point guard, and the Pistons are also a team that has completed two consecutive championships with point guards as the core. The Pistons have sufficient experience in cultivating core point guards, and no other team has. In this environment, he could only truly grow up in the Pistons. "
(End of chapter)
