"It's very disadvantageous for the Cavaliers to play away from home!" Larry Winston said.
Two mistakes in organizing the offense. This time Mark Price chose not to break through. The Cavaliers are the strongest inside, and he wants to pass the ball in the low post.
But passing the ball to the low post is not something you can pass if you want to. His height and wingspan are not as good as Zhou Quan's, so it is difficult to get past Zhou Quan and pass the ball to the low post.
Zhou Quan still uses the old method of blocking when he crosses the center line, or even directly confronting him.
This time, instead of guarding Mark Price's ball-handling right hand, he guarded the opponent's left side, forcing the opponent to the right.
This is another defensive improvement, Ulrich's defense is still not good, he hopes to force the opponent to the right wing, and then join forces with Joe Dumars.
It is still far from the top of the arc. Mark Price cannot choose to pass the ball long to the low post. The possibility of the ball being intercepted is too high, and he has to break through Zhou Quan's blockade. His height and wingspan are not as good as the opponent's. Passing is also risky.
Therefore, under Zhou Quan's confrontation and pressure, he could only hold the ball to the right wing.
Elu on the right wing pulled out of the three-point line to meet Mark Price. Joe Dumars quickly followed up and cut off the angle of the ball. Elu immediately turned around and ran in while reaching for the ball.
Under Zhou Quan's strong confrontation, Mark Price couldn't find a comfortable passing opportunity. As the attack time was approaching, he could only risk passing the ball to Elu. He held Zhou Quan with his left hand and pulled the ball up with one hand. Throw.
"Oh, there was a mismatch, the ball went out of bounds and it was our ball."
The next moment, Dahuzi John Lowes roared excitedly.
On the sidelines, Cavaliers coach Wilkens asked for a timeout.
He didn't feel good today. The momentum at home was too strong and the players were generally in poor condition, while the home team was in very good condition.
On the other hand, Iron Fist's defense against Mark Price was much better than in the previous game, which resulted in the failure of the first few attacks. Even now, the inside has not received the ball and is completely unable to break through the Pistons' outside defense.
I only blame myself for being so poor on the outside, with only one Mark Price and no stars at the second and third positions, while the Pistons have two top defensive players on the outside.
"Mark, you have to pay attention. Tekken's defense has changed a lot tonight, so you have to make changes too."
"He won't let you get close to the three-point line. You should call the pick-and-roll in advance and don't circle with him outside. It will waste offensive time."
"At the same time he just forced you to the right wing, you should avoid that and go to the left wing where there will be a lot less defensive pressure."
"The most important thing is, I need you to open up the connection with the low post and pass the damn ball."
"clear."
Mark Price nodded repeatedly.
"Larry, Brad, don't watch the show in the low post. You have to be in time to get the position. Their perimeter defense is too strong. It's not easy to pass the ball from the outside. Don't miss the opportunity.
I need you to fight for the position regardless of your physical strength. Don't save your physical strength. If you lose the series, it will be useless for you to keep it. "
"OK."
Larry Nance and Doherty nodded.
On the other side, Chuck Daly said to Zhou Quan: "Iron Fist, you did a good job just now, keep it up. At the same time, you have to be careful not to let their ball pass easily. We must cut off their internal and external connections and try our best to Reduce their chances of catching the ball inside.”
"I know." Zhou Quan nodded.
After the timeout, the Pistons attacked.
Zhou Quan pushed forward from the center, forcing Mark Price to block him head-on, otherwise he would go straight in.
In the three-in-one breakthrough, Mark Price was not shaken this time and took the initiative to take a step back. However, at the next moment, Zhou Quan changed direction and accelerated the breakthrough, and he was still beaten.
Zhou Quan broke through from the right elbow area, and Elu from the right wing came to cover. The former quickly distributed the ball. Joe Dumars received the ball at the two-point position on the right wing and made an open jump shot. With a swipe, the basketball penetrated the Cavaliers' basket.
"0:8, well done!" Bearded John roared excitedly again.
In the ESPN commentary box, Rock Howard shook his head and said: "Trouble, the Cavaliers can't guard against Iron Fist! Iron Fist increases his outside shots, which increases his threat. He can do anything with sudden throws and passes. If you encounter such a person in single defense, It’s a big problem.”
Larry Winston said with a smile: “Especially when he faced Mark Price and Elu, he also had the mismatch advantage.
It is absolutely impossible for the Cavaliers to double-team him on the outside, because his passing will directly kill the game. He has this passing ability.
Even with the defense just like this, if the dropped position cannot be filled quickly, his pass may be fatal. "
Howard nodded and said: "This will test the Cavaliers' rotation speed. If they have the Bulls' rotation speed, it will be no problem.
But the ball just now was not done well enough. Larry Nance did not come out of the paint area in time to cover Joe Dumars' vacancy. "
Winston shook his head and said: "The Cavaliers' interior defense is good, but their outside defense and overall defense are average. How can they show the defensive intensity of the Bulls?"
The Cavaliers attack.
Mark Price crossed the center line from the left wing and was three steps away from the three-point line. After being blocked by Zhou Quan, he immediately called Sanders for a pick-and-roll. He took the opportunity to quickly rush to the three-point line with the ball. At this time, Zhou Quan Quan chased after him again, only half a step behind, leaving him no room to take action.
However, his purpose is not to take the shot himself, but to pass the ball in the low post.
In the low post on the left wing, Doherty relied on John Salley to get the ball. The two had been fighting against each other for several seconds. After consuming a lot of energy, they finally saw the ball being passed.
After catching the ball, he slid down and shook Selley, then immediately turned around, stepped into the paint area, and shot a jumper from the left waist.
"boom!"
"boom!"
The ball missed a bit and hit the basket. Larry Nance quickly rose up from the basket and pushed the ball into the basket with one hand, completing a putback dunk.
"call!"
The goal was scored, and all the Cavaliers players and coaching staff took a deep breath and finally scored.
"Orlando, pay attention to guarding the pick-and-roll, don't be lazy, don't let your opponent have an easy chance to take the ball." Chuck Daly shouted at Ulrich on the sidelines.
Ulrich nodded repeatedly. He saw Iron Fist catching up with Mark Price just now, so he did not block it. If he could delay it for a while, Iron Fist should be able to regain the defensive position.
In the ESPN commentary box, Howard was also analyzing the defense just now, saying: "Sanders was covering two or three meters away from the three-point line. At this time, Ulrich should block Mark Price first, and finally It's good to be able to form a front and rear pincer attack with Iron Fist.
Because at this time, Sanders is too far away from the three-point line. Even if he gets the ball, he has no way to take a shot. He does not have the ability to shoot from super long distances. "
Therefore, when Ulrich double-teams at this time, he should not have any worries and will not let his opponent get the open space. He should go over firmly. "
Although the Cavaliers scored a goal, they could not change the basic trend of the game. 81:106. In the end, the Pistons won by 25 points, won their first home game, and won the G3 game with a big score of 2 to 1. victory.
After the game, Winston said in the ESPN commentary box: "Under the leadership of Iron Fist, the Pistons' four defensive heroes used their full strength to play a powerful and oppressive defense, guarding from the outside to the inside. They defended the Cavaliers to a high level. Lose, the Cavaliers did not lose this game unjustly."
Howard praised: "The Pistons' defense is strong as a whole, except for Ulrich. Even if Ulrich has loopholes, timely defense in other positions can make up for part of it. The least points conceded in the regular season , they are indeed the strongest defensive team in the league."
Winston took the statistical table handed over by his assistant at this time and read: "Mark Price, played 34 minutes, his level was greatly reduced. He was defended by Iron Fist and made 3 of 11 shots, with a shooting rate of 27.3%, plus 2 He made 2 free throws and only got 8 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 1 steal, 5 turnovers and 1 foul.
Iron Fist played 37 minutes in this game, making 6 of 13 shots, a shooting percentage of 46.1%, and 4 of 4 free throws. He scored 16 points, 5 rebounds, 15 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers and 3 fouls.
Comparing the two, Iron Fist clearly has a huge advantage. Price is an All-Star point guard, but his assist ability is far inferior to Iron Fist. "
Howard took the Pistons' data sheet and said: "The Iron Fist sent out 15 assists, and the Pistons scored in double figures for a total of 6 times.
He had 16 points himself, Joe Dumars had 27 points, Ulrich had 18 points, John Salley had 12 points, the Assassins had 12 points, and Mark Aguirre had 11 points.
He accounted for 55.5% of the Pistons' 27 assists. The other five players who scored in double figures contributed 10 of his 15 assists.
Coupled with his own scoring, that is to say, the team's main scoring is all related to him, and his importance to this Pistons, it can be seen that if he sneezes, this team will catch a cold. "
Nodding, Howard said: "Rodman only got 8 rebounds today, and the Pistons had 8 fewer rebounds than the Cavaliers.
In terms of blocks, the Cavaliers also had 4 more blocks than the Pistons. Today they blocked a total of 7 big blocks by the Pistons.
Adding these two statistics together, the Cavaliers had more than ten possessions of the ball.
In terms of steals, the Pistons had 6 more steals. In terms of turnovers, the Pistons had only 9, while the Cavaliers had as many as 19. When it comes to fouls, both sides are pretty much the same.
Taken together, these data allow the Pistons to catch up with the Cavaliers in the number of shots taken, even one more than the Cavaliers. "
Winston nodded: "It can be said with certainty that the Pistons won the victory by relying on defense, limiting the Cavaliers' shooting percentage to 38%, while their own shooting percentage was 45.6%.
This is because the Cavaliers' inside duo largely restricted the Pistons' low-post offense and basket offense, otherwise the point difference would be even greater. "
At the scene, Zhou Quan won the best of the game and was being interviewed by the TV station.
"Zhou, now leading the Cavaliers two to one, is very hopeful to advance to the second round. If you can reach the Eastern Conference Finals, are you mentally prepared to deal with Michael Jordan?" the reporter asked.
Zhou Quan smiled and said, "Of course."
"Do you think he is currently the number one active player?" the reporter asked again.
He did not hesitate and nodded: "With Michael Jordan's ability, if I say he is not the MVP of the series, it will definitely be a lie."
"Can the conflict between you and him be resolved?" the reporter asked again.
Zhou Quan was startled and nodded: "Isiah and I can resolve our conflicts. Although Michael Jordan is my opponent, I can do it too. After all, we are just playing in the same league. There is no need to act like we are the enemies who killed our father.
I once said something to Isiah, no fight, no acquaintance, this is what I realized. As long as Michael Jordan gives up his feud with me, I can reconcile with him. "
"Only those who win the fight have the right to say that we don't know each other without fighting, right?"
In a mansion in New York, a half-drunk Bill Laimbeer was holding a wine bottle in his hand and murmuring.
He has moved away from Detroit, but in fact he doesn't want to leave there. After staying in that city for so many years, he has already become accustomed to it.
But he had to leave, just like he had to leave the Pistons, the NBA, and basketball.
He hates basketball, but he can't live without it. Without basketball, he can never surpass his father in any place.
Only basketball can help him find a place to surpass his father. His father is the biggest peak in his life, which is almost insurmountable.
So he really hates the iron fist that makes him have to leave basketball, really hates it.
Speaking of reconciliation, he admired the assassin very much, that good friend had such a big heart.
If he wants to reconcile with Iron Fist, that's okay, unless he wins, so reconciliation is impossible, because he lost. As a loser, how can he have the face to reconcile?
"Michael Jordan, let me see if there is any difference between you and Isiah. Will you choose to reconcile with that rookie bastard?"
He raised his hand and took a big sip of wine. After belching, he murmured again.
"Don't even think about it!"
Jordan in the Boston Hotel said coldly.
He would rather reconcile with the assassin than with Iron Fist, absolutely impossible.
His fight with the Assassins, let alone winning or losing on the court, is normal and depends on strength, but off the court, he has always taken advantage.
Morally, the assassin is a bad boy. He is a warrior who challenges the bad boy, and then becomes a dragon-slaying warrior. As the assassin descends from the top, he reaches the top, reaches the finals for the first time, and wins the championship for the first time. Championship, officially the first active player in the league.
But he suffered a big loss from Iron Fist.
Not to mention the victory or defeat on the court, that punch off the court made him lose face in front of his teammates.
But that doesn't mean that if he loses in a fight, he loses. Fighting is not what he is good at. What makes him unforgivable to Iron Fist the most is that the Battle of Mount Auburn almost became his Waterloo, and his reputation was almost destroyed by Iron Fist. Destroyed.
If David Stern hadn't stepped in to help him, if it hadn't been for Nike's sponsors to help him, just the media who made things worse would have destroyed him.
For this reason alone, he would never forgive Iron Fist.
…
"Rick, who won the other one?"
Zhou Quan ended the on-site interview and asked after returning to the bench.
"The Sonics win."
Rick Musk immediately said: "98:104, SuperSonics pulled one back at home."
He knew that Zhou Quan was concerned about Gary Payton's performance, and added: "Payton had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 1 foul, with no mistakes or blocks. His performance was better than the previous two games."
Lei Luowert said: "Iron Fist, you don't need to pay attention to the second grade. There is a gap between his strength and yours at present. You have already performed like an All-Star.
If you want to compare, you can compare with Tim Hardaway of the Warriors. He is only in his third year and has been an All-Star substitute for two consecutive years. What is Rick's average per game this season? "
Musk was responsible for sorting out the information, but it was impossible to remember every player's information. He shook his head and said: "I don't remember the specifics. Anyway, I entered the 20+10 club and I am very strong in scoring and assists.
The Warriors were eliminated by the SuperSonics in the first round. I remember that his statistics seemed to be that his scoring was a little higher than in the regular season, his assists were a little lower, his defensive performance was stronger, and his performance was also very good. "
Wilt smiled and said: "Look, Iron Fist, you have to compare with an All-Star like this, a rookie like Gary Payton. Compared with him, your price will be a little lower."
Zhou Quan laughed and said: "Didn't the media say that he and I are rising stars at the No. 1 position? I think that guy is pretty good, but he doesn't grow as fast as me."
Wilt smiled: "You and Tim Hardaway are the real rising stars at the No. 1 position."
An hour later, both sides held a post-match press conference.
On the Cavaliers side, a reporter asked: "Coach Wilkens, they are behind the Pistons one to two. How likely do you think the Cavaliers are to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals?"
Wilkens said calmly: "Before being eliminated, any possibility has a chance, not to mention that we are only one game behind? And from a probability perspective, there is a 50% chance of winning or losing.
In the next series, we will try to equalize the score. This is where we need to focus our attention at the moment. "
"Mark, your performance today is not as good as Iron Fist. Do you think this is accidental, or is he really stronger than you?" a reporter asked.
The question was very pointed, and Mark Price felt helpless. He thought about it and said, "I can only say that Iron Fist's talent is underestimated. He deserved to be in the lottery last year, and he was even qualified to be the No. 1 pick."
The media reporters' interest immediately arose, and their eyes were fixed on Price's face.
After successfully diverting the topic and reporters' attention, Mark Price secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued what he just said:
"Not to mention other hidden talents, I will only say one thing. While maintaining a huge tonnage, he can also possess first-class athletic talent. This is his underestimated talent."
This sentence made all the media reporters nod. They are all professional sports reporters and understand the power of this talent.
80 kg, 85 kg, 90 kg, different tonnages, but with the same speed, the impact they can form is absolutely different.
Currently, at the No. 1 position, the tonnage of most point guards remains around 80 kilograms. 85 kilograms is considered a heavy point guard, but what is the tonnage of Iron Fist?
If his speed is not fast, his tonnage advantage will not be big, and it can even be said to be a burden. However, his speed can still reach the first-class level. This will form a mismatch advantage of using heavy to attack light, and he will be unstoppable, let alone Point guards, even shooting guards, are also difficult to block.
"Mark, if last year's draft is rearranged, do you think Iron Fist will replace Larry Johnson as the No. 1 pick?" the reporter who just asked asked again.
Mark Price quickly said: "It's possible, they are all the best rookies last year. I think Iron Fist can at least enter the top three."
"Mark, do you think there is a chance to come back in this series?" The next reporter asked Price again.
Mark Price nodded: "Of course, we will definitely have a chance."
"Then how will you deal with Iron Fist?" the reporter asked.
When asked this question, Price's head started to hurt because he didn't have a clue yet.
He played well in the G2 game and the team won. In that game, he worked hard on defense and made some changes, which made Tekken a little uncomfortable.
But in fact, he did not limit Iron Fist. This can be seen from Iron Fist's data. He really can't guard against it.
In tonight's game, Iron Fist also made changes, and he didn't adapt.
There is an obvious difference between him and Iron Fist. When he makes changes, Iron Fist's performance will not be very bad and is still above the level, which shows that he does not have great restrictions on his opponents, but he cannot. He It was truly suppressed by the other party.
In the next game, he knows that he must find a way to make some changes, but no matter how he changes, there is not much he can do on the defensive end, because his body is too thin and he does not have the ability to confront Iron Fist head-on. .
Regarding this series, he actually already has some shadows in his heart.
(End of chapter)
